Holiday Hosting Tips

As you may have already seen on Instagram, my sweet friend Kait Swafford is a local realtor here in West Georgia who not only helps you find your dream house – but also wants to help you turn it into your dream home. A couple weeks ago, Kait came over and we filmed some videos talking about all things hosting this holiday season for her new video series she’s launching. We had so much fun and so many laughs (and of course puppy snuggles!)

Our first video is officially live on Youtube, and we’re chatting about my top 5 hosting tips to survive hosting the holidays this year. Today on the blog, I’m sharing the video as well as a written recap for you to refer to later. You can watch the video below or watch it on her Youtube channel, HERE.

 

My Top 5 Holiday Hosting Tips

1 | Plan and Prep Ahead

• As cliche as it may sound, it’s super important to plan and prep as much as much you can ahead of time.
• Even I get overwhelmed in December. To combat the overwhelm, I sit down with my calendar at the beginning of the month and write in all the parties we are going to, festivities that we want to partake in, and when we will be having family visiting. I then will actually schedule in time for us to prep for all of those things on the calendar.
• That means shopping early! Meanwhile, prep your home as much as you can ahead of time before guests are scheduled to arrive.
  • For example, when we have guests, I’ll typically do a deep clean of my entire home about a week in advance. I’ll spot clean the days following as needed, and then I’ll do a quick wipe down and fluff the day before they arrive.
  • It helps keep the last minute stress of prepping your home at bay. Not to mention, it helps you not associate stress with your relatives coming to visit. (Having family in your home is supposed to be exciting and a happy occasion!) Prepping ahead makes for a better experience all around!

2 | Coffee Bar and Grazing Stations

• I learned this amazing tip from my momma! It’s the importance of having a coffee bar and grazing stations set up in your kitchen for your guests.
• Having a self-serve coffee bar and ready-to-grab foods in the kitchen allows people to make themselves at home and serve themselves. Not to mention, it keeps you from being in the kitchen constantly serving everyone.
  • Putting together a coffee bar is a lot easier than you may think! Simply have your coffee pot / machine on the counter with everything people need to make their own cup each morning. (ie. Creamer, Sugar, or even sprinkles!)
    • Pro Tip: Put a tray of individually wrapped muffins next to your coffee bar for people to grab each morning so you don’t feel like you have to wake up each morning and make a big breakfast for everyone. 
  • Have a basket of chips / snacks on your counter for people to munch in between meals. Once again, it keeps you from having to be in the kitchen constantly!

READ ALSO: Creating a Cozy Fall Coffee Bar

3 | Halfway Homemade Foods

• When it comes to your foods, halfway homemade isn’t a bad thing. Heck, store bought isn’t a bad thing!
• Plate it up on a cute serving platter, and I promise that no one will know the difference. (I won’t tell if you won’t!)

4 | Leave the Dishes in the Cabinet

• The last thing I want to do when I’m wanting to decompress at the end of the day is touch a dish in my sink. (And guests mean more dishes!)
• Opt for using disposable plates and flatware instead of your dishes when you have guests staying in your home for extended periods of time over the holidays. Place a tray on your counter and fill it with disposable plates, cups, napkins, and flatware for people to grab and use as they are eating the foods you put out in your grazing stations.
• Keeps you from having to be in the kitchen doing a mound of dishes at the end of every day.
• If you’re against using disposable place settings, make sure you take advantage of your dishwasher! Load it every day, run before you go to bed each night, and empty it first thing every morning.

5 | Let Go of the Pressure of Perfection

• It’s not about the perfect tablescapes, the perfect outfits for the perfect family photos, and having the perfect Pinterest-worthy traditions.
• Face it: Things will go wrong. Ornaments will break. You will threaten to call Santa on your kids a million times between now and Christmas.
• It’s not about any of the perfect things. It’s about loving your family and celebrating the real reason for the season.
• Let go of the pressure of perfection and be present. Life goes by way too fast. Don’t miss the precious moments and memories God is orchestrating right in front of you!

 

 

There you have it, friends! I hope y’all enjoyed this video – and I hope it helps inspire you to host with heart this holiday season! Would y’all be interested in more videos in addition to the blog this next year? Tell me your favorite tip from today’s video in a comment below!