All the tips to set you up for success, from being prepped for guests to stashing a few gifts, just in case.

I’ve asked a lot of fun, successful people who do a lot of entertaining for their secret to pulling off a great event. The answer is always aspects of the same thing: putting people in a good mood. Conversely, they tell me the biggest way to ruin that vibe is with a stressed-out host. At no time is a host more prone to malfunction than the festive season: the end-of-year pressure (exams, reports, wrap-up parties), the busy calendar of events, gift shopping, sales, and the beautiful weather that means you have to find time to spend a day at the beach relaxing and make a gingerbread house while watching Love Actually and getting in full glam for a party that night. It’s a lot.

But summer should be all about good drinks, good food, witty banter, dancing, chats, laughing, celebrating and not sweating the small stuff. How? We’ve prepared a guide to not just surviving, but also utterly slaying the festive season. Add these tips to your repertoire and you’ll be ready for anything.

The drinks

A well-stocked bar will get you far, but if you’re starting from scratch, you don’t need to go and buy one of everything. Most of the inspiring hosts we’ve drilled for intel recommend a bottle of Champagne in the fridge (for celebrations) and reserves of what you like to drink. Cold beers, ciders, premixes, an easy-drinking chardonnay, your go-to sangiovese, gin and your favourite tonic – lean in. Always keep an interesting non-alc option, and make sure you have a versatile garnish: lemon, lime, rosemary, thyme – it all hits. Finally, ice. Cold is the most essential ingredient in any cocktail, so keep those trays turning.

The food

No one can perpetually keep food in the fridge just in case you have to roll out a three-course-dinner for unexpected guests (and their dietaries). Instead, you need some delicious, reliable takeaway options, and a section of your pantry filled with eat-right-now fancy-ish snacks – chips, crackers, olives, biscuits, mini breadsticks, cheese and your pick of treats “from the good part of the store,” as they say in Nancy Meyers films.

The gifts

The more the merrier is a great house policy, until you realise you’re a present short for Bad Santa, or forgot your cousin’s new boyfriend was going to be at the (competitive) family gift-giving session. Having a few spare gifts in the cupboard will also get you out of a tight spot when the crushing December schedule means you didn’t get time to grab a KK before the work party or a teacher’s present. The safest back-stop gifts? A bottle of wine, a limited-edition beer gift pack, a recipe book, a gift card. Grab a couple of of these ahead of time and you’ll be so glad you did.

The smash-it-out-of-the-park dish

Whether it’s your famous roast chicken, stuffed tomatoes or Rogan Josh, have a signature dish. This should be something you know how to shop for, prep, cook, and cook well, so you can rinse and repeat whenever you have guests but not the headspace.

The batched cocktails

A genius move to make you look (and feel) like a much more seasoned host than you really are? Batching cocktails. It’s easy and gives you back all that time you’d otherwise spend in the kitchen mixing drinks, trying to hold a conversation and appear unflustered by the bottle of cranberry juice you just knocked over. We’ve laid out exactly how to do it, and the best recipes to do it with, so you’ll be a pro in no time.

The go-to dessert

I wasn’t always a fan of everyone bringing a plate. The mismatched cuisine “pot luck” of it all didn’t appeal but, with age, I’ve realised cooking everything for a heap of people can be a big barrier to entertaining (the cost, the time – it’s a lot). And I’m an advocate for more parties, so “bring a plate” it is. For this, make sure you have a really good plate, and I’m going to suggest you make it a dessert. It’s the most requested dish and if you get good at one, it's super easy. The key to a good dessert? It should be moreish, look great, and have the right servingware for it. You have to find your own perfect recipe, but remember, chocolate goes with everything, meringues always look impressive and no one is ever mad about a dessert that’s actually a drink.

The quick-chill know-how

Whether your guests arrive unannounced or you underestimated how many bottles this particular event would need, there are ways to get wine ready to serve in under five minutes. The best and quickest way is to spin the bottle in a salted ice bath, but if you want a simpler way, placing a bottle in the freezer on its side, wrapped in a wet tea towel or paper towel, will get you chilled wine in no time.

The handy wine trick

Being able to open your friend's drink is useful, but also a pretty suave party trick – just promise to never ever use your teeth. Nothing ruins a good time like an emergency trip to the dentist. We’ve gone deep on ways to pop a bottle (the eyelash curler is a personal favourite) and remove a cork (bicycle pump, hands down), so no matter the bottle or the location, you will successfully get that wine open – and be able to show off in the process.

The host with the most

Apparently charisma can be boiled down to three things: being present, a little power ( more like feeling confident in your own skin) and oozing warmth. So, pay attention, listen to what your guests are saying (don’t start trying to figure out what to get your Kris Kringle now), be assured, kind and genuine, and you’ll be the thing they’ll remember most.