Our son, Maverick, was baptized on Sunday. We hosted a lunch afterwards. If you're like me, you tend to stress about gatherings. You want the house to look nice, the food to taste good, and everyone to have a good time. But what if in all the worrying about other stuff, you're not enjoying yourself?

Cleaning the house

Ahhhh! Must deep clean like never before! Cleaning the house is always the most stressful part for me. I think in part because we have so much clutter right now. My in-laws are downsizing so all of this stuff has appeared in our house. Not only that, but we still have boxes in the basement and other stuff that we just don't know what to do with: keep? donate? throw away? In any case, the house isn't in the greatest order. This is hilarious because my family has seen it in the most disarray out of anyone so....why the pressure? 

Planning the food (including a delicious dessert)

I always want enough food, but not so much that we're eating the leftovers all week. This time, we almost gauged perfectly. Score!

Having the kids bathed and clothed appropriately

Have they bathed this week? Of course they have, it's summer and they get dirty and smelly super fast. This is an easy one since I have to do it frequently.

Diaper bag packed with essentials

Extra clothes, diapers, and wipes! Check. Double check. Triple check. Snacks for Hendrix. Nursing cover. Water for Hendrix. Activities during church if Hendrix gets antsy. 

Yard Work

Why, do you ask. Because. Because I want to proud of my home. Summer brings lots of extra work around the outside of the house. And that work continues. I trim the bushes and they need to be trimmed again in a few weeks. Everything grows. It isn't the end of the world if it doesn't get done, but it is a bonus. 

Make sure I don't look a mess

Have I showered today? If you're a SAHM, you understand. I get ready last so that usually means I get the least amount of time. I actually showered, shaved, put on makeup, and looked pretty nice. Check!

At the end of the day, I realized my family and friends wouldn't care about the house being neat and tidy or the bushes and shrubs being trimmed. They were there for the event, for Maverick's baptism, and for the celebration after. Of course, we enjoyed the yummy food and amazing cupcakes. 

It never fails, after every event I get less anxious about the next. 

My new questions to ask myself for party planning:

Is my family happy and excited about the party? 

Do we have food and drinks? 

Can the most important people make it? 

Am I enjoying the experience? 

Only a few items really needed done so if the others were accomplished, it was a bonus. The moments and people you enjoy those moments with are what is important.

I'm also trying to remember this in my day-to-day routine. The moments with my boys are what is important. They don't care if the house is perfect, they want to play, read, snuggle, and laugh with me. 

Those are the moments I want more of to remember.