With the holidays in full swing we’ve already started our preparations for hosting holiday get-togethers! In addition to hosting Thanksgiving this year we’re also hosting Christmas Eve which has been an annual tradition since Annabelle has been born {see here, here, and here!} and I can say without hesitation that it is my favorite night of the year. We love to get dressed up, serve great food, spend time with our families, and of course there are always plenty of cocktails! Today we’re partnering with BJ’s Wholesale Club to share a little bit about how we shop for holiday entertaining and next week we’ll be back to share a bit more of how we prep for the party!
Since I’m nearly always pressed for time which is especially true during the holidays, I need to make my errands count! BJ’s recently opened just a few minutes from our house and during a Sunday morning grocery run it was great to find they had exactly what we needed for our holiday get-together. Since it was my first time in BJ’s, I loved being able to take my time and explore to see everything they have to offer, nerd alert! I was pleasantly surprised to find that it felt like a wholesale store and neighborhood grocery store all in one. They had a great supply of items in bulk while still having some of the things you’d find in a smaller scale store like a deli counter, artisan cheese section, etc. They also had an incredible selection of beer, wine and spirits. I actually joked with my girlfriends that the savings on wine would be worth the cost of membership alone {but seriously}! BJ’s even offers their own brand of Wellsley Farms spirits and wines at an even more incredible value.
While we do like to keep things simple for Christmas Eve our menu is anything but basic. Typically, we’ll serve a few signature cocktails and then have a selection of delicious appetizers and snacks. I find that our family loves to graze throughout the evening in between opening presents, helping the girls set-up toys, tracking Santa, and spending quality time together. It also allows me to bring the wow factor while not being stuck in the kitchen. I’m becoming quite an expert cheese board artist if I do say so myself and a simple signature cocktail or two can easily be set up so that your guests can serve themselves.
The other thing that’s always top of mind for us around the holidays is where we can save since we’re spending more than usual on gifts and entertainment. I was really impressed with the quality and value of the Wellsley Farms Organic items at BJ’s. Hosting can often come with a steep price tag so it’s great when you find products that you can trust.
Do you host holidays at your house, or do you prefer to be a guest? Check back next week when I share a peek into our Christmas Eve spread and if you have any questions about hosting please leave them in the comments below!
Thank you to BJ’s Wholesale Club for sponsoring this post.
