The holidays are an amazing time of the year, for sure, but when you’re planning parties and dinners and shopping for all of the stuff Santa is supposed to be bringing with those flying reindeer, stress sometimes gets in the way. Let’s fix that! First off, don’t over complicate things! Keep it simple. Be creative. And, when it comes to holiday entertaining, always think double duty! Here are fourteen ways to help you deck the halls, share season’s greetings with friends, and serve up a feast of fa-la-la-la-la!
Share The Love
Most of us stress over having too much to do during the holidays. From family and out of town guests to office parties and cocktail gatherings, Christmas and Hanukkah can be a hectic time of year. But that isn’t always the case for seniors. Which can make this a particularly lonely time of year. One of the nicest things you can do is spread holiday cheer to an elderly neighbor. Invite them over if you’re hosting a soiree, or bring them a homemade gift – cookies and tea is always lovely – and spend some quality time with them.
Create Indoor Sparkle
I love, love, love decorating for Christmas! In fact, I could fill a warehouse with all of the decorations I own (thankfully, I have one!). Every year I’m excited to come up with new things to make or recycle in some new way. And, you can always find amazing DIY decor ideas for holiday entertaining on Pinterest! This colored mason jar “tree” from For Creative Juice adds color, beauty, and sparkle to any side table, bookcase or bedroom dresser. Simply fill colored mason jars with different sized ornaments and stack them in ascending rows to create a “tree” effect. Then, embellish any way you like with ribbon, copper wire fairy lights, beads, garland, and seasonal floral pieces.
Help The Kids Get Ready For Santa!
You and the kiddos have baked cookies for jolly old Saint Nick, but what about Dasher, Dancer and all the rest of the reindeer? After all that flying around, I’m pretty sure they’re going to be hungry too! “Reindeer Trail Mix” is another fun “craft” you can make with the children. All you’ll need are whole oats, sugar, and a drop or two of food dye. Have your kids spread “trail mix” in the yard and put up a sign that lets the reindeer know where to dine!
Stir & Sip Station
If you’ve been a follower of mine for awhile you know I’m a big fan of self-serve stations at parties. From taco bars to ice cream bars, I love letting guests make treats their own way. During the holidays, hot chocolate is a great item from which to create a stir and sip station! Arrange mugs and a coffee carafe full of hot chocolate for folks to serve themselves. Toppings are where the fun comes in! Offer candy cane stir sticks, marshmallows, whipped cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, shortbread cookies for dipping and different liqueurs for the adults such as creme de menthe, flavored vodka, and amaretto.
Go Nostalgic With A Vintage Cocktail Party
Themed parties make the season even more special. So why not wrap your holiday party in a 50’s theme! For starters, you’ll need one of those shimmering aluminum Christmas trees that were all the rage a half-century ago! Rather than hanging ornaments around the house for decorations, find 45 records (referring to size here, not quantity!) at your local thrift store and hang those with red ribbon. If you can get your hands on a vintage Coca-Cola christmas sign, all the better. Swap meets are great places to look! Serve classic American foods like deviled eggs, Waldorf salad, and jello molds, deck everything out in metallic garland, and put any of Elvis Presley’s Christmas records on the turntable. Your guests are sure to love stepping back in time as they jingle all the way!
Smells Like The Holidays
There are, of course, all sorts of wonderfully scented holiday candles you can buy. Or, you can work a little aromatherapy on your house the old fashioned way by simmering spices on the stove top! Simply fill a pot with water and add cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise to the pot. Set on a low fire to keep it simmering, so that the seasonal scents fill the house. It’s an easy way to make your home feel cozy and inviting for all of your holiday entertaining.
White Christmas Cocktail
What would the holidays be like without something boozy?! Not very exciting, right?! From casual cocktail parties to formal shindigs, it’s always nice to have a signature cocktail for your guests. The White Christmas packs a punch and looks festive. Enjoy this recipe from Alaska From Scratch.
Metallic Pinecones
Start by going through the neighborhood on a pine cone scavenger hunt with your kids to collect pine cones of different shapes and sizes. Then, spray paint the pine cones in gold, copper, silver, and white. For added shimmer, add a dusting of glitter while the paint is still wet! That’s it! Use these little beauties in your centerpiece, as place card holders, on tables scattered between candles… the possibilities are endless!
Christmas Breakfast (For When You’re Already Sick Of Cooking!)
Chances are you’ve already been cooking for weeks. But you have guests staying with you and they’re going to want food! What do you do? Make a frittata! It can be prepared days in advance in a large baking dish and stored in the fridge. Then, when you’re ready, pop it in the oven. This recipe from The Kitchn is delish!
Transform Simple Into Stunning
I know it’s tempting to use paper napkins for get togethers, but just don’t do it! Using them for cocktails is one thing, but for food, cloth napkins are a much more elegant option. Too expensive, you say? Not if you buy standard white cloth napkins in bulk and spruce them up by hand-stamping them! This is a great craft to do with the kids. All you need are a few pads of red and green ink and several holiday-themed rubber stamps. It’s super fun and allows you to set the table with something one-of-a-kind.
Fiesta Christmas Tree
There are hundreds of ways to decorate your Christmas tree. Why not spice things up this year and do a fiesta tree! Use chili pepper lights instead of traditional colored lights (you can find them here) and swap out ornaments for Mexican paper flowers or mini hot sauce bottles attached with green ribbon. Around the house, put santa hats and scarves on different animal piñatas. You can also use red and green maracas as centerpieces on the table.
Hark The Herald Angels… Then Add Devils!
Deviled eggs, that is! In the world of fancy finger foods and hors d’ouevres, many people scoff at deviled eggs as being too ordinary and too old-fashioned. Several years ago I created a holiday event for Sofia Vergara. Guess what she asked to be on the menu? Yep, that’s right! Deviled eggs! If you want to fancy them up a bit, create these Cobb Salad Deviled Eggs that contain tomatoes, avocado, bacon and bleu cheese!
Prosecco Pomegranate Cocktail
I love this cocktail pretty much all year long, but its red tinge makes it perfect for the holidays. I use champagne flutes but it works perfectly well in martini glasses as well. Simply mix pomegranate juice and Prosecco or any other inexpensive sparkling wine and garnish with pomegranate arils and a sprig of rosemary or mint leaves. If you like it sweeter, add more juice. If you prefer a more tart cocktail, add less juice and even a touch of bitters. Here’s the official recipe from Just A Little Bit of Bacon.
A Christmas Story & Chinese Cuisine
A few weeks ago we offered party ideas based on beloved holiday movies. Of course, A Christmas Story was on the list! If you’re tired of cooking and feel like doing something unique and creative, order a feast of Chinese takeout and add this classic film to your Christmas celebration! Remember to check out our article for ways to decorate based on the movie!
Every holiday season is an opportunity to create fun new traditions and exciting party themes for gatherings with friends and family. And, your Party Goddess is always here for you with tips, tricks and whimsical ideas to make entertaining easy and fun! Here’s wishing you warm and wonderful moments this year!
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