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Holiday Entertaining Made Easy (with these extras)

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Thank you to At Home stores for partnering with me for today’s post. All opinions of their fabulous products are solely my own.  Thanks for supporting the brands that help keep this blog running.

Are you entertaining extended family or friends this holiday season? The holidays can be busy and sometimes stressful. Get your home Entertaining ready and avoid the last minute frazzle with these “extras”.

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1.Extra planning ahead – Planning ahead for entertaining is always ‘ great way to make sure things are in place and ready for when your guests arrive. Don’t try to just “wing it” if that is how you usually operate. Planning is the safer way.

  • Whether you use an app or write on paper, make a note of how many guests are coming and keep a list of what you will need for hosting. 
  • Make a menu and grocery shop early.
  • Prep certain foods ahead to avoid the cooking overwhelm all in one day.
  • When possible, plan for easy hassle free meals. 

These free planning printables are so pretty and so well laid out for easy holiday planning. I snagged them here

holiday-entertaining-extra-storage-planning-printables

2.Extra sprucing up –  Spend a few minutes sprucing up your space.

  • Clean areas that need to be cleaned. There is always that extra bit of cleaning that needs to be done before having guests over. Dust and wipe down corners of your home that you don’t clean everyday. 
  • Add a bit of decor. Something as simple as a jar of fresh flowers makes all the difference in a room.
  • Organize the areas that your guests will be using to make moving around easier and avoid a sense of confusion, think entryways, bathrooms, food area, etc. An entryway has such a big impact for what guests see first when they walk into your home. Create areas where they can put shoes and hang jackets (even if you are the one hanging them). 

A few weeks ago, a friend and her kids were visiting for a play date and she commented on our entryway. I had a different set up than this here but I guess it was enough to catch her attention in a good way. She actually did not even mention it immediately but did later while I was giving her a tour of the other rooms. So get that entryway organized and looking pretty for when your guests arrive.

entry

  • I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to organize the rest of our front entry. I have not yet come up with the perfect solution but I have done some things to make it functional. For a while I had no floor mat at the front door just because I could not decide on the kind of mat I wanted. I have this thing about mats and I like them to be just right.

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  • I also added some baskets for smaller items such as hats, gloves, and scarves. I love the size and shape of the baskets – they seem to work well.

holiday-entertaining-extra-storage-storage-baskets

3.Keep extra supplies on hand – It’s always helpful to have extra supplies on hand even more so during entertaining. 

  • Think about things like dinnerware whether you are using real or fake (A.K.A. disposable). Keep them handy and keep them nearby so guests could easily find them. Nothing worse than sitting down to eat and having to get back up a million times to grab a plate, cup or a napkin for someone.

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This Baker’s Rack comes in handy for my extra supplies. It’s right next to the dinning table where food will be served so the extra supplies will be in view and in reach. It is such a cute little stand with just the right amount of shelving for holding our extras.

holiday-entertaining-extra-storage-rack

  • Extra toiletries – Who does not need them right?! 
  • Extra sitting. Even if you have to move things around to make room for extra sitting, do so. Grab a few chairs from another room and add to the room(s) where you plan to keep your guests entertained. It’s what I do all the time, especially in the dinning room.   

My front room (A.K.A. the green room) is one of the areas that lacked any kind of sitting. My husband and I have been planning to make it a sitting/reading/guest friendly area since we move. He suggested using two accent chairs in one of the corners. Everything in a new home takes time to come together so the room is a work in progress. I’ve played the moving chairs around game in this room but nothing permanently. Earlier during the Fall, I searched around for some chairs and stuff to fill the room then kind of gave up on it after being out all day one day and online for a long time. But then since the room is right at the front, I really wanted to make it a lovely little spot and a welcoming avenue. For the most part, it’s still fully furnished and not where we would like it but I’ve created this small sitting area that’s already made such a difference. 

holiday-entertaining-extra-storage-sitting-area

Now how about these fabulous chairs from At Home stores? I told my husband I wanted to go to At Home and he suggested looking at their online site first. He saw these chairs were on sale and showed them to me. Of course, I’d seen them in the store before but could not pass up the 50% off guys!! For $200, I’d say they were a total steal and we could not be happier to have these in the front room. I love love love the sales and affordability of the products from At Home stores. Now when guests come over, our front room would be somewhat ready and welcoming.

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4. Extra time – Give yourself extra time for the unexpected especially if you have young children who will need care and attention. Have a plan B just in case something does not work out as you have planned. 

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Hope these will give you some ideas and make your holiday entertaining so much easier. Now I’d like to know what kind of extra would you keep on hand for entertaining guests?

You can find most of the products I’ve listed from At Home stores over on their site by clicking on each link below.

Accent Chairs

Baker’s Rack

Storage Baskets

Mats

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31 thoughts on “Holiday Entertaining Made Easy (with these extras)

  1. It’s hard to believe we are so close to Thanksgiving already! It’s barely a week away and I have done nothing to prepare! Those extra toiletries and getting the guest room ready are at the top of my list. Of course that list is just in my mind right now so I better get busy writing it down and checking stuff off! EEeekk!!

  2. Thanks for featuring my Thanksgiving Planner! Your house looks so peaceful and serene and all ready for turkey day. I want to stay here all day and gaze at your clean, organized rooms. Right now, my laundry room/mud room is being remodeled and the washer and dryer are sitting in the middle of the kitchen. Fingers crossed that it will be done before Thanksgiving! ๐Ÿ™‚ It should be.

    1. Am all for easing up the holiday stress. Things tend to get way to hectic sometimes. At Home is like a Home Goods but a zillion times bigger with tons more stuff for all kinds of home styles. You’ve got to go visit – you’ll love it!!

  3. Great idea, I love all your finds! The white decor is a perfect neutral option for the holidays, and the warm brown accents make it feel really comfy and homey.

  4. I can’t believe Thanksgiving is already a week away at this point, but I love your decor! Very simple and clean looking. Home Goods and Hobby Lobby have amazing decorations for the holidays. If you haven’t checked them out, you totally should!

  5. These are all amazing tips Zan! We will actually be hosting Thanksgiving at our house for the first time this year and I am super nervous about it. Your tips however made me notice what I still have to do and how I can avoid being stressed the day off! Thanks so much for sharing these valuable tips!

  6. I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week! Craziness!! Love those new chairs and what a great price! They are so welcoming. The baker’s rack is a nice addition as well. Stylish and functional!

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