DRINKS
When hosting our annual holiday
party, I always make a special house
drink. I prepare a big pitcher ahead,
put it in the fridge and as soon as
my guests arrive I add some ice and
start pouring. Super easy. One of my
favorite drinks is: vodka, champagne
and cranberry juice. It’s festive and
super easy to make. In addition, I
always set up a bar with bottles of
vodka, bourbon, rum, an ice bucket
filled with beer, wine and champagne,
and a variety of mixers. This way
people can just help themselves to
whatever they want and I don’t have to
play bartender the whole night.
Ron Escobar, Blogger, magazinejunkie.
typepad.com
FOREGO PERFECTION
Don’t succumb to the pressure of “holiday
perfection.” The best memories often come
from the craziest moments—like when
your mom burned the turkey, or the year the
Christmas tree fell over (on grandpa). The
holidays can be nutty...enjoy every silly
second of it.
Ez Pudewa, Blogger, creaturecomfort.com
STAY HOME
Keep traveling to a minimum. If you spend
your holidays on the road fighting traffic you’ll
feel they passed you by when it’s all over. If
you’d be missing out by declining out-of-town
offers, offer to host your own party.
Denise Grayson, Blogger, theswellelife.com
USE FOUND OBJECTS
Gather fallen branches from your neighborhood
to use with hanging ornaments instead of using
a live tree. Arrange them, clustered, in a tall urn
or container.
Pam Zsori, Owner of Ink & Peat and Blogger,
housemartin.typepad.com
PREPARE FOR LONG TRIPS
Have a DVD player in the back of the car! After
we got one, we were able to drive anywhere!
Christine Haerra, Stylist and Blogger,
ilovepolkadot.blogspot.com
MAINTAIN MODERATION
Don’t overdo it at parties around the holiday
period. Pace yourself when it comes to
indulging in party food and drinks. Your body
and head will like you better for it!
Peter Georgakopoulos, Photographer and Blogger,
souvlakiforthesoul.com
GIVE AN EXPERIENCE
I am big on giving experiences. Last year,
certificates for a Moroccan hamam in a
500-year-old Kasbah was my gift of choice for
friends living in Marrakech. I zipped into the
spa and my gifts were all taken care of in a 1/2
hour!
Maryam Montague, Hotel Owner and Blogger,
mymarrakesh.com
SWAP LEFTOVERS
Host a small get-together with your friends
after New Year’s Day to swap leftover cards,
wrapping paper and other seasonal basics.
After all, it can take a while to use a full roll of
wrapping paper and you don’t want to give the
same boxed holiday card to your co-workers
year after year. Have all of your guests bring
supplies they’d like to swap and make sure
everyone leaves with new-to-them goodies for
the following season.
Kari Chapin, Writer and Stylist, karichapin.com
PARTAKE IN POTLUCK
Nothing beats the ease of having your holiday
events as collaborative events. No one needs to
bring anything extravagant—an extra bottle of
wine, a plate of cheese or a fresh loaf of Italian
or French bread can be a big help. Don’t be
afraid to ask, most guests are happy to help.
Grace Bonney, Blogger, designsponge.com
UTILIZE ONLINE
RESOURCES
Use an online registry. This is
especially helpful when exchanging
gifts with extended family. I’d
much rather give a gift that I
knew they wanted or needed
rather than something that will
just gather dust. Myregistry.com or
alternativegiftregistry.com are great
sites because you can add items from
any website (like Etsy!) or a brick-
and-mortar store.
Julia White, Designer, jewelweeds.com
SWEET PAUL . HOLIDAY 2010 | 29
