- Martha Stewart gave us her tips for being the best host and guest at holiday parties.
- She hates scented candles and never brings them as a gift to the host.
December is a month filled with stressful decisions, especially when it comes to holiday parties.
So to make your life a little easier this holiday season, we asked Martha Stewart for her advice on how to be a great guest and host during all the festivities.
Stewart recently sat down with Business Insider to discuss her new holiday cocktail with Dunkin', and she also revealed what she brings whenever she's invited to a soiree.
"I always take something homemade," Stewart said. "I oftentimes take a cake or cookies that I've made."
Stewart loves making sugar cookies for the holiday season, and you can find a variety of recipes on her website.
If baking isn't your thing, don't stress. Stewart said the key is bringing a thoughtful gift.
"I often take a panettone, or something that's especially delicious, something I found," she said. "I also take eggs from my chickens, people love having my own eggs. It's always more personal."
But there's one gift that Stewart would never bring for the host.
"I hate scented candles, so I would never give anybody a scented candle," Stewart said. "I just don't like them."
"I know they're so popular, but some houses have a different scented candle burning in each room, and it's so annoying," she added.
If you're the one hosting a holiday party this month, Stewart has three tips to make sure everyone has a great time.
"Running out of food is a faux pas you cannot experience, that would be a mess, so be careful about that," Stewart said. "And don't run out of ice — ice is very important at parties."
"And if you're having a holiday party, it has to be festive," she added. "Don't try to fake it."
If you're looking for holiday cooking inspiration, you might enjoy some of Stewart's all-time favorite recipes, including her mother's pierogies.
Stewart learned how to cook pierogies from her late mother Martha Kostyra. Her website features recipes for the dough, as well as various fillings.
"If you learn how to make that dough, you can make pierogies filled with potato or cabbage or fruit, you can do cherry — those are my favorites," she told BI.
And if the holidays have you feeling stressed and wanting to spend less time in the kitchen, we totally get it — which is why we also asked Stewart to share her favorite "lazy girl" dinner.
"You can just do a cacio e pepe — just pepper, butter, and Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, that is the best pasta," Stewart said. "People adore it, everybody adores it."