Holiday Entertaining Tips To Make Your Life Easier

The holidays are almost here. You have a few more days to lie safely in your bed without worry but once halloween has passed, the race is on! From that day on, the clock is ticking until it’s your turn to host a get together.  Hopefully this sponsored post from Viva® Vantage® can help you figure out how you can entertain in style and grace without catching all your dishtowels on fire (or is that just me?).  Entertaining doesn’t have to be stressful. There’s a few simple tips and ideas that can help your holiday entertaining look like it’s straight out of the pages of Martha Stewart Living but requiring little work or clean up.   Don’t you love this beautiful kitchen? It’s not mine. It belongs to my friend Kristi, who remodeled the kitchen with her husband. It’s gorgeous.  Her layout on that day was simple. There were no dishes from a huge fancy store that cost tons of money. It was simple but beautiful.

Tip #1: Keep It Simple! 

Use a burlap runner, which should be extremely cost effective and then play with different textures and textiles. Do not over think or over spend when it comes to holiday entertaining. The current trend right now is not matchy-matchy. Plan out a menu that is full of simple treats such as cheese and crackers or a fruit platter but then do one or two big menu items that really shine but won’t overwork you. Simpleness will keep your day stress free and let you enjoy your party. 

Tip #2: Use What You Already Have! 

Running all over town looking for the perfect accessories will eat up the time that you have to spend on planning and executing. Spend a few minutes looking around your house for items that may work! Do you have a medium basket that could hold bread? Would that orange and gold scarf work to bring some fall color to your table?  Did you know that you can make any container a vase to hold flowers be wrapping the stems in a high quality stretchy paper towel such as Viva Vantage instead of filling the container with water? That old metal can with great patina sitting in your garage would be a perfect vase to accent your table that is free and requires no extra time! 

Tip #3: Get Crafty With It!

This is my favorite tip! Have fun and think outside of the box! Use a roll of butcher paper under your drink station. You can write directly on the paper what drinks you are serving while also protecting the surface from spills. It makes clean up a breeze and your holiday entertaining easier!  You can make these simple napkin rings by hot glueing a small fake flower to a piece of twine. Tear a small sheet of Viva® Vantage® Paper Towels and roll into a napkin and tie. It’s easy and there’s little to no clean up. Save the flowers and twine for a future project.  Entertain kids at your holiday gathering by making huge life size coloring sheets to hang on your wall or outside on the fence. Use a thick black marker and white butcher paper to draw simple scenes that will match your party. Give the kids a bucket of (washable) crayons or makers and ask them to decorate it for you.  Letting your party have a crafty side will bring it a special touch that you can’t buy at the nearest store. 

Tip #4: Know Your Kitchen Shortcuts! 

There’s a few shortcuts that can help you go faster the day of the event.  *Did you know you can wrap a wine bottle in a wet paper towel and place it in the freezer to help the wine chill faster?  *To remove the smell of garlic from your hands, rub your hands on stainless steel.  *For a quick piping bag for deviled eggs or cupcakes, snip off one corner of a plastic baggie. *If you need to quickly clean your blender, just blend soap and hot water in the blender.  *Clean your dirty microwave before guests see it by simply heating up a coffee cup of water for three minutes and then immediately wiping down the inside.  *Grab a few extra bags of frozen vegetables or canned fruit while you’re at the store. If you have more guests than expected, pop them in the microwave or into a pretty dish and you have an extra side dish to stretch the food.  *Place a wet paper towel under a cutting board to keep it from slipping! No one wants to see a host with a bloody cut on their hand! 

As you can see, anyone can entertain a huge holiday crowd without going into a panic! Simple steps can take you really far when it comes to entertaining! 

  I recently tried Viva® Vantage® Paper Towels and really loved them. In fact my favorite thing about them is that they’re so tough that you can use one paper towel multiple times throughout the day like a dishcloth. It works – I tried it! You can also use the stretchy-strength to get sharpie off your kid before your guests arrive or to scrub your mushrooms! I kinda have a crush on Viva Vantage.  Viva® wants to encourage everyone to shake up their kitchen routine. Find out more about the product and grab a coupon to give them a try yourself by visiting their website.  This was a sponsored post on behalf of Viva® Vantage® but I wouldn’t put it on this site if I didn’t stand behind it.  Grab your coupon, head to the store and shake up your kitchen routine.