Christmas in August? I must be kidding, right? Nope. Start planning now to help make the holidays go smoothly.
Christmas and Hanukkah entertaining traditionally revolves around family and family traditions. These traditions are what make the holidays wonderful and memorable for kids and adults alike. Whether you are struggling to find a way to combine rituals from your own family and your partner's or hoping to develop new ones of your own -- having a ritual or tradition can make entertaining easier and more fluid for the hostess.
What can you do in the heat of the summer to plan for Christmas? A lot, actually. I have a tradition to begin my Christmas shopping in late December. That's when I hit the post-Christmas sales for nifty Christmas wrapping paper, little holiday-themed stocking stuffers and dining items such as napkins and paper dessert plates. It's just a bit past the cold days of December, but if you are a bit creative -- you can still get some great deals.
Many stores are already clearing shelves to make way for fall and holiday items: I found large, plush stuffed animals yesterday for the niece and nephew at a discount store for $1.50 a piece, for example. And think about it, party supply stores have to get rid of the Memorial Day and Labor Day red-white-and-blue stuff to make room for fall colors. Swing by and see if you can pick up some plain white or red plates, napkins or tumblers. Or pick up blue ones if your holiday is Hanukkah. You can usually buy these items for very little at this time of year. Then, when holiday "stuff" hits the shelves, you can make these plain Jane's look more festive by layering Christmas napkins with the plain ones, for example. The expensive ones will go a lot further that way.
It's not just paper goods and gifts that need advance planning. Food can be planned in advance, as well. Some items have to be ordered months in advance. Many families celebrate with church on Christmas Eve, a Christmas morning brunch, and a huge dinner with all the trimmings or even a relaxed evening of pizza or chili. If you decide to have the traditional turkey or ham dinner with crowds of extended family members to invade your home and dining room, take a look at the following easy tips:
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