It’s the most wonderful time of the year… so they say! What’s omitted is the lack of time and the endless amount of effort and attention to detail that goes into preparing for a holiday gathering. Zabitat is hoping to help relieve a bit of your stress and bring in some Zen with our guide to prepping and throwing a great holiday event in your home. One more way we help bring Enlightened Living into your home.
1. Online Invites
Source: Punchbowl.com
Getting the word out for a holiday gathering shouldn’t cause you hours of personalizing cards, assembling mailing lists, stamping and sealing envelopes –OR COST A FORTUNE! Punchbowl has the perfect invitation solution that falls between the mailed invitation and the group email or text that lacks any holiday cheer. You can send an invitation from their platform in 3 easy steps. You’ve created a personalized invite with some holiday pizazz, and saved some time and money to boot.
2. Proper Portions
Have you ever been at a party when the host ran out of food? As if planning a meal for 20 people isn’t hard enough, how do you ensure there’s enough to go around? Whole Foods has created a Servings Planner to help you calculate how much food you will need. A good rule of thumb – always get a bit more, because who doesn’t love leftovers! Speaking of leftovers, get some Take-out cartons to package some of the leftovers for your guests.
3. Drop the Wreath – Get Decorative Door Glass
There’s no excuse for hiding your aging front door with another expensive wreath (let’s not even talk about the sticky door hook staying up all year…). Make a sparkling new impression on your visitors with a quick and easy door remodel. Zabitat offers glass styles and sizes for most exterior doors. In a time crunch? Let Zabitat handle finding the perfect piece of glass for your existing door with the Design Services program.
4. To Linen or Not to Linen
Source: SignatureNapkins.com
For anyone who loves to set a grand table, you wait all year to take out the holiday linens and create your perfect tablescape. The rest of us are struggling to find which shoe box contains our treasured grandmother’s hand-me-down linens, and ultimately decide paper towels will suffice this year. If you are in the latter bunch, check out the selection of holiday faux linens from Signature Napkins. Their product provides the tasteful texture and sophistication of linen napkins, but with the convenience of a paper towel.
5. Be Scent-sitive
Source: Bridgewater Candle Company
When your in the throws of the gathering, you probably won’t have all of your senses on high alert. Take a minute to think about what areas of your house may need a touch of fragrance to add to the ambiance. Just make sure to not overwhelm the space by over-using fragrances, combining too many scents, or conflicting scents (think beef bourguignon and evergreen trees – hmmm, no thank you). Bridgewater Candle Company has a Holiday Jar with Christmas Bliss scent that we just love.
6. Hands-Free Entry
Source: Yale
For those special guests who show up early, you no longer need to stop what you are doing to open the door – as long as you have a Yale Real Living Touchscreen lock. Provide your guests a User access code, and delete the code after the event.
Extra Tip: If you prefer a more personable greeting, set-up a “welcome stand” in your entry with a small chalkboard and a handwritten greeting. If space allows, include drinks and napkins.
7. Deploy Alexa
Source: Amazon
If you have an Alexa from Amazon, you have the perfect resource for a variety of party prep activities. Forget an item from your list, use the Molly skill to send a SMS text to a guest to pick it up on their way over. Have Alexa get your guests grooving to your favorite playlist from Pandora, SiriusXM or Spotify. Need a drink recipe on the fly, try out the Mr. Bartender skill. Eliminate debates on board games rules, and let Alexa be the judge and jury with the Board Game Answers skill.
8. Keep the Temperature Just Right
Don’t build up a sweat worrying if your house is too hot or cold. Let a smart thermostat, like the Nest or Ecobee, control the temperature of your home and keep your guests comfy. If you are lucky to be in a Southern climate and can benefit from entertaining outside as well as inside, you should definitely consider a Brisa Retractable Screen. With features like a 1-touch entry and auto-slide open these screens are almost as good as having an extra pair of hands when hosting outdoor gathering.
Let the true spirit of the holidays fill your home, and remember to enjoy each moment!
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