We all enjoy fun, food and family during the holiday season, but we also know that it can be stressful at times. Here are some tips to help you eliminate the stress and just have fun during your dinner party.
1. Keep Things Simple – Organize everything ahead of time and things will run smoothly one the day of the party arrives. Create a checklist of all of the things that you need to do so you don’t forget those last minute details.
2. Food – What time will the party take place? This will determine what kind of food you will serve. If it’s in the evening, lighter foods such as veggies, fruits, finger sandwiches, or cheese and crackers would be a great option and the best part is that it doesn’t take much preparing.
If your party will be closer to a normal dinner hour, you might want a more substantial menu. Even so, it’s still possible to have a great meal with minimum amount of work. How about a potluck dinner? Each guest brings a side dish or dessert and you can prepar the drinks and main dish. Everyone can enjoy the variety of food and your kitchen is relatively mess free, which means less stress for you.
4. Guest List – Keep this as manageable as possible. It’s so easy to think that you have to invite everyone so no one feels left out. You just can’t invite everyone. If you do feel that you can’t leave some people out, have a couple of smaller parties instead and plan them both exactly the same, saving yourself some time and effort. By having two parties, if there are some people that don’t get along well, they can then be invited to different parties, removing some stress.
5. Table Setting – Keep it simple and basic. There are a lot of nice disposable plates, etc. on the market today, especially around the holidays. So don’t bother getting out the fine china and worrying about guests dropping something. You could still use nice silverware, depending on what you’re serving, as some foods tend to be difficult to eat with plastic utensils.
6. Take the Party Elsewhere – While this option is more costly, it is really stress free. Have the party catered or at a restraurant. By having someone else do all of the work, you are left to take care of your guests. You will have to hire a caterer or book a place well in advance, as the holidays tend to be the busiest times.
Recent Comments