In January I decided to host a “Favorite Things” party for group of close friends. We get together regularly but December was so busy that we couldn’t all connect, so January seemed like a great time for a ‘ladies only’ gathering. I was also inspired by my recent visit to Austria and tour of the filming locations for the Sound of Music. The famous song, My Favorite Things helped inspire the theme for this party.
I began by sending out invitations that I created on Canva. I went with a snowflake theme since it was January and I borrowed the idea from the line in the song, “Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes…” I did my research since I have never hosted this type of party before and scoured Pinterest for ideas.
I asked each guest to think about an item they love and use regularly. I explained that it should cost about $15-$18 dollars and they should buy three of that item (not to exceed spending $50 total). If you host your own party, you can set the number of items each person brings and the value of the item. Each guest leaves with the same number of items they bring. The group size and budget can vary. Decide on a budget you are comfortable with for your event. There are no hard and fast rules! However, be sure to explain the budget on your invitation. This will guarantee your guests are aware of the cost up front.
I already knew what I was going to buy so I order the items right away. In December I traveled to Germany and Austria to visit the Christmas Markets in several cities. I wanted to bring a bag with me to the markets. It needed to be lightweight and carry any items I purchased. I found this Nanobag on Amazon and it was the unsung hero of my trip! It holds up to 66 lbs. and it weighs less than one ounce! It folds into a tiny little bag when not in use and I could easily tuck it in my pocket. I got the sling bag and it was so comfortable to wear as a crossbody. I was so impressed. I decided it would be a great item to share with my favorite people at my favorite things party. The bag matched my jacket so it is hard to see but the second picture gives a good view.
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Sling Nanobag -
I also realized that my guests would need bags to carry their gifts home. I continued with the theme and made these bags with sticker labels I made. I wanted to use up the white bags I already had but brown craft bags would be really cute too!
I have been known to go a bit overboard and this party wasn’t the exception. I decided I wanted to send my guests home with a party favor in addition to their three gifts. There were a few more items that I loved. They were inexpensive and not within the price category set for the party so I decided to include them in the favor bags.
The first was an item my daughter tucked into my Christmas stocking this year. It is an Exfoliating Bath Cloth. It is like a loofah but it is large and does a great job leaving your skin feeling so soft. I bought the 8 pack which was perfect for my party.
The next item I included was a sample size of Jergen’s Cherry Almond Scent hand cream. I use this every day and love to keep it in my tennis bag, my work bag, my car, my travel case, etc. I have a large bottle in several rooms in my house. I particularly love the scent and it brings back memories of my Mom since she use to wear it. I loved how it smelled when I was a kid. It’s like getting a hug from her every time I put it on. I could only get a box of 20 but didn’t hesitate since it will be great to have the extras.
Another item I added was Unscented Travel Wet Wipes. These came in an 8 pack and I brought them with me (in my Nanobag) when I traveled to Germany. They are a little smaller than a credit card. They were great for traveling allowing us to wash up before eating when a restroom wasn’t available outside in the markets. However, my primary use was to wash out the collectible Christmas market mugs before I put them in my bag. Collecting these mugs was a big part of my trip and you can see an example in my photo above. These are great to keep in multiple locations such as the car, purse, gym bag, work bag, etc… I love convenient little items!
And finally… a guilty pleasure. I am a huge fan of dark chocolate and I like to pack a small piece in my lunch bag as a treat. I find the Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Thins with Roasted Cocoa Nibs & Sea Salt to be the perfect treat that satisfies my sweets craving. They come individually wrapped which is helpful for quantity control. I added a few in each bag for my guests.
Once I knew what items I was including, I found the right size bag to put them in. I wanted something clear so they could see the items. These Clear Plastic Gift Bags were perfect. They held their shape and had cute brown handles. They fit my items perfectly!
I filled the bags and added a cute label. I had a box of Avery 2 X 4 shipping labels so I wanted to find some kind of tag I could stick them on. I found these White Shipping Tags with Elastic Strings. They were 4 3/4″ x 2 3/8″ so the label fit on them perfectly! I have lots left over and can’t wait to use them for other craft projects!
I printed the labels, stuck them on, and added a blue ribbon. Here is the final product.
I printed the labels stuck them on and added a blue ribbon. Here is the final product.
Once I had the invitations, gifts and favors planned, I needed to think about decorations and the menu.
I decided to stick with the light blue/snowflake theme and found these cute paper plates and napkins.
Finally I planned the menu…I decided to stick with apps and desserts. I didn’t really stick with the winter theme but went with some of my tried and true favorites. Here is what I made… Pinterest Link
The Gift Exchange
Before the party began I wrote each guests name (including mine) on three strips of paper and added them to a basket. We sat in a circle and the first person described the gift they bought and why they love it. Then they drew three names from the basket (returning them if they drew a duplicate or picked their own name). They gave the gifts to the people whose names were drawn. Then the next person in the circle continued on, explaining what they brought and why. and drew three more names. Once everyone had a turn, each person had three gifts to take home. It was so fun seeing what brought joy to each of my friends. I have known these ladies for years but learned something new about each one.
We got some wonderful gifts! Below are a few I managed to get pictures of.
