How to Plan the Perfect Christmas Party: Some Top Ideas to Make Your Event Memorable

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and we are full of good cheer! There's nothing like a proper celebration of the season, and if you plan a Christmas party, you know very well that it needs to be as special as possible. And whilst you can always rely on Christmas traditions and the décor you used in celebrations past, there’s no reason to stop there. In fact, there are more ideas than ever – and they can certainly add a sparkle to your Christmas event. So here’s how to plan the perfect Christmas party: some top ideas to make your event memorable.

Select your venue wisely.

The first thing on the list would be to select your venue wisely. The venue, after all, can make or break your event – especially the most amazing event of the year! When selecting a venue, it's important to consider certain requirements, such as live music or a dance floor (and these are just the beginning). You also have to consider whether the space is what you need – so make sure you have your guest list (or at least an estimate of the number of people). It would also be wise to keep a few questions in mind, such as whether the venue has a sound system, when it is available, the booking terms and conditions, and whether it has parking. Does the venue have its bar and catering facilities?

Determine a theme

Why not determine a theme if you want to give your Christmas event that extra 'wow' factor? The theme will help you decide on other aspects, such as décor, food, entertainment and activities, and so on. Some themes are also more inspired than most, such as a winter wonderland, a Christmas jumper or pyjama party, a Christmas party with Christmas characters like Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Santa's Elves, and more. Or you can celebrate in style with a Christmas carnival, and plenty of Christmas-themed stalls are available nowadays. Whatever theme works best for you, you could also seek help from fabulous party planners in Gloucestershire, like Oasis Events.

Decide on the décor

The decorations can add more ambience and personality to your event, but they can also be expensive, so take note of that. You can choose to create your décor (again, this would depend on the theme you are having), or you can rely on a professional to do it for you. If you decide to do your own thing regarding the décor, the best you can do is form a committee that will be in charge of it. This is one of the best aspects of having a theme – it can help you choose patterns, colours, and a motif much more easily. Plan ahead for the décor you need to hire from a vendor (like lighting).

Plan the entertainment

A Christmas party wouldn't be complete without the proper entertainment, so plan this wisely. You can go the traditional route with beloved Christmas games like charades, musical chairs, and musical statues. Or you can be more adventurous and have a game of Pictionary, wrap presents in a relay game, hold a Christmas-inspired treasure hunt, or have a game of Christmas bingo!

Image attributed to Pixabay.com

How to Save Money for Christmas

 

Photo by Joslyn Pickens 

When the Christmas season rolls around it is a time for gift-giving. However, before you go ahead and start spending, it is a good idea to try to save. 

With inflation rising, it's best to try to keep spending as minimal as possible. Here's a closer look at how you can control your spending this holiday season.

Create a Budget

The first step to saving money is to create a budget for the holiday season. First, write the names of all the people you want to buy gifts for and then decide how much money you want to spend on each of their gifts. 

This is an easy way to immediately control your spending. Once you have finished allocating the amount you want to spend, you can then calculate your expenditure. 

It might also be a lot more fun to try to fit the gifts you buy into the amount that you set for each person, instead of the other way around. Remember that getting gifts is simply a way to help us learn about the true meaning of Christmas. In the end, it's the thought that comes.

Use a Tracker

If you always have your phone with you a good idea will be to start using a tracker to keep your spending down this holiday season. It can be easy to say that you will think about how much you are spending in January. 

However, when January rolls around you will likely regret that you have spent so much. Getting an app on your phone to assist you with keeping track of your spending in real-time, is a good idea so that you can avoid regrets.

Start Shopping Early

One of the best things you can do is to start shopping as early as possible. The earlier you start shopping the less likely it is that you will overspend. 

Don't wait until the week of Christmas or the day before Christmas to start trying to find gifts. You are likely to end up having to buy things at more expensive prices. Take advantage of Black Friday deals and cyber week sales.

Combine Orders

If you decide to shop online you should consider combining your orders to ensure that you are getting the best value for your money. Buying all your gifts at one time and then getting them shipped out at once is the best way to avoid high shipping costs when you are purchasing gifts online.

Stay Off Your Credit Cards

Another thing you can do is try to stay off your credit cards during this time. Try to use cash instead. 

This is where making a budget becomes critical. You can then pull all the cash that you need at once.

Once that cash runs out your spending is done. Do not carry your credit cards with you when you go shopping. This will make it even easier for you not to use them if you run out of cash.

Set Up a Dedicated Christmas Account

If you typically have a lot of people you need to give gifts to at Christmas, you can set up a dedicated Christmas account. You can start putting funds in it from January so that at the end of the year you will have a good stash of cash ready to buy Christmas gifts. 

