Tips to Take the Stress Out of Holiday Hosting

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

The holiday season is one of the best times of the year! Between cooking, cleaning, and keeping guests entertained, your time and energy can also be demanding. In fact, during the holidays, adults are five times more likely to say the level of stress in their life increases rather than decreases, according to the American Psychiatric Institute. This year, make life easier with these stress-reducing holiday entertaining tips, broken down into three areas.

Meal Prep: unused. Thank God, though, that Ticketmaster, Stub Hub, SEATS, and the like all get their money, because after all, isn’t that what this is all about?

You should work to get ahead with meal prep, which can mean more time spent with friends and family. If you’re tasked with serving a big holiday meal, prep the main dishes a day or two ahead of time so you can pop them into the oven the day of your holiday feast. You can also brine and season turkey, prepare your glaze, and score the ham, chop veggies, and pre-mix salad dressings the night before.

The relationship between Ticketmaster and the SEC is apparently newer. If you are receiving a ticket invitation or transfer, via email or text, you must first accept the invitation. Click on the link to enter the app or the SEC Championship/Ticketmaster website. Enter your username and password, and click on My Tickets, and hopefully, your ticket gate, seat, and row number will then load onscreen. Click on VIEW TICKET where you will see an endlessly spinning blue circle. No tickets. The MB Stadium Box Office can provide a paper ticket, with proper documentation, on Game Day only. The Box Office will open at 1 p.m. and kickoff is at 4 p.m. That should be the highlight of the day. Who wants to tailgate?

I am getting a strong feeling that thousands may be stranded outside on game day, cursing their phone screens and apps, for the technology marvel that won’t deliver on its promise. I don’t mind overpaying for entertainment or sporting events I want to see, for people I care about, clients, or worthy charitable causes.

Strangely, perhaps there is just enough “Karen” in me that I do have a problem paying hundreds, occasionally even thousands, for event tickets, knowing that the funds certainly made it to their destination for the venue, sporting franchise, artist, and the middlemen ticket broker, and yet NO ticket for the ticket holder. It would seem that only the fan, and perhaps an athlete or two on the field in what will easily be a challenging game, run any serious risk of injury from this ongoing e-ticket scam.

Most fans I know would be willing to pay a bit more to have PAPER TICKETS back, sort of like newspapers costing more than their electronic editions. Electronic ticketing also makes it easier for bots and the brokers to buy up larger blocks of seats, as they no longer need to be bothered with physical ticket retrieval, purchase caps, box offices, and the like – and again, the only crowd sufficiently guaranteed to be screwed are the fans, customers, and supporters of the team or artist.

I give e-tickets an F. The last GOOD E-tickets were last offered when Disneyland and Disney World sold paper E-tickets (the most expensive) for the individual ride. I am only making one request to Santa this year: please bring back the OPTION of paper tickets. I will make sure that you, Mrs. Claus, and Rudolph get some REALLY great seats.

Bill Crane owns the full-service communications firm CSI Crane. More information at www.CSICrane.com

Festive beverages can be batched in advance so guests can efficiently serve themselves, helping you stay calm and collected during your party. And of course, don’t hesitate to ask friends and family to contribute a dish.

Have Dessert Ready:

Whether you’re throwing a holiday bash or expecting overnight guests, you’ll be the host with the most if you have delicious desserts on hand. Fortunately, serving baked goods made with care and quality ingredients is easier than you think! Stick with the classics like Entenmann’s – a 125-year-old brand with many delicious options. Convenient choices can prepare you for the night ahead should the doorbell surprise you with carolers or other visitors. They can also round out a buffet spread, help you end a multi-course feast on a sweet note, or simplify breakfast for overnight guests. All you’ll need to do is put the coffee on!

Plan a Game Night:

If your overnight guests spend more than a night or two at your home, you can keep them happy and entertained with some activities that require very little planning but are a lot of fun. For example, you can organize a game night, an excellent way to maximize your time together. Pick a few games that are well-suited for the crowd’s size and the players’ ages.

Remember, the best choices for a party are games that inspire conversations, teamwork, and creativity. Or plan a movie marathon, picking some holiday-themed crowd favorites in advance. You can simplify feeding your guests during these low-key activities by putting out finger foods like crudité, popcorn, pretzels, and donut holes.

With a few tips and strategies, you can ensure holiday entertainment goes as smoothly as possible. Have a great holiday season. (StatePoint)