Hosting for the holidays?

Without a doubt, hosting a holiday party can be pretty stressful, especially if you’re a first-time host. Getting the house ready for guests, buying and preparing the food and making sure everyone is having a great time is a lot to take on your plate.

When it’s all said and done, however, the holidays are for spending time with loved ones and sharing the joys in life with one another. Don’t stress!

Our four tips below are sure to help you host a holiday gathering your family and friends will never forget.

• Creating the Atmosphere: Smells of the Season
  
  None of our senses are tied to memory quite as strongly as our sense of smell.

  Specific smells can evoke memories of events that occurred where that scent was present.

  Use this to your advantage when preparing for your holiday parties!

  For both Thanksgiving and Christmas, scents of pumpkin, spices, cedar, fir, and open fires are all aromas that evoke holiday memories and can help make new ones.

  Grab some of those scented pine cones from the craft store and put them in decorative bowls around the house and entry way. Light holiday scented candles or burn scents in a scent burner.

  You can also cook some spiced cider on the stove or in a crockpot. The scents of sauteed apples, cinnamon sticks and citrus create a delicious and distinct seasonal aroma.

  When your guests enter your home, they will be welcomed by these wonderful scents, which will both evoke pleasant memories of holidays past and help to affix your holiday event in their memory as well.

• Creating the Atmosphere: Sights of the Season
  
  Though not quite as powerful as the sense of smell, what our eyes take in also helps create and evoke vivid memories that can usher us into the holiday spirit.

  Creating a consistent visual theme all throughout your home can help create a fully-immersed holiday experience.

  This doesn’t have to be too complicated! You could create a visual theme for the holiday simply by choosing appropriate colors and ensuring that they are present in all of the rooms guests will be spending time in.

  For Thanksgiving, you can make sure that pumpkin orange, golden yellow, brown, and cranberry reds appear in every room. Have a fall colored wreath on your door, arrange artificial fall leaves on a few surfaces in the entryway and living room, use fall-colored runners and towels in the dining room and kitchen, etc.

• Creating the Atmosphere: Tastes of the Season
  
  Whether you are preparing all of the food and drink yourself, or everyone is pitching in, keeping the menu simple is the best way to go. Don’t worry about dishes meant to impress! Instead, stick with the traditional holiday food that will remind everyone’s palate of times gone by.

  Furthermore, the beauty of fixing these often specifically seasonal dishes and drinks is that the cooking process will put more of those pleasant, memory-evoking aromas in the air!

• Elements of Surprise
  
  Besides using the senses to help evoke old holiday memories and create new ones, there is another trick!

  The element of surprise works very powerfully. So whether it’s having the kiddos act out a Thanksgiving play, or creating a unique “Giving thanks” activity for your guests to participate in, add a bit of surprise into your event to create a lasting and fond impression. The unexpected will make the day stick out for all of your guests.

Holiday hosting will look different for every person, based on their tastes and traditions.

But no matter what, by being deliberate to incorporate the senses and the element of surprise will make your event not only evoke fond holiday memories and spirit, but will also leave a lasting impression of its own.

Cooler weather and the holiday season are upon us. This means more fun, family and relaxation time – the perfect opportunity and excuse to enjoy all the wonderful elements in your community at Sereno!

Whether you are a part of our active adult community or one of our young families, there is something for everyone to get the best out of life this season at Sereno!

For The Nature Love

Fall and winter weather in Florida are glorious and mild, meaning it’s the perfect time for nature lovers to enjoy the miles of nature and paved trails that meander throughout the community.

Whether you want to go for a stroll, take a hike, get pumped with a jog or go on a bike ride, our wide variety of trails offer miles of peaceful outdoor escape.

Want to simply relax outside? Life in Florida means enjoying the luxurious Sereno pool and open-air club house even in the fall and winter! Enjoy the warm Florida sun while reading a good book or streaming your favorite show from your smart device.

Fun For Fur Babies & Kiddos Alike

Whether you have a fur baby, a grand-baby, or your own baby in your life, Sereno has fun and beautiful spaces for all of you.

Our off-leash dog park is sure to be such a hit with Fido that he’ll be begging you to bring him back again and again.

