My 1st Small Group Dinner

Not gonna lie...I rushed around like crazy Friday night and most of Saturday trying to get the house ready for guests. Do you all do that too? I think I work better under pressure. Sometimes I feel like our house will never be clean with a 2yo running around, a cat, and us both working full time running our own business (which means working all hours of the day!).

However, when the pressure is on I feel I rise to the occasion pretty well :) The bathroom - clean, the kitchen - spotless, dining room table - set, and the kid table - decorated for fun!

I have been wanting to host a small group dinner with a few (local) friends and their families for awhile now, but it just never was the right time. Plus, we are still (long story) in the process of remodeling our basement.

Some day there will be a post all about it!

The basement for the most part is complete and I really just wanted to be able to have a fun time with friends. So in the end who cares if my house isn't perfect! It is the conversations, good friends, good food, and laughs we will all remember!

I decided to make the evening St. Patrick's Day themed since the holiday was just on Monday and it would be an easy way to dress up the house. Plus, I found a million ideas on Pinterest (check out my board here) just for this holiday alone! Tons of printables to decorate with, coloring sheets for the kiddos, and more!

I found a few recipes on Pinterest (my go-to for everything) that fit perfectly with the theme. I made Guinness Pulled Pork in the crock pot and served it with Kroger cole slaw and mini slider buns.

I also made baked macaroni and cheese as a side for the adults and a main entree for the littles :) Both the pulled pork and mac-n-cheese were big hits!

And a special bonus I made some Leprechaun Bark for everyone to enjoy. I couldn't find green M&M's, so I just used regular ones to create Rainbow Bark :)

The other ladies filled in with appetizers, salad, and dessert.

One of my friends whipped up this chocolate ganache cake with fresh flowers in between painting and teaching barre classes!

It was amazing!!!

No party is complete without drinks!

We had green milk and cucumber water on hand for the kiddos, and some fun cocktails and wine for the adults.

Of course we had some Guinness on hand for anyone who wanted to get into the Irish spirit of things ;)

The main decorations were for the kid table, but I did add a few green items throughout the house too.

I found all the St. Patrick's decor at Hobby Lobby, Target, and Joann Fabrics. Everything was on clearance before the holiday even arrived so I didn't have much to choose from. Lesson learned! Shop early next year!

The kids each took home a cup, straw, necklace and a mini bag of Lucky Charms :)

I had sticker books, coloring sheets and crayons out for the kids. 
Side note: Why in a million years would I think that my kid would sit still to color? Or that he wouldn't try to eat the crayons? UGH!
I swear I have a wild animal instead of a toddler at times!

X with the other two toddlers that were there :)

X had a great time playing with all of the kids!

The rest of the evening was filled with lots of laughs and lots of drinks :)
Exactly how I pictured it!

I am already looking forward to planning more dinners in the future and inviting more friends to join the fun!
Maybe my next theme could a Backyard BBQ!
The possibilities are endless :)

Do you host a small group dinner with friends?
Do you like the idea of potluck dinners?

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