Our Christmas Hosting Checklist

So, Christmas is finally here, well almost. The tree is decorated, right?! And the out of office is very nearly on. Cocktails & Canapes with your nearest and dearest are in touching distance…

The big day is closing in but there is still time to make your festivities picture perfect with some good ‘ol fashioned organisation! Enjoying your Christmas Day when you are hosting is all down to excellent pre-planning and ensuring entertainment is never far away! Taking more time to prepare will always pay off so grab your journal, dust off your Christmas checklist and start making notes…

1. Christmas Eve Prep
   

   Christmas Eve is the perfect time to get your festive ducks in a row when you are the designated Christmas host. Carving out time on Christmas eve, helps you get ahead of the Christmas dinner madness. Pour yourself a Gin Pom Pom and get busy prepping, so that on Christmas morning, all you need to focus on is unwrapping the gifts of your dreams. We are by no means chefs, but you can’t go wrong with Jamie Oliver’s easy turkey recipe, almost all of the prep is completed the night before, then you just chuck the turkey in the oven on Christmas morning - simple!
   
   

2. Get ahead of your garnish game…
   

   Obviously you need to get all the ingredients for your Christmas dinner, so we won’t state the obvious, BUT don’t forget the added extras in that precious grocery delivery slot that can help your hosting prowess. Thinking ahead and buying cinnamon sticks & oranges will set you up for the perfect garnish! Slice your oranges thinly and place on a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 45 minutes, turning half way - you’ll end up with beautiful and fragrant garnish which doesn’t need preparing on the day! Simply put a stick of cinnamon and a dried orange wheel in your family and friends Gin & Double Dutch Tonics to give them all the festive feels!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Don’t forget the gifts

   When you are hosting Christmas, all the food preparation can get in the way of gift buying! Make everyone’s day with a personalised cocktail hamper. Buy a few bottles of spirits, some mini beautiful glass bottles & decant your spirits into your very own personalised minis. Add some cans of Double Dutch, some dried orange wheels as a beautiful festive garnish. Buy some small hampers, add in some tissue paper & place all items perfectly in the hamper. Finally, prepare some beautifully handwritten gift tags and your budget friendly gifts are complete!
   
   
   

4. Drinks markers
   

   Don’t you hate it when you put your drink down at a party, get distracted and then don’t know which one is yours? Become everyone’s favourite host on Christmas day with some coloured & reusable drink markers - when everyone is poured their first drink, they are assigned a colour and hey presto - a drink for life - the day!
   
   
   

5. Setting the table

   We love setting the table for Christmas! We take so much pride in ensuring every detail of the table setting is as perfect as possible to really make everyone feel as festival as possible. We love these cute name places from Ginger Ray, these incredible beauty crackers from L’Occitane and this timeless green cotton tablecloth from Zara. Remember, don’t clutter your table too much as you need to make room for all the delicious food & drinks!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Games

   Ok, we know games aren’t everybody's idea of a fun Christmas, but if you plan ahead, games can really take a party up to the next level and make for a memorable evening! Divide your guests into teams and check out their competitive spirit with quizzes themed on your favourite subjects or a classic game of charades. We love Pictionary Air to bring out our creative (and competitive of course) side!
   
   
   

7. Table secret santa
   

   Buying more gifts might not be at the top of your Christmas hosting checklist, but table secret santa will give your guests the lift they need after 3 courses of deliciousness! Buy enough small, fun gifts for each of your guests and have them ready in a Santa sack to draw on when you feel any kind of lull in proceedings. The gifts should be fun, interactive and provide more table entertainment! Think table trivia, brain teasers or there is always room for more chocolate!

8. A Double Dutch self-pour bar
   

   Encourage your guests to mix up their favourite drinks themselves to give you a chance to enjoy everything going on around you. This gives you more time to host / relax, and allows everyone to have drinks exactly as they want them. Line up a range of spirits and liqueurs, and a wide range of mixers - our mixed cases are perfect for this! Consider how people can spice up their drinks with creative garnishes - orange wheels (as above), lemon peels, grapefruit slices, cranberries and slices of ginger. We love this edible rose gold dust for added festive theatre!
   
   
   
   
   
   

9. And finally…
   

   There is nothing nicer than a post-lunch festive walk. Get everybody out of the house for a nice stroll to walk off your lunch - pack everyone off with a flavourful G&T (we love these plastic gin glasses for our Christmas wanders) to keep spirits high - and of course some festive headgear to keep everyone visibly festive in the dark. Always designate a mobile music master to act as your roaming DJ! 
   
   

Don’t forget - this is Christmas! It’s not about perfection, it’s about having the best time with your favourite people! Make sure you drink delicious drinks, take lots of photos & make memories to last a lifetime.

Have a very Merry Christmas and an amazing New Year!