4 Steps to an Easy Holiday Party (That’s Not at Your House!)

The holiday season is a busy time of year for families. It’s one of my favorite times of the year because we get to spend time with all of the important people in our lives. There are parties to go to, food to enjoy, and gifts to exchange. It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

If you find yourself in charge of planning a holiday get together this year, you can stress out about cleaning your house and getting prepared, or you can plan a holiday party that’s not at your house! Then you can really enjoy the celebration with your friends and family!

This post is sponsored as part of the Evite Influencer Program, however all opinions are my own.

4 STEPS TO AN EASY HOLIDAY PARTY

I don’t host a lot of holiday parties because I’m too busy hosting birthday parties during the holiday season! One child was born in November and the other was born in early December, so I’m always working to plan birthday parties in the midst of the holiday celebrations!

But I’ve learned a few tricks that work well for any kind of party. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, bachelorette, graduation, or holiday party, you can follow these simple steps and host a party with less stress for yourself!

1. MAKE A DECISION TO HOST THE PARTY OUT OF YOUR HOUSE

The best thing I ever did was decide to pay to have birthday parties at a location that wasn’t my house. I did a few at the house and stressed about getting the house as clean that I’d like. Then there was getting up decorations and getting all the food set up before everyone started arriving. 

While I love planning party themes and picking out details like food, decor, and favors, putting it all together often left me exhausted and I’m not sure I enjoyed every moment like I could have. I spent time making sure everyone else was having a good time.

Choosing to have our parties somewhere besides our house has made all of our celebrations more enjoyable for me. So make that decision and find a place you love! It will be worth it!

2. FIND A FUN LOCATION WITH GREAT AMENITIES

When looking for a place to throw a party, I always look for a place that offers at least two things:

1. A fun activity that a variety of ages can enjoy.
2. Great food!

We’ve been to a lot of different places and Topgolf is one of our family’s favorite places to party because of my two requirements. I also love any venue where I can book a party and have the support of the staff in the decision-making.

At Topgolf, the team will help you with everything from reserving your private bay to planning your food menu! Once you’re at the location, they’re there to make sure the entire party goes smoothly. It’s huge for peace of mind and makes it so much easier to enjoy yourself even when you are the hostess!

I love that anyone can play at Topgolf because you don’t need any experience. It’s great for guests of all ages even if you play golf like I do (which isn’t great at all)! So there’s an activity to keep everyone busy while they mix and mingle.

Then there’s the food. One thing that’s always impressed me about Topgolf is the food. Every time we’ve been, I’ve enjoyed it. Each Topgolf location’s restaurant features a menu led by an accomplished Executive Chef, making the food is as fun as the game.

I happen to be a huge fan of the Chicken & Waffles Sliders and the Injectable Donut Holes. If you try them, you have to try the Bavarian cream and raspberry jelly!

Holiday packages include three hours of Topgolf gameplay and menu selection from holiday options. So you know you’ll get a party where everyone will have fun and be well fed!

3. CHOOSE A SIMPLE THEME

When it comes to holiday parties, I do like having a theme. It doesn’t have to be an overwhelming theme where everything matches. But giving guests a theme helps inspire what to wear. You can also use the theme to add a bit of decor to your party, even if you’re hosting it outside of your home.

Here are some of my favorite theme ideas:

• Ugly/Tacky Sweater – this is a classic holiday party theme but is always fun!
• Holiday Pajamas – if your guests are willing to get decked out in their PJs, this is a fun idea! We always get new pajamas at the holidays so it can make a great party theme.
• Frosty Flannel – it’s always the rage during the winter, so have your guests dress in their best!
• Party Like a Grinch/Grinchmas/Whobilation – crazy hair would be such a fun way to do this!
• Jingle & Mingle or Reindeer Games – you could have everyone wear a Santa hat, reindeer antlers, or an elf hat!
• Naughty or Nice – have each guest wear a certain color if they’re on the naughty or nice list. Or they could grab a naughty or nice nametag when they arrive!

These are just a few basic ideas that work well for elaborate parties but also work well for a more simple approach. Use them to give your guests fun ideas for what to wear, inspire some basic photo props, and a bit of decor. The decor could be as simple as themed napkins or even some framed printables to add just a bit of a holiday touch. But remember to keep it simple! 

If I was hosting a holiday party this year, I think I would do a flannel party. I’m in love with both red & white and black & white plaid right now! How cute would photos be with everyone coordinating a bit? 

4. PLAN A SIMPLE HOLIDAY GIFT EXCHANGE

Gifts are part of the holiday season and there’s nothing like a good gift exchange at a party. If you’re planning a holiday party, I definitely recommend doing a gift exchange. 

But I also recommend that you keep it very simple.

You don’t need a complicated gift exchange game that has everyone swapping gifts or stealing gifts. 

I recommend having each guest bring a small gift or even filling a small stocking. Then they arrive, the gift gets tagged with a numbered sticker. Later in the evening, each guest draws a number out of a hat and that is the gift they receive. It’s an easy way to have a gift exchange and avoids having to keep things organized or deal with guests feeling frustrated.

The most important things you need to have a great holiday party are the people. As long as you’re bringing together the people in your life to celebrate and spend time together, your party will be a success!

But don’t be afraid to make it easier on yourself. A holiday party should be something everyone enjoys, including the host! So follow my four easy steps and make the most of your holiday party this year!

Get more tips for throwing a party outside of your house this holiday season with help from Evite and Topgolf! My last, but not least, tip — get your holiday festivities started by using one of the easy Topgolf-inspired digital party invitations available from Evite. Evite makes it absolutely effortless to get your headcount together, especially during the busy holiday season. Check out all of the options here and choose your favorite!