Blog Swap- Cocktail Night In by Cher at Love, Actually blog

I'm excited to welcome back Cher to my blog for this blog swap. She has wonderful date ideas for you and that very special person in your life.
Hello, again! It's been a few weeks since I was here last...and I'm glad to be back! I hope you've taken the time to stop by my little blog, Love Actually. If not, come on over. You're welcome anytime! Okay, on to today's idea...

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Did any of you happen to watch "Four Christmases"? If not, allow me to explain why it's pertinent to this post. The opening scene of the movie shows a guy and girl meeting at a bar for the first time. He's apparently hitting on her and she's not interested... Soon after, however, sparks begin to fly and a make-out session goes into high-gear! What's funny is that we later find out that these two strangers are actually a couple! They came to the bar that night with alternate personalities to "meet" again for the first time....what a way to spice things up! It was a hoot to watch...I'm sure it'd be even better in real life!

So, in lieu of this brilliant roleplay, I've created a late-night date idea that allows you and your spouse to kick back and enjoy a drink...notice that I said nothing about a bar!

Invite your spouse "in" for cocktails....or "mocktails" in my case. (alcohol-free).

-Have your kitchen cleaned up and use your table or countertop as your bar. (or if it's nice outside, use your patio or deck)

-Prepare some drinks (great recipes below..or Sparkling Cider is easier, faster, and probably cheaper!) (the drinks look really convincing with grapes or olives on a toothpick, or limes on the side of the glass)
-Get some cheap martini or wine glasses ($ store)
-Put some cut cheese and crackers on a little tray
-Dress up just a little...throw on some lipstick, ladies!
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Get your act together... (pretend you don't know him/her, and they'll soon catch on and play along)
- "Do you come here often?"
- "Have I met you before? You look so familiar."
- Use some cheesy pickup lines (if it gets you both laughing, I'd be one happy blogger!)
- Make up interesting things about your "other" self (again, the movie provides excellent examples--I recommend watching it first!)

I designed these fun invites that you could give them that morning, when they get home from work/school, or just an hour before! Whatever works best.

Download Blue/White Invite HERE

Download Brown/Green Invite HERE

If you don't want to do the whole "alter ego" thing, then use this as a break from work, school, or the kids. Promise to only talk about each other, your love, but not all the stresses that have you down!

Here are some recipes (with my personal stamp of taste approval!) if you choose to make your own drinks:

Photos of Cookie Exchanges

Here are photos of some FANTASTIC cookie exchanges. These ladies cookie exchange parties are full of appetizers, treats and games.

Find out what guests are bringing before hand so that you can make cards for each tray to identify the cookies and who brought them.

Some hostesses prefer to have all cookies prepackaged for the number of guests. If you are having an appetizer bar then have guests package all cookies into packs of 6. Six cookies should fit well in small cookie boxes, tins, ceramic containers, decorative bags or plates. Give an award for the most creative cookie packaging. (as well as an award for most attractive or festive cookie and best tasting cookie) With many who have allergies these days the prepackaged cookies can be a good option to prevent cookie from mixing.

If you are having appetizers for snacks make that table as attractive as the Cookie Exchange area. Include Christmas decor, some plate racks as towers for your finger foods and find a spot for a punch bowl or a bucket of cold sodas.

This is one awesome appetizer station!!!

Now... aren't you inspired to try it?

Your Parties: Christmas Cookie Exchange- Girls Night, Ms. Johnson

***THIS POST COMES FROM MS. JOHNSON AT http://craftyfuntime.blogspot.com/  *****
Each year I host a cookie exchange party. This year will be my 7th year! I must admit there is a bit of selfishness behind the idea....get 10 dozen assorted cookies. It would take me days to accomplish that much variety on my own!

Over the years, my party has become a bit more elaborate then the first year. I have added things like a little party favor and a couple of prizes. I have also refined the "rules of the exchange". But rather than give you information overload, I am going to divide it up into a couple of different posts.


DATE:
Today, I set the date. (I will actually be hosting two this year. One for the craft group and one for my neighborhood friends.) So to save myself from having to clean my house twice, I am going to do them back to back. I selected December 19th. I selected this date for a reason. This is the last Saturday before Christmas. There for most people will be having get together and parties through the rest of the week and can serve the cookies at these functions or they can save them for Christmas and they will still be fairly fresh.
I know this is a busy day, but the party only usually lasts an hour, at the most. I host it early in the day so as not to conflict with any other evening parties and last minute shopping.
Once I set the date I sent an email to the ladies I plan to invite.

 EMAIL:

I would like to have a Cookie Exchange party on Dec 19th that is a Saturday @ 1 (please be on time!) I know this is a busy day for most, but the cookie exchange usually goes really quick. If this does not work for the majority of the group I will rethink it.


