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The holidays are just around the corner and, for many people, that means entertaining groups of friends and family. Since you’ve just bought a new home, you’ll naturally want to show off your home and your hosting abilities. You can successfully pull off even the busiest holiday entertainment schedule by following these five simple tips for holiday entertaining in your new Brandywine Home.

The Invitation List
You want to invite everyone you know and love to your holiday party, that’s understandable. However, you have to keep in mind the amount of space that you have when you’re finalizing your guest list. There’s an easy formula you can use to calculate the perfect number of guests. First of all, you’ll need to know the square footage of your home. You’ll then take that figure and divide it by five, which is the number of feet of personal space each of your guests will need. Therefore, if your space is 1,000 square feet, divided by five, you can comfortably entertain up to 200 people.

Decorate With Ease
Decorating for a large party can seem like a daunting task, especially when you’re doing it alone. The truth is, it’s really not as difficult as you may think. Keep one very important thing in mind; people will probably not remember all those little ornaments you painstakingly place throughout your home. Focus on just a few, key elements, such as the dining area, front entrance and living room. You can get some fabulous ideas for holiday centerpieces from HGTV, or take a few moments to browse Pinterest and you’ll be sure to find some quick, easy decorating ideas.

The Perfect Menu
Your holiday party menu should be as varied as your guest list. A vegetarian dish or two, some seafood, red meat, pork, chicken and side dishes will keep everyone happy. Of course, you can’t forget about desserts either. Offering some sugar-free options, fresh fruit, cakes and pies will assure no one is left out. Don’t, by any means, think you have to slave over a hot stove and oven for days to make it all. Opt instead for some precooked supermarket finds, fresh baked goods from a local bakery and enlist the help of friends and family that enjoy cooking. You’ll spend less time in the kitchen, preparing and cleaning up afterwards, which means you’ll have more time to enjoy the experience.

Quench Their Thirst
Serving individual cocktails, or any beverage for that matter, is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It keeps you from enjoying conversations with your guests, which is the point of hosting the party to begin with. Make larger batches of cocktails such as eggnog, sangria, or a champagne punch and serve it in a punch bowl that guests can serve themselves from. Be sure to include some non-alcoholic punch, fruit juices, sodas and water for the kids, and adults that abstain from alcohol. A large pot of after-dinner coffee, tea and hot chocolate will also be welcome additions.

After Party Cleanup
Cleaning up after the party is, by no means, the most fun thing to do. However, there are some things that you can do to make the task a little less of a pain. The best way to minimize the amount of work you have to do after the party is to enlist the help of one or more of your guests, a friend, or a family member. Before the party, line trash cans with several bags, that way, as they get full, you can pull one out and there is always another ready to go. Wash pots, pans and baking dishes as they are used so they’re out of the way during the party. Use disposable table clothes, napkins, plates, cups and silverware so the laundry and dishwashing duties are minimal.

We hope you enjoy the best the holiday season has to offer and that you are able to spend it with your friends and family. If you looking for a new home in Orange County, Long Beach or the Los Angeles metro area? Brandywine Homes is opening six new communities this year offering a combined 265 single-family homes and townhomes. Click here for more information.