Get Organized! 5 Holiday Hosting Tips From 'Home Edit' Experts Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin
Oct. 20 2020, Updated 3:32 p.m. ET
Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin of The Home Edit certainly know a thing or two about getting rid of clutter, but they also are experts on hosting a fabulous soirée. The two ladies — who star on the hit Netflix show Get Organized with The Home Edit — and Cointreau created a new Cointreau x The Home Edit Holiday Hosting Guide, which features sophisticated cocktail recipes and curated tips to bring your home to the next level this holiday season.
The book is available to download at CointreauCocktailHour.com and TheHomeEdit.com beginning Tuesday, October 20.
OK! MAGAZINE'S GUIDE TO HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING
As the holidays quickly approach, the tidy twosome share tips and tricks with OK!
Scroll through the gallery below to see Teplin and Shearer's amazing holiday hacks to get any party started!
The Holidays Require A Well-Stocked Bar Cart
"Nothing simplifies holiday hosting more than a bar cart. When guests can serve themselves all night, everyone wins! We recommend a bar cart on wheels, which allows it to move where the party moves and then back to the kitchen when items need replenishing. Three staples our bar cart always has? Cointreau, a base spirit like vodka and fresh fruit!" they revealed.
Cocktails Are A Necessity
"Create a signature cocktail for the night, display the recipe and invite your guests to channel their inner mixologist — see our Color Coded Cosmo and Organize, Maintain, Margarita for some recipe inspo," the ladies said. "Set up the ingredients ahead of time, including an ice bucket, and any garnishes, glasses, and tools that are needed and assemble in the main entertaining space with a screen (tablet or laptop) to make your virtual guests still feel a part of the festivities."
Clea’s “Color Coded Cosmo”
.75oz Cointreau
2oz Vodka
.75oz Lime
.5oz Chai Hibiscus Syrup
2oz Sparkling Rose
Add all ingredients to shaker except for rose.
Add ice, shake and strain. Finish with bubbles.
Chai Hibiscus Syrup: 1:1 sugar to water bring to boil. Turn off and let chai and hibiscus steep for 5 minutes. Strain and serve when cool.
Joanna’s "Organize, Maintain, Margarita"
1oz Cointreau
2oz Tequila
1oz Lime
Tablespoon of finely chopped ginger
Bar spoon of fig jam
Add all ingredients to shaker.
Add ice, shake and fine strain. Add candied ginger and/or a lime to garnish.
Themed Decor Raises The Bar
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
"When it comes to styling your bar cart, stick to the same color palette as your signature cocktail. Incorporate items such as linen napkins, colored straws, floral garland, candles and decorative glassware. For example, a Cosmopolitan is the perfect shade of blush pink, which you can play off of for decor, and mix with holiday shades of deeper reds and greens," they explained.
"You can also utilize risers and turntables on the bar cart to maximize space and provide easier accessibility, while also creating some depth and height. Going the extra mile with your bar cart allows for a fun and unique focal point in the room and it also makes for a great Instagrammable moment," they added.
A Festive Menu Never Fails
"When cocktails are involved, light snacks should be too. You can never go wrong with some hors d'oeuvres that are assembly-only, such as a charcuterie board!" the TV stars shared. "Mix it up with a variety of nuts, cheeses, crackers, dried or fresh fruit, honey or jams and more. We love creating these large boards and platters for parties as they cater to a variety of taste buds, and you can really tailor the board to compliment your holiday cocktail offerings."
A Go-To Holiday Gift
"Through the years, we have found it’s a game-changer to have a go-to holiday giftable on hand at home and keep a few ready to gift whenever and wherever you need," the ladies said. "One of our favorite easy to DIY gifts is a chic cocktail kit that has everything you need to make a classic cocktail — a bottle of Cointreau, vodka or tequila, cranberry or lime juice, salt, recipe cards, a shaker and a citrus squeezer! You really can’t go wrong with a beautifully curated cocktail kit you can easily customize these with fun gift boxes, baskets and of course holiday cards too."