Martha Stewart has been schooling us on how to be better hosts since her first book, "Entertaining," came out in 1982. For decades, people have routinely turned to the businesswoman, TV host and author for tips on everything from how to create the perfect table setting to crafting a delicious cocktail.
And with another hectic holiday season just around the corner, we need the lifestyle guru's help more than ever — so when we recently got the chance to speak with Stewart over the phone, we jumped at the chance to get some of her hosting wisdom.
According to Stewart, there's one big mistake that people tend to make when hosting: "Not being organized."
"Pre-organization really does help a lot to get you in the mood and it also helps you a lot with so you don't leave things out and forget ingredients," Stewart tells Shop TODAY.
To help do that, she creates lists. "I'm a list-maker, a memo-writer, I do all of that. When I'm just ambling around, I'm dictating into my phone, making sure I get everything in order," Stewart says. She makes lists for "everything." "I do it for my garden, I do it for my home, I do it for my laundry, I do it for my wardrobe."
Samsung is also helping Stewart stay organized during the holiday season. She has partnered with the brand to promote some of its newest technology, Samsung SmartThings. Using the SmartThings app, you can control all Samsung smart products in your home right from your phone — a boon for hosts who have to manage multiple tasks at once. "If you have any of their appliances, you can learn how to use [SmartThings], so that you can check on ingredients, you can check on recipes, you can check on your appliances performing appropriately, preheat ovens, etc.," Stewart says.
Ahead of the holidays, we asked Stewart to share some of her favorite items, from the hostess gift she'll be giving this year to the kitchen staple that is "absolutely essential" to her routine.
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"Martha: The Cookbook" by Martha Stewart
When it comes to hostess gifts, Stewart likes to make them feel personal. "It depends on who they are, it's something appropriate for that particular person. I don't take the same gift to everybody," she says of her typical gifts.
She adds, "It might be a tray of my beautiful homegrown eggs. It might be a bottle of my homemade cider. It might be a basket full of homemade jams and jellies that I've been making all summer long, I like to take things from my farm."
Though, if you're searching for a hostess gift, you really can't go wrong with Stewart's upcoming cookbook which will be released on Nov. 12 (it's her 100th book). "If I do give a hostess gift, that will be one of my gifts this year."
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We'd bet Stewart has more things on her agenda in a week than most of us do in an average month, so it's not surprising to hear she relies on lists to keep her on top of it all.
"I have to stay very organized and I have a week-at-a-glance calendar with me at all times, so I always know exactly where I'm going to be tomorrow, the next day," Stewart says.
For anyone who wants to take a page from the lifestyle expert's book, we found this week-at-a-glance calendar with ruled hourly appointment times, so you can stay on top of all your commitments.
Mario Badescu Azulene Body Soap
Stewart's morning routine typically starts with an early rise time, followed by a shower. "I do all my daily ablutions, toner and then creams and serums, I slather it all on. And then I go to Pilates generally three times a week at 6:30 in the morning — I go to a local studio up here [in Bedford, New York] with a trainer. And then I usually go and get my hair done or come back home and have my makeup done if I'm doing filming or I have meetings or Zoom calls."
When it comes to the products she uses in her morning beauty routine, she's a big fan of Mario Badescu. "I use a lot of Mario Badescu," Stewart says. "I use their Azulene soap and their AHA soap in the shower and on my sinks."
Mario Badescu Facial Spray
"I use their lovely spray tonics," Stewart says. "They have very nice ones for freshening up your face during the day."
This rosewater facial spray can be used in multiple ways, to hydrate skin throughout the day or give it a dewy glow post-makeup application.
Mario Badescu Peptide Renewal Serum
"I love their peptide serum," Stewart shares.
The moisture-rich serum is made with ingredients like peptides, green tea, St. John’s wort extract, glycerin, aloe vera and more, which the brand says work in tandem to hydrate skin and improve the appearance of wrinkles.
Merit Clean Lash Lengthening Tubing Mascara
Prepping to host a party doesn't always leave a lot of time for getting yourself ready. When she's low on time, her prep routine involves her favorite products from Mario Badescu and Clé de Peau Beauté, along with some makeup from Merit (She is partnered with the brand). She shared her full makeup routine using the brand on Instagram — which included this mascara — saying it was "easier than making a pot of soup."
Stewart tells us, "Try to look nice when your guests arrive, try to be ready a little bit ahead of time. It's not good to be upstairs still fussing with yourself when your guests are coming through the door."
Clé de Peau Beauté Eye Contour Cream Supreme
"I love anything Clé de Peau Beauté, I use a lot of that," says Stewart who has previously worked with the brand. "It's expensive but it's certainly worth it."
She previously shared in a TikTok video that this eye cream was part of her recipe for hydrated skin.
Breville 3X Bluicer Pro
Stewart says that her Breville juicer is "absolutely essential" to her day, because she says "I make juice every morning." (You can find her famous green juice recipe here.) "If you want to have a healthy start to your day, get yourself a Breville juicer. That's a really, really good juicer."
Samsung 43-Inch The Frame Series Smart TV
"I like [Samsung's] Frame TV because it just sits on the wall and looks like a framed picture. And you can actually put up any number of famous paintings on that and then it turns into a television." Stewart says. "Those are clever things."
