Stress-Free Holiday Entertaining
The holiday season is upon us! It is a time when family and friends gather together. Some people love to entertain and enjoy bringing people together. Others feel stressed with these obligations. Whether it is a large gala for everyone you know, hosting the family holiday dinner or just having a few close friends over for a meal, planning and organization can make the difference between feeling stressed and being able to enjoy your event. The following simple tips can help you prepare your house, prepare the food and handle the final details.
Preparing the House
So how organized is your house right now? So often people become overwhelmed with the idea of entertaining; they get stuck as to where to start. Think about how your house will be used. Will this be a sit down meal in your dining room? Will groups separate into different rooms to talk or watch TV? Will your guests be staying overnight? Start early enough and focus first on the rooms that will really be used. Don't worry about the ones that you think someone may wander into if they get lost on the way to the bathroom. Go through each room, one at a time. If there is a room that hasn't been de-cluttered in awhile, sort through everything by dividing items into toss, donate and keep piles. This is a great time to make your donations and get that tax deduction in before the end of the year. Throw out items no longer needed and put away the items to be kept in their appropriate place.
Think about who is coming to your house. If you have items that are breakable or valuable, consider simplifying the items in the main gathering room so you and your guests (and their children) don't have to worry about accidents that could put a damper on the evening. These items can be put up or wrapped up and stored in a plastic bin, which can be hidden in a basement or bedroom during the party and brought out easily the next day.
Depending on whatever else is going on in your life and if the budget allows it, treat yourself to a cleaning service before your event. If funds won't stretch that far, get the whole family involved and divide the tasks up. Another option is to trade blocks of time with a good friend. Also make sure you have enough supplies on hand (toilet paper, disposable hand towels for the powder room, paper towels in the kitchen, etc.) and that they are easily accessible if needed during the time your guests are in your home.
If you give yourself enough lead-time and work at picking up and cleaning in manageable increments, you won't get burned out and will only need to do a quick tidy the day of your event.
Preparing the Food
Now that your house is ready for guests, it's time to focus on the food. Many people dread the food preparation that goes along with entertaining. Whether it is because they are uncertain of their cooking skills or they just don't have the time to devote to it, the solution is the same.
- Select menu items that can be prepared in advance
- Simplify wherever possible
- Clean up after yourself as you go along
Don't spend the hours before your event (or worse yet the hours of your event) racing madly around the kitchen. Many dishes can be partially or completely prepared in advance - take advantage of that!
Simplify your task list wherever possible. You can pick up some wonderful side dishes from the deli section of your grocery store or local specialty shop. Serve them in your own bowl or platter - no one needs to know. This way you can focus on making one or two impressive items and wow everyone without stressing yourself out.
Determine which serving pieces you'll be using and get everything ready to go. Rinse pieces that may not have been used in a while. Make sure you have all your glassware (or for informal events - plastic ware!) ready. If you must use silver, allow enough time to give it a polish. If it is a sit-down dinner, iron the tablecloth, get out place settings and, if possible, set the table. Note: if you have pets that might jump up and investigate, throw an extra tablecloth over the table until shortly before your guests arrive. When selecting these items, try to balance putting on a great presentation with the amount of work it will take to set up and clean up.
It is so disheartening to spend hours preparing great food for your guests, only to be faced with a kitchen that is a disaster area. Clean up after yourself each step of the way. Wipe down counters, rinse your prep items and put them straight into the dishwasher, throw away any packaging. Try to have the dishwasher empty at the start of your party so as dishes are finished being used they can be immediately put in the dishwasher or easily at the end of the night, reducing the amount of time you need to spend cleaning up.
Handling the Final Details
As mentioned before, go around and tidy anything up that may have gotten messy since your big cleanup. Consider setting up a drink area where guests can help themselves to refills on drinks. Rearrange any furniture to encourage conversation among guests.
Decorating your tabletop or buffet can be as simple as moving some of your existing home décor to the party table or main room of the gathering. If your holiday decorations are out, use your extras or purchase some inexpensive evergreens. Candles of all sizes make a great filler. Use containers you already own, take it to your florist and let them do their thing.
