Avoid These Holiday Hosting Mistakes

 

The season for holiday dinners and parties is almost here; to ensure you and your guests have a fantastic time, our real estate agents suggest checking out some of the most common holiday hosting mistakes. Here are a few mishaps to avoid this holiday season.

 

You might think that your gathering isn't fancy enough for place cards, but place cards serve a few important purposes. A place card makes your guests feel welcome. They know that they literally have a place at your table for the holidays. Place cards are also valuable for arranging your guests in a configuration that encourages conversation and minimizes discontent. Since you control where your guests should sit, it's easy to seat guests who have a lot in common or prefer each other's company together. Or, if you have some guests attending who don't know any of your other guests, they won't have to deal with the awkwardness of trying to figure out where to sit.

 

Before your event, check that your bathroom has toilet paper, soap, and hand towels. This guideline also applies if you're adding your home to the list of Lewisburg homes for sale. It's important to stage the bathroom with all the essentials so that it shows better with potential homebuyers. Before your gathering, make that you have extras in plain sight so that your guests won't have to go rummaging through your cabinets, or even worse, call for help. You can use a basket to house additional toilet paper, extra hand towels, feminine hygiene products, and air freshener spray. Check that the bathroom has a plunger so guests can discretely deal with any plumbing problems.

 

Stay away from menus and activities that require a lot of your attention during your gathering. Remember, your guests want to see you and enjoy your company. It's fine to tend to a few last-minute details, but avoid having so much to do that you have to frequently leave your guests on their own. Your guests will also feel guilty if it appears that you're overly stressed.

 

While your menu doesn't need to be overly complex, it should include a variety of offerings so that there's something for everyone to enjoy. Try to have a vegetarian option (a pasta dish and a fruit and vegetable tray are easy options), a gluten-free alternative (like chicken wings, veggies, and hummus, or salad skewers), and a low carb dish (deviled eggs and buffalo shrimp lettuce wraps are tasty alternatives). This also applies to your beverage selection. Have a few diet or low-sugar beverages and non-alcoholic drinks available.

 

Make sure to have multiple food and drink stations, and spread them out. Otherwise, you risk having a long line and bunching all your guests in one spot. Consider setting up a different station for each type of food. For example, you might have an appetizer station, a main course table, and a dessert section. If space permits, set your beverage stations up in your living room or entryway. This encourages guests to spread out and provides another area for conversation. Need a home with more space for holiday gatherings? Contact us to start your search!