The good thing about having a separate account is that you get a debit card for that account. It helps you to separate your money. Even if you don't save in the account every month, you can decide on your budget for Christmas spending, put all the money into that account and then use your debit card. 

Shop All Year

Yes, you are trying to save money, but if you start your Christmas shopping a little bit every month by the end of the year you will already have a special gift ready for everyone.

Take advantage of all the sales that happen throughout the year and purchase something whenever you can. By the end of the year, you will have saved money and avoided the Christmas shopping rush.

Get the Gifts You Need

Getting gifts for the people you love at Christmas is critical. You don't want to disappoint anybody. However, gift-giving can rack up some very high bills. It's always a good idea to be as prepared as possible so that you can save as much money as you can for the new year. 

Tips for Keeping Your Family Healthy While on Vacation

 It's customary to celebrate the holidays with friends and family. But frequently, the constant eating and drinking might have a negative impact on our health. Why not make an effort to maintain your health over the Christmas season this year?

Maintain Hand Sanitation

Keeping everyone's hands clean is a simple approach to protect your family's health throughout the holidays. Use hand sanitizer frequently, especially before meals. Bring some with you. It's also a good idea to refrain from shaking hands with strangers.

The next best thing is hand sanitizer if water and soap are not available. Choose a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol in it. One hand's palm should be used to apply the hand sanitizer, and both hands should be thoroughly covered with it until they feel dry.

One of the easiest methods to avoid getting sick over the holidays is to wash your hands frequently. So make sure that soap and water are accessible to everyone in your family.

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Create a snack kit

Packing snacks is one of the simplest methods to keep up healthy eating habits when traveling. This will both save you money and help you avoid bad temptations.

Pick restaurants wisely

You must pick your restaurants wisely if you want to try to eat healthily while on vacation. Look for eateries that have a choice of healthful options and use fresh, local foods. Find out which restaurants are available, and whether they serve Mexican food or anything else that will suit the needs of your family.

Limit alcohol consumption

While on vacation, it's crucial to unwind, but you should also keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum. Alcoholism can cause dehydration and insomnia, both of which can be harmful to your health. Drink plenty of water in between alcoholic beverages if you plan to drink.

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Use sun protection.

Wearing sunscreen is among the most crucial things to remember when traveling. Even if you spend a brief amount of time outside, the sun can harm your skin. Therefore, make sure to regularly apply sunscreen and reapply as necessary. Skin cancer is a result of sun damage.

Be Active

Staying active is important, even though it can be enticing to spend the entire vacation reclining on the beach or relaxing at the hotel. You'll not only feel good, but you won't be as susceptible to illness. So take a stroll along the beach, cool off poolside, or go exploring. You'll be happy that you did!

Keep hydrated.

Making sure everyone drinks enough water while on vacation is among the most effective ways to keep the family healthy. Avoid sugary beverages like sodas as well as juices and drink lots of water instead. Drink much more water if you're traveling somewhere hot to avoid being dehydrated. To keep everyone hydrated and at their best, you may also bring electrolyte-rich foods like sports drinks and coconut water.

Undesirable insects

When you're outside, especially in wooded regions, it's a good idea to put on long-sleeved shirts, trousers, and socks. To prevent mosquitoes from getting close to your skin, tuck your trouser legs into your socks.

Additionally, you ought to stay indoors at dawn and nightfall, when mosquito activity is at its worst. Wear protective gear and apply repellant if you plan to be outside during those times.

 

If you love sugar cookies, then this is the place for you! I gathered 15 of my favorite sugar cookie recipes to share with you. Make sure you click thru to the full recipe.

Almond Sugar Cookies by The Taylor House

These are the perfect cookies to make with your kids, they make great cut outs that the kids can decorate and sprinkle!

Perfect Sugar Cookies by Spend with Pennies

This Sugar Cookie recipe is the perfect year-round holiday cookie! A simple mixture of butter, sugar and flour (with a few additions), these sugar cookies bake up beautifully every time. 

Cut Out Cookies with Marbled Icing by Easy Cookie Recipes

 These Cutout ugar Cookies with Marbled Icing are basically edible art. Each delicious sugar cookie is dipped into homemade swirled icing to create a unique marbled effect.

Peppermint Sugar Cookies by Gimme Some Sugar

If you’re headed to a holiday party or just love baking during the holidays, try this homemade Christmas cookie recipe. If you’re looking for a quick solution for the holidays, this is the best Christmas sugar cookie recipes out there! Seriously, I’ve never seen one easier.

