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Entertaining unexpected guests during the holidays!

Ahh, the holidays are here and good old fashioned holiday recipes are everywhere. After all, Christmas traditions start with the recipes handed down from parents and grandparents. But sometimes those traditions get thrown out the window when people drop by unannounced. I pretty much hate entertaining them when they drop by unexpectedly any time, let alone during the holidays. I’m sure you have heard me talk about being in Buffalo this year taking care of my mom. Seeing as it has been 11 years since we have been here for Christmas, we have been getting a lot of unexpected people dropping by to just say hi.

Because I can’t leave my mom alone, I usually have to wait until my sister comes over for us to go shopping. All it takes is a little planning ahead. I make my meal plans for the week and then make my shopping list. I also add some extra things to the list…just in case we get a snowstorm like we did a couple weeks ago and we are stranded in the house.

Seeing as I am not at home this year, I won’t be baking my Christmas cookies like I normally do. I don’t have the proper utensils, or all the ingredients, cookie cutters, etc. I usually bake a ton and always have them on hand so that when unexpected guests stop over, I have something to serve them.

Tips for Entertaining Unexpected Guests:

1. Go with flow! If unexpected guests drop in, don’t get all stressed out over it. So what if you weren’t expecting them, you don’t have to act like it. Invite them in and sit and talk. After all, isn’t the holidays about celebrating friends and family. That is what means the most….not the gifts, not the decorations, not the extras!

2. Plan ahead! Plan ahead for unexpected guests with little gifts. You can put together little themed gift baskets. For women friends, you can make a “day at the spa” basket. Items can picked up at the dollar store which include: bath salts, foot products, facial products, bath loofahs, etc. For the men’s baskets: a cup, some coffee, hot chocolate, cookies, etc. For the kids baskets: there are a lot of cute toys that you can pick up at the dollar store, a coloring book, crayons, games, etc. I like to also keep homemade gifts on hand. 

3. Keep the house tidied up! The house doesn’t have to be spic and span. If you have little kids, it’s expected for there to be toys strewn about. If you use something, put it back in it’s place right after. Load the dishwasher as soon as you are done eating, etc. Those are some things that always make our house look messy. After all, your house is lived in, it’s not a show house and unexpected guests shouldn’t expect for a house to be super clean if you don’t know they are coming.

4. Stock up on food! I usually have items on hand that can be thrown in the oven or microwave for a quick meal…just in case. But what is dinner without dessert? Like a Christmas tree without lights, like snow without cold, like ice cream without chocolate. My mom is 94 and loves her ice cream. So, the one thing I always have on hand are Nestle HÄAGEN-DAZS® Gelato Bars. These are great to have on hand for entertaining those unexpected guests too. A creamy vanilla gelato with 2 golden caramel ribbons, fully dipped in milk chocolate & crunchy Italian style pizzelle cookie pieces. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.

A great ending to any meal. We were finishing up our Christmas shopping at Walmart today and it’s a good thing we have a big freezer. I can get carried away sometimes.

These are my go to tips during the holidays. My niece and her kids were in from Pennsylvania and decided to drop by the other day. I haven’t seen them in a couple years, so it was a nice surprise. After all, sometimes unexpected guests can be a good thing!

What are some of your tips for entertaining unexpected guests?

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Topic: Tips for Entertaining Unexpected Guests