How to Enjoy Hosting for the Holidays

Halloween is just around the corner, with multiple holidays sneaking up behind it. If you are going to be hosting friends and families during this holiday season, it is a good idea to start preparing your home, and yourself, for the work ahead. We put together some of our favorite holiday hosting tips to help you make sure your event goes off without a hitch.

Make a Plan

While this may seem pretty basic, the more time you put in ahead of time usually saves you time in the end. Start with the basics like the food and beverage you plan to serve, and then work your way through extras like tablescapes and decorations. One thing to be aware of while planning your menu are any potential shortages that may affect your final dishes. To try to alleviate any stress of finding missing ingredients, think about the items you can purchase ahead of time and store so that you are not scrambling or having to make changes last minute. 

Prepare Ahead of Time

Now that your menu is laid out, look over it to see if there are any things you can prepare in advance that will save you time the day of. Use the appliances you have on hand to help you; things like a vacuum sealer can come in handy in these situations. Peeling and cutting potatoes can be daunting, but if you can do it in advance and seal them in advance, you can just pull them out of the refrigerator when it is time to cook them.

Layout the Timeline

This is one of the crucial pieces to any successful meal…knowing how things are going to come together. Review your recipes and make sure you know how long everything will take to prepare and cook so that you can time everything to be ready when it is time to eat. Sometimes, working backwards can be really helpful. Start with the time you would like to eat and then look at each dish to see when you need to start working on it and cooking it. Also, knowing how much space you have in the oven and on the stove can be a big factor in your schedule, so plan accordingly!

Ask for Help

If you are planning to host guests over the holidays, chances are they have asked what they can bring and how they can help. Instead of taking everything on yourself, identify items on your list that people can help you with. Maybe it is bringing a dish to share or a favorite game for people to play while you prep. Wherever you can let people help you, try to do it. 

Enjoy Yourself

The most important tip on the list: ENJOY YOURSELF! Hosting is a lot of work, but don’t let that get in the way of enjoying friends and family. So what if the pumpkin pie is a little overdone or the napkins aren’t folded just so. The parts of the day that will be remembered are the company, so make sure you are present and can enjoy yourself!

Plan Ahead with SDK

The team at SDK is filled with experts that can help you plan ahead. We do that by anticipating your needs and then offering the best possible solution to those needs. We do that by specializing in a comprehensive set of services that go well beyond the preparation of financial reports and tax returns. Call the team today at 612-332-5500 or connect over email at info@sdkcpa.com.