Hello from my new home!! I cannot believe I’m finally writing to you from my NEW house! I truly feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Each morning I wake up and ask myself, “Is this real life?!” (Most days feel like a hollywood movie!) Now that I’m finallyyyy in my new home, I’m making up for lost time with LOTS of entertaining!! We’ve already hosted one big party (with over 40 people in attendance) and lots of smaller get togethers/happy hours. Of course now that I have the perfect place to entertain, I immediately reached out to Christmas Tree Shops to see if they’d like to partner to share 5 entertaining essentials for new homeowners! Keep scrolling for my BEST tips and products you need to entertain in your new home.

Thank you to Christmas Tree Shops for partnering with me on today’s blog post. As always, all opinions are my own! Learn about the greater impact my sponsored blog posts make with the Phillips Lane Promise.

My Recent Shopping Trip to Christmas Tree Shops…

Before I dive into my 5 entertaining essentials for new homeowners, I’ve got a great story to share with you! On my last visit to Christmas Tree Shops up in Danbury, CT (my preferred location to shop), I had the funniest experience! Having recently moved into my new house, I knew that Christmas Tree Shops was the absolute best place to go to grab everything I didn’t realize I now needed. A sprayer for my outdoor hose, a variety of storage bins for all my new closets, citronella candles for late nights on the porch, wiffle balls for playing with neighborhood kids in my backyard… the. list. goes. on. As you can imagine, I had an overflowing shopping cart, so much so that sales associates kept asking me if I wanted a second cart. Ha!

As I finished my second lap around the store and was heading to the checkout line, I was stopped by 5 or 6 people, all admiring my finds! Women were asking me, “Woah, where did you find that basket?” or “No way, I didn’t know they had those linens” and “Cool laundry baskets, where are those??” The woman at the checkout counter asked if I was a professional home organizer or interior designer “like The Home Edit?” Talk about the best compliment ever!! My reply was just, “Oh no, I wish! I just bought a new house! 

The reason I’m sharing this with you is because it showcases beautifully how Christmas Tree Shops really does offer a little bit of everything. You can find the most beautiful pieces for your home, ON A BUDGET (plus all that random stuff you didn’t know you needed *cough cough* an outdoor hose sprayer). 

5 Entertaining Essentials For New Homeowners

One // Plates, please (and lots of them!)

I added 10 more of these plain white dinner plates to the set of 4 I already own. They’re classic and will never go out of style. At $2.99 per plate, you can’t go wrong and there’s no need to fuss over the inevitable breaking of one at your next dinner party or get together. 

Two // Let there be light!!

Lighting is one of the best ways to add atmosphere to your gatherings, while also being a huge safety feature. I added 4 of these beautiful, large wooden lanterns ($24 each) to my front steps for lighting and decor! Don’t you love when a piece does double duty?? Worth noting, while $24 might seem like a lot for these lanterns, they’re really well made AND similar looking ones at other stores were more than double that price! 

Three // Drink up!

Christmas Tree Shops is my go-to spot for glassware and plastic drinkware. It’s seriously a no-brainer when the pieces cost under $2 each and are BPA-free/dishwasher safe. While I do love having artisanal glassware, 99% of the time I gravitate towards using my Christmas Tree Shops wine glasses and champagne flutes since it’s one less thing to worry about during a party. For those who LOVE entertaining outside, I stocked up on these beautiful, elegant acrylic tumblers, pints, and wine glasses. They’re perfect around the pool and I’m already regretting only buying 10 of each!! 

Four // Ready, Set, Serve.

I’m taking perhaps a little too much pride in my ever growing collection of serving trays and platters. They’re just SO much fun to collect!! These two ceramic trays from Christmas Tree Shops cost around $15 each. I love how they seamlessly blend into my other, higher-end entertaining pieces (like my oven-safe Le Creuset). As a new homeowner, I so appreciate being able to find high quality pieces at a super affordable price! 

Five // The Great Tablescape.

If tablescapes were an olympic event, I just *might* have a chance at going for the gold, ha!! In all seriousness though, putting together a beautiful, simple, and elegant tablescape is one of my favorite hobbies. I change up my tablescape on the daily in my al fresco dining room. Thanks to Christmas Tree Shops’ affordable candles, candle holders, trays, vases, and other tabletop decor, I’m able to exercise my creative freedom without breaking the bank! I’ve already started a cupboard specifically for my tablescape pieces (the majority of which are from Christmas Tree Shops)!! 

Did you find these tips helpful? If so, please let me know in the comments below!! I’ve also been having some great conversations lately over on Instagram about your best “Christmas Tree Shops Finds” soooo if you’ve got some great stories to share, let me know! I could chat ALL day about my best CTS purchases! 

If you’re looking for a Christmas Tree Shops location near you, click HERE!