The Holidays are Here: How to Host Like a Pro
The holidays are finally here! While you shop for last-minute Christmas gifts and get ready for new year's festivities, you might also be preparing to host a holiday party for your friends or family. This is the time of year when people come together. Whether you’re hosting a company party or an ugly sweater party with your friends: There’s a ton you need to be prepared for.
In this post, we'll help you prepare, plan and host for the holidays like a pro, so you can have a get-together you'll always remember.
Our Best Pro Tips for How to Host for the Holidays
Every party, get-together, and intimate gathering requires some level of planning. It doesn’t matter if it's 2, 5, or 25 friends: You’ll need to run to the store and grab food, pick up some party decorations, and prepare your home for holiday entertaining. If you accidentally skip a step or forget something, it could turn a fun experience into a stressful one.
Here are our 8 tips for holiday hosting:
1. Stock Up Your Pantry and Make Things Ahead of Time
Once people start walking in through the door, the last thing you want to worry about is cooking food for the party. Start your day early by preparing as much food as possible. If you can't pop your dish into the oven yet, finish as many steps as possible: So all you need to do is throw it in the oven.
Also, stock up your kitchen pantry so your guests can help themselves. If someone has an allergy and can't eat anything, you can quickly point them to the pantry to find something to grab. Stock up your fridge with bottled water, soda, and drinks your guest may want.
2. Add Thoughtful Details
You may not feel like it, but your guests will appreciate all the effort you put into the little details. They'll notice when you light a scented candle that smells like Christmas in the hallway. They'll hear the ambient music playing in the background in the living room when they sit on the couch with their drink.
Whether it's fresh flowers on the dining room table, festive decorations, or they are greeted with a homemade cookie when they walk into the kitchen. All those details make the experience for your guests. Never skip them!
3. Make Recycle and Trash Cans Readily Available
Bringing in extra trash cans and recycling bins is a great way to keep your home tidy, neat, and eco-friendly. By separating the recycling from the trash bins, individuals can easily separate their waste throughout the party, so you don't have to at the end of the night.
Consider placing extra trash cans where people eat, near the bathrooms, on the patio, or on the dance floor. Be sure to also clearly label each bin. Not only is this a great way to do your part for the planet, but it will also keep your home clean throughout your event.
4. Have a Coat Rack for Guests
It's the coldest time of the year! Your guests will arrive in peacoats, puffer jackets, and big warm scarves. With a coat rack, you can give your guests a place to put coats while they are inside enjoying the fun.
If you have a spare bedroom or a home office space, turn it into a coat closet for the night. However, if you don't have the additional space, you can easily create a DIY coat rack or buy an inexpensive one you can use for all your get-togethers.
5. Create an Itinerary for Your Holiday Event
An itinerary is a great tool that ensures everything is going to plan. You can remind people when to arrive if they want to make it for the welcome toast. You can tell them when dinner will be ready to serve, when the food is being put into the oven, or when the dancing will begin. You can get super detailed with the nitty gritty details or use it as a guide to ensure everything runs according to plan: The choice is yours.
6. Create a Playlist for the Event
The last thing you want to do while being a holiday host is continuously picking songs to play. With a party playlist, you can get everyone in the holiday spirit. Before creating a playlist, consider what type of holiday party you're throwing.
This will help you decide whether you want to play Christmas classics, holiday singles, or something fun and energetic. If you're having a hard time creating a playlist from scratch, consider looking up some premade ones or reaching out to your friends for song recommendations.
7. Provide Holiday Themed Games or Activities
Who doesn't love holiday-themed games? With pre-planned festive activities, you can keep guests entertained throughout the night. Whether you want to inspire some friendly competition with trivia or charades or you want to see them battle it out with a sugar cookie decorating contest.
With games and activities, you can make them as interactive as you please. Whether you want them to be the center of the experience or want to keep a few board games out for guests to play if they get bored.
8. Recruit Others for Help
Don't be afraid to ask your friends or family members for help. There's a ton that goes into holiday entertaining. While you may feel like you can handle it all by yourself, when it's time to throw your holiday party, the stress will start to set in. (Plus, you deserve to enjoy the party, too.)
Reach out to your friends about bringing a dish for dinner, setting the table for dinner, or prepping the drinks. At the end of the night, if there's anything anyone offers to help clean up, let them!
Planning and Prep are Key to Hosting the Holidays
There’s more that goes into holiday hosting than what meets the eye. When hosting a successful event, you'll want to plan and prepare to ensure you don't forget any vital components.
At Mavyn, we want to help you DIY in confidence and receive the personalized guidance you need to plan from start to finish.