Social and Community Obligations 'Tis season to be merry and party – but my suggestion is not to overdo it. Our daily routines are so overscheduled anyway that extra commitments can make it difficult to juggle everything. Attend parties and social gatherings that are truly important to you and politely decline rest. (Sorry, but this does not apply to family functions!). The season is too short and busy to spend an evening watching clock.

Community or charitable contributions are important during holiday season. There are many people in your community that are less fortunate, so as a family or as an individual make some extra time for those in need. There are many local organizations that would be happy to guide you as to what is needed. I believe this is a wonderful opportunity for people to make a difference and experience true holiday spirit.

Indoor/Outdoor Decorating Last, but not least, make two separate plans for attacking decorating: one for indoors and other for outdoors; and remember this does not need to be accomplished in one day. My husband and I allow significant downtime between two tasks. Decorating should be a fun family event and if you get stressed out and exhausted enjoyment will disappear.

Pick a theme for your outdoor display: all out, Clark Griswold-style or a more elegant approach, such as a simple wreath with a spotlight on your front door. Anything goes, so make it a reflection of how you and your family celebrate holidays. Have fun with indoor decorating and remember to take a quick inventory of what you have so there is no duplication. Light a fire and put on your favorite CD and let decorating begin.

Good luck, relax, check those lists twice and remember what season is really about.

©2003 Bridget Messino

- Select menu items that can be prepared in advance - Simplify wherever possible - Clean up after yourself as you go along

Don’t spend hours before your event (or worse yet hours of your event) racing madly around kitchen. Many dishes can be partially or completely prepared in advance – take advantage of that!

Simplify your task list wherever possible. You can pick up some wonderful side dishes from deli section of your grocery store or local specialty shop. Serve them in your own bowl or platter – no one needs to know. This way you can focus on making one or two impressive items and wow everyone without stressing yourself out.

Determine which serving pieces you’ll be using and get everything ready to go. Rinse pieces that may not have been used in a while. Make sure you have all your glassware (or for informal events - plastic ware!) ready. If you must use silver, allow enough time to give it a polish. If it is a sit-down dinner, iron tablecloth, get out place settings and, if possible, set table. Note: if you have pets that might jump up and investigate, throw an extra tablecloth over table until shortly before your guests arrive. When selecting these items, try to balance putting on a great presentation with amount of work it will take to set up and clean up.

It is so disheartening to spend hours preparing great food for your guests, only to be faced with a kitchen that is a disaster area. Clean up after yourself each step of way. Wipe down counters, rinse your prep items and put them straight into dishwasher, throw away any packaging. Try to have dishwasher empty at start of your party so as dishes are finished being used they can be immediately put in dishwasher or easily at end of night, reducing amount of time you need to spend cleaning up.

Handling Final Details As mentioned before, go around and tidy anything up that may have gotten messy since your big cleanup. Consider setting up a drink area where guests can help themselves to refills on drinks. Rearrange any furniture to encourage conversation among guests.

Decorating your tabletop or buffet can be as simple as moving some of your existing home décor to party table or main room of gathering. If your holiday decorations are out, use your extras or purchase some inexpensive evergreens. Candles of all sizes make a great filler. Use containers you already own, take it to your florist and let them do their thing.

Your house is clean, food is prepared and there is time to spare! You have done all prep work. You can relax now and enjoy your event. Who knew entertaining could be so simple?

©2004 Bridget Messino