Helping With Holidays: Learning to Host

There's a reason so many holiday disasters show up in movies, romcoms, and sitcoms- the general public unreservedly empathizes. Why? Because they don't know how to entertain! The craft of hosting is not as commonly learned or practiced a skill as it ought to be, which is how I've been keeping the lights on lately.

People have been asking me over for my How To Holiday consultation. The concept is pretty straightforward from my end- are you entertaining for the first time in a while, and think you might be in over your head? Have me come visit! For a modest fee, I take a thorough look at your house, decor, arrangements, kitchen, menu, guest list, and whatever else we think needs checking over. Then, together, we make a plan to help you pull it all off without a hitch. I get to eat that week, and they get peace of mind in an otherwise very stressful time. Simple, right?

Well... yes, once you get the basics down.

The notion of spectacle gets everybody from time to time, and it's really easy to give in to ambition, take a leap of faith, and faceplant in front of everybody you were trying to impress. So the first thing to do is Avoid That, and the best way to do that is to keep things simple, and play to your strengths. 

Got a nice house? Decorate without being gaudy, and make it as accessible as possible. Spacious kitchen? Consider bringing the party in there. Love to cook? Lean into it. But above all else, do these things carefully. 

• Fancy decorations? Might get broken if your guests have young children. Know your guests.
• Party in the kitchen? Make sure there's space for everyone, and that there's plenty of food that doesn't need cooking so the mess stays minimal. 
• Doing a whole lot of cooking? Figure out what can be done ahead, so you can spend more time with the people you really want to see while you enjoy yourselves together- last minute touches are all well and good, but not at the expense of your guests.
• How long is everyone over for? Think about traffic, travel, and relative sobriety.
• Shoe space, coat space, fridge space, freezer space, closet space, parking space, it's all important.
• What's on the radio, stereo, or TV? 
• How are you and yours dressing? What mood are you trying to set?

This is just the start of it, really. Learning how to think like a host isn't difficult, exactly, but it does require a measured, thoughtful approach. Once your party's over though, you've learned what worked, what didn't, why, and how to make it better next time. These are skills you can apply over and over again no matter where you are. 

The greatest gifts, after all, are knowledge and understanding.