The holiday season is upon us and for many it is a hectic and stressful time of year. It does not have to be! The holiday season is a time for making room for what is important to you. How you do that is your choice.
Entertaining Does Not Have to Be Hard -- Use Your Best Talents
Try not to do it all when you entertain. If you are a fantastic hostess, then spend your time mingling and making your guests comfortable instead of cooking. Understand your strengths and then work towards them!
•Ensure You Have Freezer Space - Make sure you will have enough room in your freezer or refrigerator for the turkey. If you don't have enough room, plan now to make room by eating meals made from some of the items taking up the space.
•Easy Food Preparation - Order cold food trays from the deli or hot meals from your favorite restaurant. If you are a member of a warehouse club like Sam’s Club, check out their party trays, there are amazing deals there!
•Decorations - If you love to cook but hate decorating, ask a friend to help in exchange for some baked goods. You can also consider working with florists, interior designers or a college student from the art or drama department. They will decorate your home for the event for a fee (they also undecorated for you!)
•Cook Ahead - Make any meals that you can well ahead of time, and freeze them. On the party day, just defrost heat and serve. You will save tons of time, plus you'll be able to join in the festivities without being stuck in the kitchen.
•Perform a Safety Check of Your Home - If you are having young children in your home, do a safety check of your home. Are medicines and cleaners out of reach? Do your outlets have covers? Do you have breakable items that might be better off on a higher shelf? Do a thorough check of each room the children will occupy.
•Help to Make Next Year's Holidays Even Easier - The easiest way to remember how you had everything laid out in your home or office is to take photos from several angles and points within your house/office. Take a full shot of the exterior. Include shots of table setting, mantelpiece, and other focal points. Make notes on the back of each picture about items used and then store with your holiday decorations.
What do you do to be ready to entertain?
To your success!
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