I’m sure you’ve been in this scenario before.

You are planning on a relaxing weekend and all the sudden for one reason or another guests are coming. Family and/or friends to entertain at the last minute.

Maybe the house is a mess, you don’t have time to go grocery shopping, or are too tired to plan a meal for last minute guests.

Sometimes these situations are impossible to avoid. You are left to find a solution to entertain guests with hardly any time to prepare.

Last Minute Entertaining Ideas for Happy Guests!

I have personally been in these situations and it can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be.

The goal here is to plan your get together and entertain your guests with little to no stress.

Here are some simple ways to get ready for guests coming last minute. So, you can enjoy having your guests over instead of stressing about the time you have to prepare.

Use the Resources You Have

Do you have kids home that can help you clean? Take advantage of it! Maybe offer an extra incentive or bonus to their allowance in exchange for getting things ready for guests.
Take it Outside

If the weather is nice it may be better to entertain outside. That way you won’t have to worry too much about cleaning or formal table settings.

It’s a lot easier to clean up food when you are outside. Plus if you have little ones coming over they may have more fun playing outdoors.
Resort to Quick Fixes

Cluttered homes don’t make bad parents in my opinion. I personally have a huge struggle with my laundry and almost always have a huge pile ready to be folded in my living room.

This can be stressful with last minute guests to entertain. So, I resort to quick fixes.

While getting ready for guests just throw your laundry pile into another room before they come, fill up the sink with soapy water to hide dirty dishes, throw all your kids toys into a box and stick it in their room to sort through later.

The whole house doesn’t need to be perfect, just the areas where you are going to be entertaining.
Keep the Meal Simple

If you don’t have time to plan a meal that’s okay. Just keep it simple, order pizza.

Last week we entertained with Papa John’s pizza! I find this to be a cheap solution for entertaining a lot of guests. Plus who doesn’t love pizza!?
Planning for Every Type of Guest

Sometimes it can be hard to please everyone and most of the time you just can’t.

We have family members and friends that stick to gluten free diets. Planning a last minute gluten free meal for guests can be so difficult.

I’m loving that Papa John’s has come out with a new gluten free crust! What makes it even better is that the dough has never been frozen and is made with ancient grains, including Sorghum, Teff, Amaranth, and Quinoa. It doesn’t compromise the taste, which is a big plus for my guests needing a gluten free option.

Ordering pizza for all of our guests is easy to do last minute and having a gluten free option helps us keep everyone happy.

We ordered their pizza with a gluten free crust this last weekend and it was so yummy!