Do you host parties during the holidays? As you may know, there are many things to do before hosting a party. It's not just prepping the food or getting the table ready. Those are tasks that need completing the day of the party. I'm talking about the things to do before the day of the party to help you keep your stress at bay. This post will help you get everything ready for your upcoming holiday party.
Start with organizing your kitchen.
1st Day: Go through each cabinet.
2nd Day: Take out everything from the pantry and check for expired or opened packages.
3rd Day: Empty refrigerator and go through all the opened bottles. Get rid of items you don’t want or have expired or have a growing fungus on it.
4th Day: Visit your serving platters section. Weed through the platters you wish to use and place them on top.
5th Day: Visit supplies and equipment in the baking area. Review and restock this area with missing items.
6th Day: Visit supplies, pots, and pans in the cooking area of your kitchen. Replace any things you may need for the holiday parties.
Now on to the guest bathroom and bedrooms.
7th Day: When guests stay over, review and gather the items for bedding and towels.
8th Day: Visit the bathroom they would be using and determine if you need to get new towels for their visit.
9th Day: Go through your bedroom and clear out any item on the floor that doesn’t belong there. Put these things away.
10th Day: Go through the additional bedroom and clear out the floor or surface clutter that may have been left there over the year.
It's getting closer to the party date, so you need to visit the dining area.
11th Day: Review the dinnerware and make sure you have enough for the party.
12th Day: Decide if you are going to use paper or actual plates. Do you have enough of them?
13th Day: Will there be table clothes? Cloth ones or paper ones?
14th Day: Do you have enough seating in the space? Where will you put everyone?
Now, it is time to determine the meal. It's amazing how many things need completing, right? Visit the previous post to get information on how to decide your menu and make your holiday great.
I hope this helps you get your home organized quickly and with as little stress as possible. Feel free to share with family and friends that may host parties each year.
Are you looking for additional tips about hosting a party? Visit Sabrina's Organizing blog posts below as well as other experts.
MAKING A FABULOUS PARTY THAT EVERYONE WILL LOVE
5 TIPS TO GET YOUR HOME READY FOR THANKSGIVING
NEW YEAR’S EVE TIPS TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR
NEW YEAR’S EVE MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA PARTY
HOW TO HOST AN ORGANIZING PURGE PARTY – STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
How to Get Organized for the Holidays: 13 Simple Steps
Top 10 Tips to Get Organized for the Holidays
Now it's your turn, what is your favorite tip when getting your home ready for a holiday party? Please leave a comment below.
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Janet Schiesl
Great timeline. I love that you've broken it down into more manageable pieces so that it doesn't feel like such an overwhelming process. Thanks for sharing!
Sabrina Quairoli
Thanks, Janet!
Julie Bestry
I'm exhausted just reading about all of this! (It makes me very glad that I'm Jewish and a singleton. I'm organized, but I'm not much into entertaining and not a cook at all; somewhere around step #4, I was thinking, "Wait, am I supposed to have platters?" That said, this is a great plan for calming the chaos and readying for the approach of the holidays!
Sabrina Quairoli
I understand, Julie. It is a little overwhelming, but when a system is in place, it's easy to get things done. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Katherine Macey
Breaking down what appears to be an overwhelming task into small parts is one of the best ways to cut down on stress! I like that this gradually leads to a party-ready home instead of asking someone to cram all the work in the day before.
Laura
A list like this makes it so much more manageable and takes away that feeling of overwhelm that often prevents people from getting started. I'll definitely be doing some of this before our holiday company!
Sabrina Quairoli
Thanks, Laura!
Seana Turner
This is a great example of breaking a big project down into smaller tasks. Throwing a party or entertaining for the holidays can feel overwhelming, but if you do a little bit each day, it feels much more manageable.
We had to pull out some extra chairs when I had people over recently. I keep a few folding chairs in my basement for just these occasions. I tend to be a casual entertainer, with other people bringing various elements of the meal. However, I did polish all of my silver a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving and now it should be good to go through the holiday season. The best thing about silver is that if you use it, it doesn't tarnish!
Sabrina Quairoli
I agree, Seana! When we spend the time planning the different tasks, we find that everything gets done. Overwhelming ourselves this time of year is not healthy.
Julie Stobbe
It is nice to have a simple list of what to do . I would add on day one start using up the food in your freezer to make room for supplies for the party and for leftovers from the party.
Sabrina Quairoli
Thanks, Julie! This time of year, thinking too much will never get the task done. =)
Linda Samuels
We just hosted the families for Thanksgiving... a big group of 23 this year. As you said, there are plenty of things to do the day of the event, but there are just as many to do in advance. One thing I've noticed is how many projects that were on hold or lingering tend to get done when we have guests coming over. Having a deadline and a reason can be great motivation for accomplishing lots of things. This year was no exception, and it felt good to attend to some things that had been lingering. Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy, joy-filled holiday season!
Sabrina Quairoli
We, too, had a large crowd this year! I love the motivation that happens when we are about to have a family/friends gathering. It gets us moving instead of procrastinating. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Happy holidays to you and your family.
Diane N Quintana
This is a fabulous strategy to follow, Sabrina. I love the step-by-step advice you give. You make it sound so very doable.
Sabrina Quairoli
Thanks, Diane!
Jonda Beattie
Very practical and doable timeline. Thanks for sharing.
Sabrina Quairoli
Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Jonda! I appreciate it.
Deb Lee
Getting ready for guests can seem like a huge chore. It's amazing how much needs to get done, isn't it? I love that your list is broken down into simple steps and is easy to follow. I'd probably ask my guests (especially if they're local) to help!
Ronni Eisenberg
Hi Sabrina,
I loved reading this as you put together a great list of to do’s. I know that doing as much as you can ahead of time is key. It certainly reduces the stress levels so that we’re not only hosting, we’re enjoying this fabulous day with loved ones.
I particularly liked your idea about buying towels just for guests. It makes a lot of sense. I enjoy using my family heirloom cloth towels handed down from great aunts and relatives. Some are hand embroidered and they’re all just beautiful.
Enjoy the holidays!
Ronni
Nancy Haworth
This is a great list of the things to do to prepare for the holidays. I like how you break it down by room and a task to work on each day. There really is so much to do when hosting a party, so if we are the guests, we should be very grateful to our hosts for all they've done to make the event happen.
Janet Schiesl
When I have people over, I do a mix of store prepared food and homemade food. That way there is less for me to do. But I can put my spin on the dished I make and it's not as overwhelming. I also like to keep things simple.
Janet Barclay
I never host the holiday gathering because I really don't have the space. Sometimes I miss it but not when I'm reminded about all the work involved!
Seana Turner
Reading these lists is a reminder of how much work is actually involved in hosting a party or holiday gathering. Time is definitely our best ally, and spreading out the decisions over a period of days makes the process feel less overwhelming. Entertaining, like so many other things, gets easier the more you do it. As Linda said, the most important thing is to "let it go" once the party starts and simply enjoy the event!
Linda Samuels
What a comprehensive list, Sabrina! I know that the holidays can be overwhelming with so much to do...not just cooking, but getting the house ready. I like how you've broken up the tasks on a doable and daily basis. But I was also realizing that while there IS a lot to do to get ready for guests, it's so easy to lose sight of the reason we're getting together. So remembering that it's the time spent with our loved one that is what's so precious. If other things aren't "perfect" or as organized as you'd like, that's OK. Focus on the people, note the stuff.