For the kiddos in your life, our Tot Lot offers a spectacular, fully-shaded play structure where they can run, jump, climb, and slide off all of their energy!

For The Techy

Can’t bear to be parted from your smart device? At Sereno, you’ll never have to be!

Sereno, like all of our communities, is an ULTRIFi Community, which means as a homeowner here, you have access to the fastest WiFi and internet speeds in all of North America! And when we say ULTRIFi community, we mean it!

Enjoy fast internet speeds wherever you choose to relax or play, whether you’re at the Tot Lot, sitting by the pool, or strolling one of our trails.

For The Active Athlete

For the competitive and fit, challenge your friends or kids to a tennis match or round of hoops on our half-basketball court.

Both the tennis and basketball areas are surfaced with high-end sport-court material to make play time safer, more comfortable and more enjoyable for players of all ages.

For The Fun-Lover

Have a slightly less athletic yet competitive streak?

Head over to the shuffle board court with your neighbors or the family. Enjoy some laughs and friendly competition as you attempt to knock each other off the board.

Or check out the pickle ball court to play a fun paddle-ball sport that crosses badminton, ping-pong and tennis. Our Pickle Ball courts are situated within our luxurious, open-air club house, so you can take a break between games on the incredibly relaxing and comfortable furnishings.

Don’t let this beautiful time of year and the amazing elements at Sereno go to waste. Whether young at heart or young in body, those living in the Sereno community will find all the elements for a great life!

We’ve all said it – the holiday season truly flies by.

With Christmas Time just around the bend, the Thanksgiving season can pass by without leaving much of an impression.

This year, don’t let the holiday season fun slip through your fingers. Our very own Wesley Chapel community is full of fantastic events to get you and your family fully into the Thanksgiving spirit.

Start some new family traditions and make this year’s holiday season one to remember. Check out these family-friendly, upcoming events in the Wesley Chapel area.

Fall Fair at Wiregrass: November 15th -19th

Halloween may be over, but fall is still very much in the air! Slow the season down and savor autumn a bit more before Christmas rolls around. At the Fall Fair, rides, games and other family fun will be plentiful, but it’s only open for a few short days – don’t miss out!

Synthetic Outdoor Ice Skating: November 10th – January 7th

Living in warm, sunny Florida doesn’t mean there’s no time for winter magic!

Starting Friday, November 10th and lasting through January 7th, the Shops at Wiregrass will open their annual outdoor, synthetic ice skating rink. Kids and adults of all ages and skill levels are welcome to use the rink.

Bundle up, head out for an evening on the ice and give your kids a taste of classic winter time traditions!

Symphony In Lights Presented By CalAtlantic Homes: November 11th – December 31st

Symphony in Lights presented by CalAtlantic Homes is one of the most anticipated holiday events in Wesley Chapel.

Hosted by the Shops at Wiregrass, the 5:00 p.m. event premier takes place on Saturday, November 11th, when the annual tree lighting ceremony and Santa’s arrival will also occur to kick off this wonderful tradition!

Symphony in Lights is a choreographed light show set to holiday music by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The light show isn’t the only attraction, though! As you enjoy the music, you and the family will get to enjoy snowfall as well.

Symphony In Lights will last all season long with showings every hour, on the hour between 6:00-9:00 pm through New Year’s Eve!

Santa Visits & Photos: Nov 11th – December 24th

Beginning with the Symphony In Lights, Santa will be available for visits and photos. Be sure to check the schedule to see what days he’ll be around!

5th Annual Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot: Thanksgiving Day November 23rd

Wait, wait, wait! Don’t forget Thanksgiving!

Come out to the 5th Annual Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day at 7 a.m. for some Turkey Day fun while doing good, as all event proceeds contribute to local charities.

Whether you’re looking to participate in the hard-core 5k run, or just want to have some fun on the 1-mile fun run, come out and enjoy this holiday kickoff.

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play: December 7th

Take your family out for some live drama and enjoy the timeless Christmas classic re-envisioned as a radio drama.

The Dream House Theatre in Lutz, just minutes from Wesley Chapel, will be putting on a captivating radio performance. Taking the family to the heart-warming show, sip some hot cocoa, sing Christmas carols after the show and fully get in the Christmas spirit!