December can be such a hectic time, making sure our people are having a magical month. Amidst all the busyness, those feelings of loneliness and certainly stress creep in. To combat this, plan some intentional gatherings, where we include ourselves in the fun. Even the most Type A personality should be able to enjoy the holiday season! Think of which group would enjoy extra time together – school friends, neighbors, life groups from church, gym friends or maybe just your immediate family. Don’t wait to be invited; do the inviting (but the key is to not worry if someone cannot make it – they are just trying to keep their head above water as well).
GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING
With a little preparation on the front end, this party manages itself, giving the host time to participate as well. Grab some boxes of graham crackers, cheap frosting that will dry hard and candy toppings galore. Cover tables with festive plastic tablecloths that can be thrown away and set all the toppings in the middle. Divide the frosting into piping bags (or a quart-sized plastic storage bag with a corner snipped off), and place one at each plate. Place at least four graham crackers on each plate. Be sure everyone knows that this… is a competition.
Pro-tip – If house construction gets too frustrating, just pull out the hot glue gun. The frosting can still be used for the embellishments, and the decor can still be eaten (but not the house now, of course).
When judging time comes, have an award for everyone – Most Creative, Best Use of Frosting, Best Story, Best Overall, Most Realistic, Best Architecture, Sugar Overload Award, etc.
COOKIE DECORATING PARTY
Similar in preparation to the Gingerbread House Decorating Party, change up a few things to make this work. Still cover tables with plastic tablecloths. Still have plates at each spot. Place blank cookies on the plate. Instead of individual frosting bags, prepare several colors of frosting and place down the middle of the table. Still have a variety of toppings as well. To extend the party, have a familiar Christmas movie playing in the background.
NEIGHBORHOOD COCKTAIL CRAWL
This party is super fun for adults. Hire some babysitters and have one house designated for the kids. Choose 3-5 homes within walking distance of each other. Each host will decorate their home and create a fun cocktail to serve, batch or individual. They will also include snacks, water and maybe a fun mocktail version for non-drinkers. Spend 45 minutes to an hour at each location, and guests walk together to the next house. The final stop could be a dessert stop. Encourage costumes or dress code to elevate this event.
CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL IDEAS
• Spiked Eggnog
• Mulled Wine
• Hot Buttered Rum
• Christmas Old Fashioned (add cranberry simple syrup and garnish with rosemary and orange peel)
• White Christmas Margarita (tequila + coconut milk + triple sec + lime juice)
• Peppermint Martini (vanilla vodka + white crème de cacao + peppermint schnapps, rim glass with crushed candy canes)
FAVORITE THINGS PARTY
My personal favorite, this party adapts easily to any size group. Everyone will bring three identical, wrapped gifts of their favorite thing from this past year. A budget of $10 per gift works well, since December gets to be so expensive. Gifts can be anything – a coffee frother, your favorite laundry detergent, tiny magnets that look like push pins, a great hand cream, a cross-body bag you love, anything!
As people arrive, label their gifts with one number per person. Three 1s, three 2s, etc. Write each number three more times on little papers and add them to a bowl. Once everyone is settled, have each person draw three numbers (making sure they do not draw their own gift’s number). Finally, the number 1 person is revealed. They go get their gifts and hand them to the three people who drew number 1. Those people open that gift all at once. Then the giver explains why they chose that gift. Move on to the number 2 person, and so on. Once the party is over, everyone leaves with three favorite things from their friends. Plus, if you don’t get the gift you want, it is an easy and inexpensive thing to add to your Christmas wish list.
By Laura Daulton
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