Happy Holidays my dudes! I have been feeling festive af this season and I am loving it.
After moving into a new (much bigger) place a few months ago, I’ve been so excited to decorate and entertain and be a merry little biotch. I kicked off the shenanigans this past Saturday with a super fun holiday party!
Parties are so fun and I love being invited to them because I feel like people just don’t have them as much anymore. It’s fun to go out on the town (lol am I 67 years old?) but there’s something really lovely about being welcomed into a friend’s home and enjoying time with people you actually know.
But this year, I’M that friend and I’m so glad I got to celebrate this time of year with so many of the people I love!
I had the best time catching up with my friends and family, dancing (alone) to all the classics (“Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” anyone?) and watching everyone enjoy the giant spread I put out. The night ended in tequila shots (despite my insistence on not mixing with wine, it still somehow happens every time) and me falling asleep with my makeup on. Good times.
Inspired to host your own fabulous holiday party? But also not trying to spent waaaaay too much $$ on it? But also want it to be fun and cute and a good time?
I’m your girl.
Here’s how I hosted a budget-friendly and festive holiday party!
DECOR
This was admittedly a bit of a struggle for me because I was so excited to decorate for Christmas for the first time (I lived in a shoebox before, there was no point) and really wanted to get all the things.
BUT I had to remind myself that I will be adding to my Christmas decor collection for years to come and to cool my jets.
I talk more about how to save during the holidays (including on decorations!) in this post here.
So this year I set a limit of $100 and only got things that I thought were absolute holiday “necessities”. I made sure to get things that would get me the most bang for my buck and I think I did a pretty great job!
I got the cutest pom pom garland pack of two that I was able to hang on my fireplace and my bar cart, some great cinnamon Christmas themed potpourri that I was able to use all over the house and a really solid fake tree! Plus a ton of other things I’ll list below along with some other affordable options.
FOOD
I wanted to give my guests things to snack on and didn’t want to do much cooking. So obviously a massive charcuterie board was the answer. I picked up some of my favorite cheeses from Trader Joes (blueberry goat cheese, truffle triple cream brie, AHH!) along with their awesome party packs of meats and cheeses. I picked up some dried fruit, grapes, nuts, crackers, and several yummy spreads too. It made for the perfect snack table!
I also made a cute crudités platter because I am a classy lady. In reality, I chopped up a ton of fresh veggies and put out some delish hummus!
My sweet cousin made the most festive and delicious apple cinnamon cake that was truly the star of the show. I picked up some cookies and peppermint cremes from Trader Joe’s to round out the desserts.
Even though I didn’t want to cook I still couldn’t say no to those tasty apps Trader Joe’s has in their frozen section. I picked up their little pastry puff pigs in a blanket, the caramelized onion and feta bites and a few other goodies to put out for my guests. They’re super affordable, easy and delicious!
A few of my friends are vegan so I made sure to have options for them as well. I made a mini charcuterie board for them with vegan cheeses and meats plus lots of fruits and nuts. I also picked up Trader Joe’s vegan coconut chocolate chip cookies (they’re to die for). I grabbed a pack of the TJ’s meatless chicken tenders (which are actually a true delight) as well. Highly recommend!
I think the thing that really elevated the food was the presentation. I already had some nice, large cutting boards for the cheese and meats and I went to Homegoods a few weeks ago to pick up some inexpensive serving platters. I found the cutest white platter and little serving bowls there and they were so cheap. Investing in some beautiful, but inexpensive serving dishes and tools will instantly impress your guests without breaking the bank.
DRINKS
I told everyone who was coming to the party to bring their favorite bottle of wine! Don’t be afraid to ask your guests to bring a little something. There can never be enough alcohol in my opinion so wine seemed like the perfect thing to ask for.
I also had four bottles of my own for the party that I was gifted from Winc! I was SO excited to partner with them (they aren’t sponsoring this post, I just really love them LOL) because I am a girl who loves wine but who also knows very little about it.
Winc curates a list of wines for you based on your taste and preferences so you can actually start figuring out what you like. Right now they’re offering four bottles of wine for under $40 ($22 off!) and complimentary shipping so if you’re trying to stock your bar for your holiday party this would be the perfect, affordable way to do it! Click here to use my code!
Plus you guys, the wines are freaking legit. My favorite was the Finke’s Sparkling White Blend because I am always a fan of bubbles and found this to be the perfect crisp and not too sweet sparkling wine. I also was so pleasantly surprised by the Big Beat Red Blend! I almost always choose a white or rosé and have been wanting to expand my palette a bit (aka grow tf up) and figure out which reds I actually like. This is a medium-bodied wine so it’s definitely more approachable than other reds and had some yummy fruity undertones (do I sound like I know what I’m talking about yet?).
To take their quiz and order your wine click here!
I also wanted to make sure my house smelled like a Christmas dream so I made spiked cider in the crockpot which was so easy and cozy! Get the recipe here.
For the guests who did not want to drink something alcoholic, I provided water. 🙂 I have to say this is the only thing I wish I had done differently! I had ordered a beautiful carafe online but it didn’t arrive in time so I kind of just had people go fill up their cups from the sink like a tacky bitch. But hey, San Francisco has great water. They survived!
PARTY SUPPLIES
We all love to make things cute but sometimes we can get stuck buying items that are seriously overpriced and not worth it.
I kept things simple with sparkly plastic airplane cups (you know what I’m talking about), Christmas cocktail, festive paper straws (for the water drinkers!) and a pretty “Merry Christmas” garland. It’s truly the little touches that pull things together in the best way.
Here’s what I bought along with some other cute affordable party supplies:
Need a killer holiday party outfit? Click here for my guide to every party on your calendar this season!
What event are you looking forward to most this month? Tell me in the comments below!
Xo,
She
