Hosting can be one of the most wonderful, memory-making parts of the holiday season. Even still, more than half of Americans report that hosting is also one of the most stressful parts of the holiday season.
As innkeepers of the Inn at Woodhaven in Louisville, Kentucky, we get it. There is a lot to do! That’s why we’re delighted to share our key tips to make holiday hosting easy. These simple tips help you handle the heavy lifting ahead of time so you can focus on spending time with your family and loved ones.
Plus, we’ve included one of our favorite breakfast recipes that will make it look like you labored away (even though it’s a breeze to make!).
Focus on an Easy Holiday Dinner
The holiday dinner is probably the main event of the day and it’s easy to get carried away. Preparing food for a holiday gathering can easily get overwhelming between the shopping, the prep, the cooking, and the cleanup.
At the Inn at Woodhaven, we’ve hosted a lot over the last few years and it’s safe to say that we’ve learned a thing or two. And if you’d like to be our guests, we’d love to have you!
Here are a few ways to lighten your culinary load so you can spend more time with your friends and guests and less time with a mess.
Tip 1: Check for food preferences or allergies
Planning a spectacular dinner for your guests is a time-consuming activity. When you’re flipping through your cookbooks, it’s easy to completely forget the most obvious question: Can people actually eat the dishes you have in mind?
Although you probably know of any serious allergies within the family, it becomes a different thing when you invite your friends’ significant others. Before you settle on a menu, simply inquire about any allergies and, if you feel confident enough, any preferences people might have.
This way, you know that when guests arrive, they can eat their fill and enjoy your delicious food.
Tip 2: Pick a theme and use it as a guide
Maybe picking a “theme” wasn’t even on your to-do list. Hold that eye roll and hear us out! Picking a simple theme can be a very helpful way to organize your thoughts while creating a cohesive experience for your guests.
Whether it’s the color of your napkins, your choice of plates and wine glasses, there are countless ways to take a simple idea and run with it.
It doesn’t have to be elaborate like “Aurora Borealis in Lapland” complete with twinkling lights, bejeweled reindeer, and imported Finnish lonkero. A simple theme such as “cranberries” can go a long way.
Whether it’s your signature cranberry sauce or just a few fresh berries in a cocktail, there are many small touches that can create a sense of theme. And if you happen to also play the Cranberries’ Christmas songs, we certainly can’t fault you.
Tip 3: Choose a few signature dishes and make them special
As innkeepers, we love to make as much as we can for our guests. But if you’re not in the full-time business of hosting, chances are you can’t (and shouldn’t) make everything yourself.
Start by planning your menu around the dishes you absolutely want to and love to make. Do you have a fan-favorite drink or main course that people always rave about? This is the time to shine!
Aim to choose recipes that you’ve made before or have time to test out in advance. If you have visitors from out of town, consider incorporating some local flavors or ingredients into your dishes.
We’ve included one of our favorite breakfast recipes below, made with an apple cinnamon jam from a local Kentucky distillery, Evan Williams.
Our crock pot Super Bowl chili is a fan favorite.
Tip 4: Buy the rest
Start perusing your local grocery stores early for easy potential side dishes, appetizers, and desserts that will complement your main dishes. Once you have an idea of what’s out there, it’s easier to plan your meal or meals.
If there is one thing a host never wants to do, it’s run out of food. So when you’re stocking up on the easy things to eat, buy more than you think you’ll need, and rest assured that you’re unlikely to run out. (Bonus if the items can be frozen and thawed for your New Year’s soiree!)
Becoming the Holiday Host with the Most (Easy Plan)
Preparation is key to successful hosting and the same applies to preparing the house for guests and family. We’ve hosted people for years now at the Inn at Woodhaven and we sort of know what to expect when people come to stay.
We’ve written down a few of our favorite holiday hosting tips that we’ve learned in the last few years and we hope they help both you and your guests have a great time!
Tip 5: Hosting guests without a guest room
If your holiday hosting plans include the possibility of overnight guests but you don’t have a spare guest room, then spend the time at least two weeks in advance to figure out your hospitality plan. There are two main things that guests crave: comfort and privacy.
