Mix up some wine with club soda or diet citrus ... Shrink the desserts. A holiday party just isn’t right without tempting sweets. So don’t skip them, Thayer says. Just offer very small portions.

Splurge here, save there: Choose one “splurge/wow” item for your holiday party (caviar anyone?), but save in other areas by buying in bulk or serving only two beverage choices like a red wine and a ...