The Goddess’ Guide to Holiday Entertaining
By: Laura O’Rourke

The holidays are upon us and the blood pressure is already rising for those of you who know you can’t shirk your duties again this year. You’ve managed to use up all the flimsy excuses you can muster for the past several years but now the “hostess hammer” is about to fall - directly on you. But you’re so confused about the expectations and you’ve thumbed through so many Martha Stewart Living magazines that you’re convinced you don’t have the energy or the glue-gun power to pull off even an adequate event. Not to mention the fact that you have fewer and fewer hours in your days to dedicate to creating the perfect soiree. So how DO you pull off a lovely evening of holiday cheer without losing your social sanity?

It’s Not Brain Surgery
Ladies, I’d like to submit the unfathomable idea that entertaining doesn’t have to be an exercise in frustration and frazzled nerves. It’s not brain surgery my friends, it’s just a party. and it doesn’t have to represent perfection. When you strip it down to its essentials, entertaining is really about creating an inviting atmosphere where people feel comfortable with each other. The acid test really is in the “post party” reflection of your guests. Will they awake the next morning, reflect on the gathering and say with sincerity that they enjoyed themselves? When you think about it, that’s what memories are made of. It’s as simple as that. For every perfectly matched snowflake themed party there is always a “beer and pretzels” experience that won out because the atmosphere encouraged friendly conversation and comaraderie.

NoParty Police
Don’t get me wrong. A unique and crafty event is fun too. There are those of us who actually like the journey of planning the perfectly coiffed event that evokes the occasional hushed “she has way too much time on her hands” response. For the likes of us, testing our limits of event planning creativity can be compared to that of an Olympic athlete’s drive for the gold. Lest there be confusion, these complex yet seemingly seamless parties create great memories too. But for the great majority of amateur event planners, I can assure you with certainty that there are no “party police” who issue citations for the likes of “Mismatched Paperware Misdemeanors” or “Plastic Wineglass Faux Pas.”

Girlfriends, it boils down to this simple formula and I promise, with all my party-planning heart, that you CAN have a flawless function despite yourself. Follow these elementary rules and the world of easy entertaining will open its arms to you:

1. Have at least one decoration that’s interesting to look at. Yes, an evergreen tree in each room of your house each decorated to reflect one of the seven continents is interesting to look at but is it necessary? Not a chance. I guarantee that Aunt Rosalie’s tinsel tree with the rotating colored light wheel will garner more conversation than all the decorated firs in Hall’s holiday decor department on the Plaza. Just choose a prominent spot in your home and place thought-provoking things there. For example, put out some of your old family Christmas photos or wrap some boxes in fun holiday papers and randomly stack them intermingling eclectic votives. (And here’s a presentation tip for you, everything looks better if you elevate it slightly. Turn a couple of various size stockpots upside down on a table and throw a pretty table cloth over it, “smush&#!48 the edges a bit and you have yourself the “stage” for your decorations. It’s official, you have now become a decorator!)