Holiday Hosting Tips

This post is a companion to my Holiday Eating Tips post of November 19.

The holidays can be a challenge for anyone planning to host a family, friends, or office gathering.  Realizing that love, friendship, and the comfort of your guests are more important than fancy hors d'oeuvres or your new china pattern may help.  So, here are some tips for hosting a loving, friendly, comfortable party this holiday season.

1. Be yourself.  As a party host, you don't need to be the "perfect, super" version of yourself that is really only possible on a scripted television show.  Your friends and family love you and your co-workers enjoy your company, so relax!

2. Find out if any guests have food restrictions or allergies.  This is not always possible, but if you can either through the grapevine or your invitations ask guests who may not eat certain foods for religious or choice reasons or have severe food allergies to let you know privately beforehand.  Some people who eat a limited diet may offer to bring a dish for themselves or help you figure out how to include them in your food spread.

3. Don't push food and drinks too hard.  Some of your guests may be dieting or have food/drink issues that they haven't shared.  Have the food and drinks available and politely offer more occasionally, but don't be offended or upset if someone passes on a second helping of pie or a third glass of wine.

4. Offer a mix of healthy and "traditional" (high in fat and calories) food and drink options.  More and more people want to have at least one healthy option when attending a party.  You don't have to spend a lot of money or time serving a huge variety of items, but at least offer a tray of vegetables, fruits, low-fat cheeses or meats amongst the cookies, fudge, and mini quiches.

5. Don't embarrass late arrivals.  Some of your guests will arrive later than you expect.  Don't say, "Hey, look! John decided to show up!" or "I'm glad you're finally here," since phrases like these can make your guest uncomfortable and unwelcome.  Instead, warmly greet them as if they arrived right on time.  If the late guests offers an apology for their delay, let them know everything is fine.  You could say with a genuine smile, "No worries, we are glad you're here."

6. Turn it down! Some people only see each other at holiday functions.  This is especially true at family or large office parties.  Keep the music or entertainment volume low enough that people can easily hold a conversation.  This is especially important if anyone with hearing difficulties is attending.  Also, take into account the age and musical tastes of your guests.  We may love heavy metal, but Aunt Sue or your boss will not appreciate Steve Harris' excellent basslines.

Images from Microsoft Clip Art website

Are You My Friend? Take the Quiz!

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and other social media networks can be a great way to keep in contact with friends and family, network with clients and business partners, share tips and interesting information, and meet others with similar interests. These networks can also be a time waster, give identity thieves your personal information, and cause misunderstandings and hard feelings.

One way I limit the negative side of social media networking is by limiting the number of people in these networks.

If you request to be my friend, follower, link, etc. and are rejected, ask yourself the following questions. Add up the total and see how you score!!

1. Do I know you? - Yes (1 pt) - No (0 pt)
If I don't know you at all, have never conversed with you, and wouldn't be able to ID you in a police line up, you probably won't be accepted in my network.

2. Are you a good person? - Yes (1 pt) - No (0 pt)
This isn't only what you think of yourself, but also the general consensus amongst your peers and family. If you are a liar, a thief, a racist, or a jerk in general, don't even bother trying to connect with me.

3. Do we have anything in common? - Yes (1 pt) - No (0 pt)
If you know me, then you know some of my likes and dislikes in art, music, politics, work, hobbies, and lifestyle. If we don't share any interests, it's pointless to connect.

4. Have we been getting along lately? - Yes (1 pt) - No (0 pt)
If we recently had a disagreement or things have been tense between us for a while, let some time pass and make an effort to work through the issue with me before trying to join my social media network. I won't risk getting virtually yelled at just to have another person in my network.

5. Do you genuinely want to network with me? - Yes (1 pt) - No (0 pt)
Networks are for interacting. Unless you are very interesting to me and offer a product/service/skill that I want in my life, I won't follow or friend a one-way info blast.


SCORING:
0 pts - Who the hell are you and how did you find this blog?!

1 pt - Maybe I met you on a message board or some other virtual space. I might let you join, but don't feel rejected if I don't. My time is limited and I need to keep up with close friends and family.

2-3 pts - We probably have met once or twice and had a good time talking. I probably will let you join, but my interaction with you may be limited.

4-5 pts - FRIEND! Glad to see you!! (If your request was rejected, either I didn't see it or accidentally pushed the wrong button.)

If we're gonna meet up online, check out these important tips from Consumer Reports:
Consumer Reports' 7 Things to Stop Doing on Facebook