Today I’m sharing my top tips for hosting family and friends. These Easy Holiday Entertaining tips will help make your party enjoyable for everyone (including you)!
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Keep it Simple
When planning to entertain over the holidays, consider ways to make your life easier. Narrow down your guest list, plan a simple menu, and focus on the parts of entertaining you love. Your party will be much more enjoyable if you are able to join in the fun!
Write out a Plan
Plan out your event in advance. This may sound simple, but sometimes the act of writing everything out can eliminate some stress and help you think through all of the details that might get missed otherwise. Make a list that includes who will be attending, the food you plan to have, and what games or other activities you plan to have for your guests. I try to do this 3-4 weeks in advance so I’m not stressing at the last minutes. You can download my free Party Planner below.
Create a Welcoming Environment
Make sure that guests know where to put their coats or bags. Have enough seating available for everyone. I love to turn on some background music and light a candle to help my house feel cozy when guests arrive. Be mindful of strong scents and try to choose something subtle so that you don’t overwhelm your guests.
A mix of cozy seating options creates a relaxed atmosphere and encourages mingling. Lay out a few floor pillows or bring in extra chairs to create clusters where people can gather and chat. It’s less formal and keeps guests comfortable without needing a full dining setup.
Delegate
Give your guests a task to make your life easier. If you don’t want to do all of the cooking, ask guests to sign up to bring their favorite side dish or appetizer. Think about what your friends and family are great at and put those skills to use. Have a music-loving friend create the playlist or someone who is great with games bring something fun to play. Does someone in your family have a favorite recipe? Ask them to bring their signature dish. Your guests will appreciate that you’ve taken the guesswork out of what they can to to help.
Pre-Made Appetizers Are Your Best Friend
Grocery stores are full of delicious, ready-to-eat options—take advantage! Grab a mix of dips, cheeses, and crackers to create a mini charcuterie board. Throw in some pre-made meatballs or stuffed mushrooms you can quickly warm up. Easy, filling, and no extra work for you!
Have a Theme
Having a theme for your party adds to the fun and helps guests know how to prepare. Here are some of our favorites.
- Decorate the Tree. Ask each guest to bring an ornament to add to your tree.
- Favorite things. This is great for smaller parties. Each person brings one of their favorite things for each party guest to hand out as gifts. Set a dollar amount in advance (we love something easy like $5-10) and shares why they love their item as they hand them out. Some of our favorites have been a small lotion, wine opener, kitchen gadgets, and a favorite lip mask.
- Cookie Swap. Each person brings their favorite dessert and a large container. All guests are able to take home a few of each of the treats that were brought.
- Christmas in Vegas. Play poker, blackjack, or other Vegas-style games.
- Ugly Sweater: This one is an oldie but is still always fun! Each person wears their ugliest sweater and guests vote on the winner.
- Dirty Santa: Have each person bring one gift (select the dollar amount in advance) and you play a game to determine who gets what. You can find the rules here.
- Holiday Pajama Party: Encourage guests to show up in cozy holiday PJs! Perfect for low-key gatherings.
Set Up Food and Drink Stations
Create self-serve stations for food and drinks, so guests can help themselves. A snack bar with a variety of chips, popcorn, and finger foods keeps things casual. For drinks, a DIY cocktail station or a big batch of holiday punch means everyone can fill up without a bartender (aka you) having to manage it. Stock the fridge with a few drinks you know your guests will love. Include options that are fun that can me made with or without alcohol so that every guests feels like they have something special to sip.
Make Cleaning Easy
Start in advance and do your deep cleaning earlier in the week. On the day of your party, pick up clutter and wipe down high traffic areas. There’s nothing worse than having to do all the cleaning in a rush as guests are about to arrive. If you have other family members in your home, assign each person a task to help share the load. Remember, nobody is going to be checking your blinds to make sure they are dusted. They are there to have fun and know that you LIVE in your house.
Party Favors
Photo by: Nurgül Kelebek
Even adults love a good party favor. Give something that goes with the theme of your party, or gift one of your favorite things to each guest. It adds a fun touch to the event and gives everyone something to remember. They don’t have to be expensive. Themed koozies, a sweet treat, a small bottle of your favorite drink, or your favorite stocking stuffers. Here are two of our favorites:
- Homemade Hot Cocoa Kits: Layer cocoa powder, marshmallows, and chocolate chips in small mason jars for a cozy favor. To add an extra spin tie on a mini bottle of your favorite alcohol to mix in.
- Personalized Ornaments: Buy inexpensive ornaments and a metallic Sharpie to personalize each with your guests’ names.
Minimize the Clean Up
This is the part of easy holiday entertaining that saves the most time. I’m all for being environmentally conscious, but when it comes to parties, the last thing I want to do at the end of the night is wash dishes and clean the house. I splurge a little on the fancy disposable dinnerware (I love this set) that still has my table looking fabulous and is super easy to clean at the end of the night.
Stock up on cleaning wipes, have a few trash bags at the ready, and make a quick pre-party plan for cleanup. If you can, set up trash and recycling stations so guests can pitch in as they go. Enlist family or a few friends to help with a quick end-of-night sweep—it’ll make cleanup a breeze.
Dress Comfortably
When we are having people over, I love to dress as comfortably as possible (and encourage guests to as well). It helps everyone feel cozy and who doesn’t love a good pair of leggings and an oversized sweater. This year I’ve worn this sweater multiple times and I also love this one for a fancier touch.
Wrapping Up
The holidays are about connection, not perfection. By focusing on easy setups, tasty snacks, and a relaxed vibe, you’ll be able to spend more time with the people who matter and less time stressing. Whether it’s hot cocoa bars, comfy pajamas, or mini party favors, the simpler, the better.
Share your tips for easy holiday entertaining in the comments!
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