The holiday season is officially here, which means a full calendar of events! Even though it’s one of the busiest times of the year and I feel like I never have a moment just to be, I enjoy every moment of it. Everyone is always so cheer and seeing our kid’s faces light up as they get to experience the holiday season with our family is so special.
This brings me to my next point: hosting.
Since we’ve moved into our home and it’s so much more functional for hosting than before, I’ll use any excuse to have family and friends over, especially during the holidays. I don’t know if it’s the time of year, the cozy decor, or the age of the boys, but there’s something so cozy about hosting during the holiday season!
If you’re planning on hosting your loved ones this holiday season, keep reading for my best tips for hosting company this holiday season.
Tips for Hosting Company This Holiday Season
Prepare Ahead of Time
There’s nothing worse than having to rush around to get things organized, situated, and planned out before having company over. To help reduce the last-minute stress, do everything you can do to prepare ahead of time. This means tackling everything from cleaning and getting organized, planning out the menu, and getting all of your decor, platters, and anything else you’ll need to host figured out as far in advance as possible.
Get Organized
When you have company over, there’s always going to be a few people who want to help you in the kitchen. To help keep things streamlined and make it easier to delegate tasks, make sure you’re organized. Have recipes printed out, have like items together, and reduce any clutter on your countertops and throughout your home.
Make Use of Your Island
If you have an island or peninsula in your kitchen, make sure you utilize it for food, not just seating! I love using our island to put our appetizers and once it’s time to eat, we’ll usually do buffet style, and having everything set up on the island makes everything easier.
You can also utilize your island as a wet bar once dessert time rolls around!
Free Up Closet Space
There’s nothing worse than trying to cram a bunch of coats into your front closet as guests arrive or having to put coats and bags on your bed (no one wants guests in and out of their room!). Before your guests arrive, free up as much closet space as possible, even if it means you’ll have to get your primary closet organized at a later date.
Create a Timeline for the Day
Instead of keeping a mental timeline of the day and what time things need to go into the oven, write it down! Bonus points if you attach it to your refrigerator. This will make it easier to determine what needs to happen next and with the business of the holiday season, it’ll help make each task a little more manageable.
This holiday hosting timeline and checklist is very helpful if you don’t know where to start!
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Everyone knows how stressful it can be to host, especially during the holiday season, and I promise you that everyone you have in your home would be happy to help.
Take Deep Breaths
Easier said than done, right? By being as prepared as you possibly can before hosting, you’ll be able to reduce feelings of overwhelm but they’re still bound to happen. Remember that the holidays are supposed to be fun and sometimes things come up. But there’s nothing that can’t be fixed! Take deep breaths, laugh about it, and enjoy the time with your loved ones. And remember, if things get that messy, it’ll make for a good story down the line!
This was really helpful. I host every holiday and it can get stressful a lot of times. Thanks for tips Nitra!