Well, the holidays are coming quickly. Are you ready for company? Have you started to plan yet? Lucky for you, I will be helping you make your planning easy to do at the last minute. I'm going to share my favorite entertaining tips to make your busy life less stressful.
12 Easy Holiday Entertaining Tips For the Busy Host
Set the table the night before to save you time before the party.
This tip I do all the time. Who says you have to set the table for the day of the party? No one! Set it when you have the time, then do other things. No food will spoil if you set the table early.
Setup a playlist before people arrive so the music is always flowing.
The atmosphere is all about the music. Pick music for the occasion. If it's Christmas, use your favorite Christmas music. Or, if you want more singalong music, pick pieces that are fun and uplifting. If you want a more traditional party, pick music that is more songs without words.
Setup the appetizer on a small platter or two, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until the party.
This is my favorite to keep starters fresh. I like to make things first thing in the morning, then cover them with plastic wrap and pull them out right before the party. It saves me a lot of time with the last-minute setup that needs to be done.
Have at least two timers to help you stay on track with cooking.
I like to use the microwave timer. (Did you know you had one?) and, the oven timer. If I am cooking two different sides at once, it helps remind me what I need to do next. Another tip is to write down the time that a meal will finish or set your phone to ring at a particular time so you can finish your dish.
Have an area just for drinks so people can serve themselves.
Keeping your drinks in a different area than your buffet will clear up the crowd that will most likely be around these two areas.
If it is cold outside, store drinks in a cooler outside.
I do this every Thanksgiving and this year, I put my Lemonade out on the deck to get cold. It worked wonderfully.
Make ice tea and lemonade from scratch to save money the day before.
Powdered lemonade from a wholesale store can serve several people. We make ice tea in a large saucepan. It makes about 16 cups and we can add sugar or make it sugar-free. Either way, it serves a crowd easily for little money.
Set up a craft table or an activity table for the kids to stay preoccupied.
If you have little ones, giving them something to do is a great way to keep them out of trouble. Go to the nearby craft store and pick up craft kits. These kits are usually $1.00 or less. All you need to buy is Elmer's glue and the kids can sit around and assemble to their hearts' content. Lay down newspapers or open up paper lawn bags and spread them on the table. It helps with clean up too.
Write down the times that food needs to start by starting with the time you want to eat and work your way backward.
If you have several different dishes starting at different times, first, determine the time you want the dish to finish and count backward on how much time it needs to cook as well as, how much time you need to prep the food. That will be your start time. Write the time down for each of your dishes. You will easily see what you need to start first, second, etc...
Straighten up the morning of the party and prep food for meals.
When you wake up on the day of the party, but all the stuff you do not need away. It clears the counter so you can prep the food.
Empty the dishwasher before the company comes over.
Have your company help load the dishwasher. We do this all the time and it saves us time after the party.
Have your party members help dismantle the tables and chairs.
Yes, this may not sound very hostess-like, but really, if you are like me, the kids are getting older and they can haul all the tables and chairs back in the garage easy enough. Remember, don't break your back. Ask for help when you need it.
I hope these entertaining tips help you get your hosting hat on quickly and make your party stress-free. Leave a question in the comment area below, and I will reply as soon as possible. Don't forget to check out more of our Entertaining tips.
MAKING A FABULOUS PARTY THAT EVERYONE WILL LOVE
NEW YEAR’S EVE TIPS TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR
NEW YEAR’S EVE MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA PARTY
Check out these other experts on hosting a party!
How to Host an Easy Holiday Party by Martha Stewart
12 Secrets to Hosting a Stress-Free Holiday Party
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Deb Lee
All great tips for any get-together. It is amazing how helpful clearing the dishwasher beforehand can be. It's one less thing to worry about once the evening is in full swing AND it's ready to be used immediately.
Janet Schiesl
All great tips, but I especially like the empty the dishwasher before guests arrive. I try to do this so that the dirty dishes can be put directly into the dishwasher and not clutter up my small kitchen. No one wants to look at dirty dishes.
Julie Bestry
You sound like the hostess with the mostest! 😉 I don't entertain, but I think my mom would definitely approve of this list, especially the idea of working backward to arrive at your "start" time for cooking everything.
These are great tips; one other timer suggestion that works with an iPhone (though I don't know about Android). You can set ALL the cooking alarms and label them ahead of time. Then, whatever time you put something IN the oven, you can adjust the alarm time for when it should come out. Every time the phone alarm goes off, it will tell you WHICH FOOD needs to be attended.
My mother always started setting the dining room table for Thanksgiving, Passover, or the High Holidays many days ahead. I think just getting a beautiful table laid out creates inspiration for all of the other tasks.
Sabrina Quairoli
Awesome tip! Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Julie!
Lucy Kelly
This is such a smart list of ways to enjoy the party and not get overwhelmed by the preparations. My favorite is setting the table the night before! Great idea.
Linda Samuels
I can tell from your awesome tips that you are a consummate host. You know everything to do in advance to make ENJOYING your party that much more. Steve and I have hosted a lot of parties over the years. We've learned that the more we think of and do before guests arrive, the easier things flow and the less stressed we are. One other tip is that some guests like to help. So I usually leave a few things that others can do IF they want to help... like refill the ice bucket, light the candles, bring the appetizers to the coffee table, and things like that. There is always something that needs doing. But the other tip is that I work on remembering WHY we're gathering...which is to enjoy our family and friends. So if we're too stressed out about the doing and have exhausted ourselves pre-party, it's never going to be a good outcome. Pacing is key.
Sabrina Quairoli
Great tips, Linda! I love that you mentioned sharing a few tasks with others. We usually need help with little things, like bringing out the food or putting the serving utensils out for others to help if they want. I agree; pacing yourself is so important. No one wants to be recuperating from a fabulous party a week later.
Seana Turner
Sounds like a great party in the planning! If it is a winter party, I learned the hard way to also designate someone to tend the fire!
Sabrina Quairoli
Good point! Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Seana!
Janet Barclay
I hope you and your family had a merry and organized Christmas, Sabrina!
Sabrina
Thanks, Janet! I hope your Christmas was a relaxing one.