Holiday planning: Pointers for holiday hosts

Metro Creative Graphics

Hosting is a significant part of the holiday season. From late November until New Year’s Day, millions of people across North America welcome friends and family into their homes. Whether you’re hosting a small gathering with locally based loved ones or welcoming distant relatives into your home for several days, the following are some planning pointers to ensure your home is ready and guests feel welcome this holiday season.

•Hire a local cleaning service. The holiday season can be hectic. Holiday functions at school, office parties, community events, and more fill up social schedules between late November and early January. Busy social schedules leave little time for house cleaning, which is a must before welcoming guests into a home. A local cleaning service can clean the whole house for hosts welcoming overnight guests or focus on a few popular entertaining areas if party guests will be going home at the end of the night.

•Get an early head count. Ask party invitees and prospective overnight guests to RSVP early enough to ensure you can accommodate everyone’s needs. Additional seating may be required for holiday parties, while hosts may need to arrange for extra bedding for overnight guests. The earlier you know who’s coming, and potentially staying, the more time you have to ensure you can accommodate everyone.

•Rent items from a local party supply store. When hosting large gatherings, a local party supply store can be the place to go for decorations, seating, food trays and utensils, and more. Such establishments also may rent specialty supplies like outdoor heat lamps for cold weather parties or tents and outdoor tables and chairs in areas where the weather is warm during the holiday season. Hosts can typically rent everything they need to host the party, saving them the expense of buying items that may just sit in storage the rest of the year.

•Arrange for transportation. Whether guests are flying in from distant lands or local friends, relatives or neighbors stopping in for the night, hosts can arrange for transportation to and from their homes to ensure everyone arrives safely and makes it home without incident. Pick overnight guests up at the airport so they see a friendly face upon arrival. When hosting gatherings with local family and friends, encourage others to share how they intend to get home and recruit designated drivers if you intend to serve alcohol.

Hosts can take heed of these planning pointers so guests feel welcome and have a good time this holiday season.