A Christmas party at home can be fun or it can be stressful for you and your spouse. It all depends on the way you approach it.
The first thing is to decide on a date with your spouse. There’s no point setting aside a date only to find out your spouse has important meetings that day and will come home tired or will not be around or has something else planned. So communicate on the date first.
Next decide together what sort of party you want. Unless you and your spouse are both at ease with the big sit down dinner party it might be easier and a lot less stressful to go for the option of casual finger foods or a barbecue. Most Aussie men love the opportunity to gather around a barbecue and show off their culinary skills this ways. They will happily cook where they won’t cook any other way. I assume guys in the US are not that different.
Decide how many people you want to invite and allow for the fact that not everyone will be able to come, particularly as it gets closer to Christmas. Decide if it is to be an adult only party or whether children are welcome. Make that clear when you invite people. Some houses and yards or apartments are just not suitable for children running around.
Plan out a simple menu and try not to go overboard. It’s better to have a few dishes or nibbles and slices that people like rather than try to impress everyone with a feast that leaves you stressed trying to prepare. What usually happens is if we are stressed we take it out on those closest to us, invariably our spouse. There’s no point holding a party if the days or weeks before it are stressful for all concerned.
Try and make as many things as you can prior to the day or night so there’s less to do on the day of the actual party. This is where a large freezer is such an advantage.
Join me for more tips about hosting a party tomorrow.
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