12 Essential Tips That’ll Save You So Much Stress This Holiday Season

A little prepping and planning can make your holiday meal just that much more memorable. Pyrex has plenty of storage options to make your holiday feast easy as pie.

The holidays can be stressful, especially if you're hosting a meal at your home. Don't stress! Stare into this sweet samoyed's entrancing eyes.

Feel better? Good! Lots of holiday recipes are sacred family heirlooms you'd dare not tamper with or share. Instead of recipe tips, we want to empower you with ideas for how to prepare and produce a stress-free feast to remember!

1. For starters, do a deep clean of your refrigerator and freezer before you begin planning your grocery shopping for the holiday feast.

This has two benefits. The first being that when it comes time to store your recipes you won't have to agonize over shuffling things around to make space. The second is that you'll see what you do and do not have before you craft your grocery list.

2. Get a final head count of how many will be attending and start planning accordingly.

Here's a good general rule of thumb when considering how much to make for attendees. Each guest should get at least 1/2 cup of each side, 1 pound of whatever main dish you're making, 1 1/8 slice of dessert, and 2–3 glasses of whatever beverage you're making.

3. Make two trips to the grocery store. One trip for nonperishables and the second for ingredients that are better fresh.

Splitting your shopping into two trips will make it feel more manageable. It'll also help you see what you may have forgotten on your first trip so you're not scrambling to find what you need at the last minute.

4. Plan a few dishes that don't require an oven.

Say goodbye to the hot kitchen, and say hello to no-cook salads, dips, and desserts galore! Seal and store your low-heat, low-stress dishes in the fridge (or even outside in the snow, weather permitting) until dinnertime!

5. Dry-brine your meat to avoid finding somewhere to cool and store the mass of meat and marinade.

A simple rub of salt, pepper, and spices will soak into the skin and give you just as moist and delicious of a dish to serve your guests and a whole lot of space in your fridge for other things.

6. Prepping things beforehand will make the day of your holiday feast merry and bright.

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Whether it's chilling your grandma's cranberry spread recipe overnight in an airtight container or keeping the veggie spread fresh, storing your pre-prepped foods in the right containers can save some time and stress upon serving!

7. There's no shame in buying store-bought foods.

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Listen, when the flood gates open and your guests descend upon your holiday spread, people are going to be going for their favorite dishes regardless of whether it looks store-bought or homemade and they'll love it all the same. If you're stressed or pressed for time and want your store-bought dessert to look authentic, toss it in a glass pie pan for that homemade aesthetic!

8. Let your each member of your household have ownership of at least one dish or duty.

Holiday meals are an undertaking that takes a village. Instead of frantically dolling out tasks the day of, plan ahead and delegate specific dishes or tasks to your helping hands. Letting them own one dish or duty (like setting the table) will give them pride and ownership in their task and lessen some of your load.

9. Make a schedule ahead of time of what needs to be cooked when.

As you're planning your recipes, also plan out what you can cook and when and be realistic of the time it needs, no cutting corners! Having a plan of action will help you feel more confident the day of. As you delegate tasks, make sure those helping know when they need to have their dish ready so you're not all competing for oven space at the last minute.

10. Set up a drink station with large jugs of refreshments.

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Individual glasses and pitchers at each table can be a huge time suck. Instead, set up an area in your home where guests can serve themselves drinks. Put out buckets of ice and trade small pitchers for big jugs of drinks like tea or water — or even try setting up a cocoa bar!

11. Run and unload the dishwasher the day of so it's empty when guests arrive.

It's the end of the meal, all your guests have waddled out the door with full bellies and content hearts, and then the daunting task of cleanup starts to sour your holiday cheer. Be proactive and empty your dishwasher right before guests arrive. This way, you can easily rinse them and place them in the dishwasher throughout the day.

12. Make a leftovers station.

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Like a fine wine, some foods taste better with time, and holiday leftovers are no exception. Set up an area near the food where guests can grab a storage container and load it up with whatever leftovers they desire. Label your storage containers with your name so that your prized storage vessels return safely to you.

And if you're still feeling stressed, don't worry, you got this! Snow-tie boy believes in you!

Images from iStock unless otherwise noted.

Whether it's storing food before or after the meal, Pyrex has plenty of options that are perfect for your needs.