Gluten Free Sugar Cookies by Cooking on Caffeine

This recipe is like the holy grail of “safe” sugar cookie recipes. No eggs. No milk. No wheat. No nuts or peanuts. Easily made soy-free. Use a different flour blend if you have issues with legumes or potatoes. And no chilling the dough, because who has time for that? We just want cookies! 

Soft Lemon Cookies by On My Kids Plate

These sweet and easy soft lemon cookies are the perfect little cookie for a delicious treat. Full of fresh lemon zest, these are bright, yummy cookies you’ll want to make again and again!

Chai Sugar Cookies by Lovely Indeed

These chai spice sugar cookies are the perfect cookie to go with a cup of tea or coffee! The easy recipe makes soft, chewy cookies that will be a hit at any party or cookie swap.

Buttery Almond Sugar Cookies by On Ty’s Plate

Buttery Almond Sugar Cookies — buttery soft almond flavored sugar cookies rolled in almond flakes. It's the perfect cookie!

Crispy Sugar Cookies by Creative Lifestyles

Do you ever just want a little crunch in your cookie? I don’t mean the crunch you get from over cooking the cookie. I mean a little crunch inside the softest yummiest cookie you will ever try. This amazing krispy sugar cookie is so easy to make, but it is hands down one of my favorite cookies of all time.

Swirl Sugar Cookies by Bride on a Budget

This recipe is time consuming, but so worth it for the way these swirl sugar cookies turn out! These are perfect for special occasions!

Vegan Dairy Free Sugar Cookies by Delightful Adventures

Easy homemade cut-out vegan gluten-free sugar cookies you can make for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween…they’re perfect for ANY occasion! These cookies can be made soft or crispy, it’s up to you. Decorate simply with sanding sugar or buttercream frosting or get fancy with a simple vegan icing that hardens.

Spiced Sugar Cookies by Bean Around the Bowl

These Spiced Sugar Cookies are warm and cozy with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Perfect for the holidays and simple to make. These can be topped with additional sugar before baking to add a nice texture. They are not overly sweet to begin, so don’t worry about them being too sweet with added sugar.

Vegan Lofthouse Copycat Cookies by Strength and Sunshine

Sure, you could make classic cut-out sugar cookies for decorating, but no one can pass up one of the soft, cake-like, frosted gems that have been gracing grocery store shelves since 1994 from Lofthouse! Like a cake and a cookie all baked up into one delicious buttery, sweet, colorfully frosted treat! Can you still have this classic cookie even if you're gluten-free, vegan, or have food allergies? Sure you can! With this easy copycat homemade version of the classic soft-baked frosted cookie, you'll never have to miss out again!

Classic Sugar Cookies by Healthy Kitchen 101

This sugar cookies recipe makes fun treats for Christmas and any other occasion. Also, making and decorating cookies is a great activity to get everyone in the kitchen to spend time together.

Super Soft Sugar Cookies by Emily Fabulous

These Super Soft Sugar Cookies are easy to make and taste just like the Lofthouse sugar cookies in the grocery store. This recipe is perfect for making with kids and will work for Valentine’s Day or any occasion because you can choose whatever color and decoration you want to use!

Find more favorite recipes here

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Simple Ways To Use What You Love In Your Interior Design

Your home's interior design may occasionally change. It's bright and airy in the spring, helps your home stay cool in the summer, is warm and inviting in the fall, and you love to keep the spirit of Christmas alive in the winter. Overall, how you decorate your home speaks volumes about who you are and what you value most in life, but it can be challenging to know where to begin when coming up with decor ideas. With that in mind, here are some of the best ways to use your own likes and loves to create your ideal interior design. 

 

Photo by cottonbro

 

Focus On Your Favorite Colors 

What is your favorite color? No matter what it is, even if it’s something quite unusual, this is the color to use most in your home. After all, why would you ignore it or use a color you don’t particularly like? You’re the one who has to live in the house, so it should reflect your personal tastes, and color is the easiest place to start. 

 

So how can you use your favorite color? Put it to work as an accent against darker hues in the bedroom, as a focal point in the living room, or as a dash of color in the kitchen or bathroom. If you have a white carpet or some plain hardwood, put a rug in your favorite shade down on the floor, then add bursts of that color in the cushions on your sofa to spice up the space.

 

Have A Feature Wall

If you don't want your own personality to take over the whole house, a feature wall is a terrific way to show off the items you love. A feature wall is a great place to showcase your eccentric interests, whatever they might be. 

 

And since feature walls make excellent focal points, you can use any unused wall. Places like the back of the sofa, the wall behind the TV, and the wall next to the door are ideal for displaying unique and well-liked decor. Plus, the next time you have guests around, you'll have something interesting to talk about.

