Less Stress, Less Mess

FOR : HOST WITH THE MOST

1Elegantlooking disposable flatware

“Christmas and New Year’s are when I throw my biggest parties. I love to entertain but absolutely hate to do dishes. These oneand-done forks, spoons, and knives are sturdy, posh—and gold!” —David Bromstad, My Lottery Dream Home

Shiny Gold plastic flatware, $4.50 for a set of 25 forks, spoons, or knives, fine-essentials.com Don’t manhandle that wreath! Give it some TLC with a circular bag.

2A solution for storing wreaths Keep your artificial wreaths in top form during the off-season with these puncture- and tear-resistant storage bags. The interior buckle strap holds a wreath snugly in place, a transparent vinyl window helps you ID the contents, and a D-ring lets you hang the bag in a closet or the garage.

48"-diameter wreath storage bag, $60, the-cover-store.com

3Holiday cards that literally mail themselves

With this all-inclusive service, sending a card via snail mail is now fully automated. You start by emailing friends a link to the site so they can enter their home address—or just enter their addresses yourself. Then choose a card from 200-plus styles, and type in your personal greeting. Sip eggnog while the site handles everything else, from affixing the stamp to physically mailing the card.

Holiday cards, from $2.50 each plus postage, postable.com

4A rustproof snow shovel that’s nearly silent

Quietly clear your driveway and sidewalk with this commercialgrade, fiberglass-handle shovel. The sleek molded polyethylene blade glides across surfaces, making quick work of pushing even the heaviest piles of snow. Plus, it’s strong enough to chop up thick patches of ice.

SnowPlow 30"-wide snow pusher, $50, jmenterprises.com

Customize each card with a personal message—in a font that looks handwritten!

5A perpetual popcorn garland

Yes, it’s real popcorn, and it’ll hang around for years. The secret to the strand’s longevity: The kernels are coated with a special preservative (the company is mum about the exact formula) to keep them fresh-looking. String it up for old-timey charm, but keep it away from kids and pets—it’s for display only, not snacking.

The Original Popcorn on a String 9'-wide garland, $15, popcorngarland.com

6Shatterproof plastic ornaments you’d swear are glass

“If you have a toddler racing around like I do, breakable ornaments go to the top of the tree. But these don’t have to! They look delicate, but they’re kid-practical— they won’t shatter if they hit the floor.” —Meg Caswell, HGTV designer

Christmas ball ornaments in emerald, lime, and red, from $15 for a set of 12 ornaments in one color, santasquarters.com

7A neat way to dispose of a tree

Dragging a dried-out Christmas tree to the curb doesn’t have to mean dropped needles all through the house. This supersize bag—it can accommodate a tree up to 7 feet tall—hides under the tree skirt, then can be lifted up over the dead branches and trunk postholiday, making for a tidy disposal.

Giant Christmas tree removal bag, $3.50, bronners.com

8Battery- operated candles with no dripping wax or dangerous open flame

“I love the way the soft flickering glow mimics real candlelight and that these are solid paraffin wax. How fun is it that you can turn them on and off with a remote?” —Tiffany Brooks, HGTV Smart Home 2016

Remote control wax flameless pillar candles, from $19 each, and flameless candle remote control, $7, all restorationhardware.com

9A high-tech fix for non-twinkling lights

Twinkling incandescent lights are a once-a-year joy—that is, until a single rogue bulb blinks out. To the rescue: this do-it-all troubleshooting and fix-it device, which can repair a strand that isn’t lighting up and test its tiny fuses and bulbs.

LightKeeper Pro light set repair tool, $20, walmart.com