Now that Halloween and Thanksgiving are over, it’s time to switch focus to the jolliest time of year, the holidays!
Everyone knows that hosting the holidays can take your stress level from 0 to 60. But worry not, with careful planning and our 12 tips, this year will be a holiday entertaining season that you can enjoy just as much as your guests.
Gathering together with family and friends is one of the best parts of the holiday season, but pulling off a flawless celebration requires lots of planning and preparation. Get a jump start on the process by following these tips for hosting a holiday party at home!
Is it your turn to host the infamous holiday party? Be it with family, friends, co-workers, or classmates, you want to create long-lasting memories. But where do you start?
Summarize your plan and make a list
Prioritize your plans and consider taking down notes, even if you don’t end up following the list to the T, it will help you to organize your thoughts and prioritize tasks.
Perhaps the ultimate way to create a stress-free holiday is to live by a list. Plan ahead and don’t be afraid to delegate. “Know what you’re capable and comfortable doing and give other people things to do”.
If you aren’t too sure where to start when making the list, break it down into questions instead. Here are some examples of questions you should ask yourself:
- Where should I hold the party?
- Who should I invite? How will I invite guests?
- Am I buying or making food?
- Should I offer party games?
- What is the best day and time to throw the party?
- What’s a realistic budget?
Take a look and make an inventory
Don’t know how to throw a Christmas party without blowing your budget? Because the best parties aren’t necessarily the most expensive, you don’t need to break the bank. Before buying anything, take stock of what you already have and create an inventory and budget. If you plan ahead and trust your skills, you can wow everyone and feel good knowing you took the time to make your party special.
Send invites ahead
You can read as many blogs as you want about hosting a Christmas party at home, but it won’t mean much if your guests are unable to attend.
Holidays are an extremely busy time for people, so be courteous and send invites out as early as possible. Not only is it considerate to give your guests ample time to RSVP, but it also increases the likelihood of them being able to come because they aren’t committed to other plans yet.
Consider a potluck style party
If you have more spirit than cash, throwing a potluck holiday party is a great way for guests to showcase their culinary skills and create an even greater community vibe without spending a lot of money. Here are some tasty and easy one-dish potluck ideas any guest could manage.
Theme of your party
When planning a theme for your party, food and decorations must tightly complement. The advantage of this is picking food and beverages will sort out and will turn out easy.
Not only will choosing a theme help you plan, but it’ll also set your holiday fête apart from others. There’s always the ugly sweater party, but what about turning the tables on the cold weather and hosting a beach-themed Christmas party, complete with mojitos, pineapples, and beach balls?
..but you always have a choice to cook, so cook early
Do as much ahead of time as possible. “Soups and stews are the ultimate winters and holiday food — they’ll feed a crowd. Quiches and tarts also freeze well,” and you don’t have to make them from scratch.
If you’re brave enough to cook most of the food you’ll be serving at your holiday party, this tip is meant for you. Rather than take it all on the day of the party, try your best to prepare as many dishes as you can ahead of time. Even if you cook some of the food the night before, it will still taste delicious the following day!
In addition to cooking ahead, be sure to stock up on plenty of snacks and finger foods, as well as beverages.
Create a playlist!
No holiday party is complete without music, and you have endless options at your fingertips. Choose Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, and other classic artists for vintage elegance. Look for holiday albums from your favorite contemporary singers, and create a mix-and-match music list that pairs upbeat selections with more mellow tunes.
Set the mood for your gathering by playing seasonal tunes as quiet background noise, but during the dinner hour, try to avoid any songs with lyrics as that will make it more difficult to converse.
Key takeaway
This tip for hosting a holiday party goes without explanation. The deep clean is probably one of the most dreaded preparatory tasks of hosting, but there’s no way around it. From vacuuming and mopping to dusting and cleaning the bathroom, make your home spick-and-span for your guests’ arrival.
The holidays are all about giving, so keep the Christmas spirit front and center by turning your gathering into a donation event.
