Listen, it’s no secret that the end of the year is the most wonderful and the most stressful. With so many holidays, family gatherings, work parties and other celebrations-I see you, December birthdays!-it can get really busy. I think that the important thing to remember is that underneath all that planning and stress is that everyone wants to have a good time. And that’s what this season is all about. As we kick off the 2025 holiday season, I wanted to give you an expert guide to navigating anything that hosting might throw your way. I tapped my own experts-the incredible Taste of Home staff. With an abundance of catering, food service, hospitality, recipe development and hosting experience under our belts, there is definitely a wealth of knowledge here. In my experience, the less stressed the host is, the more smoothly the entire soirée goes. So get ready to wow your guests with how level-headed and chill you are this year! 1 / 8 Get organized, stay organized Melissa Gaman, editor: I sit down with a pen and paper a few days before the holidays and create a timeline by working backward. For example, if Thanksgiving dinner is at 3 p. m., I subtract 45 minutes for turkey resting time and carving, however long the turkey needs to cook (this is a helpful primer to figure that out), plus oven preheating time and final turkey seasoning. Then I pad it with an extra 20 to 30 minutes because we all know what happens when we try and plan too strictly. Knowing what time I need to kick the oven-and myself-into gear ensures I won’t be scrambling and stressed. Lindsay Mattison, senior editor: I go back to my catering days, when cooking for a crowd, and rely on detailed prep lists. For every dish, I write out a checklist and accomplish as many make-ahead items as possible in the days leading up to the event (like a make-ahead roux for gravy). On the day of the meal, I write out an hourly breakdown of remaining tasks, starting backward from dinnertime. This breaks down complex tasks into easy-to-accomplish ones and minimizes stress so I can enjoy time with company. 2 / 8 Set yourself up for success Ellie Martin Cliffe, content director: I create an all-day playlist that helps me pace out the entire event, with pump-up music for the pre-guest rush, festive songs for arrival time and mellower music that lets us talk and eat, uninterrupted. It’s built-in ambience that I don’t have to worry about on the day of. Instead, I obsessively curate it for several weeks beforehand. Making “The Playlist” has become one of my favorite holiday hosting traditions! Melissa: Carve out five to 10 minutes a few times throughout the day to sit, drink water and eat something. It’s so easy to focus on taking care of everyone else that you neglect yourself, and by the time dinner arrives, you are too spent to enjoy it yourself. 3 / 8 Keep things flexible Val Goodrich, food writer: I’m always in charge of a dessert table that feeds 30, and I like to make sure there’s a lot of variety. On Thanksgiving, I usually have three pies, a few regular desserts like bars or a cheesecake and a platter of confections like homemade bark or something special from the local chocolate shop. Some people want an entire slice of something, while others just want a quick, sweet bite. I use the same approach for Christmas too-just with a few less pies! Melissa: I give myself permission to go off the menu script. Maybe I wanted to roast some vegetables and make a fresh salad, but as the day goes on, everything starts to feel like “too much.” Too many dishes, too much chopping. It’s OK to cut something out of the menu if trying to squeeze in one more dish is making you panic. Your guests won’t know you changed your mind, and there will still be plenty to eat. 4 / 8 There’s no such thing as too many cooks Margaret Knoebel, recipe editor: Crowdsource! Don’t be afraid to ask people to bring something to the meal. I used to try and shoulder it all alone, but it has lessened my stress and made the thing I’m making taste better because I have more focus for it. Plus, I’ve gotten to try new recipes my family brought! Even if it’s just pickles, they’re pickles you didn’t have to worry about. Lesley Balla, editor: When people offer to bring something-let them! If you don’t want to roll the dice on what they’ll bring, tell them what would be useful, whether it’s a bottle of wine, cheese plate or dessert. It’s not an imposition (they asked!), and if it takes down your hosting stress level a notch, even better. 5 / 8 Think of your younger guests too Margaret: I like to keep easy puzzles and coloring books in the kitchen. It keeps my smaller family members near me so we can talk too! Then, when I have kid-friendly kitchen tasks, I ask them to help me, and they feel involved in the meal. Emily Parulski, senior editor: My husband and I hosted both sides for Thanksgiving one year, which meant stuffing 17 adults and six kids under 6 in our small house. We had a great time mingling side by side, but for dinner, I had one rule: everyone under 40 would eat in the basement. The older adults ate at the dining room table and had a nice, calm meal. The young parents and kids ate in a more casual (and sure, a little chaotic) setting downstairs. This worked out so well! That brief bit of organized separation added a little structure to the gathering and made it even more enjoyable. 6 / 8 Keep the conversation and space flowing Lauren Pahmeier, editor: I like to ask people what they’ve been excited about lately. Answers can be related to work, their hobbies or their personal life. This beats asking “How’s work?” or “What’s new?” because you’re automatically priming the conversation to be positive. It also prevents people from racking their brains for something to talk about and guides people to share what they’re probably thinking about already. Lesley: I like to set up a drink station away from the table or food. It gives people a reason to move around and creates a flow. And I try to have the basics covered-maybe one batched cocktail and a few staple spirits and mixers so people can have what they want. Always have something more interesting for nonalcoholic options besides a seltzer. A simple premade punch or festive flavored soda with pretty garnishes usually does the trick. 7 / 8 We have a few hot takes Lauren: Wine charms are worth it! They once seemed like an accessory that felt unnecessary to me, but last Thanksgiving, my mom picked up charms so my cousins and I could easily tell our glasses apart. They made keeping track of my glass a piece of cake, even if I didn’t have it in my hand all afternoon. Lindsay: Mashed potatoes can be made ahead of time. My mother always made them at the very last minute so they wouldn’t dry out, and it stressed her out every year. When I make them a day ahead, I add a little cream cheese to the mix for extra creaminess. Then, I pack them in a casserole dish in the fridge, adding a layer of heavy cream and a few pats of butter to the top, and cover with foil. When it’s go time, they can get reheated in the oven, stirring in the cream and butter just before serving. Or, I’ll make them an hour before the meal and hold them in the slow cooker. Just before serving, I stir in some warmed cream and butter to fluff up the potatoes. 8 / 8 When in doubt, go for a “wow” factor Christine Rukavena, senior editor: I’m hooked on VIP bottle sparklers for all my fancy occasions! I have used them at all kinds of celebrations and even to ring in the birth of a new year! Each sparkler lasts about 50 seconds, and it’s an instant crowd-pleaser.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/simple-ways-to-impress-your-guests/