Page 4C
East Oregonian/Hermiston Herald
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Throwing the perfect
holiday house party
By KATIE WORKMAN
Associated Press
T
EO file photo
The Ciraulos home on Main Street in Pendleton was among the most elaborately
decorated for the holidays in 2016.
One big, happy home
Tips for hosts and houseguests to keep holidays happy
By KATHERINE ROTH
Associated Press
T
he holiday season often means
houseguests. What does it mean
to be a good host — or a good
houseguest?
“Remember the spirit of the holi-
days. It’s easy to get caught up in want-
ing everything to be perfect. The point is
to have fun, and whether you’re a guest
or a host, flexibility and thoughtfulness
go a long way,” says Leslie Yazel, editor
in chief at Real Simple magazine.
Here are some tips from the pros to
keep things running smoothly and min-
imize stress.
FOR HOSTS
— Talk with guests before they arrive
about any allergies, dietary restrictions
or preferences, and get a sense of what
they do and don’t want to do during their
stay.
“Some people want to go to muse-
ums and shopping, and for others, just
hanging out at home and relaxing is
what they prefer,” Yazel says. “Check-
ing in with guests before they arrive
helps ensure that everyone’s on the same
page.”
— Try to discuss morning sched-
ules the night before, and set out a bas-
ket with some fruit, muffins or other
snacks in case your guests get late-night
munchies or turn out to be early risers.
The day they arrive, “it’s nice to give
guests a set of spare keys, show them
where the mugs and coffee are, and dis-
cuss morning schedules,” says Tanya
Graff, style director at Martha Stewart
Living magazine.
— Little touches make a big impact,
Graff says. If guests are staying for the
weekend, you can make their room
more comfortable and welcoming with
thoughtful details like fresh flowers,
magazines, a water carafe, a suitcase
rack, a waste bin, a bathrobe and qual-
ity sheets.
“Try sleeping where your guests
will be staying for one night to ensure
the space is comfortable and you hav-
en’t overlooked something obvious ...
like bedside lighting for reading in bed
or a shade to block the sun streaming
through the windows in the morning,”
Yazel says. “Play act through it. Is there
a clock with a night light? A place to
hang a wet towel? And leave a little card
with your WiFi password. That’s always
appreciated.”
Add a little color. Floral designer
Ariella Chezar, author of the forthcom-
ing book “Seasonal Flower Arranging”
(Ten Speed Press), suggests picking up
a few blossoms or branches at a farm-
er’s market, on a walk or even in a gro-
cery store to lift the mood and look of a
holiday home.
— Have a schedule in mind, but be
flexible. “For something like Thanks-
giving, you definitely don’t want to
wing it. Have a timetable mapped out
to make things easier on yourself. Enlist
help from your guests if you want. Oth-
erwise have the table set and ready, with
extra chairs in place, before they arrive,”
recommends Graff.
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FOR GUESTS
— Communicate with your host
ahead of time about any allergies, dishes
you’d like to contribute or things you’d
like to do while there.
— Offer to help. Be ready to set the
table, clear the table, do dishes, serve
drinks, be a sous-chef — whatever you
can do to pitch in, says Graff. “And
before you leave, strip the beds and
gather up the towels, to make clean up
easier for your host.”
— Bring a gift, or breakfast. “It’s
nice to bring something for breakfast
as a gift if you’re spending the night,”
Graff says. “Something thoughtful and
practical, nothing that requires them to
do anything — that’s much better than
arriving with flowers that they’ll have to
arrange in a vase on the spot.”
“If you’re coming from another
part of the country, it’s great to bring a
regional specialty from home,” Yazel
says, like your favorite salsa from Texas.
Or something like ready-to-bake break-
fast pastries or home-baked cookies
might be a welcome gift.
— Prepare to entertain yourself.
Bring books, games or other things to
keep you or your children busy so that
your host isn’t burdened with non-stop
entertaining, Yazel suggests.
— Compromise. That includes food
and movie choices, and kids’ bedtimes.
A helpful, cheerful disposition and
plenty of flexibility are always welcome.
here are many ways to
entertain, but during
the busy holiday sea-
son, it’s the open house
party that I gravitate to.
Not a big, sit-down meal.
Not a frenetic, crowded,
two-hour cocktail party.
Rather, a gentle stretch of
time with people coming
and going as they please.
With a serve-yourself
bar and an array of (mostly)
room-temperature food, you
can create a relaxed atmo-
sphere that says the whole
point was to connect for a
little while, and share a drink
and something good to eat.
Here’s how to put
together your own open
house:
TIME AND DATE:
Evenings are festive, but
consider an afternoon party
if you are including a lot of
families with kids. A four-
hour time frame allows for
a nice flow of people com-
ing and going, and hopefully
means that you will be able
to spend some real time with
your guests. Send an invite
— either paper or online
— and include any help-
ful information about direc-
tions, parking or attire.
PLAN AHEAD: 1. Write
down all tasks, from brining
the pork loin to buying flow-
ers to stocking the bathroom
with towels and soap.
2. Make a list of what
to buy and when to buy it.
Shop for non-perishables,
including all drinks, as far in
advance as you can.
3. Plan out what can be
made ahead, and especially
what can be frozen.
4. Sketch a timeline for
the day: what needs to hap-
pen, what gets served when.
Name who is responsible for
each item.
THE FOOD: The key
words are “make ahead”
and “room temperature.”
You might pick one or two
things to serve hot, like pigs
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in a blanket, and pop a few
batches of those into the
oven over the course of the
party — or not! Serving one
dish from a slow cooker, like
a hot dip, is another option
for a hot offering,
Start by thinking about
a buffet and what foods are
happy to sit out for a while.
You don’t need an enor-
mous menu; four or five
offerings are fine. You will
likely want to make extras
for certain dishes, so you
can swap in a fresh plate as
the party goes on and new
folks arrive.
Also think about color
— things that make sense
together on a plate. Be sure
to have something from
every food group. And don’t
forget to have something for
those who are vegetarian
and/or gluten-free.
Have a few dessert
options as well, placed in a
separate area if possible.
If people ask if they can
bring something, say yes.
You can’t have too many
desserts during the holidays!
MUSIC: If there’s one
thing that adds instant
energy to a party, it’s music.
You can create a playlist (or
ask a teenager for help!),
or turn to streaming ser-
vices like Spotify or Pan-
dora; choose a theme and
let the app create a contin-
uous soundtrack. Or con-
sider employing live talent
(a small local band, a pia-
nist, even your kids) if you
have the space for it.
OTHER TIPS: Decide
how “open” your open
house will be. Are you going
to leave the door unlocked,
or do you need to make
sure someone is answer-
ing the doorbell (or apart-
ment buzzer) throughout the
evening?
Phone: 541-278-5967 Email: ashick@bluecc.edu
509.522.1443
www.theskiswap.com
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