 

Speaking of guests, if you have a guest bedroom, this is somewhere you can really experiment with. Since it’s a little used room, you can try out various designs there and see what works. Make sure you have a good bed and mattress and there is some storage, and then you have free rein on the rest. 

 

Get The Family Involved 

You love your family more than anything else, which can help you decide how to decorate your home. After all, you can have the kids make you some art, have your partner put up some shelves, and get an idea from each of them about what to do with an empty corner or wall.

 

The way you decorate your home can also show how much you love your family and want peace there. Buy some family sculptures to put around or put up some quotes about family on the walls. Feeling loved at home is a great way to make sure everyone gets along, and it's nice to see that in your decor.

 

Christmas Tree Process Art

 This is such a fun way for kids to paint, without using any brushes! It creates a lovely work of art that adds just the right touch of kid made cheer to your space!

My youngest and I love to paint together. We are always thinking of things to paint, without turning to a paint brush. We came up with this adorable process art using only a cork, a pencil eraser, and some paint. This is the perfect seasonal art project for kids.

Supplies:

Paint in green, red, yellow and brown

A pencil with an eraser

A paper plate

A cork

Paper

Directions:

Pour a little squirt of each color of paint on a paper plate.

Offer your child a pencil with an eraser and a cork.

Encourage your child to form the tree shape by stamping in the green paint, then adding one stamp to the paper.

On the next line, make two stamps.

On the third line, stamp 3 times. You get the idea.

After the tree is formed, using the eraser, dip into the other colors of paint, and start decorating the tree.

                     Use whatever colors you like for the ornaments. We used red, blue and yellow.

                                          Next form the tree trunk with brown paint.

                                         Allow to dry and display.

Isn't this such a cute holiday process art idea? Preschoolers and toddlers might enjoy this too!

You can find all of our Christmas crafts here.

Reader favorites include:

Gnome ornaments

Reasons Why Wine Is Still A Good Gift Option To Consider

 Reasons Why Wine Is Still A Good Gift Option To Consider 

The festive season is approaching us in a month or two. Thus, it's a good idea to think about some thoughtful gifts. Such circumstances are common to lead us to the dilemma of picking wise gifts for our relatives, colleagues, and friends. You may look through multiple options, but deep down, the solution is with the cellar. 

The connection between a cellar and gift items - 

It may interest you to know that wine is acknowledged as an ideal gift. The ancient Greeks considered it as a gift from the Almighty. In their culture, the Ancient Egyptians were common to bury their loved ones along with a handful of supplies to ensure they remained happy afterlife. 

Now you may be considering 'wine' as an outdated gift option, but when waking up to the realities, you will realize wine is a sophisticated and wise gift item. If you still don't believe us, surf through these legit reasons to change your perspective. 

#1 - Picking the right wine for the right person - Most people in your circle may be in love with sipping wine, but not all of them would love to go for the exact wine. From vegetarian wines to something unique like Sauvignon Blanc, there are many wines to choose from. This gives you ample options to select a safe and thoughtful gift. 

#2 - Wine for all occasions - No matter if it's Christmas eve or a gift for your friend's achievements, remember there is a wine type for everything. For instance - most people prefer Champagne and sparkling wines for special occasions, whereas others prefer Domaine Leroy Musigny for a plush home warming. All in all, you won't run out of options made just for you. 

#3 - It's a way of honoring someone you admire - Wines are considered an ideal way to honor someone who has achieved a remarkable feat in life. Countries like Argentina, U.S., and South Africa are considered the maximum for regional wines ensuring an authentic wine experience. 

#4 - Adorable packaging options - When it comes to gifting, its packaging plays a crucial role in impressing the receiver. And that's when wines work as an ideal gift for you. The markets are loaded with many wine bottle decoration items or boxes to make this job easier for you. All you need is to surf through the suitable options. 

#5 - Online platforms to assist you - Many online platforms are helping you choose the right wine type. Such platforms make you undergo a wine quiz and discover and display relevant results to have the most suitable wine for yourself. For this, you can consider joining a monthly wine club enriching your knowledge about the best tasting wines available in the market. So, what are you waiting for?

The last word - 

Choosing a thoughtful gift for your friend or close ones can turn into a significant challenge, primarily when you have been revolving around some selective gift options in your life. Here, wine works as a progressive gift option strengthening your bond with the one you are gifting it. But make sure you are reaping enough knowledge about the best wines available around. 

