Tip of the Week – Host a sporting event watch party and invite your neighbors.

We’re in the middle of March Madness and the Final Four will be here soon. This is a perfect time to host a watch party! Hosting a party might sound intimidating, but you can keep it simple and still have a blast. To get the ball rolling (pun intended), send text or handwritten invites to your neighbors. Make sure to include all the details - time, date, address, anything they need to bring, etc. We’ve found in our neighborhood that 2-3 days prior is the best time to invite neighbors to an event. But remember, each neighborhood is different. If your neighbors have a busier schedule, you probably should give them more time to plan.

A watch party is also a chance to incorporate a potluck style dinner or lunch. Potlucks are great for a couple of reasons. First, of all…food! Second, it allows each guest to feel a sense of contribution to the event. Third…food! And also, potlucks are good conversations starters. You may find out that one of your neighbors loves to bake or another has a secret family recipe. Did we mention the power of…food?

Last, but definitely not least, a watch party allows your neighbors to get to know each other. If you’ve been trying out our tips for neighboring experiments, your connections have probably been one on one. This is great, but to share the power of neighboring, we eventually need to connect neighbors with one another. If your neighbors seem to be comfortable with it, have everyone write down their contact information so you can communicate with them efficiently when the need arises…like, for the next big game!

Snap a picture of your watch party and tag us in it on Facebook. Don’t forget to add #neighboringmovement. If you do, we’ll enter you into a prize drawing for the chance to win a SoCe t-shirt bag with 4 mesh produce bags included! We can’t wait to hear about your experience!

Happy neighboring