{"id":577,"date":"2016-02-03T00:17:51","date_gmt":"2016-02-03T05:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/activeseniorsdigest.ca\/wp_activeseniorsdigest\/?p=577"},"modified":"2016-02-03T00:17:51","modified_gmt":"2016-02-03T05:17:51","slug":"be-a-great-holiday-host-without-the-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/activeseniorsdigest.ca\/wp_activeseniorsdigest\/?p=577","title":{"rendered":"Be a great holiday host without the stress"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-571\" src=\"http:\/\/activeseniorsdigest.ca\/wp_activeseniorsdigest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/holiday_host-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"holiday_host\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/activeseniorsdigest.ca\/wp_activeseniorsdigest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/holiday_host-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/activeseniorsdigest.ca\/wp_activeseniorsdigest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/holiday_host.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>We may love welcoming guests into our homes, but parties can be the source of mixed emotions for the hosts. The pressure of living up to your guests\u2019 expectations can sometimes ruin the fun. Welcoming loved ones into your home needn\u2019t be a stressful experience. Here are five tips on how to be the perfect host without losing sleep.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prepare what you can ahead of time<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter you\u2019ve sent the invitations, purchase as many items as possible in advance, and choose a meal that won&#8217;t require all the cooking to be done on the day of the event. Building a timeline and a checklist can help ensure that everything gets done.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Think of a great recipe idea<\/strong><br \/>\nAvoid overcomplicating everything and spending hours in the kitchen. Plan a recipe you&#8217;re confident about. If you have a signature dish, then close the cookbooks &#8211; your guests will be looking forward to it!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ask for help<\/strong><br \/>\nHoliday guests are usually friends and family, so remember, that you\u2019re not on a TV cooking show or in a restaurant kitchen. If things get out of control, don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Variety<\/strong><br \/>\nWe always plan for wine or cold drinks options, but what about coffee? Having different blends or a decaf option on hand is a simple way of showing your eye for detail. The velvety and woodsy Van Houtte Holiday Blend or the rich and smooth Timothy&#8217;s Christmas Blend are medium roast blends that make great options for a family brunch or a holiday meal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Decoration and ambiance<\/strong><br \/>\nBe sure to give your dining room a warm feel with decorations that lend a special celebratory atmosphere. Pick two colours and coordinate patterns in your table cloth, decorations, plates and lighting for a guaranteed impression.<\/p>\n<p>More information on these holiday coffee blends can be found at Keurig.ca.<\/p>\n<p><em>www.newscanada.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We may love welcoming guests into our homes, but parties can be the source of mixed emotions for the hosts. The pressure of living up [&hellip;] <span class=\"read-more-link\"><a class=\"read-more\" href=\"http:\/\/activeseniorsdigest.ca\/wp_activeseniorsdigest\/?p=577\">Read More<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Be a great holiday host without the stress - Active Senior&#039;s Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/activeseniorsdigest.ca\/wp_activeseniorsdigest\/?p=577\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Be a great holiday host without the stress - Active Senior&#039;s Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We may love welcoming guests into our homes, but parties can be the source of mixed emotions for the hosts. 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