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In an interview with Veranda, Martha Stewart described five habits she considers nonnegotiable before hosting holiday parties: cleaning and polishing her home, preparing fireplace wood, making eggnog, bringing in houseplants and offering guests homemade food to take home. The advice is her personal routine, not a set of requirements for hosts, and the published account does not specify when the interview took place.
Martha Stewart has outlined five habits she returns to for holiday parties, including preparing a clean home, stocking dry fireplace wood, making eggnog, adding houseplants and sending guests home with a homemade treat. The advice appeared in an interview published by Veranda as the holiday season approached, offering readers a practical look at how the lifestyle entrepreneur prepares for gatherings.
Stewart’s preparations begin with the house itself. She told Veranda she aims to have it in “very nice shape and sparkling clean,” and said her cleaning routine includes polishing silver and brass, as well as tending to the rooms and surfaces guests will see. The account presents this as her own approach to getting ready for a busy hosting season.
For homes with fireplaces, Stewart said she keeps a supply of fresh, dry wood ready so she can light a fire for visitors, including friends or out-of-town guests who arrive at short notice. Her food centerpiece is a large-batch Christmas eggnog made with a dozen eggs, baking spices and whipped cream. The recipe can include bourbon, dark rum and cognac; Stewart advised limiting guests to one glass or reducing the alcohol if people are likely to drink more.
The remaining habits are to bring greenery indoors and offer a take-home food favor. Stewart, who has partnered with Miracle-Gro as its chief gardening officer, recommended houseplants as a way to make a home feel lively, with seasonal options including paperwhites, amaryllis and poinsettias. For a parting gift, she suggested homemade cookies, candy or cake. The interview does not present these practices as a formal checklist for all hosts.
Five Habits Behind Stewart’s Hosting
The list turns a familiar holiday-hosting question—how to make guests feel welcome—into specific preparations spanning cleaning, warmth, food, plants and a parting favor. Readers can adapt any one of them without following the entire routine; Stewart’s examples include both advance preparation, such as drying and stacking firewood, and details guests may notice during the gathering.
The eggnog advice also comes with a practical caution. The recipe’s optional combination of three types of liquor can make it a strong drink, and Stewart recommends limiting servings or using less alcohol. That note is relevant for hosts planning a shared batch, though the interview provides no nutritional or alcohol-strength figures.
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Veranda’s report frames the interview as seasonal guidance for people planning holiday meals and gatherings. It says Stewart discussed the rituals and recipes she returns to, including her eggnog and ways to welcome guests, whether the event is an intimate dinner or a larger house party.
The source also links Stewart’s plant recommendations to her work with Miracle-Gro. Its examples—paperwhites in bowls, red amaryllis along a table and poinsettias near a mantel—are seasonal decorating ideas described in the article, not a claim that every host needs particular plants or arrangements.
“There’s a lot going on, so I just make sure that my house is in very nice shape and sparkling clean.”
— Martha Stewart, speaking to Veranda
Details the Interview Leaves Open
Veranda’s report does not state the interview date or provide a date for when Stewart’s tips were first shared beyond its publication ahead of the holiday season. It also does not give the full eggnog recipe or exact ingredient quantities beyond the dozen eggs and the optional three liquors, so readers would need the linked recipe for preparation details.
The article does not say whether Stewart considers each practice mandatory for every event or how often she uses them. “Nonnegotiable” describes the framing of the report about her personal habits; it is not a universal hosting standard. No information is given about guests’ dietary needs, alcohol-free alternatives or the safety arrangements for fireplaces.
How Hosts Can Use the List
The report does not announce a scheduled follow-up or a new product or event. Readers planning gatherings can use the five practices as optional ideas: prepare the rooms and serving pieces, arrange a warm welcome, choose a drink suited to guests, add seasonal greenery and set aside a small take-home treat.
Anyone serving the boozy eggnog can follow Stewart’s stated advice to keep portions limited or cut back the liquor, and should make clear what the drink contains. The source offers no further update on Stewart’s holiday plans; the next step for readers seeking exact quantities is to consult the full recipe cited by Veranda.
Key Questions
What five things does Martha Stewart say she does for holiday parties?
She describes cleaning and polishing her home, preparing dry fireplace wood, making eggnog, bringing houseplants indoors and giving guests homemade food to take home.
What goes into Stewart’s holiday eggnog?
Veranda describes a large-batch recipe with a dozen eggs, baking spices and fresh whipped cream. It can also include bourbon, dark rum and cognac, but the supplied report does not give all ingredient quantities.
What caution does Stewart give about the eggnog?
Because the recipe can include three liquors, Stewart suggests limiting guests to one glass or cutting the alcohol in half if guests are especially thirsty.
What homemade favors does Stewart recommend?
She suggests food guests can take home, such as a special cookie, candy or loaf cake, or a large slice of something delicious.
Are these five practices requirements for all holiday hosts?
No. They are presented as Stewart’s personal hosting habits, not rules or requirements for every party.
Source: veranda.com
