Vacations are wonderful and stressful. Here are some quick tips for keeping Christmas cheery without sacrificing holiday fun. Save everything you love about the holidays and get rid of the rest, and no one else has to know. Enjoy great decorating for parties, food, and baking, all without the fuss.

Guinea pigs

No, we are not suggesting a roast guinea pig recipe. We know you’ve probably been eyeing recipes for holiday treats for months. The temptation may be to try all the new dishes for your Christmas dinner or other event, plus all your traditional favorites, just in case.

Stop. Take a break. Breathe and be realistic. Instead of trying a collection of new recipes for the big day, start now. Your family, coworkers, and neighbors would love to try your new creations. In fact, once the holidays are in full swing, your new dishes are more likely to get lost in the shuffle.

Try the recipes now and see how they work and find out if you like them better than your traditional favorites. If you like them, it will be much easier to make the dishes a second time for the big day. You’ll have a much better idea of ​​how long it will actually take and what adjustments you’d like to make. Remember, no one wants a side dish that doesn’t finish cooking until dessert is served.

go at your own pace

So you want to cook or bake a lot of your favorites this year or even some new recipes. Why not space them out? Bring one to every event you attend over the holidays, instead of trying to cook them all for the same meal. If you feel like you just have to have your special dishes available at every event, try consolidating your efforts. For items that freeze well, make a large batch and place separate portions in the freezer. Then you’ll have enough for each event without having to rush each time. Remember, as the holidays approach, you will probably have a lot less time.

Chill out

Your freezer is your friend and now is the time to put it to work for you. Fortunately, many holiday foods freeze very well. Cookies, breads, homemade sauces, soups, stews, purees, gratins and baked potatoes. Start preparing the items now and store them in the freezer. Then, on the day of the big event, your only concern will be if your uncle is enjoying the Christmas cheer too much.

Delegate

If you’re planning an event with the family, it’s perfectly acceptable to plan ahead and agree on who will do what. If relying on others to bring items is even more stressful than doing it all yourself, be strategic. The person who is always late for events is the perfect person to bring dessert. Your aunt, who is known for creating the most surprisingly inedible (“is it supposed to be that color?”) foods, should be assigned disaster-proof tasks, like bringing the wine or food that is completely purchased prepared. She’ll still get credit for putting on an amazing event and everyone can feel better knowing they contributed.

During the event, feel free to designate someone to be in charge of drinks. This also helps others who may want a top-up but don’t want to interrupt the host or hostess while they’re busy with hosting tasks. A sideboard or bar area filled with beverages can also provide convenient access for your guests while reducing traffic in the kitchen.

Subcontract

Perfectly prepared meals are available for purchase at a store. Think of it as just a smart shopper. You can buy appetizers, side dishes, desserts or full meals. If you have your heart set on cooking, you can buy a few items and do the rest. If you insist on cooking, at least save yourself the time of buying ingredients by buying complete, ready-to-cook meals. You can even hide the containers your prepared food came in and no one will need to know you got help.

Food from a store can be particularly helpful if you know you’ll have some special diets to accommodate at your event. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available to purchase. For those with restricted sweets, a store-bought sugar-free dessert could make your vacation.

Special diets can be particularly difficult to cook with if you are not familiar with those particular restrictions. Outsourcing is the perfect way to have a full meal available to each of your guests without having to worry about cooking multiple versions of each dish.

make it festive

Decorations really make an event special. Instead of a routine meal in your home, adding holiday cheer instantly turns the meal into an event. The fun Christmas options will also look fabulous when the images are posted on social media. Fortunately, instead of spending hours shopping and decorating, professional-style Christmas decorations can be shipped to your home. No shopping, no fuss, and magically your home is a winter wonderland, waiting to welcome your guests.

sideboard

Holidays are often so busy that they’re not really the best time for a formal dinner. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve can be packed with people visiting, guests coming and going, events for the kids, and other interruptions. Instead of stressing about trying to get everyone together for a meal, start a new holiday buffet tradition. This will make it easier for you and your guests. A buffet also gives everyone a chance to see your beautiful display of food, without the need to pass plates around the table.

Another advantage of a buffet is that it facilitates the socialization of people. We have all experienced how difficult it is to carry on a conversation at a busy table. Let people graze when they feel hungry and socialize freely. Both you and your guest may find this a perfect and stress-free event. Feed restless kids, then put them in their own area where they can enjoy crafts, play games, or watch TV while the adults talk. This will be more fun than watching the kids squirm at the table.

Obviously, the key is to plan ahead to minimize vacation stress. With Christmas fast approaching, now is the time to work out your strategy. Remember, years from now your loved ones will remember your event for the great company, food, festive decor, and holiday spirit. Fortunately, these quick tips will help you remember that too, instead of just remembering to be too busy to sit back and enjoy. This is your vacation too. Don’t forget to make it special.