Hosting a holiday party can be a lot of fun, but it’s also a whole lot of work! Your goal is to make sure everyone has a good time without stressing out more than necessary. The following holiday party ideas are intended to create a fun event for guests, as well as make the process a little easier on the host.
Prepare food ahead of time.
You don’t want to feel rushed, which is what will happen if you cook everything last-minute. What’s worse is if you end up slaving in the kitchen the entire time your guests are there. With a little planning, you can have all the food ready to go hours before your first guest arrives, keeping your stress level down in the process.
Start cooking up to two days before your party. Make appetizers, bake pies, and even prepare sauces that can be quickly reheated on the stove or in a slow cooker just before the party starts.
Make it a potluck.
If you’re inviting close friends or family to your party, it’s appropriate to ask each person to contribute a dish. A potluck takes the pressure of food preparation off your shoulders and makes the event feel more intimate.
Depending on your holiday party theme, you might want to request a specific dish from each guest, such as cocktail meatballs, a fruit platter, or sugar cookies. You can also give your guests more options by requesting food from a particular category, such as appetizers, side dishes, or desserts.
Set up a self-serve buffet.
Whether you include a sit-down meal at your Christmas party or plan to stand and mingle the entire time, always leave snacks out for your guests to enjoy at their leisure. Provide a mix of salty and sweet, and make sure you have the proper utensils for serving and eating everything.
As for drinks, decide if your holiday party will include alcohol or not. If you choose to permit drinking, you can either provide beer, wine, and festive cocktails or request that guests bring their own if interested. Either way, always offer non-alcoholic drinks for everyone to enjoy.
Make your guests feel relaxed.
Start by providing multiple seating areas for mingling and make sure there’s plenty of room to move around. Don’t be afraid to relocate furniture during your party to allow for the best traffic flow.
Then, have festive background music playing when your guests arrive. Just remember not to set the volume so high that people can’t have conversations. If any of your guests don’t know one another, consider playing icebreaker games. Be prepared with equipment to play charades, sing karaoke, or do another activity that fits with your holiday party theme.
Hire Molly Maid for pre-party prep and post-party cleanup.
You have enough to worry about before the party starts without spending hours cleaning the house. Hand this responsibility over to Molly Maid so you have all the time you need to shop for decorations, plan games, and cook the food.
You’re sure to be exhausted once the party is over, as well. Molly Maid can tidy up the living room, disinfect the kitchen, and clean the floors of any spills. With our help, your home will look spotless again in no time.
Contact your local Molly Maid today to request a free in-home estimate for professional house cleaning services near you.
