We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at our home this year, and I wanted to share some Holiday hosting hacks we used to make it go smoothly.  I hope that there may be a tip or two, in helping you host your Christmas parties!  

 I always like to set the table in advance.  My mom and sister came over, and we did this together.  I had us eat around the kitchen island the night before instead of the table. It felt nice having that finished, so I could focus on other tasks.  I set the table using this pretty Plymouth pattern from Williams Sonoma.  

Of course I went to Costco, Trader Jo’s but I also placed a couple different Whole Foods orders via amazon leading up.  A lot goes into hosting, and it was such a nice thing to quickly order it and have it delivered and not have to deal with the crowds!  

I sometimes split up the kids with the adults, but this time I just did Tucker family on one table, and Morrison’s on the other.  We hung out of course before and after!  I’d encourage anyone to seat your guests in a way that makes sense.  And sometimes that changes as kids get a little older!   

I ordered a lot from Williams Sonoma – our spatchock turkey, delicious pies, cheesecake, cranberry sauce, gluten free stuffing, and even the brine.  

I try to keep it lighthearted and fun.  My internal motto, especially during holidays, is “it’s about the kids now”… So while I consider the adults, I also try and keep it fun for the kids.  Celebrity cut outs crack everyone up!  

Always have to go containers!  To me, there’s nothing like holiday leftovers.  This helps with clean up too!  

I bought these cheeky thanksgiving quote napkins.  They have them for Christmas too!  We put them by the appetizers/cockatils.  But also under each persons glass.  We picked the one that went with the person!  

To make the pies look a little more homey – I put them in my pretty pie dishes.  

Something random to note, but make sure your dishwasher is empty and ready to go.  It’s nice to get ahead of the clean up!  By the time everyone left on Thanksgiving, we had already ran the dishwasher once.  And only had one more load to do.  We also ask our kids to help clear everyone’s plates.  They don’t mind, and it’s extra sweet!  

Holiday crackers are always fun, and a way to keep the joy going!

Don’t forget about the bathroom.  Make sure it’s stocked with fresh soap, hand towels, and a little arrangement!  

Candlelight is always so dreamy.  I love tapers!  There’s something about it!  The best parties are the ones where the guests are there and the wax has burnt all the way down.  

Kate Spade said something years ago that has stuck with me, and something I think of often when hosting:   “Making others feel at ease is the essence of etiquette, yesterday and today“.

Enjoy your family this holiday season!!