Got Guests This Holiday Season? Our 2019 Holiday Hosting Guide
We’ve got some great resources to help you prep your home!
Hosting can be a lot of work! Whether you’re hosting for a day, or multiple days, it’s going to take some special focus! But, don’t fear! Hosting does NOT have to consume your entire holiday season. Here are a few tips to help you out:
Set a date – then work backwards. The best way to plan is to know how much time you have to work with, so start with your event date and work backwards. You’ll be able to know how much time you actually have to prepare.
Don’t be shy to delegate. People love chipping in – even guests! Ask people to help provide some of the food, or even help with some of the prep beforehand. If you need to hire help, don’t forget that this can be a great way to host AND still enjoy the holidays!
List out where everyone will stay or sit. Think through your physical space and visualize if you will need more seating or sleeping space for your guests. Do you need to buy more furniture, or borrow a few chairs? Think through that now to save yourself some last minute headaches.
Make a schedule of cleaning and setup tasks. Lists are your best friend! Make a list of all of the cleaning and setup tasks that you will need to do as it comes down to the wire. Think through if you can do any of these ahead of time to make life more calm.
Make a home project checklist. Are there any projects you’ve been wanting, or needing, to do? Anything you’ve been procrastinating on that would be great to be done BEFORE guests arrive? Now is a great time to start those projects and be ready for when the Holidays hit.
Cook Ahead. Are there any dishes or food prep that can be done ahead of time? Any ingredients that can be prepped ahead of time so that you can easily throw in a recipe at last minute? Do as much as you can in smaller batches leading up to your event.
Plan for some uninterrupted down time. Make an appointment for a massage, pedicure, haircut, or even coffee with a friend. Making it a hard appointment you have to keep allows you to get a break even if hosting preparations are busy.
Be okay with imperfect. There WILL be things that go wrong and some things you hoped to do but ran out of the time to do them. Give yourself a little grace and embrace the imperfection. Remember, people aren’t coming to see your perfect display; they’re coming for the people and experience. Do what you can to make your event a good one, but don’t kill yourself to make it one without any authenticity.