8 Essential Tips for Hosting the Perfect Holiday Party...

Bienvenue mis amis! So, it's the most WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEARRRR..................!!!!

And, despite this, it still comes with its own challenges and setbacks, when juggling work, family, & social gatherings. Not to mention, time for self, because who likes to sit by a beautifully lit tree and a warm fireplace wrapped in the most comfiest, fuzzy, fur throw, while watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, at least a few times during the season...?!?! Oh that's right, ME! Haha!!

Photo Credit: Purroy Productions

And, I'm sure you do too because I can't be the only one!! I mean even the most grinchiest of grinches enjoy their own special creature comforts. By the way...Check out my Grinch smoothie recipe here!

So, I'm going to help you amp up your holiday arsenal with savvy hosting hacks, tips, tricks, and delicious recipes! C'mon, I think most of us would, unapologetically, admit to appreciating clever adult life hacks, especially, when it comes to hosting, that make the holidays a breeze! And, lemme just cut right to the chase in giving you my most ultimate holiday hack, and that's my Get eLF'd Up Christmas Planner! Listen, it's got everything from a Christmas party planning checklist, to gift lists, to recipes, to my host hacks & much more! So grab it while you still have time to get ahead of the holiday madness! And, read-on for the rest of my holiday hosting tips.

Tip #1 - Pick a Solid Date & Time Early On...

First and foremost, you're going to want to look at the calendar and pick a solid date right off the bat. Pro Tip: Select dates that are earlier in the season and fall on a weekend as more people are prone to being off during these days. Unless, it's a work party...Please, if you're in charge of your throwing your work holiday party, then please do us all a favor and select a weekday, so that we can all get out of work earlier haha!!

Selecting dates early-on, will ensure that people know about your party well in advance so that they can mark their calendars, and mentally file it away in their brains. The last thing you want to do is give people the heads up TOO too late and they already had gotten bogged down with dates for other holiday gatherings. But also, don't do it too early so that they don't completely forget altogether. I'd say best time to make the announcement is a few days right after Thanksgiving, and make sure to send weekly reminders leading up to the party! Evite is great with this feature, as you can literally schedule out the reminders in well in-advance!

You'll also want to make sure to give a start and end time, if you're the type of person who rather not have guests overstay their welcome, so that you can get to cleaning and wrapping up the night.

OH (!!!), and if you'd like a place to organize & store ALL your holiday dates, notes, ideas, meal planning & grocery lists, recipes and other essentials for your party, then that's surely another good reason to download my printable Get elF'd Up Christmas Planner. You can use it digitally or print it at home if you're someone who prefers hard-copy. Another great idea is to go to Staples and get it printed & bound. Doing this will make it a cute, chic gift for the most festive people in your life, or a great way to past down long-standing family recipes to the younger generations!

Tip #2 - Select a Fun Holiday Theme

Are we doing a Glamorous Holiday Soirée? Or are we doing Galmas: PJ's, Pizza, & Prosecco? Maybe an Ugly Sweater Party?? (Which, if you're totally over that theme then grab my list of 25 Unique & Creatively Fun Themes that give the Ugly Sweater theme the side-eye haha!!) Whatever you decide to do, use it as fuel for your imagination, and momentum to apply to my remaining tips. If you're stumped, and are looking for some theme ideas for your holiday party then reference the list that I provide below or grab my freebie for the list of 25 to choose from. Collectively, save any picture cutouts or images you find online in a folder or Pinterest Board for easy access and a good reference point. Trust me on this, otherwise you'll forget all of the great ideas that initially come to mind.

Remember your party could be something completely out of the box that you thought of on your own, as well! It doesn't have to fall under the traditional ideas of what a Christmas party entails. If you're looking for even more Christmas inspiration, then make sure to check out my Christmas Pinterest board. I've also listed some fun holiday party themes below for you to check out & be inspired!

Fun Christmas Party Theme Suggestions

Kidsmas/Friendsmas

Movie Night: "PJs, Pizza, & Punch" Party; Check out my recipe to a delicious "Snowball Punch;" Pro Tip: This party is ideal for kids whose birthday falls during winter break)

Kidsmas/Friendsmas

Baking Spirits Bright: Set up Gingerbread House Kits or Cookie Making Stations

Galsmas

Movie Night: PJs & Prosecco w/a Hallmark Holiday Movie

Family/Friendsmas

Fizz, Flannels, & Flapjacks

Work Holiday Party/Friendsmas/Family

Winter Wonderland Ball

Work Holiday Party/Friendsmas/Family

Black Tie Holiday Soiree/ old Hollywood Christmas soiree

Work Holiday Party/Friendsmas/Family

Christmas Karoake (Perfect for work colleagues, family, & friends)

Work Holiday Party/Friendsmas/Family

Grinchmas (Perfect for work colleagues who constantly vent about work haha!!)

Work Holiday Party/Friendsmas

Christmas Potluck (Perfect for work colleagues & friends)

Tip #3 - Create a Holiday Themed Invitation

Now, here's where some of the real fun begins! I'm a total sucker for a cute invite, and with all the technology today you don't even need physical cards, BUT if you do prefer mailing out physical invites, then make sure to check out my digital shop where I make several variations of fun & cheeky holiday card designs that you can either use both digitally, or print out for your holiday soiree! It's literally the best of both worlds!

You can create a fun cute holiday themed invite with a catchy phrase like "Big Nick Energy" or "Calling All You Ho-Ho-Hos" haha like my digital invites in the images here that align with the season or particular theme you're having. And, if that idea overwhelms you at all...Then like I previously mentioned...Just browse my digital shop, where I took the initiative to design several options for you. Ya know, just a lil' something to take the edge off.

