Wondering if you actually volunteered to host your squad’s annual holiday party? Everyone you saw at Friendsgiving certainly thinks so. And now here you are, scrambling to piece together an epic holiday gathering.
We’re here for you, and we have a little secret: you don’t need to slave away baking a 7-tiered sugar plum tart to impress your friends. Just try these festive, easy-prep activities and serve these better-for-you holiday treats. Voila—you’ve got a no-sweat, Pinterest-worthy party on your hands!
Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar Puffs
Cheese cubes? Boring! Not to mention heavy and labor intensive. (All that slicing? No thanks!) Get your salty, cheesy fix from Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar Puffs instead. The cloud-light puffs are packed with white cheddar flavor worthy of a true foodie’s cheese board. Made from wholesome corn and rice, the gluten-free morsels pack just 140 calories per serving.
Serve It: Simply pop open the bag and pour these tasty treasures into a festive bowl. Could that be any easier?
Do It: Make marshmallow snowmen
Toss a few bags of marshmallows (small, medium, and large) onto the table along with some toothpicks, chocolate syrup, and our seasonal favorite—sprinkles. Tell everyone to make their best marshmallow snowman. Winner eats all.
Bear Nibbles Bear Real Fruit YoYos
This snack will release your inner child! And we see absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Bear Nibbles Bear Real Fruit YoYos taste as good as the fruit snacks of your childhood. But these treats have no added sugar or preservatives. Each adorable little roll is made of fruits and vegetables and nothing else.
Serve It: Set the yoyos on a platter and encourage your guests to play with their food.
Do It: Write comical ironical letters to Santa
Got paper and pencils? Check. Have your guests write letters to Santa. Read ’em aloud afterwards for some good laughs.
Mediterranea Extra Virgin Olive Oil Seawater Potato Chips
Here’s a potato chip that’s also a conversation starter. Mediterranea Extra Virgin Olive Oil Seawater Potato Chips are missing an ingredient most other chips have way too much of: dehydrated salt. Mediterranea soaks their potatoes in seawater, so the spuds suck up flavor and minerals before they’re even fried.
We love that these chips are full of sea minerals, including chloride, magnesium, and potassium—good-for-you nutrients that often disappear in processing.
Serve It: Create a mermaid-worthy display by arranging plates in a “bubblesque” pattern and spreading the chips on top. If you’re up to crafting a paper fish to compliment your spread, then go for it!
Do It: “Edit” your favorite holiday song
Print out the lyrics to your favorite song and white/black out words and phrases throughout. Pass the paper around and have your friends write in their new-and-improved lyrics. Guess what? When the song is complete again, you get to sing it!
OCHO Caramel Peanut Milk Chocolate Bars & Coconut Dark Chocolates Bars
No holiday party would be complete without a little candy! Luckily, OCHO makes organic, non-GMO candy bars you can feel good about eating and serving. The bars are perfectly sized to give you just the right amount of sweetness.
Enrobed in milk chocolate, the classic Caramel and Peanut Bar keeps candy purists smiling, while the rich dark chocolate and exotic flavor of the Coconut Bar satisfies the chocolate connoisseurs.
Serve It: Arrange the bars in circles to make festive “wreaths.” You can even add paper bows if you happen to have any.
Do It: Schokoladenessen (The Chocolate Game)
To play this German party game, you’ll need kitchen utensils, wrapped chocolate (see above), dice, a hat, a scarf, and gloves. The first person to roll a double dons the winter accessories and unwraps (tries to unwrap) the chocolate using the utensils. Everyone else laughs.
Good Day Chocolates
Good Day Chocolate’s limited edition Holiday 4-Pack comes ready-made for your holiday party table. You get a festive red package stuffed with four different beneficial chocolate supplements—Sleep, Calm, Energy, and Turmeric.
What’s a chocolate supplement, you ask? It’s what you would get if your favorite chocolate married your daily supplement. Good Day mixes premium chocolate with high-performance nutraceuticals to achieve the benefit touted on each colorful package.
Serve It: Good Day’s packaging is so adorable, you can simply pop open the packages and serve.
Do It: Trim your tree
This activity is equal parts sneaky and savvy. You’ll get much-needed help putting all those hand-me-down ornaments from Mom on your tree…and your friends will love helping. Be sure to put on holiday music and take requests.
Clif Whey Protein Coconut Almond Chocolate
Step aside, sugar – make way for the protein! Protein bars may seem unusual for a holiday party, but when have you ever played by the rules?
Besides, these treats have enough flavor to make your average cookie hang its head in shame. The bars have 14 grams of protein per serving—just the right energy boost to keep your party roaring. And you can brag that the bars are made with cocoa that’s certified by the Rainforest Alliance.
Serve It: Cut out a square of wrapping paper and place the bars on top. If you’re feeling super motivated, then you can also cut up the bars to make “petit fours.” Mom would be so proud.
Do It: Take family photos
All you need for this activity is friends and a cell phone. You can even provide props (ugly sweaters, hats, and antlers) and arrange some chairs to make the tableau as hilariously awkward as possible.
Bonus snack: Your NEW signature holiday trail mix
This mashup is only for the bold. But don’t you agree that parties are perfect for trying out new recipes?
+ Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar Puffs
+ Mediterranea Extra Virgin Olive Oil Seawater Potato Chips
+ Good Day Chocolates
+ Assorted pantry fillers (we recommend pretzels and dried cranberries)
Oh, and don’t forget to name your mix. We’re thinking something like “Kringle Krack.”
