It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is a done deal. In addition to the wonderful memories, the food still lingers on with our refrigerator and freezer filled with leftovers from our feast. You know what comes next, right? Ding, ding, ding, 10 points for the lady in red. The holiday party season is about to take off with a vengeance. With a mix of both social and business holiday soirées on the calendar, this season is notorious for being overwhelming, overloaded, and overworked which ultimately takes away from the true meaning of the season. Here’s all you need to do; take a deep breath, grab a glass of wine (always a good idea in my opinion) and then take a moment to consider this:
~Make a Calendar Devoted to Events. It’s so easy to get over-committed
during the holidays. Not only are you attending holiday functions, but you are
also buying gifts, decorating your home, sending Christmas cards, etc. The key here is to stay organized. I cannot function without my lists and my social
events calendar. Being able to break
things down on a daily basis helps make things more manageable. Jotting down specifics in your social and
business events calendar such as reminders for host or hostess gifts, securing
a baby-sitter, and managing RSVPs in a timely manner is an excellent way to
stay on top of the busy weeks ahead. Santa’s
got nothing on you baby!
~Handling
Multiple Events in One Night. Speaking of Santa, if he can
visit every home in the world in one night, then so can you. However, this
notion does depend on the type of function to which you’ve committed. If one of
your parties is a seated meal, then I suggest you only commit to one event that
night since this type of evening entails numerous courses and some major
planning by the host well in advance. It would be quite rude to leave in the
middle of the meal to attend another event. When choosing between two parties, I recommend
attending the party for which you were invited first, out of courtesy. Now, if
you have two parties that are both come and go, divide your time and
conquer. An hour at each event is
acceptable. Whatever you do, make sure you don’t seem uninterested or rushed at
the night’s first event as it can be very obvious to other guests, and more
importantly the host.
~Thanking
the Holiday Hostess With The Mostess. In following the Christmas spirit
of giving, I always recommend bringing a host or hostess gift, especially if
the event is at someone’s home. It is not as important to bring a gift when the
party is at a restaurant or other locale, however, it is still a nice and
thoughtful gesture. I prefer to give gifts that embody the holiday spirit, but
also keep your host in mind as they may have different taste than you do. Items
for the home, or an edible or drinkable treat are always a hit. Whatever you decide, go the extra mile and add
some festive wrap or ribbon to the packaging.
Make your sparkle shine brighter, and I can almost guarantee you will be
on the party invite list again next year.
The
holiday season is a wonderful time of year to celebrate with family and
friends. Don’t go “all Scrooge” and let the stresses and busyness of the
holiday season take away from the true meaning of the season. Enjoy and be
grateful for the abundance of holiday parties and invitations. Translated, this just means that you have a
myriad of friends, family and colleagues who enjoy your company, and it’s the
one time of year when you get to celebrate the gift of these relationships,
whether they are personal or professional.
Photo Courtesy of ©iStock.com/Shaiith
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