I love a full house during the holidays. Family, friends, neighbors, overnight house guests, come and go guests–each person we welcome into our home during the holiday season offers a unique and intimate opportunity to connect. Often I go too long without seeing my cherished friends and family, so the last thing I want to think about while I’m catching up are the details of food, dishes, clean up, errands, etc. I try to keep in mind that my loved ones will always remember the way I take them feel versus how well my house is decorated so that allows me to relax and just be present during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Here are a few things I do to help keep my control freak nature in check and not become overwhelmed by hosting the holidays at our home:
We begin with an Advent Calendar.
Counting the days until Christmas is always a crowd favorite at our house, so I sneak a few chores to help us prepare for house guests. Just for fun, I sometimes sneak mundane chores in our calendar like, “DRESS BEDS FOR GUESTS,” or “ROLL ENCHILADAS”. Food prepping is typically done in the weeks leading up to Christmas and YES, I am one of THOSE people: my Christmas shopping is typically done by Black Friday (so I can shop for myself). This allows me to enjoy company and other holiday traditions such as the Orpheum’s annual Christmas movie, Illuminations at Botanica, or simply enjoying hot coco and Christmas music or a movie.
I keep a stash of last-minute Christmas gifts.
So yes, I shop with a spreadsheet, BEFORE Thanksgiving, but occasionally, I forget someone. So under 21 years of age guests receive a gift card, but for our over 21 guests, we always have a case of wine at the ready. If by chance we have a full case left on New Years Eve, we cork what we want!
I have an itinerary.
The week of Christmas, I have list for every day of the week that includes work schedule and other obligations, errands that need to be ran, food that needs to be pulled out of the freezer and which freezer or refrigerator it is located. (Insert eye roll.) Cleaning the house, laundry, ClickList, you name it, has been beautifully orchestrated on the itinerary so that the following day runs flawlessly. You can find the garage door opener by our daily itinerary so that our guests are free to come and go as they please.
Forget me not.
For overnight guests, I stash extra toothbrushes, contact solution and cases and trial size toiletries along with an extra hair dryer in our guest bathroom. I also make sure we have plenty of towels, blankets, pillows, and an air mattress for those unexpected guests who want to extend their stay. I try to anticipate needs as best I can and leave as much out on the counters as possible (without upsetting my inner minimalist spirit) so our guests can find what they need right away. (I even set up a wrapping station and have an extra stocking in the basement.)
Lessen the stress the day of.
We attend Mass on Christmas Eve so having dinner for a dozen people immediately following can be a bit of a challenge. I rely heavily on my crock pot and timed on and off oven with warming drawer. We reheat the Spanish rice we prepared a couple of days before with chicken broth in the crock pot and have the salads, appetizers, and desserts at the ready and sometimes, because it is Christmas, I let the kids eat dessert first! Fun, colorful paper products allow for quick clean up so we can enjoy time with one another. On Christmas morning, sporting our pajamas, we enjoy easy bake breakfast casseroles and frozen to bake cinnamon rolls.
How do you host the holidays?
