The coronavirus crisis has kept everyone indoors for the better part of the last year. Now that numbers are beginning to stabilize and vaccines are becoming widespread, it’s becoming possible to socialize regularly with others again.

After a year or more of isolation, though, you may need to hit the reset button when it comes to your hosting capabilities. Here are a few tips and suggestions to help you reorient yourself and prep your space for social events and guests once again.

Start With A Deep Clean

Cleaning isn’t just a pandemic-related health hazard. It’s also an integral part of keeping your home in good working order.

That said, for most people, there’s a big difference between “livable clean” and “hosting clean.” Start your hosting prep by giving your entire house a thorough once-over. It’s a good idea to do this in stages as you get ready for future hosting activities.

Consider which areas you haven’t addressed well in the last several months. Do you need to do a thorough vacuuming? Have you dusted lately? You can also use the opportunity to check on potential household hazards, too. Make sure that things like pet dander and mold aren’t hiding in an out-of-the-way area of your living space. You can even check your carbon monoxide and fire detectors to make sure that everything is copasetic before your first guests arrive.

It’s always a good idea to conduct a quick decluttering clean right before guests come over. However, it’s also wise to get the bones of your house in good, clean, working order before you start hosting regularly again.

Take A Thorough Inventory

Along with cleaning, you also want to consider how your hosting inventory is doing. What typical tools and items do you usually like to have on hand when you have people over? Just as a few examples, consider your current stock of:

• Disposable dinnerware
• Extra seating
• Party games
• Toys for children to play with
• Family-friendly drink options
• Adult beverages

As you identify areas where your stock is running low, take steps to restock. If you’re low on cash, now’s the time to figure these things out. You can set extra money aside from your next paycheck or even pick up a lucrative freelancing gig to earn some cash on the side for your hosting endeavors.

Consider Additional Health Protocols

One area that has distinctly changed since before the pandemic is the sanitation steps that a host takes. This isn’t just a kind gesture anymore. It’s officially a sign that you care about your guests’ health.

With that in mind, consider how you can take steps to offer your guests a comfortable and safe option to stay healthy. If you’re still in an area where the pandemic is a threat, consider instituting rules like mask-wearing or having people sit six feet apart.

Even if things are fine by the time you host, make sure to have hand sanitizer out, alcohol wipes handy, and plenty of soap in the bathroom and kitchen dispensers. Also, if it’s warmer weather, try to open windows or even have the event outside.

Build A Solid Schedule

The pandemic spoiled everyone as far as schedules go. Busy calendars were replaced with endless stretches of open days that could be controlled and planned out at will.

As you begin to open your life back up to the social whims and desires of others, make sure to get a solid schedule in place to help you stay organized and in control. This should structure your days spent at home as well as provide distinct times that you can invest in social engagements. Make sure to specifically plan in time for cleaning before you host, the hosting itself, and times that you can attend other’s social events away from home.

Without a schedule to keep you aware of your commitments, it’s easy to quickly become overwhelmed and burned out by too much socialization.

Remember, The Guest Is Always Right

Finally, remember to be flexible with your hosting activities. Especially at the beginning, you’re going to want to plan for the possibility of people turning down invitations or even bailing on your events at the last minute. Many people are still gun-shy about socializing, and it may take time for everyone to warm up to the activity again.

Even when you have people in your home, be ready to adjust to their needs. They may feel uncomfortable being too close to you or not wearing a mask. Then again, they may not have strong feelings in those areas at all. Always be ready to adapt and use that age-old business motto that the customer (or guest in this case) “is always right.”

Finding Your Hosting Mojo Again

Over the past year, isolation and loneliness have been amongst the top struggles that most individuals have had to face. Now that life is beginning to return to a sense of normalcy, a new challenge has arisen: how to resume hosting and social schedules gracefully and in a manner that is positive and healthy.