Start by figuring out the room (or floor space) where your guests will sleep. Determine if you’ll buy or rent a rollaway bed or air mattress. If you have the budget to do so, there are some outstanding inflatable beds on the market that will elevate your guests far off the floor so they don’t feel like they’re camping.
Add a nightstand to the space, whether that be:
- An actual nightstand
- Side table
- Small bookshelf
- Crate.
If your guests sleep in a shared space, like your living room, consider purchasing an inexpensive privacy screen, eye mask, and earplugs so that they can catch their ZZZs even if others are awake.
Lastly, small but thoughtful touches such as bottles of water, snacks, extra phone chargers, and an easy-to-find wifi password can go a long way with guests. Even if space is limited, you can still make your guests feel at home.
Tip 6: Think Through the Small Details
Trying to manage logistics on the day of hosting an event can feel overwhelming. Lighten your mental load by anticipating your guests’ needs, as this will allow them to help themselves and you to not run yourself ragged.
- Consider buying (or renting) a coat rack rather than piling coats up in a bedroom.
- Set up a large plastic bin with soapy water in the kitchen to quickly deposit dirty dishes.
- Make sure you have multiple trash cans around that are easy to locate.
- Besides the basics of hand soap and blow dryers, overstock the bathrooms with toilet paper. Don’t make it awkward for your guests to ask.
You may also like: Guide to Louisville in Winter
When The Party’s Over
Like all good things, every party must come to an end. Rather than simply turning off the lights and calling it a night, use this moment as an occasion to make the aftermath of hosting a little easier.
Tip 7: Gently Signal the End
Most people will sense the natural winding down of an event, but inevitably, someone will want to party all night long. Since hosting requires a lot of energy, it’s okay to signal to your guests when it’s time for things to wrap up.
Some hosts change the mood by lowering the volume of the music or switching to a more calming playlist. Others blow out candles or change the lighting.
Our preferred approach is to start cleaning up. It sends the signal while also creating less work for the following day. Guests may offer to help with cleanup and it is absolutely okay to accept that help. If you have takeout boxes on hand, your helpers can grab themselves some leftovers. They’ll leave your party both full and grateful and you’ll have your dishes soaking in no time!
Tip 8: Sleep On It
You do not have to have your entire place cleaned by the end of the night. In fact, trying to do so when you’re exhausted will make more work and take more time than is actually needed.
Instead, spend the post-party time categorizing your cleanup:
- Gather up the garbage in one spot
- Get all of your dishes soaking or loaded in the dishwasher
- Pile up anything that needs to be laundered
Rather than worrying about cleaning up, get some well-deserved sleep. Then the next day, pour yourself a nice strong mug of morning coffee, and tackle the after-party with renewed energy and a fun playlist.
How We Host at the Inn at Woodhaven
We really hope that you’ll take our holiday hosting tips to heart. Over the years, we’ve seen that a little planning and preparation make a world of difference. Even better, with some experience, things will start to run smoothly pretty soon.
In all of our years of hosting, we’ve learned that if we’re relaxed and having fun, our guests are too. It’s easy to get caught up in your to-do list.
It’s understandable to want everything to go perfectly. But at the end of the day, your guests will remember less about the occasional burned edge on your cookies and more about how you made them feel.
Sit down from time to time and take deep breaths.
Stay hydrated. And keep your focus on what matters most—your joy!
And now, one of our impressive-looking but relatively easy-to-make recipes for you…
Cinnamon Cream & Spiced Pear Coffee Cake
Time: 30 min Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese
1/3 c salted butter
2 cups biscuit mix
1/3 cup milk
½ cup Evan Williams Cinnamon Pear Preserves
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 TBS milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- In a bowl, cut cream cheese and butter into the biscuit mix until crumbly.
- Stir in milk until moistened.
- Flour a clean surface and knead the dough 8-10 times or until smooth.
- On waxed paper or parchment, roll the dough into a 12-inch x 8-inch rectangle.
- Turn onto a greased 15-inch x 10-inch baking pan and remove the paper.
- Spread preserves down the center third of the rectangle.
- On each long side, but 1-inch wide strips about 2 ½ inches into the center.
- Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the preserves and seal the ends.
- Bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes.
- Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm coffee cake.
- Cool on a wire rack.