Here is how it works. In addition to the craft group I am inviting my BFF and my moms BFF. That is 10 cookie makers.


IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET BACK TO ME ASAP IF YOU DON’T PLAN ON PARTICIPATING SO THAT I CAN FIND AN ALTERNATE FOR YOUR SPOT!


Each person makes 10 dozen Christmas cookie/candy/treat (I will define this in a moment) and brings them with them to my house. If you can’t make it that day but still want to participate, drop your cookies early and I will exchange them for you. But please let me know if this is what you will be doing. In addition you will need to bring a large tray, box, tin to place your cookies in as we exchange them. Planning on using the tray you bring the goodies on does not work as that one is full of cookies. (You will be getting back one dozen of your own.)


Cookies: All cookies/candy/treat MUST be homemade, no store bought allowed. Doctoring up a store bought item (IE: dipping pretzels/candy canes in chocolate) does not count. (Do not confuse this with Kiss cookies, M&M cookies and those awesome Reese Peanut cup cookie tart things) All cookies should be completely cooled before they come to the party.


Serving size: Take in to consideration a serving size. When you make that treat how many do you eat in one serving? A large cello bag full of white chocolate popcorn or muddy buddies does not equal one dozen. If you plan on doing an item like white chocolate popcorn or muddy buddies, then a small cello bag would be considered one item (so you would need 9 dozen small cell bags to equal nine dozen cookies) Also consider the size when cutting items into pieces (IE: Brownies, fudge, etc) If you have questions about what a serving size, please ask in advance. Making a dozen sugar cookies is a lot of work and then being handed 12 small chocolate turtles in exchange is very disappointing.

Quantity: I know that 10 dozen may seem like a lot. Please don’t let this be intimidating. It really is not that bad once you start working on it! And the reward is well worth it! In the past we have done 5 dozen and every one got a half dozen of each, but it you think about it that is only 6 cookies, which is only one per each person in most of our families.

Presentation: Arrange your goodie in a cute, unique and/or fun manner. A prize will be awarded for the best!
* No duplicates are allowed. So let me know early what you want to make.
* Please email me a copy of the recipe that you will be making by Dec 14th.
* Wear your Christmas attire, a prize will be awarded!
I know there is a lot to this, but This will be 7th year hosting a cookie exchange and I have learned as I have gone! Please email me your address so that I can get an invitation out to you.
Thanks! Shilo

I know it is alot of words to process, but the more clear and up front on the "rules" I am the better the swap goes.

So on the To Do list today:
* Set a date and Time
* Send an email or a quick phone call to give each potential attendee a heads up.



INVITATION:
The one consistent thing through each year is my theme, Gingerbread Men. I love the little guys! My kitchen is all deced out in Gingerbread Men any ways so the theme seemed to fit perfectly. I start introducing the theme in the invites. I wish I had saved one from each year, but I only have the past two years. Here is the one from 2007.
FRONT OF INVITE

BACK OF INVITE

An e-invite would be cute to do, but I like to have a paper copy too. Every invite I send, birthday party, BBQ, etc. I put a magnet on the back so it can go directly on the fridge of the invitee.



"Rules"
Like I said before, the "rules" have evolved a bit.
But basically they include:
* All cookies must be homemade.
* All cookies need to be completely cooled before the party.
* No husbands/kids
* No duplicates (Who wants to go home with 5 dozen pieces of fudge)
* RSVP, ASAP
I am a big stickler on the RSVP. The earlier I know the sooner I can start looking for a substitute if necessary.


I will never forget the year that one lady made 10 dozen beautiful divinity. They were beautiful and tasted heavenly! And knowing how difficult and fussy divinity is, I can only imagine her thoughts when seeing that one of the other swappers had brought a small stick pretzel, not a large rod, dipped in chocolate. Hence the reason I am a bit picky about what a goodie is.
A great sight for other ideas and "rule" suggestions is at cookie-exchange.com. 
There are lots of variations out there, so look around and decide what works best for you and your friends. But most important have fun, that is what the holidays are all about!


MENU:
I unusually keep the menu to savory appetizers. I figure everyone just spent a lot of time making 10 dozen Sweet's I am sure the sampled them and are probably sick of sweet stuff.



This years menu will more than likely consist of Bacon Wrap Chestnuts, (A yummy recipe that is a tradition in my family)Stuffed mushrooms and probably a fruit dip. I know that leans to the sweet side but at least it is healthy.


