5 Fabulous Holiday Party-Planning Ideas
My favorite holiday memory is my first Christmas as a mommy ... and every one since then! With a creative idea (or five!) and help from the family (put those kids to work!), entertaining family and friends can be a spectacular way to show them you care. Here are five fabulous holiday planning ideas from my blog Not Just a Mommy that will help you turn the same "auld" celebrations into the happiest holiday soirees.
- Sweeten the deal! Instead of hosting a huge dinner, invite guests for a dessert party, and leave the decorating to them! My favorite go-to holiday-planning activity for kids of all ages is a decorate-your-own cookie buffet. Make or buy sugar and gingerbread cookies, put out bowls of colored frosting with plenty of craft sticks or spoons, and supply plenty of fun seasonal toppings. You can even have a contest and award prizes for outstanding effort in categories like "best use of chocolate chips" and "most creative frosting design."
- Make a home for the holidays! Who says gingerbread houses have to be edible? Purchase small, unfinished birdhouses and spray paint them gingerbread brown before guests come over. At the party, let the kids decorate them with sequins, stickers and whatever craft materials you have on hand. They'll leave with happy memories and an eco-friendly party favor they can hang in their own backyards!
- Get crafty with cookies! Give your guests an art attack with a Santa's cookie-plate decorating activity. It's easy: Just have guests doodle on oven-safe white plates with Sharpie markers, and bake them in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. It's a mess-free keepsake craft that encourages both adults and kids to get holiday creative. Be sure to serve cookies and milk to guests after they complete their masterpieces!
- Plan a Winter White-Out! Using the color of the big guy's facial hair as inspiration, plan a
- Make holiday movie magic! If one of your traditions includes watching a favorite holiday movie, turn it into a party! Viewing A Nightmare Before Christmas? Create an atmosphere inspired by the film with treats like these Jack Skellington look-a-likes. If The Santa Clause is one of your faves, party by the rules of the film! Since the only kids at the North Pole are elves, invite your younger guests to dress the part while adults come clad all in red. And if you're checking out a new holiday movie like Arthur Christmas, think up crafts inspired by favorite characters from the film and re-create them with your little elves when you get home from the theater.
For more holiday planning ideas from mom blogger and party planner Dawn Smith, visit her blog Not Just a Mommy.
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