'Tis the season to celebrate, decorate and, according to Real Housewife of New York Dorinda Medley, avoid conversations about politics at all costs.

The Berkshires, Massachusetts-born bon vivant knows her way around a cocktail party, after all, having spent the better part of a decade in London, in the company of legends like Princess Diana and Joan Collins.

So when the holidays roll around, Medley's right in her element, and not without proper party attire, a signature cocktail in hand, and all the festive decor one could cram into a two-bedroom apartment on Manhattan's well-heeled Upper East Side. (Maximalists, take note.)

Matt Harrington for HomeGoods

To help set the mood this year, Medley called on HomeGoods Style Expert, Mike Harrison, who outfitted nearly every inch of her TV-famous living and dining rooms with nostalgic Christmas décor, including a tree tall enough to hold its own against her home's double-height ceilings, a faux mantlepiece trimmed with stockings, and lots and lots of snow globes.

Matt Harrington for HomeGoods

Matt Harrington for HomeGoods

At the bar, Harrison laid out the ingredients for Medley's go-to Christmas cocktail — an almond-chocolate flavored Pink Squirrel — while she laid out her tried-and-true tips for surviving holiday party season. See what they are in the video above.

Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson Site Director Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson is a New York-based lifestyle journalist.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io