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October is flying by and the holidays will be here before you know it! I was in Walmart yesterday and used some serious restraint from putting so many great finds in my cart. So, instead of buying everything, I grabbed a few essentials and noted the rest to share with you. I don’t know about you, but I always end up forgetting something the week (or day) of Thanksgiving or Christmas – disposable baking pans, cranberry sauce, the chopped pecans for my chocolate candy holiday balls – or I forget that I also have to feed my crew the day before the main event (ha!).
I’m starting early in my preparation this year, and I’m putting my Walmart+ Membership to work. If you’re a Sam’s Club Member, I’ll also link what similar items I found there as well. [if you don’t have a Sam’s Club or Walmart+ membership, I highly recommend it before we get into November]
First up, I always like to plan the fun part before I actually gather my ingredients. To me, the fun part is the serving ware and the decor. And because I don’t want to pay a lot for either, I source high-quality pieces for less – sometimes I find fun platters or serving dishes at garage sales, sometimes I find them at Walmart like yesterday.
If you buy one piece this Fall, let it be this 3.5 quart The Pioneer Woman Pumpkin Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven for $34.97. I’ve had my eye on the Williams Sonoma version ($229.95) and was happy to find its twin on the shelf at Walmart for much less. I’ll warn you though a few color options are already sold out.
Other items on my list for the holiday hostess with the mostest:
- This Crock-Pot 7 Quart Slow Cooker that is currently on rollback sale for $34.96 (and I love the color options). Use this for the “meal beforehand” and make it easy! Speaking of, here are 20 crockpot recipes if you need ideas. If you want an automatic option with an insulated carry-case, I like this option at Sam’s Club.
- A Ninja Foodi 4-in1 Air Fryer 8-Qt with Dual Zones that is $40 off! Breakfast is covered in this air fryer – just choose one of these quick recipes. You can level up to a 6-in-1 Ninja 8-Qt Air Fryer at Sam’s Club for $129.72 (reg. $149.72)
- This beautiful, timeless Better Homes and Garden 10×13 Pumpkin Stoneware Baking Dish. I can already see my squash casserole in this dish (let me know if you’d like the recipe).
- No holiday prep is complete without some caffeine. I love the various options on this Ninja DuelBrew Hot & Iced 12-Cup Drip Coffee Maker. It also takes k-cups and does cold brews. An option for every single one of your guests.
It’s also worth it to stock up on food items that you may use for holiday cooking and baking – these are currently on sale:
- Libby’s Canned 100% Pure Pumpkin | $1.97 (reg. $2.22)
- Campbell’s Cream of Chicken | $1.00 (reg. $1.28)
- Great Value Canned Green Beans | $.50 (reg. $.082) – these are great if you donate to your local food bank!
- Great Value Canned Corn | $.50 (reg. $.82) – also a score for food bank donations!
- Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom | $1.00 (reg. $1.28)
I’ll leave you with one final tip that helps me year after year – make a list of what guests loved, what was too difficult to make, what needed to be prepped earlier and refrigerated for later, etc. in your phone or notebook and refer back to when you start prepping. I always envy the ladies who have their holiday cooking down to a seamless schedule and aspire to put less stress on myself each year. I’d love to hear what your best holiday hosting tip or trick is!
