The holiday season is in full swing and that means a full calendar of events, including hosting! As one of the busiest times of the year, there’s only a limited amount of time to get your home, menu, and schedule figured out prior to hosting friends and family to celebrate the holiday. If you’re planning on hosting company this holiday season, I’m sharing my 6 holiday hosting tips to make the day easier!
6 Holiday Hosting Tips
Get Your Home Organized
Before you have company over, it’s important to get your home organized. This will help streamline party prep and when your guests come into your home and offer to help, it’ll be easier to delegate tasks. A few things I recommend are having any and all receipts printed out, having like-items together (especially for specific recipes), and cleaning/organizing any clutter on your countertops, in your kitchen, and in any other areas of your home where guests will be.
Prep Ahead of Time
Always give yourself as much time as possible to prepare for holiday hosting. This will help sure things get organized and planned out before guests enter your home. Tackle everything from cleaning and planning the menu to prepping all of your decor, serving platters, and anything else you’ll need the day of.
Create a Timeline for the Day
To avoid additional stress, forgetting to serve items, and to leave yourself time to cook everything properly, create a timeline for the day. This should include when dishes need to go in the oven, how long they need to cook for, when you’re putting certain dishes out, and when you’re planning on eating. This will also help make each task feel much more manageable.
Make Use of Your Island
If you have an island or peninsula in your kitchen, make use of it! Whether you utilize it for beverages, serving appetizers, or making a buffet for dinner, take advantage of the extra space so you have more surfaces available to guests throughout your home.
Ask for Help
Everyone knows how stressful it can be to host company, especially around the holiday season. Whether someone offers or not, take advantage of the extra hands and appreciate the help!
Take a Deep Breath
Hosting company during the holidays can be overwhelming but remember it’s a time you should be celebrating and enjoying your loved ones. By being prepared ahead of time, you’ll be able to enjoy the day even more. If things come up, they can be fixed! Don’t forget to take a deep breath, laugh, and enjoy your day.