Fear Not! Holiday Entertaining for the Frazzled Soul

I’ll be honest with you. I am no expert in holiday entertainment. I can’t tell you how to throw the perfect party and my gift wrapping is terrible. But I will say this. When I focus on a small list of things that bring me joy, I’m much better at entertaining this time of year. I’m also happier doing it.

In no particular order, here are my four tips for maintaining joy. This in turn leads to better holiday entertainment. (No one likes a grouchy host). There are always a handful of books that play a role in my sanity too. I hope you make your own list, but feel free to borrow mine.

• Wear what makes you happy: Two years ago, I bought a brown polyester gingerbread romper on clearance. It has red bows, silver pom poms and fits like a glove. Every time I wear it, my mood lifts. It’s utterly ridiculous. I’ve worn it to office parties, a last-minute holiday show and our neighbor’s house for drinks. I’m not suggesting that you wear a gingerbread romper but what outfit brings you joy? It could be snowflake earrings or a sweater with cats. Perhaps it’s cozy sweatpants paired with a Santa hat. Find you outfit and wear it as much as you can. Confidence and joy go a long way in breaking traditional dress codes.
• Christmas cookies are for you. For years, I watched my mom spend hours making six kinds of cookies, wrapping them carefully in tissue and delivering them to every neighbor and friend. But I never saw her sit on the couch, savoring one of those cookies with a cup of tea and a book. I hope she did, but I’m not sure it ever happened. The Fruit Nut Balls from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life are an unexpected favorite of mine but I’m also partial to any kind of bar that involves condensed milk and layers of chocolate.
• Revisit childhood books. Every year, our family reads The Animals’ Merry Christmas cover to cover. My favorite stories are The Goat Who Played Santa Claus and The Goose Who Stuffed Herself. The vivid illustrations, oversized pages, and familiarity with characters I’ve known all my life never gets old. We’ve added some new hits like Pete the Cat Saves Christmas and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh. But the books from my childhood bring the most joy. I scatter them on the coffee table between November and December for anyone to discover. But I make sure that includes myself with a Christmas cookie or two.
• Avoid anything in The Gallery of Regrettable Food. But do add it to your list of holiday reading. James Lileke pays tribute to some of the worst recipes of the 20^th Think Jello, meat salads, and ketchup; sometimes all one. Any recipe you’ve failed at, I’m confident will be miles ahead of what’s illustrated here. It’s also another coffee table book for holiday guests to peruse while eating a cookie. I Like You is a new addition to my library with a similar vibe. Bad food is funny and taking a moment to chuckle at recipes from years past helps me appreciate my basic veggie tray and cheese and crackers.

As mentioned, I’m no holiday entertainment expert. But I do try to find joy in books, cookies, and a little bit of sequin. Those things make me better at entertaining others and myself. I’d love to hear what things bring each of you joy as well. Share your thoughts in the comments below. And now to dust off that gingerbread romper of mine...

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