When entertaining, there is one thing to always remember:

It’s all about spending time with family and friends and creating new memories.

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Cara Greenstein, the founder of lifestyle brand Caramelized, said that if you keep that one focus in mind, entertaining doesn’t have to be stressful. 

“When you are hosting, it’s about figuring out how to delegate those elements that complement the main moment, right?” Greenstein said. “For example, if you’re hosting a big dinner and you take the entree, having everyone else bring the side or the appetizer saves so much brain space. And it ensures that your focus is on a beautiful table and that main course or entree.”

Her annual Holiday Cookie Exchange illustrates that philosophy. It’s a tradition she started years ago, and she (and her friends) look forward to it every year.

Her trick is to take a very traditional concept, such as a cookie swap, and not only modernize it but also streamline it. 

“The great secret about a cookie swap is if you want to make the cookies, you can. But you don’t have to,” Greenstein explained. “Since everyone brings the cookies, you just have to do the table and the setup to make it really fun.”

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She also doesn’t think one has to spend a fortune on decorations for a cookie swap.

“Just open your kitchen cabinets,” Greenstein said. “Use your baking tools — items like baking racks, rolling pins and cookie cutters — to decorate. It’s so easy, and there is no need to call a florist.”

You can always use place cards or note cards to label the cookies, but Greenstein simplifies it by using a chalkboard paper runner to both decorate the table and label the cookies.

“Just write on the paper with chalk or chalkboard marker. It’s super easy and super cute,” she said.

And if you do want to supply cookies, too, don’t think twice about buying them from your favorite local bakery.

“I’m a big fan of taking advantage of the people who do it best,” she said, adding that it’s also a great way to support local businesses.

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Greenstein thinks entertaining, especially during the holidays, is all about finding traditions that are meaningful to you but also allowing those traditions to evolve as you enter new phases of life.

When Greenstein started Caramelized, she was a college student. Throughout the years, her website and social media posts have reflected where she was in her life — moving from a single college graduate to a newly married bride to where she is today: a busy, working mom with two children under the age of 2.

“When I am looking ahead to a special holiday, I am thinking about how we’re going to make it as meaningful and memorable, even though it looks very different than the one I hosted seven to eight years ago when I lived in a townhouse in Downtown Memphis,” she explained.

Greenstein said her goal of Caramelized is to show how a little extra effort can make a big difference and, at the same time, keep it as approachable as possible.

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And speaking of her annual cookie swap, this year, Greenstein is even co-hosting the event.

“The joke is that because this year has been so wild with two under 2, one of my friends, who has been a participant for many of these cookie swaps, has offered to open her home. So I’m co-hosting it with her and thankfully don’t have to worry about cleaning up my house too much after my 20-month-old son is terrorizing it,” said Greenstein.

“With a little planning, you can host a fun party and still spend time with your friends, too,” she said. 

For more of Greenstein’s tips for entertaining, listen to our conversation on Sound Bites, The Daily Memphian’s weekly podcast on food and drink in Memphis. Cara Greenstein’s lifestyle brand is online at caramelizedblog.com.