4 brilliant tips for entertaining this season

(BPT) - The annual Hollis Holiday Party is a long-standing tradition, and hands down Rachel Hollis' favorite party to plan every year. Each year they pick a fun theme — last year they converted their house into a ski lodge for the night and everyone had a blast. Regardless of how you plan to decorate, there are a few entertaining essentials Hollis picked up over her years as an event planner that will help make all your holiday events go smoothly.

1. Plan your timeline.

Make sure you plan ahead, including time for yourself to get dressed. You can pre-plan your meals and freeze ahead of time in Rubbermaid BRILLIANCE containers since its freezer safe! There’s nothing worse than a gorgeous party where you’re just stepping into the shower before it starts.

2. Pre-prepare your appetizers.

Consider appetizers that you can make ahead and serve at room temperature so you don’t have to babysit your menu all night. Store all your pre-prepped appetizers in beautiful Rubbermaid BRILLIANCE containers in various sizes to create a perfect stack and keep your refrigerator organized. Not to mention, seeing all your ingredients right there on the shelf will help you make your final presentation a breeze!

3. Say "cheers" with your signature drink.

Consider serving a signature cocktail to make your party feel extra special. Start by storing the ingredients for your cocktail in a leak-proof Rubbermaid BRILLIANCE container to prevent a spill — and you can even showcase the containers because they look great on display! Check out all the great cocktail recipes from “Upscale Downhome,” many of which contain only three ingredients or less!

4. Offer unique bite-size snacks.

Share your favorite meals with your guests by making them into bite-size snacks, like these BLT Bites from Rachel’s cookbook, “Upscale Downhome.” You can prep and store all the components in Rubbermaid’s new BRILLIANCE containers (cubed bread, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and dressing) in advance and assemble them right before your guests arrive!

Happy holidays and happy entertaining everyone!