December might just be our favorite month of the year! Every December, you can find us playing in the fake snow at Celebration, twirling at the Nutcracker, enjoying Hot Chocolate with our neighbors, and scheming our way through Mimi’s Christmas Party because we essentially buy our White Elephant Gifts for each other!
Do you love the holidays just as much as we do? Are you the hostess of the family and look forward to opening your door to loved ones each year? Today, we’re sharing our go-to 2020 Holiday Entertaining Essentials and how each of these items will help you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with loved ones this year.
This post is sponsored by Corelle, Pyrex, Instant Pot, Zestt Organics and Paper Goat Post but the content and opinions expressed here are our own.
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2020 Holiday Entertaining Essentials
1.Instant Pot Duo Nova – As you know, we’re all about spending less time in the kitchen and more time with loved ones, and the Instant Pot Duo Nova is the exact tool you need to do just that this year. This time and space-saving multi-cooker combines 7 appliances in one! It’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker and food warmer – which means if you dream it, the Instant Pot Duo Nova can make it! Hosting family this season? The 6-quart large capacity cooks for up to 6 people – perfect for families, but also great for meal prepping and batch cooking for singles and smaller households! This simplifies cooking and prepping so you can get back to what matters most this season!
2. Stone Pitcher – A simple #HostfulHack Mimi taught us many years ago: The water hack. Fill a carafe or pitcher with fresh drinking water and chill the night before. Set on the table during dinner so no one has to get up for refills. We believe it’s important to invest in quality entertaining essentials that can be used over and over again, and this stone pitcher is perfect for gatherings year-round!
3. Zestt Organics’ Organic Cotton Knit Throw Blanket – Treat yourself to a gift that serves multiple purposes. Our favorite Organic Cotton Knit Throw Blanket from Zestt Organics is our go-to throw blanket for Holiday entertaining! Cozy up an outdoor space by placing it across an outdoor sofa for guests to use and enjoy near a fire pit, keep it on your favorite chair for a movie night with friends, or style it down the center of your tablescape as a table runner to add warmth!
4. Cake + Pie Knife & Server – ‘Tis the season for dessert! Be prepared with this beautiful knife and serving set! This rose gold and wooden set is durable and serves multiple uses! The cake spatula is perfect for serving cake while the sharpe knife slicer can easily slice through pies, pastries, pizza, steak, cake, flatbread and tarts!
5. Pyrex Littles – These littles are making a big impact in the kitchen this year! Pyrex Littles are small baking dishes specially designed fo countertop ovens, including toaster and convection ovens, and they are perfectly-sized glass dishes for baking everything from petite treats to fantastic meals-for-one! Use these baking dishes to customize small portions for your guests, cut cooking times and make everyone smile!
6. Wood Cheese Board – You know our love for wooden cheese boards, and this large cutting board is perfect for displaying appetizers and meats and cheeses for guests to enjoy while you finish up prepping in the kitchen! #HostfulHack: People will mingle where the food is set. Set appetizers and hors d’oeuvres where you want guests to mingle while you make last-minute preparations in the kitchen. The coffee table is usually the perfect spot where guests can get comfortable and catch up while indulging in appetizers.
7. Hostful Hack Handbook – Has perfection kept you from opening your door to loved ones in the past? Do you worry about setting the table just right, timing the food perfectly, overwhelmed by the idea of clean up (before and after guests arrive), and feeling at a loss of where to start when it comes to hosting and entertaining? If the desire to host loved ones in your home is placed on your heart, the Hostful Hack Handbook is the resource for you. This digital handbook is full of our 110 must-know hacks that’ll simplify all the to-dos that go into entertaining. In this handbook, we hack Groceries and Supplies, Cooking and Prep, Cleaning, Tablescapes and Decor, Ambiance, Dinner Party, Overnight Guests, Unexpected Guests, Outdoor Entertaining, and the Bar!
8. Fire Pit – Get cozy with your guests outside with this Sunnydaze Outdoor Fire Pit! Our favorite tradition throughout the Holidays is to host our friends and their children over for s’mores and eggnog near the fire in our backyard. Set up a Hot Chocolate and S’mores bar for your guests to serve themselves and enjoy a cozy evening near the warm fire.
9. Keurig Coffee Maker – Create a self-service coffee bar for those guests who like to stay late and indulge in conversation! Use a console table, sideboard or dresser and our favorite Keurig Coffee Maker to create a self-service coffee bar! Don’t forget to set up K-Cups, your favorite seasonal creamer, and sugar! Set out a stack of coffee mugs and let your guests serve themselves.
10. Taper Candles – Set a calming ambiance this season with an assortment of taper candles. Pair a mix of burgundy and ivory taper candles with a pair of black candlesticks to create a sophisticated, yet approachable, look.
11. Battery Operated Fairy Lights – Is it just us or is there something about a low-lit room and the glow from twinkle lights that turns a room from basic to cozy with the flick of a switch? Welcome your guests into a room that invites them to cozy up and get comfortable with these battery operated fairy lights. Wrap them in a garland and hang on a mantle, string them through a wreath and hang above a buffet or dress your dinner table with lights running down the center.
12. Stone Cake Stand – There’s nothing guests love more than a dessert bar! Looking to spend less time in the kitchen this year? Ask your dinner guests to bring their favorite dessert to share following dinner. Place an assortment of cake stands on the counter, on a separate table or buffet and direct your guests to fill an empty spot with their dessert! Before you know it, you’ll be displaying a beautiful focal point of the evening!
13. Echo Dot – “Alexa, set a timer for the Ham for 25 minutes!” How did anyone host a dinner party before Alexa? An Echo Dot is essential for hosting during the Holidays. Ask Alexa to set a timer, play soft music, dim the lights, adjust thermostats and announce dinner is ready!
14. Barware – #HostfulHack: Create a self-service bar. Use a console table, sideboard or dresser to create a self-service bar with refreshments, cocktails, glasses, ice, etc. set atop. Don’t forget to include a bottle opener, corkscrew, cocktail strainer, and a double jigger to ensure everything your guests may need is there and ready to go!
15. Rosemary – ‘Tis the season for garnish! Turn any regular recipe into a holiday recipe with one or more of our 3 Christmas Garnish Essentials – Rosemary, Cranberries & Powdered Sugar. Tip: Rosemary can be tucked into any dish, on top of dips, around napkins, etc. Keep cranberries in the freezer & serve as “ice cubes” for beverages. Sprinkle powdered sugar over any dessert to look like a light dusting of snow.
16. Stemware – Stemware adds sophistication to a dinner party. Be prepared for guests with a set of glasses for your red and white wine lovers this season!
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