Prepare Yourself and Your Home for the Holidays

(ARA) – Holidays are the quintessential time for entertaining, but the hustle and bustle to create a welcoming home also invites a lot of stress.

Celebrity cookbook author and entertainer extraordinaire Katie Lee Joel, is teaming up with Crest Whitestrips Premium to help consumers around the country perfect their hostessing skills in the “Hostess for the Holidays” contest. The contest will be announced on Y! Thread (http://shine.yahoo.com/topic/the+thread/), a new original program from Yahoo! that gives women a daily dose of the latest trends. Three lucky finalists will win a trip to New York City to compete in a live, in-person series of challenges for the title of the ultimate Hostess for the Holidays.

To enter the contest, visit www.HostessfortheHolidays.com from now until November 19, 2008, and submit a photo showcasing your smile and your hostessing skills, with a short essay explaining why you should be awarded the top hostess honor. Describe why your home is the best place to be for family gatherings, from decor to the ambience, right down to your welcoming white smile. Entries will be narrowed down to three finalists by Katie Lee Joel and a panel of judges based on originality and creativity.

Finalists will be announced in late November and flown to New York City for the final in-person competition on December 19, 2008. The grand prize winner will receive a $2,000 cash prize, and the two runners up will each receive $500 to prepare themselves and their homes to welcome guests for the holidays. Visitors to the site will also be entered to win weekly prizes when they submit their favorite hostessing tips online.

When hosting a gathering of family and friends for holiday celebrations, there are ways to keep it simple so you can fully enjoy all the season (and the party) has to offer. Katie Lee Joel offers some of her own tips to help create treasured memories at home:

Prepare Your Home
* When planning your party menu, arrange your preparations in order of what takes the longest to prepare to what needs to be served hot or cold. Prepare your food ahead of time and place finishing touches before serving. I do this so that I can spend more time with my guests, and not in the kitchen.

* Throughout the party, walk around to refill glasses and keep your ears open to ensure the music doesn’t run out. Select songs that enhance the mood you’re looking to create. I like something upbeat for cocktails and mellow for dinner.

Prepare Yourself
* It’s important to me to look and feel my best when entertaining. My number one beauty secret is Crest Whitestrips Premium, so I can welcome my guests with a beautiful, whiter holiday smile. You will start seeing results in only three days!

* Designate one hour on the day of the party to get yourself ready. Choose an outfit that makes you feel stylish, yet still comfortable enough to work in the kitchen.

* Don’t be afraid to use your guests as you’re hosting if necessary. Having everyone pitch in creates a lighter atmosphere and serves as a great ice breaker for those who don’t know each other.

To enter the contest and for more of Katie’s holiday hosting tips, visit www.HostessfortheHolidays.com. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. See website for official rules.

Courtesy of ARAcontent