Holiday Entertaining Tips

Host a Stress-Free Holiday Get-Together

One of our favorite parts of the holiday season is spending extra quality time with our family and friends. Opening presents on Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house. Piling the family into the car to look at Christmas lights. Gathering with friends for delicious food and games. If it’s your turn to host a get-together this year, we want you to be able to enjoy this quality time without pulling your hair out, scrambling to get everything set up and ready. These Christmas entertaining tips will (hopefully) help you avoid a headache as you prepare to host your holiday get-together and allow you to truly enjoy the season.

Delegate tasks.

As a host, you don’t have to do it all on your own. Ask your family and friends to help out when you need it. They can take care of cleaning up the yard, tidying the bathroom, stringing up additional lights, or vacuuming the living room while you work on something else. We all know that this time of year gets busy FAST. Slow down, invite people to work alongside you, and enjoy the process of getting ready to entertain. Your family and friends will be glad to help!

Prep the night (and possibly the week) before.

The day of your party is going to be crazy enough as it is. Save yourself a headache by utilizing the night (or week) before for tasks, such as the following:

• cleaning up
• arranging furniture
• gathering extra seating
• setting out decor

If you can start getting ready days in advance, that’s even better! This is one of the most important entertaining tips!

Plan for extra foot traffic.

As you set out those tasty snacks and appetizers or prepare a buffet-style meal, think about how you want traffic to flow. Set out the food, and they will come! Give the food line a clear starting point and ending point. It’s inevitable that someone will forget to grab their silverware, so try putting the cutlery at the end of the line instead of the beginning, or even on the tables where people will eat. Then, people don’t have to carry it while trying to fill their plates. You can also prevent gridlock by placing a drink station on a separate table or counter from the food. The key is making the flow easy and obvious!

Engage the sense of smell.

Oh, the smells of Christmas! Festive fragrances can fill any home with comfort and joy. A holiday candle will do the trick, but you probably have the ingredients to some fantastic aromas sitting right in your kitchen. Fill small bowls with fragrant pieces of citrus fruits, apples, and cinnamon sticks, and place them around the house. Simmer citrus peels and cinnamon on the stove. Arrange fresh herbs like mint, rosemary, and lavender in vases. These natural scents provide a warm welcome and a cozy atmosphere!

Simplify your table decor.

Don’t worry about traditional, floral centerpieces. Instead, get creative! If you still want that fresh plant look, try finding a potted plant at your local supermarket, like mini mums or a Christmas cactus, and place that on the table. Surround the plant with nuts, mini pinecones, ornaments, or fresh fruit. OR create a fun holiday scene! Sprinkle some faux snow down the center of the table and display some gingerbread houses, ceramic Christmas village miniatures, or any Christmas decor you have left over! Some battery-powered votives and pillar candles could provide the perfect glow.

And that’s a wrap! We hope you find these Christmas entertaining tips helpful as you prepare to host your holiday get-together.

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