Top Tips for Hosting Holiday Gatherings in Your Apartment Home

Group of cheerful young people enjoying food and drinks while spending nice time in comfortable chairs on the kitchen together

Even though it is one of the most exciting times of the year, hosting during the holiday season can be challenging and stressful in any situation. It is important to be prepared for what lies ahead, especially in an apartment home where space to host more than a few guests can be limited. To ensure you have a successful holiday gathering in your Arcadia Run apartment home, get your chef’s hat on and take a look at some of our most helpful tips for getting the gang together to celebrate this season!

 

Adjust as necessary

It is probably hard to imagine hosting a holiday gathering, large dinner party, or even a small wine tasting in your apartment home with limited square footage. To make your space seem larger, change around your setup temporarily to fit an extra-long table, a few different hors d’oeuvres stations, or an empty room for dancing. If you realize you need additional seating or supplies last minute, call up your neighbor-turned-friend and ask to borrow some in exchange for holiday baked goods.

 

Use your imagination

Sturdy boxes, floor pillows, and end tables can be chairs too you know! Getting creative with your resources is a great way to save some money and also get an A+ for originality. If you don’t have a tablecloth big enough for the monstrous dining table you set up across the entire room, overlay a few different ones for a patchwork effect. Looking for some cool centerpieces but don’t want to put in the cash? Buy a few decorative items from the dollar store and spray paint them gold!

 

Make the food prep easy on yourself

Preparing food and snacks ahead of time will make your holiday gathering much easier on everyone in attendance, specifically you and your roommates. Find dishes, appetizers, and beverages that you can prepare ahead of time and take straight out of the fridge or warm up in the oven before the party. Our upgraded kitchens in every Arcadia Run apartment home allow a ton of space to get everything ready with ease. The point of hosting an event is to enjoy the company of people who you care about, not to enjoy the company of your oven!

 

Do your best to let loose

There is nothing worse than attending a holiday gathering and feeling like a nuisance rather than a welcomed guest. If you are the host, try to keep your cool, and if you prepare for the event ahead of time, this won’t be a problem! Don’t let little snags get you down and make sure to leave all of the clean-up for the next day – after all, you deserve it for throwing an amazing party!

 

Head on over to our Pinterest page for more tips and tricks or visit our website to find the perfect apartment home for entertaining this year!

Tips for Hosting Thanksgiving in Your Arcadia Run Apartment Home

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Thanksgiving is a time for friends, family, and food, and our apartment homes at Arcadia Run are the perfect place to host Thanksgiving dinner, or even a ‘Friendsgiving’ gathering. If you’re stressing about how to clean, cook, and have everything ready in time, don’t worry. We’ve compiled a list of tips for how to host a stress free Thanksgiving meal at your Arcadia Run apartment home. Check them out below:

Make a Plan

First things first, figure out who will be joining you for Thanksgiving. Once you have a head count, you can start planning the seating arrangements and calculating how much food you will need. Ask that everyone RSVP as soon as possible, so there aren’t any last minute additions.

Divide and Conquer

Between all of the shopping, prepping, and cooking, there will be a lot to do! One of the best ways to reduce stress before everyone comes over is to divvy up the responsibilities. If you’re out at the grocery store, have your roommate start cleaning the apartment. When you get back, you can team up and get everything done in less time!

Less is More

When it comes to decorations, try not to go overboard. You’ll have your hands full with preparing the food and eventually the cleanup, so you don’t want to add to the list of tasks with tons of decorations. Keep it simple and classy with a festive tablecloth, a wreath, or a few seasonal candles scattered throughout your apartment home. A few simple touches can go a long way.

Bring Your Own….

If you’re having more than 3 or 4 people over, it’s completely fine to ask guests to contribute something to the celebration! Make sure you specify what you would like people to bring over, so you don’t end up with 3 cheese platters! Once you’ve made your lists of everything you need, see what you are still missing and ask guests to fill in the gaps. Some easy things for people to bring would be a bottle of wine or champagne, desserts, or appetizers.

Clean As You Go

Thanksgiving dinner is wonderful, but the aftermath can be a hassle, especially if you’re hosting! One way to cut down on the giant pile of dishes after your meal is to clean as much as you can after every course. Once people are done nibbling on appetizers and you’re about to serve dinner, clear and put away all of the appetizers. Remove empty dishes from the table throughout the meal and give them a quick rinse before putting them in the dishwasher. Save the larger dishes, such as the turkey pan, for after dinner.

All of these tips will help reduce your stress when hosting Thanksgiving, but the most important thing to remember is being thankful that you are sharing the day with friends and family. For more information on how you can make Arcadia Run your home, visit us online.