Holiday parties can go a few different ways: A. You have a fabulous time at your work's holiday party and can't wait for Monday to roll around so that you can all talk about your boss B. You attend your first neighborhood christmas party with your fiance and get grilled about your life story (keep downing every glass of champagne you can get your hands on) C. You found the ugliest sweater that has existed on this earth, matched it perfectly with your santa earrings and are officially the winner of the ugly sweater contest!
Okay, so there are a lot outcomes but overall the holidays are all about being in good spirits and having a good time with family and friends.
If you are being the hostess this year, here are some fun ideas: Maybe start off with a brush up on entertaining ideas and stop by Martha Stewart for some holiday appetizer ideas. Then when you feel up to baking, choose a crowd pleasing holiday cookie recipe, and of course stock the home bar or fridge with beverages. For some frosty cocktails try:
Ingredients
- 1 shot vodka (recommended: Blue Ice)
- 1 shot blue fruit- and cognac- liqueur (recommended: Envy)
- 1/2 shot orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Cointreau)
- 1 cup ice cubes
Directions
Add all ingredients to blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour into rocks glasses and serve with straw.
Image courtesy of Food Network
Consider organizing some games like the white elephant gift exchange. We found some other ideas from www.coolest-holiday-parties.com
*Blind Christmas Tree Ripping: For this game you need green construction paper. Give everyone a chance in attempting to rip a sheet of green construction paper (behind their back) into the shape of a Christmas tree (they mustn’t look at their trees, only when they have finished creating their tree). Once they’ve finished ripping, and before they look, give them little stickers to decorate their tree with. Once all done, hang everyone’s tree up and have everyone judge for the best looking trees.
*Relay with Kisses: This can also be played with all ages. Insert lots of Hershey Chocolate Kisses into a bowl on a table. Divide your group into two teams and have them line up around 10-15 feet away from the table. Give the first people in the row mittens that are slightly larger than they would ever need. On the mark of “Go”, the first player of each team runs to the table (with their mittens on), takes a Hershey’s kiss out from the bowl and tries unwrapping it with the large mittens. After they unwrap it they have to run down and pop it into the next person’s mouth. The next person takes the mittens and runs to the bowl to do the same.
*Blind Christmas Drawing: This game can be played with all ages. Someone needs to be chosen to be the leader. Everyone sits in a circle and has a few pieces of paper, a hard book or tray to draw on, a marker, and optionally some Christmas stickers.
On the call of ‘Go’, everyone puts their book or tray on their head and a blank piece of paper on top of that. The leader has to guide them to draw something, for example “Draw a fireplace, then draw 4 stockings hanging on the fireplace, then draw candy-canes in a basket on the floor, then stick a candy sticker as closest as you can onto one of the stockings”, etc.
Then, when the leader finishes describing the imagined drawing, everyone takes their papers off their head; these pictures can be very funny to look at. The way the points go – the leader offers points. For example, 3 points for every sticker touching any stocking, 2 points if the candy-canes are in the basket, 2 points for any line that crosses, one point for each stocking that is put on the mantel, etc. You can continue doing this a few times, with the leader imaging a Christmas tree, Santa Claus, basically anything having to do with Christmas. The person with most points is then the winner.