It may sound simple, but it’s important to go about reopening your home to others in a thoughtful manner. Consider what you need to do to prepare. Also, consider the temperament and expectations of your new, post-pandemic guests. By thinking and planning ahead, you can ensure that your re-energized social life is an uplifting and positive experience rather than an overwhelming or stressful one.

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The end of a marriage will probably be one of the most painful and difficult experiences you will ever go through. Even if you’ve known for some time that the relationship is over, it can be a difficult pill to swallow. Take comfort in knowing that you’re not alone: over 90,000 couples went through a divorce in 2018 in the UK, with an average of 12.5 years of marriage.

With all of the emotion at the end of a relationship, it can be difficult to know where to start and, importantly, what to believe about preparing for a divorce. There’s a wealth of information available on divorce, and it can be hard to find out exactly what you need to know.

Your Divorce May Take A While

The idea of a quick divorce is a comforting thought, a swift end to a painful event that means you can move on with your life. Unfortunately, “quickie divorces” aren’t really a thing beyond the tabloid press, and the process usually takes around six months, even if everything is agreed upon and amicable.

In the UK, the idea of a speedy divorce comes from the early stage of proceedings when the decree nisi is issued. This is a legal document that confirms the court’s permission for the divorce to be finalised. It can then take months to be issued a decree absolute and even then, there is a “cooling off” period before finalisation.

Chances are that your divorce will be split into two or three stages, and it’s a good idea to be prepared for it to take time.

Know The Reasons You Can Get Divorced

Some of the biggest misconceptions about divorce come from the reasons you can get divorced. Often you’ll hear “irreconcilable differences” as grounds for divorce, but more often than not, this isn’t a legitimate reason for divorce.

Depending on where you are, you can only use certain legal reasons to justify a divorce. They will usually include variations of:

• Adultery
• Unreasonable behaviour
• Desertion
• Separation

These stipulations are set to change in Autumn 2021 in England and Wales, with “no-blame” divorces being introduced.

It’s also worth checking that you’re eligible to get divorced. There are normally certain criteria needed for a divorce, depending on where you’re based. In the UK, for example, the criteria are:

• You’ve been married for over a year
• Your marriage has permanently broken down
• Your marriage is legally recognised
• The UK is your permanent home (or your spouse’s)

If you’re ineligible for divorce, you may be able to reach a legal separation agreement or annul the marriage in the first year of marriage.

Prepare Yourself For The Cost

The cost of a divorce varies from case to case, but the average cost of a divorce in the UK stands at £14,561. One of the biggest factors in both the time a divorce takes and the amount it will cost is whether the divorce is contested.

An uncontested divorce is one that both parties agree to and that usually means the proceedings will be less complicated and, usually, not as expensive.  Fortunately, 99% of divorce cases in England and Wales are uncontested, which means that the process should be relatively straightforward and usually won’t end up in court.

Have A Solicitor Ready

You would generally assume that you’d need a divorce solicitor or lawyer to get divorced. While that may be the case for many people, there’s usually no legal obligation for either party to use a solicitor to get divorced.

If a couple can reach an agreement about their finances and childcare responsibilities in an uncontested divorce, then there may be no need for legal assistance.

But, divorces are rarely that straightforward. They can quickly become complicated and even more so when there are children, finances and property involved.

In those cases, it’s a good idea to have a knowledgeable divorce or family law solicitor there to handle any complications and get the divorce settled as quickly and painlessly as possible. The cost for a divorce solicitor will vary.

Don’t Fall For Common Misconceptions

Divorce is a topic that many people think they know a lot about. While there are people with solid advice, there are just as many that will innocently tell you falsehoods, believing them to be true.

Here are just a few:

• You will definitely have to go to court
• If you admit fault, you’ll have to pay more
• If you don’t agree to the divorce, there’s nothing they can do
• Children will automatically go with the mother
• If you leave the house, you’re giving it up.

One of the most important things to do when preparing for a divorce is to make sure you’ve done your research and understand how the process works. The laws for divorce are different worldwide, so it’s worth doing some specific research on where you’re based.

*collaborative post

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