With these essentials, you’ll actually be excited to host the holidays. (iStock )
As the holiday season approaches, the spirit of celebration fills the air, and what better way to revel in the joy than by hosting a holiday gathering? But let’s be honest, while the idea of having friends and family over is heartwarming, the reality of hosting can be extremely stressful. From ensuring your guests are well-fed to keeping their drinks chilled, the to-do list can seem endless.
To help combat this stress, these must-have items can elevate your hosting game. Whether you’re a first-time host or a seasoned one, you can prepare yourself this year with these 10 entertaining essentials.
Keep all your delicious homemade foods warm with this buffet warmer. (Amazon )
The last thing you want is for all your home-cooked food to get cold while waiting for guests to arrive. A buffet food warmer solves your problem. Amazon has a three-burner food warmer with removable nonstick inner pots for easy cleanup. There’s also the MegaChef buffet server that has a 3.7-quart buffet server with an 8.5-quart baking pan, perfect for large meals.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can get these items sent to your door ASAP. You can join or start a 30-day free trial to start your shopping today.
Serve everyone’s favorite drinks in a festive pitcher. (Wayfair)
Instead of having your guests constantly in and out of the kitchen looking for drinks, a holiday-themed pitcher can help make sure there’s plenty to drink at the table. Wayfair has a minimalist stoneware pitcher with Christmas trees on it. Or you can go all out with the holiday theme and get a Santa pitcher from Amazon.
GET READY FOR FALL POTLUCKS WITH THESE COOKING AND PARTY ESSENTIALS
Keep drinks ice-cold with these inflatable coolers. (Amazon )
Serve beer, water and all your guests’ favorite drinks in festive inflatable Christmas tree coolers. Just dump some ice in the base of the Christmas tree and your drinks will stay ice-cold the entire party.
Serve your food in festive dishes. (Amazon )
A multi-tiered serving stand helps you display all your desserts with ease. Get a Christmas-themed stand, and you’ll also add some Christmas spirit to your party. Amazon has a sleigh-shaped serving tray with two dishes to serve desserts or side dishes. You can also find a beautiful holly two-tiered serving tray from Lenox.
Original price: $19.99
Create a trashcan and easily fold it up when you’re done. (Amazon )
Don’t want someone asking you every few minutes where the trash can is? Set up a collapsible trash bag holder where your guests can easily throw away their garbage. Amazon and Walmart have collapsible bag holders that can easily be stored away when you’re not throwing a party.
Outfit your table with a gorgeous plaid tablecloth. (Amazon )
Keep your tables clean and add a festive touch to your tablescape when you use a holiday tablecloth. Go simple with snowflakes with this tablecloth from Wayfair or opt for an elegant red and green plaid from Amazon.
BUNDLE UP FOR YOUR FAVORITE FALL ACTIVITIES WITH THIS OUTDOOR APPAREL
Keep everyone organized with cute name plates. (Amazon )
Make sure all your guests know where to sit by setting out name place cards. You can get a set of 100 paper place cards with Christmas trees on them from Amazon. Or you can go reusable and get Christmas tree place card clips from Kohl’s that hold any paper you want.
Easily serve drinks with glass drink dispensers. (Amazon )
Do you need a way to provide water, iced tea or other drinks for your guests? Drink dispensers can keep your guests out of your fridge. Amazon has a pair of drink dispensers and a stand for easy display. Wayfair has a single beverage dispenser with a diffuser that you can put fruit in to flavor water or tea.
Give the kids something to do at the table with a coloring tablecloth. (Amazon )
Keep any kids from getting bored at your party with a coloring tablecloth. Amazon has a Christmas-themed coloring tablecloth that’s best used with disposable markers. Wayfair’s coloring tablecloth has Christmas decor to color and other fun games like word searches.
For more deals, visit www.foxnews.com/category/deals
Your guests can get their own drinks when you set up a drink cart. (Amazon )
A well-placed bar cart can provide your guests with a place to make their own drinks, so you don’t have to play bartender the entire night. Plus, it allows you to display just the liquor you want to have out at the party. Amazon has a gold and glass bar cart with a spot for wine glasses and plenty of space for mixers and alcohol.
You can also find a bar cart from Wayfair that’s gold and marble. It has plenty of space for glasses, wine bottles, an ice bucket and more.