5 Ways to Get Your Living Room Ready for Entertaining

I have hosted small dinner parties for years, usually my husband's business colleagues, and I found that the key is to offer no choices!! I know that sounds bad, but I'm a wonderful hostess who enjoys having these dinner parties and have never gotten complaints. No matter what my entree is I always serve a large tossed green salad already dressed. There is no hassle or mess with various bottles of dressings, no having to provide multiple dressings for any taste, no having to get up from the table when someone asks if I have Ranch or Thousand Island or a kind that I didn't put out. I find that a sweet/sour like celery seed dressing is loved by everyone.
I have large glasses of ice water at every place setting ( prevents having to ask who wants ice, who wants sweet tea, or who prefers unsweet, or whatever when it's time to get seated). Everyone is fine with sipping water while dining. We already had cocktails with the appetizers.
I serve dessert to everyone at the table, they can choose to eat it or simply nibble at it. (I don't have all that protesting, asking for a small piece, the should I or shouldn't I game, etc...)
I learned this from a classy doctor's wife in the south who regularly practiced hospitality. Oh, another thing...I always announce that I am not offended in the least if someone doesn't like something. Everyone laughs and the dinners have always been a success.

Prep: - Put a single stem or two in a bud vase in the powder room. Everyone will see it.
Also include lit candle & spray (for more extreme unfortunate visits) in the bathroom.

Bar outside if weather permits - let guests serve them selves.

Serve food family style or buffet rather than fixing individual plates. If serving buffet-style from your normal dining table, pull chairs away from the table & relocate to walls or other rooms (or garage!).

Stash the bill pile out of sight.

Things I've learned -
1. You really can't overprepare - do as much as you can ahead of time. For larger parties, it is important to consider flow & wether furniture needs to be removed or repositioned.
2. Enlist husband (significant other, or a good friend) to set up bar, help light candles, vacuum - or anything else he can handle & you can convince him to do.
3. When guests ask what they can bring, if they are reliable - give them an assignment (don't assign hors d'oevres to someone who is chronically late). If they aren't reliable & insist on helping, ask them to bring extra ice, club soda, etc.. I'll never forget one of my mom's dinners when a guest volunteered to supply the salad & said guest showed up 1 hour late with an unwashed bag of ice-berg lettuce - and that's all!
4 - Most important! Hosts attitude and demeanor set the tone - be calm & enjoy your own party!
-> Nephew eats too many crackers & thows up on the coffee table? - just laugh & wipe it up.
-> Entree accidentally incinerated? Call out for delivery or send a friend with your credit card to do a quick pickup at a local food shop that sells prepared foods.
5. Stash an extra lipstick & haribrush in the downstairs powder room for quick touch-ups

Supply the main dish and beverages so you don't rely on what guests bring, be sure to introduce each person to every other person and say something interesting about them and, most important for a great time had by all, invite at least one other person/couple that knows another guest but not so many that they end up in a huddle.