Just FYI: All these invites are downloadable files that are completely editable, so that you can plug in your own party details (DUH...of course haha) & send out! You can even personalize each invite to each guest name if you're so inclined. Plus, there perfect for getting even more great Christmas theme ideas if you're stumped on which way to go!

Also, check out my Christmas party must-haves that I linked below!

1.) Disposable Linen Napkins; 2.) Vintage Style Bluetooth Speaker; 3.) Hood Charades; 4.) Vintage Drinking Glasses; 5.) Buffet Server; 6.) Electric Food Warmer; 7.) Burgundy Tablecloth; 8.) Christmas Tree Place Card Holders; 9.) Mini Appetizer Forks; 10.) Remote Controlled Candles; 11.) Fruit Punch Bowl; 12.) Get elF'd Up Christmas Planner

Tip #4 - Set The Vibes For The Perfect Holiday Party...

When it comes to setting the vibes aka the ambiance for your party, my tip is to always revert back to the good ole' 5 senses-Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, & Touch. The objective is to accommodate each of the five senses to provide the ultimate sensory experience.

More specifically, when we apply this method, we're going to want to do it in a way, as it pertains to the type of party that we're hosting.

For example, if we're hosting a Friendsgiving bonfire then what we'd see would be an actual bonfire. What we'd likely hear, would be the crackling of that bonfire and maybe acoustic guitar instrumentals playing in the background. What we'd probably smell is the array of rustic foods amidst the wood burning fire. And, what we'd taste are the delicious foods & cocktails. Lastly, what we'd touch & feel, would probably be the textured bark from the wood logs that we're sitting on (or if you're lucky enough to have a host who places some extra throw blankets for you to sit on benches in order to provide some extra cushion and warmth.

Now, we're going to take the same "5-Senses" concept & apply it to your holiday party. For all intensive purposes, let's just go with a traditional Christmas party as the theme. What might initially catch your sight, will more than likely be a well-lit Christmas tree, nestled next to a warm, cozy fireplace. For sound: You'll most likely hear the echoing sounds of Christmas classics playing in the background (click here for ALL categories of my Christmas playlist freebies-you're welcome!). For smell, you might inhale the sweet aroma of Christmas sugar cookies, alongside the scent of fir from Bath & Body Works candles. And, for taste, you might devour some Christmas-themed hors d'oeuvres. Lastly, for touch you may be served a glass of champagne upon arrival or sit and curl up on a sofa draped with a fur throw blanket. The point is, that all these together, collectively, work in tandem with one another to exude that wonderful nostalgic feeling of Christmas! And so you're going to want to apply that same principle to whatever theme you decide to go with to make your party a success.

Tip #5 - Serve Holiday Signature Food & Cocktails...

Get my recipes for the above images here: Antipasto Candy Cane; Rudolph The Rednose Russian Cocktail; Mistletoe Mule; Santa Spritz

Ahhh...My favorite topic, FOOD! This might actually be my favorite part of executing my events next to the initial conceptual design of course. I love being able to take a cool theme and coming up with fun names and delicious recipe flavors in order to parlay it into signature cocktails and foods. Now, with holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, they're usually known for traditional table spreads which include turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, spiked eggnog, and pumpkin pie just to name a few.

Now, remember what I said...You don't always have to take the traditional route. You can break the mold and do your menu entirely different. For example, you can do a soul food type menu or even a Mexican themed Christmas menu like with a holiday-themed margarita cocktail. Just make sure that whatever you do, you make it fun for yourself and your guests!

Tip #6 - Provide Fun Holiday Entertainment

Now, nothing's worse than having a boring party where people are just kind of standing around and bored for a lack of a better word. I mean, in all actuality it shouldn't entirely fall on the host for total entertainment. Once the right people and energies come together they're bound to have a good time!

However, it is important as the host to strategize a way to break the ice and bring people together, especially, breaking those moments of awkward silence if the music were to stop. By the way, make sure to loop your playlist so that the music doesn't stop haha! So, ultimately, interactive games are a fun way for guests to feel comfortable enough to let their guard down and mingle. I've included some fun game ideas below.

Fun Interactive Holiday Entertainment Suggestions

Secret Santa

Christmas Karaoke Contest

Best Ugly Sweater Contest

Some of my favorite games are listed below:

Christmas Family Feud

Taboo (optional Christmas Edition)

Yule Never Guess

Tip #7 - Tidy Up & Organize The Home

This includes checking your inventory supply. Do you have enough plates, utensils, napkins, & the very important TOILET PAPER. The last thing you wanna have to do is run out of your own party! Like I said, if you're in need of help in putting this all together, then check out my digital Get elF'd Up Christmas Planner. It'll help you get your holiday plans all-the-way together.

And, take it a step further & get your life together with my digital Ultimate Planner. It has all the features you need in a planner to organize your life, especially with the near year approaching!

Tip #8 - Prepare Well in Advance

Behind every flawless holiday party is a little pre-planning magic. Prep your menu, drinks, décor, and playlist ahead of time so the day-of is all about fun, not stress! Batch cocktails, portion appetizers, and set up your dining table before guests arrive. These little steps make your soirée look effortlessly polished. Trust me, a well-prepped host is a relaxed host, and a relaxed host is one that actually gets to thoroughly enjoy their event!

Well, there you have it guys!

Those are my 8 essential tips to ensuring that your holiday party is a hit!

Make sure to plan ahead in advance so that you have ample time to execute said ideas.

And, make sure to download my digital Get elF'd Up Christmas Planner if you need some extra help in executing your holiday party!

And, my Ultimate Planner if you want to start the new year right & organized!

Make sure to take photos and tag me of how your parties came out!

Until next time...Cheers to sleigh'in the holidays!

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