Everyone loves the holiday season, including the decor, the smell in the air, the entertaining, and all of the cheer. However, planning a holiday party can be stressful, adding one more thing to your plate during an already busy time of year. Here’s how you can host a stress-free holiday party.
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1. Plan Ahead of Time
Planning ahead will ensure that you have zero worries as the date of the party gets closer. By the day of the party, you’ll have everything taken care of and the only thing left to do will be to enjoy yourself. If you have a difficult time planning, consider getting a party planner app that can help you organize everything and everyone.
By planning everything, from the Tipsy Elves ugly Christmas sweaters that your family will wear to the food and decorations, you can actually enjoy your own party.
2. Consider a Venue Out of Town
If you’re having a holiday party for friends and family, you may not want to use your own home. Instead, rent a space in a hotel out of town so that everyone can feel like they’re going on a weekend escape. You can even plan a whole weekend for your entire family that everyone will enjoy, with scenic views perfect for Instagram.
3. Make Sure You Have Serveware
After you’ve done all of your pre-planning, it’s time to check to make sure that you have everything you need. Check your holiday serveware to make sure that you have enough trays, bowls, platters, plates, and utensils. By doing some inventory, you can determine whether you need to buy or borrow more. If you do need some extra items for your holiday party, consider purchasing a Crate & Barrel serveware set.
4. Consider Cleanup
One of the most dreaded parts about throwing a holiday party is the cleanup. No one enjoys picking up after other people, but even if your friends and family are courteous and pick up after themselves, you’ll likely still have to do some cleaning up after the big event.
To make sure you’re not left with hours of cleaning after your big party, find ways to keep things clean. For example, add trash cans to more areas so that people don’t leave their food behind. You can also recruit other people for help. Offer small children a quarter for each paper plate or plastic cup that they throw out when a guest is finished with their food.
5. Recruit Help
The holiday season is a time of giving, so we bet your family and friends will be happy to help you with your holiday party. Instead of cooking and baking everything yourself, you can ask everyone to bring something so that you don’t have to worry about food.
If you’re worried about dishes, you can also ask guests to bring paper plates. You can even ask someone else to handle the party supplies and decorations.
6. Consider the Kids
If you’re hosting an adults-only party, then you won’t have to worry about children, but if you’re hosting a family-friendly event, then you’ll need something for the kids to do while the adults enjoy themselves. You can set up different rooms in your home for activities for the kids.
For example, you can use your basement as a craft area and give the kids holiday LEGO sets to play with. If you don’t have a sitter to watch the kids, you can ask the older kids to hang out in the rooms where the younger kids will be to ensure everyone’s safety.
7. Have a Gift Exchange
When your guests attend your party, they’ll likely be bringing you gifts because you’re the one hosting it. However, make sure that everyone gets a gift by having a gift exchange. Purchase extra gifts just in case some guests forget to bring their own.
A stressful holiday party can ruin the best part of the holiday season. Keep these tips in mind to enjoy a stress-free holiday party with friends and family.