Your house is clean, the food is prepared and there is time to spare! You have done all the prep work. You can relax now and enjoy your event. Who knew entertaining could be so simple?
©2004 Bridget Messino
About the author: Bridget Messino is a Professional Organizer, speaker and co-owner of Clutter Free Living, Inc. Her work frequently appears on many Internet sites, on her own organizing site Clutter Free Living (http://www.clutterfreeliving.com), as well as in her monthly Home Organizing Newsletter How to Be Clutter Free. Subscribe to the FREE monthly e-newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to mailto:cflnews-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com
Latest News
 ABC News | Early Sales May Not Mean Strong Holidays, Group Says (Update1) Bloomberg - 1 (Bloomberg) -- A post-Thanksgiving bump may not be enough to rescue what might be the worst holiday season for US retailers in six years. ... Holidays still a boon for Alaska retailers Black Friday Results: Holidays off to a Good Start Shoppers Search Out Black Friday Deals |
Animoto brings the holidays to video CNET News, CA - According to the company, the new holiday feature will use a snowscape to set the scene for the greeting and with the help of its new text feature, ... Animoto Announces Animoto Holiday Greetings; Video Creation Site ... |
Extra Cash for the Holidays or Anytime With the Launch of Diamonds ... MarketWatch - Extra cash just in time for the holidays or anytime has never been so easy, with the online system put in place by the subsidiary of Gold & Diamond Source ... |
ReliaTech Rings in Holidays With Deals for Its Bay Area Customers MarketWatch - This holiday season marks the accomplishment of several goals at ReliaTech. "We are especially gratified to have had such a successful year, as ReliaTech's ... |
 NECN | E-tailers expect 8% bump for holidays Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA - By Bob Keefe If there’s any good news for retailers this holiday season, it may be online. While retailers brace for declines in sales at traditional ... Video: Online Retailers See Monday As Black Friday Online spending forecasted to be flat through Holidays Cyber Sales Mark 2nd Launch Pad for Holidays |
 BBC News | Holiday firms prepare for package tour slump by slashing summer ... guardian.co.uk, UK - Chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa said deep industry-wide cuts in the number of holidays offered in Britain, combined with the collapse into ... Thomas Cook confident consumers will still go on holiday Travel Firm Hot Prospects Thomas Cook reports profits rise |
Just in time for holidays, top chefs release tomes San Francisco Chronicle, USA - With people returning to the kitchen to save money, these recipe and reference books make ideal gifts for the holiday season. ... |
Hero Astronauts Offer Out-Of-This-World Club for the Holidays MarketWatch - Unlike other 'flavor-of-the-month' services, the Astronaut Autograph Club makes for the perfect gift that will be long-treasured after the holidays and for ... |
Cellular South Welcomes HTC Touch Diamond in Time for the Holidays MarketWatch - RIDGELAND, Miss., Dec 02, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Cellular South, a leader in wireless solutions and innovation, today announced the availability of ... |
AMA Phoenix Invites Valley Residents to Celebrate the Holidays at ... MarketWatch - -- Good music -- Piping hot hors d'oeuvres -- Fine wine from around the globe. There will be a wine-tasting of three- to-four specially selected varieties. ... |
Resources
-
DIY Gift and Craft fun shape box Templates for every Holiday
Unique gift wrapping and creative craft ideas with fun shape box templates for birthdays, Holidays and occasions. Fun printable, versatile and economical do it yourself solutions for kids of all ages. Free craft template project here.
-
Holiday Fitness Tips, How to lose weight during the Holidays
How to lose weight and stay on your fitness program throughout the Holidays.
-
Mixed drink recipes for the Holidays
Champagne punch recipes, mulled wine, stylish bar drinks, eggnog recipes, flaming coffee drinks, festive jello shots, and homemade liqueur recipes including kahlua, Irish coffee, apple, blackberry, apricot, cranberry and more.
-
onlinestorebiz - Online Gifts and Collectables
Our website offers gifts and collectables for various occasions such as Holidays, weddings, birthdays, wedding anniversary, graduations, kids and other special occasions.