It’s that time of the year!
I don’t know what it is about December. Summer soirees are lovely and weekend Get-Togethers in the fall are wonderful, but to me, nothing can beat a Christmas Cocktail party or a Family Get-Together (which may include a few cocktails to help everyone think of small talk with, ahem, the relatives that never quite make it to the nice list)!
Still, the lights, the glitter, the traditions and the food make the time you spend with those you love even more special.
So, before I get too wrapped up talking about everything I love about Christmas, I wanted to share some of my favorite party planning tips!
The Food: In my opinion, classic, quick and tasty is the way to go. Even though it is tempting to put on your Chef’s hat and finally try that Orange Cinnamon Buche De Noel recipe you saw in Living, do you really want to spend hours in the kitchen stressing yourself out? Save that for January and stick to familiar territory this season, you can find stress elsewhere. Now that I have told you not to try new recipes this season, here is one of my favorites! Duckie tested, but even I, Coco, can make these Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies successfully! (Of course, you may wait until January to try it out for yourself.) The other reason I say to stick to tried and true recipes is for nostalgia's sake. Nostalgia is such a big part of what makes this time of year special! If your friends love your fudge, why deprive them from that joy this time of the year?
The Playlist: By far, my favorite time of the year. I truly wish more holidays had as wide a variety of themed music as Christmas! Instant mood maker. We all have Christmas songs we love and that we hate… so don’t put those on your party playlist. Mix old and new. Find foreign Christmas tunes, it can add so much zip to find some interesting takes on old favorites! I included a link to our Spotify Christmas mix for 2015. It is a fun, peppy mix. You will be familiar with some of the songs, but hopefully there will be a few that you have never heard before!
Festivities: Similar to my stance on cooking, simple and classic is the way to go! Depending on the party size and familiarity of your guests, break out the Twister board or grab a deck of cards and play some Christmas Poker*! (*Christmas Poker is is the same as regular Poker, but you bet using Christmas Candy or other sweets.) For smaller groups, drive around town and find the best Christmas lights! The most important thing is to have fun and really spend time with your guests. Think about what they would enjoy most and what will leave them with the best memories.
The Style: A very close second in my favorite things about the season is personal style. Whether the event calls for a coy sweater or you get to doll up in all of your glitz and glam, if you couldn’t guess, my Holiday advice is “No-Stress!”** (**Bonus appoints awarded for rhyming.) Yes, find some new accessories to add that “umph” to your ensembles, but don’t knix your Peppermint Mochas so you can fit into that wiggle dress you were thinking about for NYE. Look and feel fabulous but don’t spend too much time fretting that it eats away from your joy this season. The best accessory you can ever wear is a smile, don’t be without it this Holiday season.*** (***Sparkles are really, really good, too!)
xoxo,
Coco