The idea of having friends and family over for the Christmas holidays is often exciting. Dreams of lavish menus and curious cocktail creations followed by fancy table decorations will come flooding into your tinkering head.
And the problem with these big dreams and high goals is the sudden rush of overwhelm and exhaustion of trying to impress, which then takes away your own fun and enjoyment.
Keeping things simple doesn’t necessarily mean that your friends and family won’t have a wonderful night. You can still prepare for a Christmas feast, an impressive table decoration setting with minimal fuss or stress. Here are some pro tips for a breezy Christmas holiday this year.
Forget Perfect
Your loved ones won’t really care about perfection. Fact is, they’re there for the great company. So if your food’s a little overdone or if your dessert is far too runny, it doesn’t really matter. True friends will be happy with spending time with you and chances are, unless you’re a widely acclaimed chef, they won’t be expecting Michelin star restaurant quality either.
Christmas is the time to eat, drink and be merry. So do it with the ones you love and make their night amazing too, by being fully indulged in their company without worrying about the slight imperfections.
Advanced preparations
The secret behind a stress-free Christmas celebration is in the preparation before the guests arrive. If your guests are arriving at 6pm, of course you’ll be feeling stressed if you start preparing a 3 course meal at 5pm.
You have to be realistic about what you can and cannot do. If you’re poor for time, keep things simple and just prepare one course. If your friends or family are from around town, ask them to help bring a dish.
If you’re preparing several different dishes, it will pay off to prepare certain things such as dessert, dips, and some meals a day or two ahead. Some dishes can be made weeks in advance and frozen to be thawed or baked on the day.
Table decorations
You don’t have to purchase everything brand new for your table setting. Reusing material scraps, leftover wrapping paper, Christmas tree ornaments and other odd bits of decorations will do wonders on a Christmas table.
Adding some candles and a bunch of festive flowers on the table will enhance the Christmas spirit even more. There isn’t a need to spend unnecessary time or money matching cutlery or tablecloths. Creativity lies in what you have at hand.
Ask for help if you need it
Involving your friends and family with the Christmas preparations will go a long way in relieving stress and exhaustion with the added benefit of bringing everyone closer together. Simple things such as picking something up from the store will go a long way in making your day that much easier.
Buy presents well in advance
Christmas doesn’t just hit you out of nowhere. Truth is, every year you have 364 days to plan and prepare for it. And yet, why do we always find ourselves scattering at the very last minute scouring the shops for last minute Christmas presents?
Do things a bit different this year and make a list of people you will be giving presents to this year. Write down a budget on how much you would like to spend for each person and take advantage of sales that happen throughout the year to find the perfect gifts for everyone at a good price.
Not only will you be more financially savvy this Christmas holiday, but you’ll also be a lot more prepared and relaxed this Christmas time.
Leave it to the Pros
That said, the easiest and most definite way of ensuring your Christmas holidays are a complete breeze is to leave it to the professionals.
At the Grand View Hotel, we bring atmosphere and great vibes to the Christmas table. With an authentic Aussie establishment to host your special Christmas get together, the ambiance is amplified further with spectacular waterfront views, on point Christmas decorations, live music to entertain your guests, and a specially curated Christmas menu guaranteed to delight.
Highly skilled and trained chefs run the kitchen, with some even coming from abroad – bringing in their unique culinary skills. Not to mention, the Bowen fish markets are only a stone throw’s away from the Grand View Hotel, guaranteeing the freshest local caught seafood always. We’re lucky to be in Bowen given its acclamation for being the fruit bowl of the North. In other words, we probably have the best local produce and the healthiest cattle.
A Christmas feast at the Grand View Hotel will certainly impress and amaze.
Banner Image credit: Oz Labels
