Host friends, family without all the hassle
Hosting family and friends for an extended period at your home for the holidays is a tall task.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that during the Christmas/New Year holiday period, the number of long-distance trips (to and from a destination 50 miles or more away) increases by 23 percent compared to the rest of the year. While many travelers will stay in hotels, many more will enjoy the hospitality of loved ones. It can, however, make an already hectic time of year that much busier, as you frantically prepare your home for guests in the midst of holiday shopping excursions, office Christmas parties and social engagements around the neighborhood and at kids’ schools.
Here are a handful of ways to simplify holiday hosting.
- Plan menus well in advance of guests’ arrival. One of the more time-consuming tasks associated with holiday hosting is cooking. Hosts who plan their holiday menus in advance can get started on prep work several weeks before guests arrive. Choose dishes that can be prepared in advance and then frozen, so dishes need only be defrosted and cooked once guests arrive.
For the full story see the November 29 issue or subscribe online.
