Christmas is in four days…the first night of Hanukkah is in three. Are you stressed yet? The general feel of the holiday season promotes an overall sense of joviality. And with your neighbors stringing lights and hanging wreaths, how could you not feel that?
But, as life requires balance, the other side to this merriment is the more taxing aspects of the season: shopping for presents, finding time to wrap presents and see the people you want to give them to, buying the perfect ugly sweater that’s still kind of cute. Though I can’t offer you too much help in the Ugly Sweater Department, I’ve compiled a couple shortcuts in curating a quick-n-easy holiday party, if you’ve found yourself in the hot seat with only moments to prepare.
Snacks:
No baking, no problem. Try this recipe for No Bake Cookie Bites if you’ve got hungry guests to feed and no time to preheat the oven.
(01) Cup of Dry Oatmeal
(1/2) Cup of Chocolate Chips
(1/2) Cup of Peanut Butter
Entertainment:
When I used to have Christmas parties in high school, my friends and I would always play gift exchange card game. While each guest can bring a gift of their own (as a buy-in, if you will), but my mom and I used to have so much fun perusing store aisles searching for inexpensive gifts– some kitschy some just silly, but always enjoyable. It’s easy to explain how to play and even easier to catch onto. All you’ll need is two decks of cards. Here’s how you play:
Place the gifts in the center of the surface in which you’re playing. Gather ’round and count how many people are participating. You’ll need one card per gift.
In Round One, pass out a single card to each person participating in the exchange. The host will hold onto the second deck of cards, which will be identical to the first deck.
The host pulls a card from the pile and then selects a present. The next card is pulled and the person with that corresponding card selects a present or can steal a present. Lather, rinse, repeat until all the presents have been taken from the pile.
During Round Two, each person will again get one card. From the second deck of cards, a card will be flipped. Whoever’s card corresponds to the flipped card can keep their gift or trade their gift. Repeat until the last card is revealed.
Music:
I’ve already written about a couple times about both music and comedy (and one for good measure), but if you don’t want my recommendations, Spotify’s got you covered.
Bridget Smith | Storyteller, Memory Maker 
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