In People’s Homes

Tips For Hosting Christmas Dinner

Hosting Christmas dinner has earned a bad reputation for being stressful, but it needn’t be. There are plenty of ways to make hosting Christmas dinner so enjoyable, you’ll want to host next year too. To help, we’ve compiled some of our tips. Read on to discover how to make this year’s Christmas dinner extra special. Set the scene Design your Christmas table scheme and compile all the napkins, decorations and crackers ahead of the big day. That way, come Christmas, you’ll know exactly what you’d like the table to look like and you’ll have everything you need. Feeling extra organised? Then you could even lay the table the night before Christmas so it’s ready for the next day. That way you can make sure the table looks just right, rather than rushing to do it ten minutes before serving food. Check out our blog for some inspiration on decorating your Christmas dining table. Be prepared Prepping food ahead of Christmas Day is one of the best things you can do to make the day run a little smoother. You can prep your carrots, parsnips and potatoes the night before. To keep them fresh simply submerge them in cold water and cover with cling film or eco-friendly wrap. Chopping up all the onions the night before and storing them in an airtight container will also save time the next day. As will making your stuffing a few weeks earlier and freezing it. You can also make any dressings or sauces up to two days before Christmas. We also suggest planning out how everything will fit in the oven. It might sound like overkill but knowing how to fit all the veg and meats into the oven in advance will help massively. This should also help you figure out timings and the order everything needs to enter the oven. Trust us, planning ahead will save you from a massive game of Tetris on the day. Prepping ahead also means you won’t be busy peeling spuds whilst everyone opens their presents on Christmas Day. You’ll be able to enjoy more of the day and spend quality time with your guests, rather than being preoccupied in the kitchen. Give your turkey a rest We’ve consulted the chefs, our resident Christmas connoisseurs and our grandparents and the results are in… rest your roasted turkey for up to an hour before carving it. Resting your roasted turkey gives it time to reabsorb all the juices around it. That means you’ll end up with succulent slices of turkey, rather than a slab of dry meat. There’s no need to cover the turkey with foil, in fact, covering it may make the skin soggy. The turkey should retain its heat well so no need to worry about it getting cold. This really is a Christmas miracle because it frees up oven space for the all-important vegetables. That means less humidity in the oven and more space for your roasties to crisp up. Entertainment Christmas is a celebration, after all, so remember to have fun. Thinking up some activities or games in advance will take the pressure off on the day. Get the board games out of storage so your guests will have plenty to entertain themselves with whilst you’re cooking. If games aren’t your style, then some Christmas music playing in the background will guarantee everyone feels festive. Plus, it will give your guests more time to catch up and talk. Teamwork Sharing the load is a great way to make hosting Christmas dinner easier. After all, there’s no fun in running a one man show. Encouraging children, partners and even some guests to help will make sure Christmas is fun for everyone. One way to do this is by delegating tasks. For example, one person oversees decorating the Christmas table. Another is charged with serving drinks and topping up glasses. Someone else recycles all the wrapping paper and tidies up the living spaces. This means you can focus on the food, whilst still having time to entertain your guests. Spoon stock take If you’re hosting a large Christmas dinner this year, then it’s worth making sure you have enough glassware, cutlery and crockery. That’s everything down to serving spoons and side plates. Sure, it sounds like an obvious move, but after a year of covid-disrupted festivities, this may be the largest event you’ve hosted in a while. Y ou may have cracked a few plates, smashed a couple of glasses or misplaced some cutlery since you last hosted. Check in advance and you’ll have plenty of time to source any missing cutlery or glassware.

