The Ultimate Guide For The Stress-Free Holiday Party

The holidays just got easier thanks to our ultimate guide for the stress-free holiday party. We all know that this is the time of year that is jam-packed with holidays, which usually means they are jam-packed with holiday parties.

This is the time of year when families and friends come together to catch up, reminisce about the good times they’ve had, and celebrate the holidays together. All of those things wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the unsung heroes who organize, coordinate and plan holiday parties so that everybody who attends them has a great time.

Planning a holiday party can definitely be stressful. From finding a time that works for everyone to preparing your home to host a large number of people, there is a lot of work to be done to ensure that your holiday party will be one to remember. If you are hosting a party this year and are feeling a bit stressed out about it, here are a few things you can do to plan the best holiday party ever without breaking a sweat.

Coordinate Schedules

The first (and arguably the most important) task is to find a time that works for everybody. Because the holiday season is full of parties, most people will likely have prior commitments on certain nights, so coordinating schedules can be a nightmare. Unless, of course, you find a better way: using a shared internet calendar.

There are plenty of apps and websites that allow calendars to be synchronized to other apps. Using one of these, you can send an invite to edit the calendar to all who are invited to the party. Simply ask them to make a note of when they are not available, and by the end of it, you will have a full list of dates and times that won’t work for everybody — and, more importantly, which ones will. Once you have the list, you can assign a definite date and time for your party that everyone will be able to attend.

Figure Out the Food

Next up is deciding on what you will feed the guests. This depends largely upon the type of party you will be hosting. For example, you will obviously want to serve dinner at a dinner party, whereas a small get-together will require nothing but a few snacks and drinks. To make things simple, here’s a list of possible ways to handle making sure everyone is well-fed:

• Make It Yourself. This will require the least amount of coordination, but the most amount of work for you.

• Have a Potluck. Assign each guest a different assignment so that you’ll have a full meal once everyone arrives.
• Drinks and Snacks. For a more low key party, get some drinks, make sure your pantry is stocked and prepare a few h’ors oeuvres ahead of time.

Decorate

Your holiday party decorations don’t need to be over-the-top or very expensive. A few simple decorations can get people into the holiday spirit and, if nothing else, serve as a conversation starter. If you need some ideas, here are some awesome DIY Christmas lawn decorations that will definitely wow your guests and bring some holiday cheer to your neighbors!

Entertainment

Like the food, the type and amount of entertainment at the party will depend upon what kind of party you will be having. If you’re gathering with a group of people whom you haven’t seen in a while, you might not need any entertainment at all, as it would keep you all from catching up. If you know the guests well, you might consider some entertainment, such as music, games or karaoke. All of these things can likely be done with things you already have (except for maybe a microphone and speakers), minimizing your costs and maximizing the amount of fun to be had.

Another great idea is to have a gift exchange. Everybody loves white elephant gifts! When you’re planning the party, assign each person or couple another person or couple for whom they will need to buy an inexpensive gift. Come party time, exchange your gifts and laugh at the ridiculous items people gave each other.

It’s unlikely that your guests will be attending your party strictly for the planned entertainment, so don’t stress about it too much. Whatever you choose, keep it low key and err on the side of too little-planned entertainment as opposed to too much. What are your special tips for creating a stress-free holiday party?