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In an interview with Veranda, Martha Stewart described five things she likes to prepare for holiday parties: a clean home, a ready fireplace, homemade eggnog, houseplants and a food favor for guests. Her comments are hosting advice, not a report of a new event or a formal set of rules for all hosts.
Martha Stewart has shared five holiday-hosting practices she says she returns to for her own parties, including cleaning and polishing her home, keeping firewood ready, making eggnog, bringing in houseplants and sending guests home with a homemade treat. The advice appeared in a Veranda interview published ahead of the holiday season, offering readers a practical look at the details Stewart prioritizes beyond menus and decorations.
Stewart’s preparations begin with the house itself. She told Veranda that she makes sure it is “in very nice shape and sparkling clean,” and said that includes polishing silver and brass as well as cleaning guest spaces. The point, as she described it, is to have the home ready during a busy season when visitors may arrive.
She also recommends preparing a fireplace in advance, if a host has one: keep a supply of dry firewood stacked so a fire can be lit when guests come over. Stewart framed this as a way to make the home welcoming, including for friends or relatives who may arrive unexpectedly. This is advice for homes with fireplaces, not a requirement for every gathering.
Food and greenery make up the remaining three practices. Stewart said she makes her batch of Christmas eggnog because it serves many people and is popular with guests. The recipe described in the report uses a dozen eggs, spices and whipped cream, with bourbon, dark rum and cognac as optional additions. Stewart advises limiting servings to one glass, or reducing the alcohol if guests are likely to want more. She also favors houseplants and seasonal flowering plants, and likes to give guests a homemade cookie, candy or cake to take home.
Stewart’s list matters as a set of specific, repeatable hosting ideas for readers planning gatherings during a crowded holiday season. It shifts attention from the centerpiece and main course to readiness: having the house in order, keeping a warm welcome available, and offering guests something to enjoy after the party.
The suggestions also vary in effort and cost. Cleaning and preparing a fireplace can be done ahead, while homemade eggnog and take-home baking require more time and ingredients. Houseplants offer another way to add color when outdoor gardening is limited. Readers can adapt the ideas to their space and budget; Stewart presented them as her own habits, not as a formula for successful hosting.
The eggnog advice carries a practical safety consideration. Because the drink can include several spirits, Stewart’s recommendation to keep servings limited is relevant to hosts deciding what to serve. The supplied report does not provide detailed food-safety guidance for the egg-based recipe, so hosts should consult the recipe’s instructions and handle ingredients appropriately.
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Stewart’s Seasonal Hosting Advice
The Veranda report places Stewart’s comments in the run-up to the holidays, when hosts may be planning decorations, meals and visits. It says the interview covered the preparations she uses before events as well as her eggnog recipe. The five practices in the article are drawn from Stewart’s own account of how she prepares for guests.
The interview also mentions Stewart’s partnership with Miracle-Gro, where she serves as chief gardening officer. That detail provides context for her comments on indoor plants, but the source does not present the five hosting ideas as a product endorsement or say that the gardening partnership is the reason she keeps plants at home.
“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
The supplied report does not give a publication date, identify an upcoming Stewart-hosted party or say whether these five habits apply to every event she holds. They are presented as her personal hosting preferences, rather than a new announcement or a formal set of rules.
The material also does not include the full eggnog recipe or its preparation instructions. It mentions fresh eggs and optional spirits but does not set out precise food-safety directions, serving sizes or the drink’s alcohol content. Readers should not assume that the reported ingredient list alone is a complete recipe.
How Hosts Can Use the Advice
No further announcement or event is described in the source. The immediate next step for readers interested in the tips is to plan whichever preparations fit their gathering: clean and polish ahead, prepare a fireplace safely if applicable, decide whether to serve eggnog, add indoor plants or arrange a small take-home treat.
Anyone making the drink should follow a complete recipe and consider guests’ alcohol preferences and needs. The interview does not establish a follow-up date or say whether Stewart will share additional holiday hosting advice.
Key Questions
What are Martha Stewart’s five holiday-party nonnegotiables?
In the Veranda interview, Stewart listed a clean, polished home, dry firewood ready for a fireplace, homemade eggnog, houseplants or seasonal indoor flowers, and a homemade food favor for guests.
Does Stewart say every host needs a fireplace?
No. She recommends keeping firewood ready if a host has a fireplace. The suggestion is conditional, not one of her requirements for every home.
What is in Stewart’s holiday eggnog?
The report says the big-batch recipe uses a dozen eggs, baking spices and fresh whipped cream. It also describes bourbon, dark rum and cognac as optional additions, but does not include the complete recipe or measurements for each ingredient.
What does Stewart suggest giving guests to take home?
She likes to offer a homemade treat, such as a special cookie or candy, or a loaf cake or generous slice of cake.
Source: veranda.com
