Thursday, October 11, 2012

Thirty-one Days ~ Day Eleven - Holiday Entertaining


What if any entertaining will you do this year?

In the past we have hosted a small party of 8 to 10 couples for a White Elephant party. This has always been a fun party that we all look forward to each year. Then for the last five years we have hosted Christmas dinner for my husbands family and mine. This usually includes a late lunch for around 20 or more.

If you are hosting, preparations ahead of time are huge to pulling this off and keeping your stress levels low. I enjoy a decorated house, but I have so much on my plate that I think I could pass on it most days. Having company gives me the motivation and deadline I need to get things done.

There’s a lot more to consider. Date, time, theme and maybe even location in addition to a guest list and invitations to prepare are just a few of the decisions you will need to make. You’ll need to plan a menu along with deciding who or how this food will be prepared. Will you need childcare for any of your entertaining, if so book it as soon as you have your date set? What will you wear?

Sit down with a calendar and a note pad. Write down what needs to be done and make notes of the days and dates to have these completed. Just having a rough plan can go a long way towards reducing the stress that some can experience from hosting friends and family during the holidays.

Also keep in mind that less can be more, most people aren't as concerned or critical about the details as we are as the hostess. Most of my family are relieved to have the hostess duties taken care of by someone else and are glad to bring a dish.

Again the best and most important tip here is to have a plan of what you are doing, what you need and time planned to make it all come together.  A lot of what we’ve already talked about as well as some of our remaining topics will help us to cover many of the aspects that go along with preparing for the Christmas season as well as entertaining; hopefully doing so with less stress.



No comments: