Hosting Parties

Hosting A Christmas Cookie Exchange

Want to have a variety of Christmas cookies to enjoy during the holidays without having to spend days slaving over the stove? If so, a Christmas cookie exchange is for you!

How it works:

Invite your guests! Everyone who attends the cookie exchange is going to make their favorite holiday cookie. If two people have the same favorite cookie, either have one of them pick out a different cookie to make or have them modify the recipe. This is why it’s important to find out what everyone is baking in advance.
The amount of cookies each person has to bring depends on how many people are attending the party. For example- if you have 10 people attending the party, each person should bake around 40 cookies (so that each person can have at least 4 of the same type of cookie). I’ve found from past cookie exchanges, 4-6 of each type of cookie is a good number to work with.
When the guests arrive, have each person write the name of the cookie they brought on an index card. This will serve as a label that can be placed in front of the container containing the cookies they brought.
Make sure everyone brings something to take their cookies home in. I like to buy Holiday tins from craft stores because they keep the cookies fresh and they also make great decor pieces!
Ask everyone to bring copies of their holiday cookie recipe.
Have a contest! I decided to make the cookie exchange more interesting by having the attendees vote on their overall favorite cookie, best decorated cookie, and most unique cookie. Winners received baking themed prizes such as a cookbook, holiday oven mitts, and mixing bowls.
Serve some warm hot chocolate or eggnog to add to the Christmas spirit.

Comment with your favorite cookie recipe below!

Selena’s Baptism

I am a child of God John 1:12

On November 5th, 2017, Selena Jade was baptized. It was a beautiful day that was celebrated with friends and family.

After the ceremony, we held a dinner at a room we rented out on base. A lot of the decor/dessert table was DIY. Since I love sticking to color schemes, I decided on using shades of silver, pink, & white.

I made the center pieces for the tables. They were super easy to put together and very affordable! The flowers were purchased from Trader Joe’s the day before the party. Luckily, they had just the type of flowers I was looking for. The vase was from the 99 Cents store and was decorated with white ribbon and tulle. To keep the flowers looking fresh, I trimmed them, put them in water (with the nutrient pack they come with) and kept them in the refrigerator overnight.

I made white chocolate covered Oreos. Yum!

Chocolate covered pretzels topped with editable glitter powder. Glitter you can eat is the best invention EVER. Warning- It may make you poop glitter (ha, I really have no idea..yet..). The best way to apply the glitter onto the pretzels is using a paint brush (once the chocolate hardens).

For the favors, I gave out homemade rose soaps from Etsy, rosary beads (that also smell like roses), & Jordan almonds.

Let me know what you think of my baptism decor! ❤

Hosting a Rock Painting Party For Adults

Who said painting rocks is only for kids? A few weeks ago I hosted my first ever rock painting party. I got this idea after discovering that there’s a local Facebook page dedicated to painting rocks and hiding them throughout the neighborhood for others to find. So what would make rock painting more geared to the adult population?- WINE! Plus alcohol does get those creative juices flowing..

How it works: If you find a painted rock, you have the choice of keeping it or leaving it. If you decided to keep the rock, you need to replace it with another painted one. On the back of the rock you should write “Please take a picture and post (insert Facebook rock group’s name).” This way, you can see who got the rock you painted.

Join your local Facebook rock hunting group: Most groups are called “(insert city) Rocks”. If a group doesn’t exist already, create one!
Invite your guests: make a Facebook event or mail out invitations. Tell those invited to bring their favorite wine. Be sure to mention that they should also join your local rock group and explain how it works.
Go rock hunting: I went to the beach to find my rocks but parks are usually a good place to look as well. I recommend searching for rocks of various shapes and sizes to make them more interesting to decorate. If your rocks are dirty, make sure to rinse them off with water and allow them to dry before painting.
Get your supplies: You don’t need amazing quality brushes or paint. I got all of my supplies from Walmart.
Drink some wine and start painting rocks!!

What you’ll need:

Plastic tablecloths (better than newspaper just in case someone spills water or wine)

Paint brushes

Acrylic paint

Paint palettes (plastic plates work just as well)

Acrylic sealer- to keep the paint from fading.

Rocks

Plastic cups with water (for cleaning brushes)

Optional:

Apron

Toothpicks- help with painting details

Painting ideas: Add quotes, music lyrics, dates.

Themes- sports, animals, holidays, seasons

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Drink some wine and start painting rocks!!

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