In the spirit of this holiday season, you leaped at the chance of being the hostess with the most-ess. You envision a beautiful Christmas tree, including a home decorated to the tee. Cinnamon apples and vanilla fill the air ushering in scents of late fall. Atop your lengthy table adorned with festive harvest décor, ambrosial portioned and plated to perfection, long-stemmed glasses, oodles of red wine, and holiday-shaped cookies situated on the kitchen island for guests to gobble. It sounds like a well-done job, sis. Too bad you didn’t factor in the hours you still have to put in at work, the inflated price of groceries, chopping down your Xmas list, being a mommy to your kids and wifey to your spouse, not to mention all the damn bills that’s still due the week after. Wtf did you sign yourself up for? Don’t worry, girl, I got you. This is how you host a last-minute holiday dinner:
- Choose a color theme using the KISS method (keep it simple, sis).
Stick to neutral colors such as beige, whites, or browns when setting a foundation for decorative palettes. Head to your local discount store like dollar tree for synthetic flowers, tablecloths, seasonally decorated napkins, etc., to quickly elevate any room or table. You know we have to mix our highs and lows, so go ahead and pull out the good China, crystal, and silverware. Create seating arrangements using holiday-themed ‘thank you’ notes. Sign them with personal reasons why you are thankful for their friendship.
- Who has time to spend big bucks on drinks?
Girl, get you a cute little decanter from Amazon and a box of wine. They will never know it only cost you $15! Ask the guys in your crew to bring their favorite drink and have them flex their muscles in a mixology contest. Be a gracious host and provide the juices, liqueurs, syrups, and ice. Replace cartons and containers with glass jugs for your holiday dinner aesthetics.
- Instead of taking on the burden of preparing a feast, invite your guest to bring a dish of choice to create a potluck-style meal spread.
This can be anything from chicken to cupcakes. If cooking isn’t their thing, have them bring a board game like “Growing Up Black Memes” or “Tell Me, Without Telling Me” this will help keep the festivities popping before and after dinner.
- Set the tone!
Dim a few lights around your home to make the dining table more intimate. Rev up the ambiance with some smooth, sultry melodies from an essential nineties playlist. Who can resist songs by Sadè, Tevin Campbell, Mint Condition, or Mary J. Blige? Turn the volume up on the sound bar, choose a playlist from the infinite number of 90s songs and get the dinner party started.
Do you see? I told you I had your back. With minimum effort on your part, this last-minute holiday dinner is going down without a hiccup in sight. Take a sip of that wine and take your ass down to the discount store right now!
Article Written by: Jaymi Le| Jaymi Le is currently living a Bichie lifestyle in the streets of Brooklyn. She writes, produces and talks her ish effortlessly. Follow all things me @talktomslee_ . Remember to keep it cute, I might be talking about you on Talktomslee.com.
