Holiday Hosting Tips

Photo: Sunshine Winters Photography

I’ve shared before that I’m not really a hostess with the mostest. I blame my mother, honestly. Hear me out – my mother never really hosted parties or family events – we were always going elsewhere. I know how to be polite and always (ALWAYS) bring a bottle of wine, and send a thank you note afterwards, but when it comes to hosting people in your home, I’m still learning as I go.

Here are a few hosting tips I’ve learned, just in time for the holidays:

• Don’t run out of wine – just don’t. It’s not like you won’t drink anything that’s leftover from a holiday gathering, so plan ahead.
• Keep the menu simple – I love my “drool: food and drink” Pinterest board for ideas.
• Have enough seating! I love that my Lexington Sectional from Apt2B is super big and comfy, so we can fit a lot of people on our couch, comfortably, which is key. We also have extra seating and our desk chairs can easily blend in with our living room furniture, so even though it’s an apartment, we have quite a bit of room. Entertaining in tiny spaces is no fun – trust me!
• Create a bar area. This way guests can make their own drinks (or pour from a pre-made
  

  Holiday hosting at its finest

  pitcher of cocktails) so you’re not playing bartender the entire time. If you’re not doing alcohol, set up a water, soda or hot chocolate station and put some effort into it to make it inviting.

• It’s all about the ambience. I’m a big fan of candles (obsessed, really) – get a seasonal candle and turn on some holiday tunes (make a playlist ahead of time) and call it a day! Even if you don’t own a ton of holiday decorations, invest in some. If you’re hosting any kind of party – New Year’s Eve, Birthday, Christmas, etc. you need decor to help keep it festive. It’s worth the small investment and if you plan ahead, you can usually get some good deals.
• Make it an open house. Especially if you live in an apartment or are fearful of being overwhelmed with too many people at once, create an event from 6p -10p and tell friends and family to drop by anytime during that window.

Obviously there are about a million tips we have all learned from hosting holiday parties in our homes, but those are some of my top tips. What about you – do you have any hosting tips to share or a go-to appetizer or champagne cocktail?

One of the reasons I love living at The Millennium Kirby is that it truly feels like home. I think a “home” is a feeling, and being able to host friends and family – during the holidays or not – is part of making it a home. [SPONSORED]