It’s the most wonderful time of the year, again. It can be a lot of work to have friends and family at your home to share the holiday joy. These challenges are best met with preparation and an extra dose of patience. Here are some tips to help you get through this holiday season.
Prep your meals
This season is all about spending time with your loved ones, and while good company is more important the good food, good food is very important to me. Save time by prepping some meals in advanced.
A big time saver for me is making this slow-cooker breakfast casserole. You start this meal the night before, and wake up to a delicious, no-fuss breakfast. Make any potato salads/pasta salads the day before; they taste better the next day anyways, whip up the charcuterie board the day before and pop it in the fridge and mix up any spice mixes or sauces and have those at the ready when you’re cooking. Taking the time to mise en place makes cooking so much faster.
Setting your table
I like to stick with a couple key colors, pairing bright colors like red with more monochromatic colors such as beige, white or gray so that the red can really pop. Mix and match plates, silverware and glassware, you do not need a full set of everything. Keep the flower arrangements low so people can talk over them easily. Make sure to make enough room for the dishes!
Holiday Activities
While eating and cooking with family is nice, who doesn’t enjoy a few boardgames or other activities? I don’t mean Monopoly (though it is not a bad choice), here are some of my family’s favorite things to do!
•Munchkin! This board game is very easy to understand, has an easy set-up and is so much fun!
•Betrayal at House on the Hill. A somewhat spooky board game, this game created a type of light-hearted fun as you race to explore, fight or escape this haunted house!
•Gingerbread Home Making, because what holiday season is without gingerbread houses with sprinkles and a dubious number of Dots candies?
•Christmas light walks, or drives! See what is around your area, if there is a certain row of houses that go all out in their Christmas decoration, or if there is a caravan for Christmas lights.
Overall, the holiday season is one that brings joy to everyone. We hope these tips better prepare you or even inspire to take your holiday hosting to another level!