Stress-Free Holiday Entertaining Ideas

Thank you to AVA Grace Vineyards for sponsoring this post. All thoughts, writing & styling are my own. 

It’s hard to believe the holidays are just around the corner! The holidays can be a time of stress for a lot of people, myself included. Between trying to figure out holiday plans, making sure everything is perfect and scooting from place to place, it can be exhausting and stress inducing! This year I am determined to have a stress-free holiday season. Today AVA Grace Vineyards is sponsoring this post about how I plan to have a stress-free holiday season!1. PLAN AHEAD | This year I am working on planning as much as I can in advance. For me, it helps to know what’s on my calendar and when I have plans, whether I’m attending a party or hosting one! I am a planner by nature, so knowing that I have plans helps me figure out what I need to bring, if I need to make anything, etc.2. HAVE “GO TO” DISHES | Whether you’re hosting or attending a holiday party that requires you to bring a dish, make sure you have a “go to” dish that you can readily make! I always reference my favorite cookbooks (The Southerner’s Cookbook by Garden & Gun, The Newlywed Cookbook from Williams-Sonoma, and Two in the Kitchen) to get recipes that I know everyone will love! A few of our favorite “go to” dishes around the holidays include sausage balls or sausage dip, pimento cheese dip, pasta salads, or sweet potato casserole!

3. ALWAYS HAVE WINE ON HAND | If you’re hosting a party, chances are you’ll need to stock up on wine and other beverages for your guests! Around the holidays we like to keep our wine rack stocked with an assortment of wines should we have guests over! We have been loving wines from AVA Grace Vineyards lately! Nick and I love reds and red blends, and the red blend by AVA Grace is delicious. This medium-bodied red has a great hint of spice and notes of berries, making it a great wine to pair with a lot of holiday dishes! If you’re not a red wine drinker, then you may enjoy the Ava Grace Sauvignon Blanc. It is light-bodied and has more tropical fruit flavors. These are great wines to keep in your wine rack all holiday season! Plus, they make great hosting gifts too 😉4. DECORATE FOR THE OCCASION | No holiday party is complete without a little holiday decor! I don’t think you have to go all out when entertaining, but adding a few touches (like these cute pumpkins!) make the party feel a bit more festive! A few easy, affordable decorations include eucalyptus leaves, candles and ornaments in a centerpiece vase!

5. ASK FOR HELP | Let’s face it, whether you’re prepping dishes or getting your home ready for a full house, you can’t get it all done by yourself! Don’t be afraid to ask your significant other, your kids, or your friends for help if you need it! It makes the process a little less stressful and a lot more fun! If you feel overwhelmed at the thought of cooking a whole meal for a large party, ask your guests to bring a side or dessert! It takes some of the pressure off of you and you’ll get a great variety of items.

I would love to hear your holiday traditions and how you plan on making your holiday season stress free!