The holidays are a time of joy, gratitude, and celebration, but if you are the home where everyone gathers, they can also be a source of anxiety and stress for many millennials or anyone who is hosting their family and friends. 

Whether you live in a small apartment, have a tight budget, or just want to impress your relatives, hosting can sometimes seem like a daunting task. 

But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with some tips on how to host your family for the holidays without stressing out.

1. Communicate in advance

One of the best ways to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts is to communicate with your guests in advance. 

Before they arrive, ask them about their preferences, expectations, and plans for their stay. For example, you can ask them:

• What do they like to eat and drink? 
• Do they have any dietary restrictions or allergies? A few of my family members are vegan whenever we get together, we must have enough options for them as well.
• Do they need a quiet space to work, relax or have privacy?  For example, if you are hosting people with babies or toddlers, make sure you have a space for diaper changing and naps.  
• Are they bringing other guests?

By communicating in advance, you can prepare your home, your menu, and your itinerary accordingly. 

You can also set some boundaries and rules for your guests, such as where they can smoke, how to use the wifi, or how to clean up after themselves. 

This way, you can avoid surprises and frustrations later on.

2. Prepare your home

Another way to reduce stress is to prepare your home for your guests. This doesn’t mean you have to do a major renovation or buy new furniture (although if you are, be sure to check out Courts Grenada, the have grear prices year round and even better ones in their annual black Friday sales)

To prepare for your guests, you should make sure your home is clean, comfortable, and welcoming. 

Here are some things you can do to prepare your home:

• Declutter and deep clean your home, especially the areas where your guests will stay and use, such as the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room.
• Make some space for your guests’ belongings, such as a closet, a dresser, or a shelf. Provide them with some hangers or baskets to organize their stuff.
• Make the bed with clean sheets, pillows, and blankets. You can also add some extra touches to like a water bottle, a phone charger a w ect.
• Stock up on some essentials, such as towels, toiletries, toilet paper, tissues, and trash bags.
• I love decorations and when friends come over to enjoy, there’s even more excitement. So add to some festive elements, such as a wreath, a tree, some candles, or some lights.
• You can also play some holiday music or light some scented candles or a diffuser to create a cosy atmosphere.

Scented candles in the bathrooms, when guests are over, help the atmosphere to stay fresh.  And be sure to have extra toiletries readily visible like toilet paper, paper towels, sanitary napkins, panty liners and hand lotion to help guests feel comfortable if they need it.

3. Plan ahead

Another way to avoid stress is to plan for your meals, activities, and budget. This helps you save time, money, and energy, as well as prevent last-minute panic and chaos. 

Here are some things you can do to plan:

Make a budget for your hosting expenses, such as food, drinks, decorations, gifts, and entertainment. 

Make a list of the meals you want to serve, the ingredients you need, and the recipes you want to follow.   My big sister Akisha often gets our menu started at the end of November.  She makes a point of getting everyone involved in what the menu would be, but also in making sure we do not drag on the process. You can also ask your guests to contribute some dishes or drinks or order some food from a local restaurant or catering service.

Make a list of the activities you want to do with your guests, games and menu items like barbeques take time and may need additional attention. You can also ask your guests for their suggestions or let them explore on their own.

4. Be flexible

Another way to cope with holiday-hosting stress is to be flexible. 

Hosting can be unpredictable and things may not go according to your plan. You may encounter some problems, such as a delayed arrival, a broken appliance, or a sick guest. 

You may also have some disagreements, such as a political debate, a family feud, or a personal conflict. Instinctively, you may find yourself getting upset after all, you are hosting, the least your guest can do is get along right? 

Maybe you are right but the better approach is to be adaptable. Here are some things you can do to be flexible:

• Have a backup plan for your meals, activities, and budget. My middle sister makes a mean corn pie, a few years ago, when we did Christmas groceries we picked up corn kernels instead of cream corn.  She ended up making an equally delicious corn salad. Win-Win.

• Have a sense of humor and a positive attitude. You can also have some coping strategies, such as taking a deep breath, counting to ten, or talking to a friend.

• Have some empathy and compassion. Remember that your guests are also human beings, with their own feelings, opinions, and needs.

5. Have fun

The most important way to enjoy hosting is to have fun. 

When you get down to it,  hosting is an opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones. 

It does not have to be perfect or impressive, what your family and friends want to know is that they can share your time and your home. Make this holiday hosting less about stressing and worrying and more about relaxing and celebrating. 

Here are some things you can do to have fun:

• Be present and attentive. Ask questions and listen to your guests’ stories.  We often have a lot to catch up on at Christmas so have some things in mind that you know would be good conversation starters.
• Be creative and adventurous. Pinterest has some awesome ideas for fun games to play at Christmas.

• Be grateful and appreciative. Thank your guests for coming and if you can give them some gifts, handmade is fine.  To be honest, gingerbeer is a gift for me.  Not everybody can get that right.  So when I show up somewhere for Christmas and the gingerbeer is chilled and waiting …. Hunny, I’m a happy Christmas camper.

We need good memories now more than ever in our human experience.  If you agree to host your family and friends for the holidays, remember that it can be a rewarding and memorable experience. 

Think of it as a privilege and lean into the joy of it.

From my home to yours, Happy holidays!  Keep doing your most.