Christmas Party Tips

Organizing your Christmas party plans is the best way to ensure a stress free holiday gathering. Follow these household clean-up ideas and party preparation tips for entertaining holiday guests with ease.

Holiday Organizer - Prepare a holiday organizer about one month before the Holiday Party. The party organizer should include: guest lists, menus, recipes, and entertaining ideas gathered from magazines, craft shops, and party stores. Divide a loose leaf notebook or a file folder into different categories and place all your lists into the dividers. Having everything in one place eases the stress of trying to remember everything and prevents losing any notes you may have written to yourself about the Christmas party.

Invitations - Prepare the holiday party invitations 6-8 weeks in advance and get them in the mail. This will give your party guests time to make arrangements for a baby sitter or just set the day aside for the party. Make sure you put an RSVP date on the invitation so you can be ready for the number of guests who arrive.

Remove Clutter - As you replace everyday décor with holiday decorations, pack away the replaced items in the holiday boxes. This way, the house will remain clutter free and you will know where everything is when it's time to take down the holiday accents and decorations.

Holiday Dishes - A week before the holiday party wash the china or holiday dinnerware you are planning to use for your guests. Washing the dishes a few pieces at a time whenever you run the dishwasher saves you from washing all the dishes at the last moment.

Ice - Buy or make ice cubes days before the Christmas party. Avoid the embarrassment of running out of ice for the festive holiday drinks. Placing ice cubes in a brown paper bag in the freezer allows the ice to breathe so the ice cubes won't stick together.

Temperature - This is something most people don't think about. Lower the thermostat in your home before the holiday party begins. As the guests gather in a room, the temperature will rise. Lowering the heat in the house prevents the room from getting stuffy and uncomfortable for the guests.

Candle Tips - Holiday candles are expensive, especially when you want to keep them lit during the length of the party for a festive spirit. Freeze the candles about an hour before the party begins. The Christmas candles will burn slower and drip less. Also, if your non-metal candle sticks have dried wax on them, place them in the microwave for a short time, melting the wax. Then you can wipe off the wax with a paper towel.

Evergreen - Spread the spirit of the holidays by arranging traditional evergreens, pine boughs and holly in baskets throughout the house. Nothing can match the authentic holiday aroma of pine.

These are just a few tips for a hassle-free Christmas party. Most of it is common sense but being organized is the best way to ease the stress of the holidays. Hope your holiday party is a huge success and becomes a Christmas tradition. Happy Holidays!

Resources: Personal Experience

Family Circle Christmas '96