White Elephant who? Out with the tacky junk, in with the raindrops on roses and balloons on bookcases. Here’s why my new tradition is a Favorite Things Party!

I’ve wanted to host a Favorite Things party for a long time and my dream finally came true last week when my friends came over for a Christmas party with a twist. I had to explain to all of them what a Favorite Things party entailed, but by the time I was finished, they were SOLD.

One thing about me is that I live for a vibe. To help bring a little extra Christmas charm to the night, my friend Vivian from @shopjoyza was so kind to donate a balloon arch! In addition to local installs, she offers custom 6-ft DIY Balloon Garland Kits that can be shipped all over the country! Her balloons are distinctly different from the ones you’ll find in party stores. They are thick, quality material that will last up to three months indoors!

Although the kit comes with detailed instructions (seriously, anyone can do it!), she’s local and brought over a custom kit with classic Christmas colors so I could learn in-person! We had the best time making it!! Definitely recommend an air pump like this one or this one to speed the process along.

Check out her website and Instagram for more amazing custom creations and kits! Keep @shopjoyza in mind next time you need balloon decor! Tell her I sent you! 🙂

I also bought a record player and two Christmas records to play during the party. I’m obsessed with the coziness of hearing old tunes come through such analog technology. Do I sound like a superficial millennial? The vibes, man, the VIBES. 

Everyone brought a food dish of some kind and I offered two large-batch drinks: a Blood Orange Margarita and a non-alcoholic Apple Cider Sangria. Both were hits! I’ll share recipes soon!

Okay- on to the party!! Here’s how you play the Favorite Things Game.

Favorite Things Game:

Preparation:

1. Set a price range for your item (we chose $5-$10).
2. Decide how many items you want everyone to bring (we chose 5).
3. Each person then buys five of the same item within that price range.
4. You don’t need to wrap the items!
5. Write each person’s name on small pieces of paper five times (or the same number as items bought) and collect in a bowl. Don’t forget to add your name too! (I made a table in Google Slides so that I could type a name once and copy/paste. Saved me time and the names looked nice and fancy!)

At the party:

1. Collect all items on a table with easy access.
2. One at a time, someone shows the item they chose and explains why they like it. 
3. That person draws five names (or the same number of items bought) and those people each get to take home the item! 
4. If a name is drawn twice or if the person who brought the item’s name is drawn, replace the name and draw again. 
5. At the end of the night, each person will leave with five of their friends’ favorite things! 

Not required for the game, but I purchased paper gift sacks and labeled them with each guest’s name so they would have a place for their items and bags wouldn’t get mixed up throughout the night. 

We gave items like, fuzzy socks, facial toner, small bottles of wine and spirits, body scrubs, car coasters, coffee gift cards, earrings, cross-stitch ornaments, and earrings!

My friends LOVED this game. We all agree that it’s way more fun than a White Elephant gift exchange. No stealing, you don’t have to struggle with ‘is it a serious or funny gift’, and no one ends up with junk they don’t want. 🙂 

We are going to make it a tradition! This was a wonderful way to spend some quality time together, and give gifts that have a little meaning!

I’d love to know if you host a Favorite Things party! Do you do anything differently? What are some of your favorite gifts? 

I’d love to hear from you! 
You can respond directly to this blog post or find me on Instagram!