I have seen other hostesses who have everyone bring an extra dozen of the goodies so that everyone can sample them at the party. Others have a contest for the best tasting so after everyone samples each goodie they vote secret ballot style.
I always ponder too long on the drinks. I know I don't serve anything sweet, but we all do nibble on some of the goodies. So I need milk, no cookie is complete without milk! For religious reasons, I don't serve alcohol or coffee, but have seen these suggested on other sites. I usually opt for hot chocolate, egg nog and Pepsi. The last one is for my mo, Rosy Cheeks cause if she does not have her Pepsi, watch out! (Love you, mom!)


PARTY FAVORS:
So I have also been pondering the party favors. This is something I added just a few years ago. Last year I had cute red serving spoons and tongs tied up with a cute ribbon. This year, I am leaning towards Scrabble tile pendants with a cute ginger bread man (cause of the whole theme) on them. I was also thinking about homemade bath fizzies in a cute paper crafted box. The third possibility is a tea towel apron. Not sure which one yet. I think I may try a sample of each one over the weekend to get an idea of which I like best.
The other thing on the To Do list this weekend is finish up the invites and get them mailed out.

Jingle Mingle- 3 parties in 1!!!

What is a Jingle Mingle? Well… that could be up for interpretation. Usually it is a party hosted by one couple for a few other couples to celebrate the Holiday season. Sometimes it means a sit down dinner, but usually it is more of an after-dinner get-together with appetizers and drinks. As the wanna-be dinner party guru that I am, it has to be something fun and festive with lots of atmosphere! For my December blog swap with Cher at Love Actually blog I have created 3 variations on a Jingle Mingle (and included 3 different invites that you can download, print and send out!!!). Also included are printable accessories to make your table look great!
For this party you first need to decide which invitation to send out. (all links in red)
Invite #1- an invitation for a ‘Jingle Mingle- A dinner with friends’

Invite #2- an invitation for a ‘Jingle Mingle- Appetizer Bar, games and gift exchange’

Invite #3- an invitation for a ‘Jingle Mingle- Christmas Cookie Exchange… Please bring ____ dozen cookies to exchange’ (and if you want to be traditional you can do this as a girls night, but this blog is all about including our men so… try it with the husbands)

Now that you have decided which of these 3 fun parties to host the hard part is over! On to the fun part of planning…..


Invites:
Download the invite and print as a 5x7 photo (.39 at Costco). Use a Sharpie fine point permanent marker to write party information onto the invitation. If it is going to be a potluck dinner party make a note at the bottom asking each to ‘Please bring a __________ to share’ (main dish, appetizer, side dish, dessert)


Décor:
It’s Christmas time so you should have your house already decked out for the holidays. Very little extra is needed. For a dinner use linen tablecloths and napkins, or at least attractive holiday patterned paper (not plastic) tablecloths. On the buffet put some garlands or poinsettias or those extra decorations that you have in storage. Burn a Christmas candle and play some soft instrumental or easy listening Christmas music. For the Cookie Exchange go a little more casual and crank up the Christmas music!!!!


RSVP:
Make a quick call to those that you haven’t heard from to verify if they are coming. In our culture RSVP seems to be optional to many (Having a guest count is crucial to party planning.) Tell them that you are wanting to make sure to have enough of everything. Too many desserts and only one main dish could be very bad! I know because that happened to me at one of my first parties.


Gift Exchange:
Make sure that you write on the invite that each person (or couple) needs to bring a gift valued at $5 or $10. Have a couple extras on hand for the person that will forget.


Cookie Exchange: This can be a lot of fun with couples! I have had 12 couples attend with each bringing 5 dozen. We just did quick math to figure out that each couple’s plate would get 4 of each variety with one dozen left on the bar after the exchange for all couples to dig into and sample and drink yummy Wassail or Red Christmas punch. Because December is a busy month only 70-80% of those you invite to come may be able to come, so invite a few extra so that you get the number of couples you want to come. As the host you provide the drinks and the trays for the couples to take the cookies home on. One thought- Since most of the guests (the women) will have been baking that day they may be in the mood for appetizers, rather than more sweets. Instead of eating cookies at the party you could have an appetizer bar with drinks. Some inexpensive appetizers include- Bruschetta, Bacon wrapped waterchestnuts, chips and dip, veggie tray, pizza or bagel bites, and soup in a crockpot. If you don’t want to provide all of them be sure and make a note on the bottom of the invite that they need to also bring an appetizer to share.


