Favorite Things Party 2018
Happy first blog of the New Year! I’m finally getting back in the swing of things with the kids back into school. Reunited and It feels so good! I had to throw a blog together about a party I host, which happens to be my favorite party of the year. Favorite Things party of 2018!
I know you must be thinking that I’m a little late posting about a holiday party, Christmas was a few weeks ago. And honestly if you feel the way I feel, you’re so over the holidays. The reason I post this after the holidays, is because we don’t throw this party until the first Friday after Christmas.
Why after the Holidays?!
Yes, I host a holiday party after the holiday. Let me tell you why. Reason one, Christmas is over, the stress of the holidays is over. Let’s get real for a second, us ladies, we’re the ones doing the real work. Wrapping, buying, making sure everyone is taken care of, including the bus driver. In our house I’m also in charge of the calendar too. So I’m the one trying to fit everything in, also making sure everyone has holiday outfits. Not to mention the holiday parties at school, school concerts, band concerts. And then the holiday cooking and baking, because Santa needs cookies right?!? The holiday can be a lot of weight on a moms shoulders, and with that we need a celebration for making it out alive.
That’s the reason I have this party after the holidays, us mama’s get to let it all out. And that’s exactly what we do, decompress after the holidays.
What is a Favorite Things Party
If you haven’t heard of a favorite Things Party before, let me give you a quick run down. Every year Oprah releases her favorite things of the year. Which is where the idea of the party is stemmed from. Instead of Oprah’s favorite thing, you bring your favorite thing of the year. There are several different ways that people like to host this party. But for us this is the way it’s worked for best.
- Everyone bring 3 of the same item wrapped
- Our price range is $10-15
- Everyone fills out a favorite things of the year questions (pop culture questions, New Years resolution, etc. ) keep your answers to yourself
- The host picks out the first filled out questionnaire. After it’s read out loud we try to guess who’s questionnaire it is.
- Once that person is figured out, they pick three names from a hat, after the names are read out loud, and their favorite thing is opened, they explain why it was their favorite thing of the year.
- Then they choose the next questionnaire to read, and so forth so on.
Cocoa Bar
Another fun little twist on the party is the spiked hot cocoa bar! I mean everyone loves a good cup of hot cocoa in the winter. I love a good cup of hot cocoa with a touch of Bailey’s to spice things up 😉 another reason I’m a fan of hosting after the holidays… holiday clearance. Fun marshmallows, candy, candy canes, all on clearance. And perfect for a hot cocoa bar. This year I did find the hot cocoa spoons and peppermint stir sticks at TjMaxx and Homegoods. I also lucked out, because Target just released a whole bunch of super adorable hot cocoa bar decorations; in their bullseye playground.
Food and Drink
Everyone brings a side, or a bottle of wine. This year we had everything from vodka sauced pasta, to cupcakes. It’s always a great arrangement of food and snacks.
Cherry Bombs
Two things I decided to try this year were vodka soaked cherries. A.k.a Cherry bombs! They were so easy, and fun to make. They also packed a punch!
- Soak 16oz maraschino cherries in 1/2 cup vanilla vodka over night.
- Strain and dip in white almond bark
- Then dip in sprinkles
Charcuterie board
I took my first gamble at a charcuterie board, I was actually pretty nervous about how it would turn out. It can be overwhelming not knowing how much or what to actually put on. Therefore I ended up grabbing a bunch of different items from Trader Joe’s, Homegoods, Costco, and Target. Then I used some greenery from my live front door garland.
- Peanuts (Target )
- Chocolate peanuts (Homegoods)
- Crackers (Target)
- Pretzels (Target)
- Salami (Trader Joe’s)
- Prosciutto (Costco, assorted package)
- Dried fruit (Trader Joe’s)
- Trail mix (Trader Joe’s)
- Different types of pre sliced cheese (Costco)
- Raspberries and blueberries (Trader Joe’s)
- Hummus (Trader Joe’s)
- Cheddar dip (Trader Joe’s)
- Olives (Trader Joe’s)
Favorite thing gift ideas
Some of the gifts from this years favorite Things Party were:
- Himalayan salt lamp
- Cook book
- Makeup brush
- Jewelry organizer
- Oil diffuser
- Travel kit
- Earrings
- Socks
- Favorite coffee and coffee mug
- Vibrator (yes you read that right, and yes it was a huge hit!)
Lots of great gifts, great food, and most importantly great friends! Another successful year, I’m already brainstorming next year. And already thinking about decompressing over the holidays!
Check out some fun reads from the past:
