Home Sweet MaHOMEs — Become the MVP of Hosting!

So, you’re hosting a bunch of friends for the game this weekend and you’d like for your home to stay (somewhat) intact. Our service providers have few tips and tricks to keep your home tidy and a few tips to make sure your party is well equipped to watch the big game.

Safety First

• With all of this snow and ice, be sure that you put down lots of salt on walkways
• Be sure your outside lights are working
• Double check handrails to see if they are sturdy
• Put out orange cones or other markers in the snow if it’s hard to see where embankments or curbs are
• If you are worried about any trees or limbs falling, get in touch with a Zaarly service provider ASAP — never attempt to cut down or remove trees/limbs on your own

Mess Free= Stress-Free

Making sure your entryway is set up for your guests is the first step in keeping your home in order. Even if you have a mudroom, there are a few things you can do to maximize the entrance of your home for a party.

• Invest in a heavy duty welcome mat
• Pick up some cheap, stackable plastic crates and stack them (like cubby holes) for guests to place shoes and bags
• Stick several 3M heavy duty hooks on the wall for jackets
• If you want to go full Martha Stewart — pick up fuzzy (Chiefs) socks and place them in a basket for guests to take and use
• If you are worried about guests tracking in the outside — lay down a rug runner or thick plastic tarp
• It’s cold & flu season — we suggest having some hand sanitizer ready to use when your guests walk in

Keep Your Bathrooms Clean & Fresh

After you give your bathrooms a good cleaning before your guests arrive — make sure they stay that way!

• Make sure you have a plunger in each bathroom — just in case
• Keep a container of disposable cleaning cloths in each restroom for quick cleanups
• Light a scented candle to leave on the bathroom sink (or wax melt)
• Make your guests laugh and keep the bathroom fresh with some toilet potpourri
• Make sure you have hand soap and hand towels in each bathroom — we also suggest picking up a box of disposable hand towels if you want to make things easy and prevent spreading of germs

The Main Event

If making sure your party means no (or little) clean-up follow these suggestions!

• Pop up trash cans in high-traffic areas
• Disposable everything
• Metal-bracket chafing dish stations — these are very inexpensive and just require using a fuel canister (also very inexpensive) you can find them at any party store — this way you can keep your food hot and it’s super easy cleanup — and requires NO washing dishes after!
• Two words: WET NAPS
• Don’t want to deal with leftovers? Pick up inexpensive plastic or paper containers for guests to take food home with them
• Lots of coasters — you can even DIY your coasters if you want to save some money and make custom ones!

Watch the Game in Style

First, if you are ready to make a move to a bigger TV — be sure you have it mounted on the wall by a pro. This will ensure you’ve got it in the perfect spot and eliminate any TV-hanging mishaps (believe us, we’ve heard of plenty!)

Next, you’ll want to set up your sound. If you want the true-stadium feel, you’ll want to set up your sound system accordingly. There are three things to keep in mind according to our sound and video system service providers:

1. Invest in more than one subwoofer
2. Use soft materials to absorb sound and prevent echoes. (sofas, padded chairs, throw rugs)
3. Stay away from in-ceiling surround sound. You want a 3D sound effect when you are going to be watching games and when you want a stadium- like feel. The best placement of speakers is about two feet above ear level and to the front and sides at a horizontal angle.

After you’ve figured out what you’ll watch the game on, you’ll need to figure out seating. You can have a lot of fun with seating — including doing some of your own stadium seating! Whatever you decide for seating, make sure you’ve got a few options planned out.

You can’t have a stadium without concessions! We’ve seen people go all out with their basement kitchens. You can even pick up a good old fashioned hot dog steamer and bun warmer!

Are you looking for some ideas? We’ve pinned a few incredible sports-themed rooms!

Ok, Kansas City — now that you are ready for the big game, it’s time to pile on all of your good-luck charms, lucky boxers and put out those Chiefs colors!

And should you happen to need some post-party cleanup or you want to transform your game experience — our service providers are ready to help! GO CHIEFS!