8 Hostess Holiday Hacks To Keep You Sane While Party Prepping

* In paid partnership with Stop and Shop

As the designated party hostess for my family, I can tell you that holiday hacks are what get me through the season in one piece. I love having everyone over to celebrate from one tradition to the next, but without these tips… I’m not sure I would make it through the New Year.

8 Hostess Holiday Hacks To Keep You Sane While Party Prepping

Whether it’s an intimate cocktail party or an elaborate spread for 60, one thing is clear – celebrating with the people you love is something that everyone looks forward to no matter the time of year.

As a hostess, we want to make sure we get to the party as quickly as possible and stop fussing about the details before our guests arrive. That’s where organization and smart choices come into play. Hopefully, these holiday hacks will set you on the right track.

Holiday Party Decorations

First things first, I like to get my house in a festive mood and put up my holiday party decorations nice and early. The last thing I need to worry about is getting down my Christmas boxes from the attic the day before a big bash is scheduled to happen. Get your ducks in order… I mean your Santas in order … WAY in advance and check this simple line item off your list.

If you are in need of some last-minute items, you could also head over to Stop & Shop and grab a few fresh poinsettias and wreaths to add the perfect holiday finishing touch.

Holiday Party Food

My family is very particular about what they expect when they come to my house. Antipasto is a must-have, an essential, a need! It is not an option when it comes to holiday party food. A party is not a party without salami and Sicilian olives.

That’s ok! It makes it easy for me because I know what my family expects and loves. And thank goodness I know that when I head to Stop & Shop, I can get everything I need to make an entire tray of Italian Antipasti that will wow my crowd and have them coming back for seconds.

Holiday party food sets the tone of the entire gettogether. It defines how the night will feel for your guests. Will it be a night of abundance? Will it be a night of sharing? A hostess gets to define that which I love!

Christmas Lights Hacks

We love to keep things really simple with the lighting all around our house. So, we have this very simple Christmas lights hacks that we use and love. We wrap Christmas lights around the window pane bar and keep them up until almost Valentine’s Day. They add just a festive touch to our space and take only minutes to complete.

You don’t need any adhesives or tacks, ties or wraps. Simply roll the lights around the bar until you make it to the other side of your window. Then connect to your power switch and turn on as needed.

Real Christmas Moments

Family traditions bring about the best memories, don’t they? That’s why we make sure to have real Christmas moments whenever possible. Staged Instagram photoshoots and “keeping up with the Jones” vibes are not part of our itinerary.

When it comes to holiday hacks, it’s important to remember that not everything has to happen just because you saw it on Pinterest. Manage your expectations and thank yourself later.

Holiday Movie Marathon

Nothing beats having a holiday movie marathon playing in the background of your party for the little ones. Who am I kidding? The elders will love the classics as well! You don’t even have to have the volume up very high for the crowd to enjoy what is happing on the small screen. Everyone will understand the story because we’ve all seen these holiday favorites a thousand times.

Odds are people will be spread throughout your house as you host during the festive season. Dedicate one room to a holiday movie marathon and take away some of the stress to entertain everyone at all times.

pour cake mix over blueberry pie filling

Baking Hacks – Involve The Kids

No matter how old, your children will always want to help out when it comes to desserts. So, let them. Besides – what an incredible way to bond and creating lasting memories with your children.

We love to head to Stop & Shop and pick up all the essentials we need to create delicious desserts to satisfy everyone on our invite list.

Pick Up Must-Have Essentials

If you don’t have time to make everything on your list, don’t worry! There are plenty of pre-made options for your cocktail party or buffet waiting for you at Stop & Shop that will become family favorites. That I can guarantee.

Consider the Stop & Shop Catering Services to help create catering platters like appetizer trays, entree trays and dessert platters. Or browse their bakery aisle and choose from countless dessert options and baked goods that are certain to wow the crowd.

Our personal favorites? 3 for $11.99 pie packs! It would cost me MORE to make those pies in time and money.

Leftover Ideas For Guests

A really great idea to consider for party guests is to offer them Tupperware to take home once the party is over. Line up leftover storage containers and allow everyone to make a dish of their favorite foods so they can have a meal the very next day of their choice.

I absolutely love it when hostesses offer this up to me and my family! What a time saver.

Place A Delivery Order

This is an absolute time saver when it comes to Stop & Shop! Did you know that you can place an order online for delivery or pick-up outside of a store (pick-up only available in select locations). Yes!!

That means that you can create your entire order from the convenience of your own home and then have it come straight to your house. I just love this option as a mom of three. Talk about saving time and sanity!

Holiday Hostess Hacks For Christmas Parties

Hostess Holiday Hacks To The Rescue

I hope some of these holiday hostess hacks will help you get ready for friends and family and ease your stress as you begin to plan and prep your way through the entertainment season.