If You Must Clean out Your House in The Winter, Read This

 

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Decluttering in winter sounds like the craziest idea anyone could have. However, it actually is the best time of the year after fall. For some reason, there’s a huge hype about spring cleaning. You don’t have to clean out your house in spring because it’s a traditional time to do so. Moreover, junk removal services like Jiffy Junk are often completely booked in spring. If you did your decluttering in spring, you’ll likely end up on a waiting list. Take advantage of the cold season and be already all set and done when spring comes around.

Perfect Time To Organize Seasonal Items

Now that summer is over all of your garden furniture is probably back in the garage or the basement. But those aren’t the only items in your home you’re only using on a seasonal basis. Take your wardrobe, for example. Not only do we usually not wear 80 % of the clothes we have. Almost half of our clothes are seasonal items. No one wears a thick jumper in summer. As you’re organizing your home bit by bit, it’s the perfect opportunity to arrange seasonal items. Anything you find of no further use for you might be just the right gift for someone else. You could sell or donate unwanted items. It’s the season of giving after all and you could make a couple of poorer people happy. 

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Create a Stress-Free Zone

Especially during the winter season, people are more likely to be stressed out. On the one hand, there’s all the planning for the holidays. On the other hand, the darker season of the year can bring about low moods. As a matter of fact, clutter can contribute to depression and other stress-related mood swings.

The more you have, the likelier you may experience symptoms of stress. It even affects your sleep to have lots of clutter accumulated. Researchers found that if you lots of clutter piles, your brain can’t switch off during the night. Piles of clutter give you a sensation of an unfinished To-Do-List.

You can actively keep stress at bay as soon you take care of all the clutter in your home. Do a thorough junk removal to make you feel more relaxed in winter.

Everyone Can Help

Given the fact that life happens mainly indoors in winter, the whole family can help with the decluttering process. Surely, your children will run outside into the garden and play in the snow, but they are unlikely to spend the entire day outside. Neither is there a lot of BBQs or pool parties happening. 

Everyone automatically has more time. The more you are to tackle junk removal from your entire home, the sooner you’re done. It’s best if every family member tackles his own area. You won’t end up with someone crying because you did away with your child’s sentimental value. Turn the process into a contest. Whoever is done first with his area gets to decide what’s for dinner or ice cream. 

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How to Best Clean Out Your House in The Winter

Now all of that being said, you’ll only need a plan to start with junk removal. You don’t build a house without a blueprint. Each project requires organization.

1. Set yourself a goal

If you started junk removal of your home but had no time frame, you may never finish it. Therefore start with setting yourself a goal until when you’d prefer to be done with it. As a rule of thumb, it’s always best to plan as long ahead as possible. The more you have to go through, the more time you will require. It might not be a good idea to decide to clean out your home a week before Christmas. Considering all the holiday preparations you’d end up adding more stress to your plate. 

2. Do one room after another

You can’t do junk removal in all rooms at once. Tackle one room after another and split those rooms up into four parts. It provides you with manageable chunks and won’t overwhelm you. Take care of smaller rooms or those where you know you don’t have much to go through first. Leave larger rooms with lots of stuff for a day when you’ve got more time. Don’t do those in a week you know you’ll be very busy. 

3. Take out the garbage first

The easiest approach to junk removal from each room is to take out the obvious garbage first. Take a bin bag and stuff it with any garbage you find on the spot. Sweet wrappers, empty bags of chips, old papers, and notes can go without being looked at. Once the superficial garbage is out of the way, you’ve got more space to organize each area. If this is a much bigger job than you anticipated, you can look towards a company that offers skip bin hire sydney, or skip bin hire near you, so you have some assistance with excess waste! 

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4. Take three boxes

Next, you best take three boxes when you tackle each area of a room. One box is for things to keep, one for selling or donating, and the latter for junk to toss. Don’t forget to also sort seasonal items in this method. You may want to keep winter clothes and seasonal decorations. But chances are, you’ve already not used some of those items last year. If you haven’t used it last year you’re unlikely to use it again. Only keep clothes and decorations you truly love. Throw anything else out. Also, throw out anything you’ve got doubles of. No one needs several baking tins with the same mold. Don’t forget to also check rags and furniture.

And Finally, Arrange The Junk Removal

At best you’d arrange a garage sale with items you could sell, but winter is probably not the best season for garage sales. You could try to sell unwanted items online though. Since the winter weather can make 

it’s hard to bring donations to a charity, you might want to rely on a junk removal service. You’ll need to schedule a collection for your unwanted items anyway. Most junk removal services have partnered with charities. They will bring any items from a collection that are still in good shape directly to a charity. Two birds, one stone, and the most convenient way to perform a junk removal.