5 Tips for Simple Holiday Entertaining

My tips for simple holiday entertaining are part of a sponsored post and steam mop review for the Swiffer BISSELL STEAMBOOST.  I received a steam mop and further compensation but all opinions are my own.

I love holiday entertaining but it can sometimes be stressful, can’t it?  I recently hosted a little gathering for friends and it was so simple and so enjoyable {even for me as the hostess} that I thought I’d share some of my tips for simple entertaining.  I have five tips that will make your holiday gatherings less stressful and more enjoyable for both you and your guests.

1. Plan on paper.

At least a week prior to your event, make a list.  Plan the menu, decide what errands you need to run, and establish your guest list and send invitations.  Even if you’re not a planner and don’t love lists like I do, planning every detail eliminates stress and takes the last-minute decision-making and guesswork out of the day.

2.  Throw a party with a friend.

I co-hosted this gathering with a friend and it was so stinkin’ fun!  We shopped together, set up together, and entertained our friends together.  Not only was it so fun to host a party with my sweet friend but it benefited our guests as well.  We took turns greeting guests, serving drinks, and guiding the conversation … which eliminated a lot of the typical hostess pressure that I often feel.

3.  Avoid last minute stress by setting your space hours before the party.

If I’m hosting a sit-down dinner, I set the table hours {and sometimes a day} in advance.  This party was hosted as a self-serve buffet but I set out all my serving dishes and utensils hours before, figuring out the flow and layout well before my guests arrived.  Running around at the last minute not only makes me feel stressed but it doesn’t establish a relaxed environment for guests either.

4.  Cut yourself a break and serve storebought goodies.

I love to cook and often serve homemade meals to friends but this party was all about the storebought food, a simple way to entertain when life is feeling rushed and hectic.  It was simple for me and my guests loved it!  I shopped at a high-end grocery store for gourmet items and set out a fun variety of food and drinks.  Before the party, I simply placed the food in serving dishes without any other prep work.

5.  Set a cleaning plan.

Nothing ruins the idea of having friends over more than the idea of spending an entire day scrubbing toilets, mopping, vacuuming, and transforming the house from kid quality to museum quality.

I avoid the last minute day-of-cleaning by scheduling my cleaning throughout the week prior.  It may sound a bit Type A but I promise you it’ll eliminate that “why did I invite friends over?” thought.  Make a list of the tasks you want to accomplish {cleaning the kitchen, dusting the family room, washing the kitchen floor} and allocate different tasks to different days.  Some tasks need to be done at the last minute {ahem, toilet cleaning} but some tasks can be done days in advance and still look great at party time {dusting the family room}.

One thing that’s making my last minute cleaning {and my party clean-up} so much more enjoyable this holiday season is my Swiffer BISSELL STEAMBOOST!  If you know me, you know that I hate mopping my kitchen floor.  The Swiffer BISSELL STEAMBOOST has taken the nastiness out of this chore!

I add a steam pad to the device, plug it in, and steam clean floors quickly and easily.  It’s simple enough that my kids can help with the job or I can do it right before guests arrive {allowing a few minutes of drying time, of course}.  I love this new steam mop and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you it’s transformed my floor cleaning, penetrating through the dirt that gets dragged in by five kids and a dog!

How do you keep holiday entertaining from being overwhelming?  What are your tips for making entertaining less stressful?