Games: See below-


My Craziest/Worst Present Ever- Have guests write the craziest/worst present they ever received on a piece of paper. Don’t share with others what you are writing (not even your husband). Turn them in to the host who will then read them aloud and have all guests guess aloud who they think each present belonged to. This always ends up causing lots of laughs and some fun embarrassment. If there isn’t a lot of time have each person take a turn telling everyone what that gift was. (example- A magazine subscription to Weight Watchers from my mother-in-law)


Family Traditions Truth and Lies- Like the game 2 truths and a lie. Have everyone tell EITHER 2 real traditions and 1 fake tradition and have them guess which tradition is a phony….. or 2 fakes and 1 REAL tradition and have them guess the REAL one. Guests can either write them down on a paper putting their name on the paper to be read aloud… or go around in a circle and let each couple share them on their own trying to disguise the answer. This can be a riot and so tricky!!!


Example- If we were playing the 2 Real Traditions and 1 Fake Tradition version… I would write:


1. We wake up to open presents every year before the sun rises.
2. We give our kids a gift that starts with the first letter of their name to open on Christmas Eve.
3. We don’t have stockings, we set out shoes instead for Santa to fill. It’s a Mexican tradition.
The fake tradition is #2


If I Were A Christmas Cookie- Let each person take a turn telling everyone which type of Christmas cookie they would be and WHY! Or which cookie they think their spouse would be and why!(this would be especially fun at the Cookie Exchange party) Example- My husband would be a Mexican Wedding Cookie because he is the palest guy I know with a cute round gut, a little bit nutty…. But so sweet.


Christmas Memories- This isn’t really a game, but is a more organized way to encourage conversation. Each person takes a turn sharing a favorite funny Christmas memory.


Downloads:

For the menu download print it onto 5x7 photo paper (use a Sharpie to write menu on it as it is glossy) or print onto cardstock. Place it next to each placesetting for guests... or lay it across each plate.
 

For the placecard it works really well if you download the design here and then upload it to Costco or Walmart.com and have printed as wallets. The size is perfect as a wallet and the quality is exceptional. Use a Sharpie to write each guests name on it. You could stand it up next to their water glass, or using a pop dot you can attach to an ornament and have next to guests plates.

Party Favor Idea:
The recipe cards below can be used for the cookie exchange as a party favor. You can make a recipe book by downloading the recipe cards and printing on matte paper, punch two holes on the left side and make a booklet with ribbon or small metal rings. You could also use the recipe cards as a way to label the different appetizers or cookies. Print off the cards below as wallets. Attach them to kabob sticks, toothpicks, coffee stirrers or whatever you can find. Have guests write the name of their dish on the recipe card with a short description, if necessary and stick into the appetizer or dish. See below a sample. (to upload the recipe cards click on the red link for each) 

Green Recipe with Red Ornament

Black Ornament Recipe Card

Black Gingham Recipe Card

Blue Snowflake Recipe Card

Colorful Snowflake Recipe Card

Candy Stripe Recipe Card

Blue Gingham Tree Recipe Card

Maggie's New Moon Party

It was a great evening- OPENING night of New Moon from 6:30-8:30 and then a bunch of us headed off to the double feature at the theatre for Twilight and New Moon.
Decor
Red, White and Black everything- white linen tablecloths, red and black solid placemats, white ceramic plates, champagne flutes(for our cranberry/Sprite soda), white linen napkins with napkin rings and silverware.
Also used as decor on the table next to each place setting were cute red/black or white/black bags full of red, white and black candy, mints and gum.
Apples and pinecones and holly berries and evergreen branches in the middle of the tables with the Twilight books and framed quotes.

FOOD
Potluck Italian (green salads, breadsticks, angel hair lemon pasta, chicken fettuccini, fried ravioli, bacon wrapped waterchestnuts, stromboli and more!... dessert was a chocolate cake and cupcakes with chocolate frosting, red edible glitter sprinkles and the forks and quotes on top of each.
The drinks were delicious! I don't drink... but I sure got a buzz from that Cranberry Sprite bubbly drink! I drank like 8 glasses!

I didn't know what to do with these New Moon paper plates since I was going with nice plates for eating off of. So... I just glued them back to back and hung them from the ceiling.

These chocolates were the prizes for the New Moon Jeopardy game.

Your Parties: New Moon Party, Amy Copley

Hey Maggie, I wanted to thank you again for the invites you did for me for my party!! We just had it on Thursday night and we had a BLAST!!! I'll send you the pics in a separate email. I just had everyone bring a dish, I had sangria, too! I had the whole house decked out in Twilight colors. Red balloons, black streamers, red candles, black picture frames that contained quotes from 1st two movies, Twilight and New Moon movie posters, Wine labels, apples everywhere... it was awesome! Even outside, I had a Forks sign, Dr Cullen parking sign, and twinkle lights on the porch!! everyone loved it! We watched Twilight before heading out to the midnight showing! Everyone just had the best time!! Thanks again.