So things are looking good with you and your special someone. Hooray! Good enough that you've decided it's time to introduce each other to your respective parents. Double hooray! And you've decided that the perfect setting for these introductions would be a cozy home-cooked meal. Um... gulp. Let's talk about a menu that will make sure the whole evening goes smoothly, shall we?

Kids know how to party! Check out the latest festive celebrations from the Apartment Therapy's Family channel, which posts kids' parties every day. We'll be bringing you a roundup of these inspiring parties every week.

• Avery's Toy Cats Party
  
• Isaac's Retro Robot Party
  
• Joy's Creative Art Party
  
• Isla's ONEderland Party
  
• Violet's Cinco de Mayo Party
  

While all of us here at The Kitchn love to chat about simple meals and the day-to-day realities of cooking, we also really love a good party. So this week we're launching a new monthly series, Gatherings from The Kitchn, showing you our own dinner parties, large and small. Gathering with friends can be as simple as a cozy dinner party for for four in a little apartment, or as ambitious as a backyard movie night. We'll show you our real-life parties, taking a week to walk through planning, recipes, tips, decorating tips, and the party itself. 

Our first party comes from my own kitchen, where last week I threw a dinner tailored for the end of winter, one with hearty, rustic polenta and lots of red wine. Simple, right? Well, we decided to add a dramatic centerpiece for this party -- a four-foot-long polenta board! Want to see more? 

The key to a really fantastic office potluck — one that you and your coworkers actually look forward to — is variety. And cupcakes. Get everyone to sign up for a dish they are truly excited to make and bring, and I guarantee you'll end up with an office table that groans under the weight of the bounty you are about to inhale.

Kids know how to party! Check out the latest festive celebrations from the Apartment Therapy's Family channel, which posts kids' parties every day. We'll be bringing you a roundup of these inspiring parties every week.

• Addie's Pony Party
  
• Will & Ryan's Circus Elephant Party
  
• Jack's Nautical Party
  
• W's Balloons & Bubbles Party
  
• Stella's Ballerina Party

Q: I'm hosting a boozy St. Patrick's Day brunch this Saturday and wanted to make alcoholic Shamrock Shakes. Can you recommend a good recipe?

Sent by Kristin

The only possible cure for the late-winter blues is brunch. A big brunch. One with friends dropping by, trays upon trays of sticky buns, mimosas and coffee, and muffins for nibbling when you think you're almost full. Oh, yes! Let's do this.

Kids know how to party! Check out the latest festive celebrations from the Apartment Therapy's Family channel, which posts kids' parties every day. We'll be bringing you a roundup of these inspiring parties every week.

• Ruby's Summer Rainbow Confetti Party
  
• An Ice Cream Picnic Party
  
• Max's Construction Party
  
• Nola & Kira's Artsy Heartsy Valentines Tea
  
• Yosef's Truck Party
  

Pizza? Check! Popcorn? Check! Netflix movie? Check! There were far too many of those Oscar movies that we didn't see, and this Friday seems like the perfect time to remedy that situation. Send out the email alert: it's time for a Pizza Night.