Whether you relish the role of Christmas host and do it every year, or it’s just come around to your turn, it’s guaranteed to raise those already high festive cortisol levels. From cramming everyone in to remembering all the dietary requirements, it’s rarely easy.
But seeing the whole crew under your own roof is always magical, and there’s plenty of prep you can do ahead of time to make things easier. Here’s how.
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Make a list and check it twice
While the kids write their lists to Santa, pen one of your own: everything you’ll need for your guests and the meals you’ll be serving. Lucy Turnbull and Emma Cantlay, hosts of the Seasonal Supper Club in London, advise: “Write down what you want to cook, then work backwards to the prep. Consider fridge space and how long each element takes to make.” Also do a walk-around of your house to see if any jobs need doing. My list of 50 easy winter home updates provides some useful tips.
Check if you need extra kitchenware so that you can avoid panic buying. Intentionally mismatching plates, serving dishes and glasses (try these gorgeous coupes from M&S, as recommended in our recent guide to homeware gifts) is less stressful than trying to find like-for-like replacements.
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Improve their sleep
Remember: no one is at their best on too little sleep. So if you’re short on guest bedding, invest in crisp sheets and proper pillows (my favourite is this Simba Stratos pillow). Check bedside lamps work, and if there are no curtains, leave your guest a beautiful eye mask like this pretty velvet one (as recommended in our guide to sleep aids).
And if you really want to impress, interior designer Isabella Worsley thinks the most thoughtful touches are: “Arriving to find a mini kettle and hot-water bottle in a guest room – always appreciated during winter. Alka-Seltzer is also welcome the morning after!” Agreed. My favourite hot-water bottle of the season is Shrimps’ cable knit version as I picked out in my list of easy home updates.
Also, be sure to leave fresh towels on their bed and consider topping them off with toiletries in case they’ve forgotten anything. This £7.50 L’Occitane soap would be a nice touch (as Sali Hughes recommended in our guide to the best beauty gifts).
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Don’t be a martyr
If something isn’t your forte, do ask your guests to pitch in, suggest Turnbull and Cantlay. Foodies will love sourcing something like the cheeseboard (look out for our guide this week) or sparkling wine.
Finally, don’t forget the morning brew: maybe it’s time to invest in a slick coffee machine (recently tested by the Filter) to up your caffeine game.
Happy hosting!
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This week’s picks
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Editor’s pick
A scented candle is a great, failsafe gift: it can lift a mood, and add an air of sophistication to a space. The British Museum’s current Silk Roads exhibition is perfumed with a musky, spice scent, and it heightens the immersive experience. But a bad scented candle is worse than no scented candle at all – sickly and headache-inducing.
So we burned dozens of them to find the 16 best candles around. And better still, none cost more than £30. So, whether it’s for a Christmas present, or your own living room, don’t light one without consulting our guide first.
Hannah Booth
Editor, the Filter
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In case you missed it …
Is there anything more exciting than receiving a hamper for Christmas? A beautiful wicker basket arriving at the door, filled with all kinds of goodies for you to dig out, like an incredibly fancy lucky dip. But, as Felicity Cloake writes, they’re often more exciting to receive than consume. She spent the day valiantly chowing down on the best Christmas hampers for the Filter, from Scottish cheeses to a vegan Fortnum’s offering, to make sure our picks are “near guaranteed to bring genuine cheer from delivery to dispatch”.
Cheese, nibbles and wine: the best Christmas hampers – tasted and tested by Felicity Cloake
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Get involved
What are your shopping and consumer intentions for 2025? Do you want to spend less on skincare? Create a capsule wardrobe, or buy more vintage? Would you love to reduce the cost of your supermarket shop, or build a wine collection?
Let us know your New Year’s shopping resolutions by replying to this newsletter, or emailing us on thefilter@theguardian.com
