How to throw the perfect holiday party
The holiday season is the perfect time to glam it up and turn up those parties a notch. Elevate that ordinary weekend get-together into a holiday-themed soiree, complete with festive cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and decorations. Throw on your wintry best and enjoy the holidays in style. Just be sure to provide the festive backdrop and an elegant time will be sure to follow.
• For fun but affordable party favors for the girls, buy a bundle of small silver gift boxes and slip a Ring Pop into each one. (Silver boxes and Ring Pops, Party City)
• Coordinate a color theme, such as red and silver, and use that as a common thread throughout your decorations. And since it's the holidays, pull out those retro, slightly cheesy decorations.
• A cupcake station offers a creative way to enjoy your sweets. Frost a dozen or so cupcakes and set out little dishes of sprinkles, candy and red hots so guests can decorate their own cupcake.
• Serve cocktails or spritzers with a Christmas or holiday theme. Places like Target have themed "buckets" of cocktail mx with flavors like chocolate mint martini and cranberry margarita. Or request that each guest bring a bottle of wine or champagne. For an easy, rosy cocktail, mix cranberry juice with champagne.
Dont forget...
Plan your holiday party all the way down to the sensory details. Nothing say the holidays like a roomfull of familiar scents. You can do it the old-fashioned way and bake some cookies or mull some cider, or you can take the shortcut and buy some candles or fragant oil diffusers to set around the rooms. Scents are getting more and more creative, ranging from hot buttered rum to pumpkin pie. Just be sure to place them out of high traffic areas.
Liven up the atmosphere with some holiday tunes. Some of the classic singers include Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. Or go for a more updated feel with remakes.
White Chocolate Snack Mix
A variation on the classic trail mix gets coated with white chocolate in an easy but tasty snack to throw together.
1 lb. white chocolate (use more or less depending on how sweet you want it)
2 cups crispy rice cereal squares (like Crispex or Chex)
1 cup toasted oat cereal (like Cheerios)
1 cup pretzel twists
1 cup salted peanuts or cashews
1/2 package of Reese's Pieces of M&Ms
1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave in 1-minute intervals until soft. Stir until melted. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl or pan. Stir the melted chocolate into mixture.
2. Spread out on a sheet of wax paper and let cool. Break into pieces.
