Welcome Holiday Guests Not Holiday Stress

Stress free holiday entertaining ideas put the merry in a holiday good time.

From the planned casual holiday soiree to the not so planned we saw your lights on holiday surprise drop-in, these stock items can cut the stress, welcome guests, ward off the holiday bah humflubug, and make things festive.

wreath on front doorTraditional Home

Let me share with you some of the staples I keep on hand and filed under tried-and-true stress free holiday entertaining ideas.

 

winter-holiday-scented-liquid-foaming-hand-soap

Mingle responsibly.

It’s not only the holidays, but the cold and flu season as well.

Lest we forget Covid-19.

Won’t we all be glad when we can!

alice-cut-glass-votive-cup-o

Votive candles instantly add that cozy and homey feel to the setting.

I don’t know if it’s the warmth they exude or the soft glow, but votive candles create a relaxing atmosphere.

Stock up on these home decor and entertaining staples.

homefortheholidayscoirchristmasdoormatoverheadshotsiloimage

Put out the welcome mat.

Head off mud, slush, and dirt at the door.

alton brown hot cocoa recipeThe Chive

Festive need not be expensive.

The package sells the product, and a festive presentation impresses the harshest holiday critic.

My darling maternal grandmother taught me through her gracious example.

She loved Lady Borden Vanilla ice cream- her signature dessert offering.

She lived alone, and with single serving sizes not yet on the market, the large container ice cream would often fall victim to  freezer burn.

What the ice cream lacked in taste was more than made up in serving presentation.

Halette+Pedestal+Cups+Cake+Stand

Reed and Barton® Francis I spoon

She always served two scoops of Lady Borden Vanilla in a glass sherbet dish accompanied by a sterling silver spoon.

 

hot-chocolate-bar

A simple  coffee or decorative holiday mug from the dollar store filled with hot cocoa and garnished with a peppermint stick and marshmallows or red hot apple cider garnished with a cinnamon stick is holiday comfort in a cup!

cocoa

I recommend preparing this recipe for homemade marshmallows while listening to the ever fitting Christmas classic “A Marshmallow World” performed by the ever cool Dean Martin.

Marshmallows (French Laundry)

Ingredients

3  envelopes of unflavored Knox gelatin

½  cup cold water

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cups corn syrup

¼  cup water

¼  teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Confectioners’ sugar for dredging

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for 10 minutes.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute.  Pour boiling syrup into gelatin and mix at high speed.  Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes.  Add vanilla and incorporate into mixture.  Scrape into a 9 x 9-inch pan lined with oiled plastic wrap and spread evenly.

(Note: Lightly oil hands and spatula or bowl scraper).

After pouring marshmallow mixture into the pan, take another piece of plastic wrap and press mixture into the pan.

Let mixture sit for a few hours.  Remove from pan, dredge the marshmallow slab with confectioners’ sugar and cut into 12 equal pieces with scissors (the best tool for the job) or a chef’s knife.  Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners’ sugar.

Yield: 12 large marshmallows

fleece-throws

Baby, it’s cold outside.

I pick up inexpensive fleece throws when I find them on holiday special.

This little touch of  homey and cozy is a big hit with our guests as we celebrate the holiday moments of our lives.

raffia

gift-tag

Tie them up with raffia, attach a holiday gift tag, and place them in a basket.

seagrass-basket

The inexpensive fleece throws make a nice holiday “from our home to yours” parting gift.

White-Christmas

Hand them out to your guests to ward off the chill while watching a classic holiday movie or hanging out listening to holiday music.

Let’s not forget that a holiday playlist queued up and ready to shuffle is always a hit.

Holiday get-togethers as well as the unexpected drop in visit often turn out to be a stress free and fun time.

Stock up.

De-stress.

Enjoy!

Love your style!

Holiday Potpourri

I really wanted to title this post “What to do with all the left over fruit that did not make the holiday fruit salad cut” but Holiday Potpourri recipe had a much better ring to it.  Apples, oranges, homegrown fresh lemons (thanks, Mrs. JoAnn!) and spices of the season do a house good as they come together over low heat.  Our Thanksgiving celebration ushered in the first hint of Christmas with the simple yet perfect scents of the season simmering in the crock pot to welcome family, guest, and delicious memories.

fruit-for-potpourri

Holiday Potpourri

Ingredients

3  apples, sliced

3 oranges, sliced

1 large lemon, sliced

4 cinnamon sticks

1 Tablespoon whole cloves

2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

2 bay leaves

6  cups water

Directions

Fill stoneware liner with water.  Turn setting to high.  Slice apples, oranges, and lemon and place in water.  Add spices.  Continue with setting on high for at least 2 hours.  Reduce setting to low, careful to monitor water level.  Add water as needed.

Graphics Fairy

I sincerely believe music is the core note of holiday celebrations, and Places In The Home is full holiday celebration mode!  I’ll Be Home For Christmas is the core sentiment of our holiday celebrations.

Love your style!

 

Let Your Lights Shine!

Christmas lights from around the world brought to you by holiday spirit, magnificent talent, skill and style extraordinaire, and historical architectural wonders of the world as seen through the lens of talented photographers.

Fifth Avenue~ New York, New York

Mann’s Grauman Chinese Theater~ Hollywood, California

Jackson Square~ New Orleans, Louisiana

Empire State Building~ New York, New York

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele~ Milan, Italy

Shops in Seiffen, Germany

U.S. Capital~ Washington, DC

Sydney, Australia

Caesars Palace~ Las Vegas, Nevada

Auckland, New Zealand

Rockefeller Center~ New York, New York

Melksham, United Kingdom

calle de Alcala~ Madrid, Spain

Champs-Élysées~ Paris, France

Buckingham Palace~ London, England

 La Grande Place~ Brussels, Belgium

 

Photo sources:

Fifth Avenue: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images

Mann’s Grauman Chinese Theater: Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images

Jackson Square: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Empire State Building: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Seiffen, Germany: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

U.S. Capital: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Sydney, Australia: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Caesars Palace: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Auckland, New Zealand: Sandra Mu/Getty Images

Rockefeller Center: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

Melksham, UK: Matt Cordy/Getty Images

calle de Alcala: Liesa Johannssen/Getty Images

Champs-Élysée: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Buckingham Palace: Steve Finn/Getty Images

La Grande Place: Mark Renders/Getty Images

 

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