When it comes to vacation get-togethers, there is no worse mood killer than a stressed-out host or hostess. Your guests may be willing to wade through the snow, low temperatures, and fruitcake they know you will serve, but if you panic too much to enjoy their company, they will not enjoy your cake either.
This vacation season, try some stress-relieving tactics to make sure you stay calm, your party goes smoothly, and your guests are warmly welcomed. Here are five ways to minimise the stressors of party planning, preparation, and presentation:
Become a fixture at your local rental store
Stop scouring the house for enough chairs to seat everybody, agonizing over not having enough tables, or worrying about which of your grandmother’s china dishes will fall to the ground during this year’s party. Renting what you need saves time, logistical challenges, and the price of buying or borrowing. What’s more, you do not have to worry about where you will store items you barely use – like scuffed dishes or linens – year after year.
Local rental stores carry a wide range of products perfect for vacation gatherings, such as tables and chairs, plates and silverware, warming trays, lighting, centerpieces – even a portable dance floor. To find American Rental Association member stores in your area, visit www.rentalHQ.com. Remember to call them and order your items in advance, as the vacations are a busy time for rental shops.
Take shortcuts to menu planning
Your guests can only eat so much turkey, ham, green bean casserole and fruitcake; You must perfect your menu, even although you may not have time to get creative. Figuring out what to make besides the traditional must-have favorites can be overwhelming, but searching online can make the task easier.
A lot of websites offer not only great recipes to try, but entire menus of suggestions. Some clever online searching can turn up quite a lot of ideas, even if you are hosting people with special dietary requirements, such as vegan or gluten-free. Some sites even let you enter preferred ingredients, dietary restrictions, etc. And create a menu for you.
Cheat shamelessly when preparing food.
In a perfect world, your vacation meal prep would run like a precision instrument, and all your dishes would be finished at the same time and arrive on the table at the same time. Who lives in that world? In reality, making meals a day or two – or even a week – ahead, freezing them, and reheating them when you need them is a much smarter way to get everything ready on time.
Or, you can purchase prepared items from your grocery store – like chocolate-and-serve rolls, cook-and-serve sides, etc. – and “doctor” them to be more like yours. Another option is to complement your own cooking with a dish or two from your favourite restaurant. Or, you can go all out and set up the entire affair.
Tactics for easier decorating
Unless you are starting a week before Halloween, you possibly will not have time to decorate your entire house from top to bottom like something out of a home decor show. Instead, decorate wisely and save time by focusing your attention on the main areas guests are most certainly to see. A fine entryway sets the mood, and a well-decorated kitchen and dining room evoke a festive mood. Don’t overlook the powder room! Scented candles on the dresser and a few sleigh bells on the doorknob are both decorative and practical. And go ahead and buy that Christmas tree that’s already lit – you will save yourself a ton of time not having to untangle the lights and place them in the right places on the tree.
Simplify your spirit.
You can drive yourself crazy trying to come up with everybody’s cheering wish list – but do not! Simplify your beverage service with one red, fine white, and one each of domestic, imported, and lager. If you must serve cocktails, wow your guests with one easy-to-make “signature” vacation cocktail. You can find lots of vacation cocktail ideas online.
Staging a vacation celebration does not must be stressful, if you use resources like rental stores and ready-to-use items and concepts to make the task easier. So, invite your guests and enjoy their company during the vacation season.
Article by: BPT
