6 Items to Make Your Holiday Party Easier

The holidays are here already. Are you ready? If you're scrambling to put a holiday party together, there are a few things that can make life a little easier. While none of these items will make or break your party on their own, when you put them together you'll create an atmosphere that makes everything else run smoothly.

6 Items to Make Your Holiday Party Easier

1. A Party Supply Checklist: If you plan to throw more than one party in your lifetime, you need a party supply checklist. This is a simple list of everything you need to have on hand to throw a successful home event. Think paper plates, trash bags, toilet paper, and ice. A quick internet search will bring up dozens of examples to work with, or you can create your own based on what you're most likely to need. Once you create a checklist you'll never have to do it again, so it makes sense to put one together for your next party.

2. Bluetooth Speakers: It's easy to overlook music at a party, but the right tunes are essential for setting the mood. This goes doubly for holiday parties. Bluetooth speakers make it easy to keep the music going. Sync them up with your phone, download your favorite music app, and play DJ from anywhere in the house. Look on Spotify or YouTube for holiday music playlists, or create one of your own.

3. Essential Oils: Nothing gets people in the holiday spirit like the scent of evergreen trees. Unfortunately, hauling in a live tree can easily complicate your holiday plans. Use essential oils to create a festive aroma without the greenery. Put a few drops of pine essential oil in a diffuser, or sprinkle them onto a centerpiece. Combine pine with cinnamon, peppermint, or clove oils for a more complex holiday scent-scape.

4. LED Tealights: Candles make a holiday party feel cozy and intimate. Unfortunately, they're also a major fire hazard. LED tealights are a simpler alternative. Set them up around your gathering for just the right amount of flame-free mood lighting.

5. Unbreakable Cups: A broken glass can quickly bring a party to a screeching halt. Invest in a set of unbreakable cups to keep mishaps to a minimum. Unbreakable cups look and feel just like glass drinkware. They're also easy to reuse, so you have less waste to deal with than you would with disposable cups.

6. Tin Foil: Nothing brings you out of the holiday spirit faster than having to deal with a cooking bottleneck. Turn to tin foil or another food wrap to make pre-cooking a breeze. Choose appetizers that stay fresh at room temperature, make them up a few hours before your event, and cover them with tin foil. Remove your wrap right before your guests arrive. Your party will be well-catered and you'll be free to mix and mingle.