The holiday season is approaching. Are you ready to be the perfect host or hostess for a large get-together? The key to a successful party is to plan, plan, and plan! Enthrall your guests with an effortless display of hosting. Here are some holiday entertaining tips and ideas for a large get together:
o Send the invitations. Invitations should provide your guests with information such as appropriate attire, driving directions, and time. These days, it's easy to send out an invitation with email. Get your guests excited by sending an Evite or a traditional card.
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o Decide on a theme. It can be a seasonal theme like Harvest or New Year or Halloween as well as a cuisine theme such as Mexican, Chinese, Mediterranean, or Pizza.
o Decorate. The tablecloth and tabletop setting is one of the most important parts of the party. It is really the first thing that people look at other than the lighting and the overall ambiance when they walk in. A bouquet of flowers, bowl of fruit, candles, or posting the evening's menu are some simple ways to set a mood.
o Plan the menu. This is the most challenging. If you are having a potluck, assign dishes such as salads, desserts, main entrée, bread, cheese, fruit, drinks, to your guests. If you are preparing several dishes think carefully about the order in which you cook for your party. and Stick to what you know will work when cooking for company. If you want to try something new, have a "rehearsal dinner" for your family the week before. Don't serve dishes that need to be hot unless you have dish warmers. Also, don't serve food that needs to be cut or food that is easier eaten with more than one hand (e.g. buffalo wings). With the right planning, you will have the energy you need to enjoy your guests.
o Don't cook it all by yourself. There are so many high quality specialty foods in the markets, it's really unnecessary to cook everything for your party yourself. Cook and prepare whatever you like to do best, and then save time by filling in the rest with gourmet products. Make these ready-made dishes yours by offering a range of dipping sauces or garnishing the plate with fresh fruit.
o Get the room(s) ready. The night before the party, clear the rooms where people will mingle - place extra napkins on coffee tables, bowels of nuts or candy OR set the table - this way you don't feel rushed the day of the party - have enough seating for everyone who might want to sit and remove any unnecessary furniture and knickknacks from the area. Add special touches such as mints in the bathrooms. Lastly, create specialized areas and break up the buffet into smaller stations, such as, a station for drinks and dessert.
o Put together a music play list. Music is an easy way to set the mood and encourage conversation among the guests.
The day of the get-together can get stressful. Plan your day accordingly and get some help. Buy any last minute items in the morning. Make sure your table is all set and your refrigerator is cleaned out so you have room to put your grocery and dishes that need to be refrigerated. Lastly, try to finish an hour before the guests start arriving to give yourself time to get ready.
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Easy Holiday Entertaining Tips
Villette Nolon is the CEO and President of HomeSavvi. HomeSavvi provides free home remodeling instant inspiration. Online guide features home remodel design ideas, photos, expert advice, including bathroom and kitchen designs, budgets and costs and other helpful information. Go to http://www.homesavvi.com for more information.
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