One of the best ways to get your life in order is to share it with other people. In the last few weeks, I've seen several articles about how people don't host parties any more. Instead, people tend to get together with friends and neighbors at restaurants or other public spaces. Those public gatherings tend to be more expensive and less personal, but they are easier, so that's what people do.

This year, try inviting people into your home. Now, your first response is likely that your house is too messy. You are inviting people for a party, not group brain surgery. We do not need sterile surfaces. Also, the people you invite to your home are your friends. They know you and they love you anyway. 

To have a party, the only rooms that need to be reasonably tidy are the kitchen (or wherever food is stored and prepared), the bathroom guests will use, and the party where the room will take place (dining room, living room, family room, etc.).  For all the other rooms, just close the doors. If people start opening closed doors, the problem isn't your house, it's that your friends are too nosy.

"Reasonably tidy" doesn't mean perfect. Yesterday's mail still on the end table. Kid's toys shoved into a corner. The book you are reading on the floor next to your chair. A little dust on the bookshelf. These aren't reasons to not welcome people into your home. No one expects you to have morphed into Martha Stewart or Ree Drummond overnight. And those women have staff to keep their houses clean. (As a side note, during the recent blizzard, Martha Stewart posted a photo of herself driving a truck with a plow to clear the roads on her estate. She pointed out that she was bored because everything was closed. I could have posted a shoveling selfie – not because I was bored but because there's no one else to shovel my walk.)

If you are worried about the cooking, it's perfectly fine to order in for a party. If you have a favorite restaurant, ask if they cater. Most restaurants are happy to provide takeout for dishes on their menu.  You can pick up the food and reheat it if necessary, then transfer it into your own serving bowls. 

You don't have to invite everyone you know. Start small – just a friend or two. Hold a movie night or game night. Keep the food and drink simple. The key is enjoying time with the people you care about. The single most important thing is to put yourself in your guests' place. (Remember the Golden Rule?) If you focus on their comfort and pleasure, the rest will fall into place.