Easy Entertaining Tips for the Holidays
Easy Entertaining Tips for the Holidays, has all my tricks and life hacks to make your life smooth sailing during this busy time of the year.
As the holidays are quickly arriving, I wanted to share a few tips to make entertaining guests or hosting a large dinner simple. Easy Entertaining Tips for the Holidays has all my tricks and life hacks to make your life smooth sailing during this busy time of the year.
1. Proper Kitchen Tools
Having all of the proper kitchen tools on hand is probably one of the most important things you can do to help yourself out prior to the holidays. You want to make sure that they are all in good working order, and that you have everything you need to make all those amazing holiday meals. Plan ahead so you don’t have to worry about this in the heat of the moment. You can see my complete list of 12 Kitchen Essentials for the Holidays, here.
2. Easy Appetizers on Hand
Always be ready for drop by guests, and have some easy go to snack options. The charcuterie board is a classic go to option and it has gained a ton of popularity in past few years with such variations as dessert boards, deconstructed salad boards, chili boards and even build your own Bloody Mary boards for a bar. I have an easy printable shopping checklist available at my Building A Better Charcuterie Board post.
I will say it is always nice to have a selection of everyday cutting boards and serving trays on hand for creating a grazing board. You can make it festive simply by adding a few seasonal touches. For example, you could add pieces of fresh rosemary to simulate edible holiday greenery, and it pairs nicely with Italian cheeses and meats. Here you can shop a few of my favorite grazing boards.
3. Perfect a Signature Cocktail for the Holidays
You always want to head into the holidays with a stocked bar, but have you ever thought about creating a Signature Cocktail each season? I would say try to pick a generic one that everyone loves, then add a holiday twist to make it your own. This year I have been creating a Peppermint Twist Cocktail, that is based on a Kentucky Derby favorite the Mint Julep. I pop in a candy cane stir stick and voila instant holiday in a glass. You can check out this recipe and 9 more at my 10 Holiday Cocktails, the best part is they all also make splendid mocktails so even the kiddos can try one.
4. An Arsenal of Great Hostess Gifts
Another great holiday tip is to always have a go to list of great hostess gifts. You never know when you might be dropping by a holiday gathering, and I was always taught to never show up empty handed. I would say you can never go wrong with a bottle of wine, but I know that for some people just keeping wine on hand for themselves can be a challenge. Some of my favorite hostess gift ideas are:
- A holiday cookbook with a pretty oven mitt filled with wooden spoons
- A basket with a witty holiday tea towel, along with fresh paper wrapped loaf of bread and flavored Olive Oil for dipping
- A movie night popcorn tub with a holiday movie and snacks
- A pretty candle wrapped up in a silk scarf
- A bottle of wine with a opener attached around the neck
- A pretty box of baked goods, last year I purchased Countdown Cookie Ornaments
- Mini Bar Advent Tree (you can see the full assembly in my post)
5. Plan Fun Things To Do
I know sometimes entertaining can be hard, especially if you have not seen your guest in a while. To avoid any kind of awkward moments of silence, you may want to have a few options on hand that could entertain a variety of people. Board games are always a fun way to pass the time and creates nice bonding conversation. However, if your family is like my family, board games can get a little too competitive. (Check out my DIY game table post here) So maybe just have a nice collection of holiday movies that you can watch together quietly. You can see all of our holiday favorites on my Movie Night Cookie post, and pick a great recipe at the same time. You could also plan a city wide trip to view Christmas lights. This is especially nice for out of town guests that may not be familiar with your area. Just fix up a thermos of cocoa and bring some snacks to hit the road. Your local area probably has a great site online that can list out where to see the best lights. Here is hoping your holiday season is merry and bright!
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Great tips for hosting a Christmas party! I agree that having the proper kitchen tools is essential for a smooth preparation process!
Great Tips! I especially like the idea of having hostess gifts on hand. These would be great to use throughout the year for anytime we are invited over to someone’s house, as housewarming gifts, or for “just because I care” gifts.
Love your food setup, looks so yummy!!
Great tips! I agree 💯 with having the proper kitchen essentials on hand & I would be lost without my KitchenAid mixer this time of year! Also love the holiday movie nights! 🎄🎅
Love these tips! Love platters are droolworthy!
Madly in love with the colors and the goodness of these trays which, at Christmas, must be the same for me too. So many ideas. Thanks. Wow!
These are such fun tips. I love those charcuterie trays, but have never made one. Hopefully I can whenever I get to see my family again!
These are some very delicious tips, the appetizer tray looks amazing. I love a great presentation and you nailed it!
Everything about this is so perfect! I will be saving these tips for next Christmas
We love board games as a family, such we are competitive but we love it
I appreciate this. I always want a list ready for me to reference for ideas. Especially for hostess gifts and apps!
I love all the tips, especially the cocktails. Sometimes, they are required. LOL
I love all these ideas for the holidays! You have me so excited to put them to use starting next week.
I always love getting together for the holidays with friends. These are great tips!
Nice tips. I hate to entertain, but I will use these ideas for movie nights. We like to snack.
Those charcuterie boards look so nice! I am terrible at making those.
Christmas parties are so much fun, these are great tips!
Appetizers are a must have along with having some delicious drinks. I know I personally love to have board games on hand during the holiday season as a fun activity.