Now that the holiday season is full swing, some of you may be feeling a titch of seasonal stress. Making your lists and checking them twice while swilling spiked eggnog to take the edge off. Or, you may be taking it all in stride with all of your yuletide tasks complete, and if that is so Santa doesn’t like a brown noser well done. If you’re like me though, and already running out of steam, this post is dedicated to you.

Hosting a holiday party may sound like a lot of work, and believe me it can be. I usually host an annual soiree for friends and colleagues consisting of a massive spread of food and candy cane martinis shaken individually over ice. And it’s great fun…for every one but me. So this year, I decided to cut a few corners. Don’t judge, my holiday spirit is still very present, I just get to enjoy the party now instead of monitoring the oven for the next batch of mini quiches.

So without further adieu, here’s my list of Christmas party hacks, so you too can join in on the impromptu kitchen dance party:

Make your place smell amazing

I love the smell of Christmas. No, I don’t mean the scent of a sweaty mall Santa or stacks of buttery shortbread. I mean that warm, nostalgic forest-meets-grandma’s-kitchen kind of smell. Pile the below ingredients into a pot of boiling water and let simmer until guests arrive:

• 1 orange sliced
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 5-6 whole cloves
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• a handful of cranberries

Don’t spend a fortune on decor

While out on a winters day stroll, multitask some holiday prep by picking up a few items on the way. Cedar boughs and pinecones will turn your abode into an instant holiday haven for absolutely no cost and very little effort. Pro tip: bake your pinecones in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes to get rid of any vermin. Extra pro tip: do not try this with the cedar boughs.

Keep your party nibbles nice and easy

While you could spend a lot of time and effort preparing appetizers all day – and then worrying about replenishment throughout the evening – make your life easy and toss a few hand-stretched, wood-fired Luvo Flatbreads into the oven before guests arrive. Slice into strips on an angle and drizzle our balsamic glaze overtop to fancy them up. Take the credit and say you baked them from scratch – we’ll never tell.

Present guests with a cocktail that looks fussy but isn’t at all

Making cocktails from scratch seems like a grand idea at first, but can force a host to miss half the festivities and gets really messy. Simply stock up on rosé prosecco and have the following ingredients ready to go to garnish your bubbles:

• pomegranate seeds
• springs of fresh rosemary

Do you have a favorite Christmas party hack or a few shortcuts to share? Please spread the holiday cheer in the comments below.