Are you tired of the same ‘ol Christmas activities every year? Does the obligation of gifts for everyone intimidate you to the point of declining invites? Do you dread the 24th and 25th because it involves a trip to every family member’s house in less than a 48-hour period? You are not alone. This holiday season, break the monotony and toss the anxiety by creating new traditions for a more festive celebration.
Here are some suggestions for an enjoyable, holiday-themed get-together with your loved ones:
Gingerbread Decorating Party:
Clear out your pantry, stop by Dollar Tree and have yourself a party. To make this party a success, you need lots of supplies! Pretzels for trees, cereal for shingles and Oreos for windows. Your imagination is the only limit. If you’re catering this party towards young children, consider creating simple gingerbread houses with graham cracker cookies glued together, building many for the kids to decorate. If the party is for adults, ask each adult to bring a kit and you provide the supplies for decorating.
Ugly Sweater Party:
‘Tis the season to be tacky! Invite your friends to create the ugliest sweater of them all. Award trophies for the ugliest sweater, the most festive, the most unique and the most questionable. Sip hot cocoa, play caroler karaoke and set up a selfie station.
Gift Wrap Holiday Party:
I spend hours on my living room floor late at night wrapping Christmas presents. I curl every ribbon, decorate each name tag, and assign wrapping paper based on interests and personalities. Wait, you do this too? So why are we doing it alone? Invite your friends over for some wrapping fun. Supply wine, cheese, tape, scissors and some ribbon. Ask each friend to bring rolls of paper and share. When you’ve got good company, the time passes so much faster. Be sure to set the date well in advance, so shopping is completed, and the time is reserved.
Movie-Viewing Party
“Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!” or “Fraa-Jeel-Aay, huh. Must be Italian!” Whatever your Christmas movie style is, there’s a themed party behind it. Invite friends over for a viewing of your favorite Christmas film and include movie-themed games, snacks and décor. If you want to make a real event out of it, choose a few different seasonal films and have yourself a sleepover movie marathon, hello Christmas PJs.
Cookie Exchange Party
It’s the most delicious time of the year! The first time I attended a cookie exchange party, I was a bit intimidated. Thankfully, chocolate chip cookies are always a hit and easy to make. But I was also blown away. The cookies were thoughtfully decorated with pearls and glitter, displayed in ready-to-go bags with beautiful recipe cards and festive charm. Quite honestly, a cookie exchange is genius. You bring a lot of one kind of cookie, and in return leave with a whole lot of every kind of cookie, perfect for gifting to neighbors, the mailman and more. Simply ask guests to bring a dozen cookies to taste and a dozen cookies to take, more or less depending on the number of guests. Visit our website Familyandkidsga.com/cookie-exchange-recipes for some simple, yet tasty cookie recipes.
We want to know!
What kind of Christmas celebrations do you have? Email us at Info@FamilyandKidsGA.com with your celebrations. We may feature it in a future issue!
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