It’s Not Too Late to Organize Your Holiday Party

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Party planning requires more than just sending out invitations. Especially if you’re hosting a party for Thanksgiving or any of the other upcoming winter holidays.

Between cooking and cleaning, entertaining can be a nightmare. However, planning ahead will change your life.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed about hosting a party this holiday season (or even next week on Thanksgiving), it’s not too late to get organized!

Here are six preparation tips that will make you the hostess with the mostest.

1) Check your cupboards first

Make sure that you have the right amount of serving dishes, wine glasses, etc, so that you’re not rushing around the day of the event.

(If you’re hosting Thanksgiving next week and discover you’re a little short, you can check which stores around you will be open on Thanksgiving morning and run out to get anything you need.)

2) Start ahead of time

Nothing creates more stress than having a million things to do all at once. Rather than leave things until the last minute, start your cooking, cleaning, and planning in advance so you’re not left doing everything just hours before the party starts.

Set the table the night before to leave time for any last-minute party preparations. I also like to make a list of all my to-dos for the days leading up to the party. That way everything is mapped out ahead of time so I can just grab my list and spring into action.

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3) Go with what you know

Cooking under pressure can always be stressful, especially when you’re on a time frame and budget. Stick with the recipes that you know so you can spend the least amount of time in the kitchen to focus on other preparations.

4) Have everyone bring their own dish

Cooking can be a big ordeal, especially when you’re preparing for a large number of people. If you ask each guest to bring a little something, it will take the stress off of you and allow guests to feel like part of the party planning.

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5) Choose a signature drink

Buying large amounts of alcohol isn’t always cost-effective. Plus, who wants to play bartender, mixing all different drinks, all night long? I like to prepare a pitcher of sangria (or your drink of choice) in order to save time and money.

6) Clean as you go

It might seem like a pain in the moment, but it’s a relief when you don’t have a scary pile of dishes at the end of the night! After each course, move the plates inside the dishwasher, rather than just piling them up outside of the sink.

You’ll thank yourself in the morning.

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BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

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