Strategies For Stressless Holiday Entertaining

Title:
Strategies For Stressless Holiday Entertaining

Word Count:
572

Summary:
Stressless entertaining is fast becoming an oxymoron. With parties and social gatherings growing more and more elaborate, with everyone trying to outdo each other, hosting a get-together is a difficult task to undertake any time of year. Throw in some holiday chaos and it's downright nerve-wracking.

Maybe in our eagerness to impress and bedazzle our guests, we're missing the point entirely. Warm, relaxing, convivial social interaction should be our main concern when rollin...


Keywords:
entertaining,holiday entertaining,holiday parties,holiday stress,dinner party,get-togethers,socials


Article Body:
Stressless entertaining is fast becoming an oxymoron. With parties and social gatherings growing more and more elaborate, with everyone trying to outdo each other, hosting a get-together is a difficult task to undertake any time of year. Throw in some holiday chaos and it's downright nerve-wracking.

Maybe in our eagerness to impress and bedazzle our guests, we're missing the point entirely. Warm, relaxing, convivial social interaction should be our main concern when rolling out the welcome mat. Here are some strategies, excerpted from my new book "400 Ways to Stop Stress Now...and Forever!", that will help you keep your eye on that objective.

Have small intimate get-togethers.

Big parties are expensive, time-consuming and a heck of a lot of work. Even if you’re lucky enough to talk with everyone, it may only amount to brief, cursory snippets of conversation. A big bash can be fun, sure, if you’re not the one throwing it. Smaller parties are easier to arrange, less work, less expensive, and leave lots of time to enjoy your guests, who feel more special, too. Entertain fewer people...more often.

Keep the menu simple.

There's no need to overwhelm your guests with more choices than necessary. An hors d' oeuvre, a main dish, a couple of side dishes, and dessert is plenty. It will save you time and money, and make entertaining easy enough that you'll want to do it more often. Overdoing it also unfairly raises the stakes for guests who want to reciprocate. Focus on the quality of what you serve, not the quantity, and on making your visitors feel relaxed and comfortable. Your parties can't help but turn out special.

Expect people to cancel out on you.

Last-minute dropouts and no-shows can be disappointing -- especially when you've gone to a lot of trouble. Blame it on our over-scheduled times, a general slackening of social responsibility, whatever. But this, unfortunately, is the way things are. So be ready for it. If you're planning an event or activity involving several people, expect one or more will almost certainly cancel. Invite or recruit extra people to make up for the inevitable loss. And if everyone does show up (slim chance), you'll enjoy an unanticipated bonus.

Invite someone over for coffee.

Or tea, or a glass of wine, or a beer, if that's your preference. Somehow this simple, casual way to connect with others during the holiday season has lost ground to more elaborate and expensive forms of entertaining. But informal drop-by visits with friends and neighbors is a great way to catch up, share experiences, vent concerns, and give yourself a needed break from the rat race. Pure, uplifting social interaction…without all the fuss. Try it.

Entertaining is supposed to be fun, remember?

When you throw a dinner party or host a gathering, it's not an audition, you're not on trial and your guests aren't judges and juries. Yet that's how you might see it -- something to fret about, even dread. Which, if you're worried things won't go well, will all but assure it. Remember, it's not about you. It's about inviting people into your home and making them feel welcome and comfortable. If you're tense and unsure, that's what they'll pick up on. (How many times have you attended a tautly wound event and had a perfectly lousy time?) So make it fun. Be casual, gracious, spontaneous. You'll be a hit, and so will your party.

BONUS : Title:
Stress-Free Living

Word Count:
534

Summary:
This month I want to talk about stress-free living. Summer shouldn't be the only time we slow down and smell the roses. Why not make it a lifestyle? How do we do that? Let me suggest four important keys that just might help:

1. Keep it simple!

Our lives are just far too busy at times. We exert so much energy and time trying to please, impress, or keep up with the Jones' that it can get downright crazy at times. Even having someone over for dinner can become a major prod...


Keywords:



Article Body:
This month I want to talk about stress-free living. Summer shouldn't be the only time we slow down and smell the roses. Why not make it a lifestyle? How do we do that? Let me suggest four important keys that just might help:

1. Keep it simple!

Our lives are just far too busy at times. We exert so much energy and time trying to please, impress, or keep up with the Jones' that it can get downright crazy at times. Even having someone over for dinner can become a major production. Whatever happened to “just come over and we will grill some hotdogs”?

Okay, time to SIMPLIFY!!! God really does want you to enjoy your life! So why not start today? Ask yourself,"What is the one thing I could let go of today that would make my life a little easier?" Remember life is short so keep it simple!

2. Lighten up!

Not only are we stressed out but we are ridden with anxiety and concern. Just get on a highway and you can tell from the aggressive drivers that people are in a hurry to go - where? Are you a person that is uptight and easily agitated? Maybe it’s time to lighten up!

How long has it been since you really had fun? Fun doesn’t always have to be expensive or elaborate. Time for the kid in you come out! Go ahead and be silly. It’s okay. Rediscover some fun in your life. Sometimes we are just way too serious for our own good. Learn to laugh, even at your mistakes, and not take yourself so seriously. It is true that a merry heart acts like medicine. It is good for the soul. So lighten up!

3. Live in the moment!

If we are not anxious to get to the next place or phase in our life,we are too often bogged down with our past and regrets. It's a new day, a new moment that you will never live again so why not enjoy? Whatever happened to "THIS IS THE DAY that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it"?

Your past is history and your future isn’t guaranteed. Why not squeeze the most out of today? Try something new. Go to a different store. Eat at a different restaurant. Speak to a stranger. Pick some flowers! Get creative and enjoy the moment while you can. Don’t live your life with regrets. Enjoy today!

4. Let go and Let God!

Jesus said “My peace I give to you." What a promise! God not only wants us to have joy in this life but peace. The antithesis of stress is peace. What would your life be like if it was peaceful? We are too often carrying things we were never meant to carry. Give over your worries, your anxiety and fear to God. Let go and let God. It’s time for peace!

So what are you waiting for? I believe stress free living can become a way of life as we learn to simplify our lives, lighten up, live more in the moment, give our problems and concerns over to a gracious and loving God.