In her personal life, model Janine Green is a down-to-earth wife and mom with two active young sons. Just like the rest of us, she's short on time. But over the years she has developed a style and a strategy for entertaining family and friends that make the holidays manageable. "My favorite holiday memories are the ones where all my family are present," she says. "It's so special to be surrounded by everyone who is important to you."

To avoid stress and keep her budget in check, she spruces up the house with everyday items, cherished family heirlooms and secondhand finds. Her make-ahead party dishes are crowd-pleasers. She plans activities that include the children, but also sets up a kids' zone to keep them from being underfoot. And she makes sure that her husband, Alamo Jones, and sons, Mustafa, 7, and Elijah, 4, pitch in. On these pages Janine shares her model for holiday-party success.

DECK THE HALLS

Warm and inviting decor sets just the right tone for an intimate holiday gathering. To save time, focus your decorating efforts on the area that will be the center of the action. Janine set up her living room as party central. Her favorite decoration? White lights. "They go with everything and complement every color," she says. Because her living room has a fireplace, Janine pulled together a simple-to-create display above the mantle with pillar candles and votives of varying sizes, a fresh evergreen garland (found at any garden store) and a few holiday ornaments for a burst of color, above and top right. To add ambiance without going overboard, she decorated a Christmas tree in one corner and created a fabulous centerpiece for the buffet table, right. (See tips on malting a centerpiece, page 194.)

To make her soirees even more special, she encourages guests to dress with flair, as Janine (below, with son Elijah, friend Chanelle, 4, son Mustafa, husband Alamo, sister Jasmine Green and brother-in-law Robert Santiago) and company have done. "I like to wear something festive and easy like a vintage dress," she says. Suggest a dress code--say, "Funky Chic"--in your invitations or let guests know by word of mouth.

The Countdown

The more you can do ahead, the less you'll stress. Be sure to accept all offers of help. Here's our planning guide and countdown to a great party.