In just a few weeks, the holidays will be in full swing. To keep things organized, simple and enjoyable, I live by these five rules.

Be realistic

Planning a get together with family and friends? Realize that you can’t do everything. When I’m planning a menu, I choose items that I know I can make easily and without a lot of fuss. Seduced by the idea of individual desserts for everyone at the table? And yes, we have all been there whether it’s individual desserts or a new recipe with many specialized ingredients. Take a breath and think about how much time you have to try something new. Try a test run a few weeks ahead of time and see how you feel. Gathering is about everyone spending time together - not you trapped in the kitchen.

Think about what you need to set the table

Things break - wine glasses I am looking at you. Throughout the year, glasses break and plates chip. Take stock now and replace/fill in. I love these glasses from Zwiesel Glas, which are dishwasher safe on the crystal/china setting and they work for red or white wine. For holiday entertaining, I rely heavily on these white bistro style plates from Williams Sonoma. They look great stacked on buffets and do well in the dishwasher.

Pull out your table linens early

Setting the table is like telling a story. A few weeks before, I pull out all my linens and think about what I want the table to look like. If anything needs to be washed, I do it then - midnight laundry is not how I like spending my time. To set the table, I like to layer linens. The first layer that goes down is a table pad. This provides a bit of cushion. Next I will lay down a neutral cloth and the layer something with a bit of color or pattern on top of that. My favorite table cloth for the holidays is Helen or Lucy from the Beaumont House Desing collection. Cloth napkins are always a great choice. I keep stacks of cream and white napkins on hand. The first rule of clean up for me is put the table linens in the washing machine as soon as the table is cleared, pretreating any stains immediately. You’ll be glad you did.

Stock up on candles

There are so many beautiful candle options available. Throughout the year I like to pick up candles in different shapes, sizes and colors - creating a stockpile for the holidays. Some of my go to candles are Mole Hollow beeswax candles (they burn evenly and the color selection is terrific), and Roots candles (the colors and shapes are fabulous and they fit beautifully in candle holders).

Scan the pantry early

There is nothing worse than getting ready to make Christmas cookies and you don’t have enough (fill in the blank) because you thought you had enough. This week I’m doing a scan of the pantry to make sure I have enough flour, sugar, nuts, dried fruit, vanilla, baking powder and salt for holiday baking. My holiday baking usually starts after dinner and there is nothing worse than a grocery store run at 8pm.

Photos @krystanormanphotography @jenfariello @forestheartphotography