Hosting This Holiday Season? 7 Ways To Make It Easier

The holiday season will be here before you know it. And while it can be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be one of the most stressful, particularly if you are hosting family or friends. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your own party—it just means you need to plan a bit in advance. Here are seven ways to make holiday hosting easier during the upcoming season. 

Prepare Early

Getting everything ready at the last minute is a recipe for stress. Event planner Amanda Orso of High Low Hostess suggests getting ready in the days leading up to your event—set the table, prep the food, and allocate your serving dishes. “For big holidays like Thanksgiving, I even suggest placing your platters in the oven ahead of time, so you know how everything will fit the day of your event (and if necessary, you can make alternate arrangements for cooking or re-heating, such as the stove or microwave). If setting up a buffet, follow the same logic and plan where everything will be placed to ensure plenty of room.”

Know Your Strengths and Outsource the Rest

If you don't like cooking or simply don't have the time, you don’t need to make the whole meal from scratch. “There is no shame in getting assistance from the pros. If you need help cooking, consider hiring a chef or sous chef, or support a local restaurant by ordering some catering platters,” Orso says.

If you’re on a budget, Trader Joe’s has lots of crowd-favorite frozen apps that can easily be reheated in the oven. 

Stress Less About Clean-Up by Hiring Help

Clean-up is the least fun part of the night. If you’re dreading it, Orso recommends investing in an extra set of hands. “If you don’t have a housekeeper or babysitter or someone that helps you regularly, you may want to ask around your neighborhood. With the holidays around the corner, even high-schoolers and college kids are often happy to make a few extra bucks.”

Work Backwards

Not sure how to time things out? Work backwards. “If you know you want to serve your meal at 7:00 p.m. and you asked guests to arrive at 6:00 p.m., think about when your food will need to go in the oven as well as when your appetizers will need to be out. Create a detailed timeline for yourself that you can stick to. Even include small details, such as what time you want to be dressed, what time you want to light the candles, and so on,” Orso says. 

Consider Both a Buffet and a Beverage Station

It's hard to serve and enjoy your party. So help your guests help themselves. An easy way to do this is with buffet and beverage stations. “Keep glasses, wine, water, and mixers in their own spaces. Have cut limes and lemons in place as well as cocktail napkins and straws for a professional-looking set-up,” says the event planner. “I also like to make a signature drink or holiday punch that can be pre-batched in advance. Consider keeping it on the less alcoholic side or even make a mocktail, and then keep additional booze and mixers out for guests to modify as they wish.”

Not sure how much booze to buy? “In terms of quantity, the general rule of thumb is one drink per person, per hour.”

Clean and Tidy Strategically

While your guests are unlikely to visit your home office or bedroom, they will likely see the inside of your coat closet and bathroom. Clean out your coat closet in advance and make sure you have plenty of hangers on hand. Then, make sure there’s enough toilet paper, soap, and hand towels in the bathroom. 

Have a Short Toast Handy

Orso shares that in today’s contentious world, a “healthy debate” can turn into a “heated argument” in a matter of minutes. “In this case, a toast can usually diffuse the situation.”

After all, there’s nothing that will ruin a joyous occasion faster than even a minor argument. Have a plan to nip these things in the bud.