There’s no place like home for the holidays, especially when it comes to hosting a memorable gathering. If your home in particular is where everyone’s headed this year, try our best holiday hosting tips to make the experience as stress-free and festive as possible.
10 Holiday Hosting Tips for a Stress-Free Season
- Prep as much food as possible
- Declutter
- Stock up on snacks
- Invest in a coat and shoe rack
- Delegate hosting duties
- Create a help-yourself beverage station
- Strategize sleeping arrangements
- Designate a guest bathroom
- Display the Wi-Fi password
- Focus on functionality
1. Prep as much food as possible
The holidays are full of delicious traditional dishes. Unless you’ve got a Michelin-grade kitchen, you’ll likely not have the space to prepare them all at once. Luckily, there are plenty of prep steps you can take care of in advance to save holiday hosting time and stress.
Holiday Food Prep Ideas
- Cookie dough can keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, and even longer in the freezer.
- Get your vegetable chopping out of the way the night before (save aromatics like garlic and onion for the day of, though).
- Store-bought really is fine. If you can find a great-tasting store-bought substitute for a homemade dish (or even just part of it, like pie crust) we say go for it. Just be mindful of ingredients in case you have guests with food sensitivities.
- Assemble salads ahead of time, but hold off on the dressing until ready to serve.
- Soup is easy to dress up as an appetizer or first course for any occasion, and it can easily be made ahead of time and reheated for your holiday meal.
Pro Tip: Stun with these festive side dishes that are ideal for making ahead.
2. Declutter
This one might seem a little counterintuitive with all your festive decor. But, decluttering non-seasonal items in anticipation of guests can help your space feel less crowded. And from a practical standpoint, with guests squeezing past each other and kids running around, you’ll want to keep breakables out of the way.
3. Stock up on snacks
One of the easiest strategies to take stress out of your holiday hosting is to have plenty of snacks on hand. That way, even if meal prep takes longer than you planned or guests arrive earlier than expected, there’s no rush to finish cooking. Guests can graze on cheeseboards, dips, and more while you focus on the main course or simply enjoy the holiday.
4. Invest in a coat and shoe rack
Even if you have a coat closet, winter layers take up a lot of space. To avoid a pile of coats on your bed or shoes kicked off by the door, invest in a standalone coat and/or shoe rack that fits in your entryway. It’s one of the less glamorous holiday entertaining ideas, but it’ll save everyone the confusing coat shuffle at the end of the night.
5. Delegate hosting duties
The holidays are a family affair, and hosting them should be, too. While we understand the urge to do everything yourself to ensure it’s exactly as you envisioned, don’t be afraid to delegate some hosting duties this holiday season. Assign dishes for guests to bring, put your partner on clean-up duty, or have your kids direct guest gift placement under the tree. There are lots of small ways to lighten the load.
6. Create a help-yourself beverage station
Save the fancy cocktails for smaller parties, and leave beverages in your guests’ hands so you can focus on actually enjoying the holiday. Pre-made punch, hot coffee in an insulated carafe, and canned non-alcoholic beverage options placed out for guests will give you one less thing to worry about while hosting.
7. Strategize sleeping arrangements
One of the (literal) biggest perks of homeownership is that you might have more room for guests than you would in an apartment. But, if you’re hosting multiple people overnight, you’ll likely still need to get creative with the sleeping arrangements. A group setup in the living room with sleeping bags can be a great solve for kids, and for those who need a little more support, air mattresses are a tried and true space saver. And when you run out of space, it’s not impolite to ask guests to opt for a hotel rather than your home.
8. Designate a guest bathroom
Save yourself some frantic cleaning of your entire house and designate specific areas for guests—especially a bathroom. Stock it well with plenty of toilet paper, clean towels, and toiletry essentials. It’s also helpful to keep an easily accessible laundry hamper in the guest bathroom to spare your guests any uncertainty as to what to do with used towels and washcloths.
9. Display the Wi-Fi password
Whether you’re hosting for the day or planning on overnight guests, the one thing you can count on is someone asking for the Wi-Fi password. Save yourself the hassle of answering the same question multiple times and display your Wi-Fi password where it’s easily visible to guests, such as on the fridge or in the entryway.
10. Focus on functionality
Holiday aesthetics are a lovely touch to your festivities, but don’t burn out trying to execute all those ambitious Pinterest holiday entertaining ideas. Ultimately, all that you and your guests need to nail holiday hosting is food on the table, a place to put your stuff, and each other’s company. Anything else you manage to get done is just the ribbon on the wrapping paper. Happy holidays!
Ultimately, all that you and your guests need to nail holiday hosting is food on the table, a place to put your stuff, and each other’s company.
