Entertain your guests indoors this festive season

During festivities, many people are hesitant about entertaining people at their house. They want to be hospitable and spend time with their friends and family but they are afraid to invite them over because the preparations involve a lot of tension and hard work like tiding the house, running after children and cooking a big, fancy tedious meal.

However, Catherine Nakamya, an interior designer in Kampala says, in order to artistically entertain people in your home, creativity is the basis for some of the best cheap and free entertainment.

"Having hustled throughout the year, you can batten down the hatches and tune on the best music for your guests indoors. Be it a small or big music system, you can get the best gospel, R n B, hip hop or band music selection that you either blow or play slowly while you crake jokes and  chop down some bites," she says.

Nakamya adds that most of the time, we are hesitant to admit to our talents, but everyone has a shareable skill.

Invite people to bring over their indoor skills or talents and teach them to the others in the group. It can range from cooking to dance or singing.

Fatumah Nalunkuuma, an interior designer with Fatty décor says that not being a good chef should not deter you from entertaining your guests at home.

"IEntertain your guestf you cannot pull off cooking a big meal, order in from a favourite restaurant, and then make the juice, dessert and fruits yourself. You can also decide to order online because many big restaurants and hotels around town do deliver food at the convenience of the client," she opines.

This arrangement is less expensive than meeting friends at the restaurant because you'll save money on the drinks, fruits and dessert. Remember, many guests may not care whether you cooked the meal or not so long as they get together.

According to Nakamya, house parties are trending these days, so, you can also pull out one.  Here, invite a group of friends and family preferably of the same age bracket for convenience. Blow out the music while enjoying soft, hard drinks and eats. Basing on the house size and financial ability of the host, the guests can stay in that binge life for days.

If the house is spacious enough, fill some space especially the corners with glowing stick balloons to set the tone for an epic dance party in the evening, a hide and seek in the dark or romantic dinner because the balloons will keep shining for hours.

Nalunkuuma asserts that you can also bring the outdoor in by creating a new home for some special scented plants like topiaries and herbs that will offer a relaxation environment to the lovers of Mother Nature. Place them in the corners, dining area, patio or balcony.

‘Have you ever imagined the magic and fun that comes with cooking together as family joined by friends? Try it this festive season. Gather your group, hit the kitchen and get busy for breakfast, lunch and dinner and by the time you retire, New Year will long be gone," she affirms.

This time should be utilized to the last bit. Nakamya says, the family can decide to hold a get together indoors with close and distant members purposely to reminisce about life journeys, enjoy tales, jokes, interviews and all matters arising.  

Movie time is fun time. Stock the best hilarious or jaw dropping movies and hit the home theatre or TV room to enjoy the moments while relaxing to popcorn, drinks and snacks as you laugh, tear and explore as a family.

During this seasons, pay Tvs offer a number of movie channels and documentaries to take you through the season entertained.

Nalunkuuma advises to utilize this time for family celebrations like birthdays, marriage, get together and surprises to have the family entertained.  However, these functions should be planned in advance to fit in the budget.

"Host an afternoon or evening tea or wine party. No dinner necessary, have a wine tasting party in the late evening and just provide some light snacks. Also invite another family over for an ice cream. Entertaining doesn't always mean dinner, so be creative with your time and theme," states Nakamya.

You can also organize a few friends for a quick readers' time where you incorporate a book swap. Choose those small hilarious and educative novels to read or summarise for the group, one at a time. Share the reactions and at the end of the session, refresh your library by giving out some of your books to friends for remembrance of the day.

If you are an aspiring or talented musician, there's not much better than tasting your vocals before your friends. Whatever your musical style, grab a little confidence and prepare to rock the microphone with your buddies.

"Majority of us want to share our travels and experiences. Trouble is, not everyone wants to listen. Nevertheless, give each person the opportunity to share their experiences by hosting a trip spotlight night. Have people bring photos and stories and give them time on centre stage," adds Nakamya.

Offer an open space to discuss and brainstorm on anything that interests your friends. This avails an opportunity to bond and a great way to push your creative brain and learn from others.

Entertaining your guests at the dinning or in the kitchen can be fun. You can line up the covered mouth-watering dishes, blindfold the tasters and have them guess the types they're enjoying.  This is a fun way to explore different flavours and work out your senses.