Buying Guides

Gifts For Their First Christmas In A New Home

Whether they moved in ten months ago or are just beginning to unpack, new homeowners will be looking forward to the first Christmas in their new home. It can be tricky to find the right gift when they’re still setting up their new home. So, we’ve compiled some inspiration for first Christmas in a new home gifts to help you decide. Think everything from smart technology to thoughtful decorations. Read on to find out more. Vases When moving into a new home, people are often flooded with bouquets of flowers, bottles of wine and houseplants. But what do you display all those flowers in? A vase isn’t normally top of the unpacking list and if it’s their first home then they won’t necessarily own one. So, a vase is a great Christmas gift for new homeowners. If you don’t know much about their interior tastes, then opt for a more neutral vase. In this case, glass or ceramic in natural hues make great choices. If you’re a little more familiar with their style, then you could gift them a vase in a colour or a silhouette to suit their tastes. Glassware Glassware is another thing that new homeowners often receive plenty of. However, that isn’t to say you can’t gift glassware for their first Christmas in a new home. We suggest staying away from classic tumblers or wine glasses and finding cocktail glasses that are a little out of the ordinary. Think luxurious martini glasses, modern champagne saucers and specialised whisky tumblers. For real wine enthusiasts, you could even pair a decanter with a bottle of their favourite vintage. That way they can enjoy their favourite drink in style on Christmas day. Barware For aspiring mixologists, amateur cocktail makers and fans of a festive Snowball, an upgrade to their existing barware is a great first Christmas in a new home gift. Whether that means a new cocktail shaker, jigger and stirring spoon or an elegant Georg Jensen corkscrew, they’re sure to appreciate it. If they already have a world-class selection of barware, then you could gift them the ingredients for their favourite cocktail. Whether that’s everything they need to make a Negroni, or the spirits and garnishes required to make a martini. They’re sure to appreciate a glass of their favourite tipple on Christmas day. Decoration A decoration that marks the first Christmas in their new home is a thoughtful gift that they’ll admire year after year when they decorate the tree. Take your time and explore different styles, themes and types of decoration to find one that suits them and their personality. For example, if they love to travel, find a Christmas decoration gift that reflects this. If their favourite animal is an elephant, find an elephant-themed ornament. With so many different Christmas tree decorations around, you’re bound to find one to suit them. Smart Lighting With a new home comes the chance to change the way you live in more than just one way. Gifting smart lighting to people for the first Christmas in their new home is a really unique and exciting idea. There are plenty of different smart lighting gifts, from voice-activated light bulbs to alarm clocks that wake you up by simulating sunrise. There are even bulbs that you can control via apps on your phone, changing the colour, brightness and settings. Christmas gifts like these light bulbs are great because they’re energy-saving and bound to fit in their home. If you want to gift smart technology for Christmas, there are plenty of other options as well as lighting. Think smart gardens that help you grow herbs inside, smart speakers like amazon’s Alexa or the Google Home and padlocks you unlock with your fingerprint. The options are endless and are sure to make great gifts for the first Christmas in their new home. Accessories Small accessories and candles are great gifts for the first Christmas in a new home. That could be anything from coffee table books and warming winter quilts to picture frames or a keyring. If you’re stuck for choice, then you can’t go wrong with a scented candle that brings an added ambience and beautiful aroma to their home. If you know they’ll open the present in the run up to Christmas then you could choose a scent that fills their home with a festive aroma. For gifts that’ll be opened on Christmas day, a less festive scent is probably the right choice. If they’ve just moved into their new home, then a stylish game or jigsaw that doubles as an accessory could be a great Christmas gift. After all, their internet might not be working yet, the TV license won’t be set up and they’ll need entertaining. Still looking for inspiration? Check out our curated Christmas gift guides.

Stores

Plan For Christmas With Heal's Virtual Interior Planning Service

Plan the perfect Christmas from the comfort of your own home with our new virtual service. Whether you're searching for bespoke decorations or looking to bring festive charm to the dining table, we're here to help. Whatever your needs may be, our interior designers Roger and Helen are here to finesse your Christmas planning. And in this article, we show you exactly how Heal's can help you to create a magical Christmas. How a virtual consultation works Now you can explore our showroom from the comfort and safety of your home. During your virtual design consultation, one of our interior designers will tour you around the showroom via video chat. They will show you various Christmas dining table settings, inspiring your own vision with a variety of colours, themes and decorations. They can also show you beautifully decorated Christmas trees, zooming in closer on any details you love. Throughout the consultation, our experts will answer any questions you may have and give interior design advice that's tailored to your home. Personalised advice Our interior designers offer a tailored Christmas consultation that's based entirely on your individual home. They will help to alleviate your seasonal stresses with personalised tips on customised colour palettes, festive decorations and interior themes. Have a specific need? Don't panic. They'll cater for that! And what's more, they will ensure you discover everything you need to have the most wonderful Christmas. Booking a virtual consultation It's never been easier to start Christmas planning. Simply click here to book your personalised virtual consultation. Once on the site, click 'Virtual Consultations' then 'Interior Planning Service' to book a slot. Our team will try their upmost to find a time that suits you best. Heal's makes Christmas easy This Christmas, your festive plans may look a little different to previous years. That doesn't mean the fun has to stop though. However you're spending the season, let us bring a little charm and joy to proceedings. From delightful decorations and magical lighting to the finest stocking fillings and festive food and drink, we will cater for your every need. And if you're stuck on what to gift a loved one, our Christmas Gift Guide offers present inspiration for everyone in your life. Like what you hear? Book your virtual Christmas design consultation now.