5 party prepping products that are worth it

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How to prep for your holiday party like a pro

Found: 5 products to make hosting easier

By Michelle Lau

Commerce Editor

During the busy holidays, it can often feel like you're hosting, cooking, and cleaning for guests on the regular. If you're someone who gets stressed out hosting, fear not. As a shopping editor with over 15 years of experience, I've found five simple products that make prepping for a party much easier. These small, but mighty products will help you host your joyous get-together—in a way that's not super time-consuming.

Hide Clutter with Baskets: Short-term storage solutions like baskets hide clutter so you can deal with it later. Toss in the mail, pet's or kid's toys, and anything else that might require more time than you have during the holidays.
The One Cleaner That Does It All: Focus your precious cleaning time on your kitchen, where guests tend to congregate. I grab Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner, especially now that it comes in refreshing holiday scents. It's my go-to cleaner because of its gentle, plant-based formula that can tackle sticky stains, grease splatters, and fingerprint smudges. Plus, I love that you can combine it with other similar scented products (or mix and match) from the brand, like dish soap or glass cleaner.
All-in-One Vacuum: While you tackle the countertops, put the ILife Robot Vacuum and let it do the hard work for you. I love this robot vacuum—it takes just 2 minutes to set up, requires no app download, and it goes on sale often. It's one of the cheapest robotic vacuums we've ever tested and recommend.
Short-Term Storage Saver: Invest in a basic, portable coat rack to hang up guests' belongings in the garage, laundry room, or even the hallway. That way you can skip the standard pile of coats stacked on your bed.
Be Prepared: Whether you're cooking the meal or everyone is bringing something, stock up on pretty and dishwasher-safe servingware like this three-piece all white set that goes with any tablescape.

Hosting a party doesn't have to eat up all of your time and focus. Remember, it's about celebrating the special moments with your friends and family this season. What are your favorite ways to put together a holiday bash? We'd love to hear your creative ideas!