AskAnissa: I need an expert advice. This is the first time my family will organize a holiday party and we are planning to invite our relatives and some close family friends. I am really excited for this year’s Christmas party but I got no idea on where and how to start. I never thought it could be this tense. Can you help me and share some brilliant ideas for a holiday throw up party? – Anonymous

Answer: Don’t take the party as a nerve-racking experience because it’s fun when you already have ideas and a master plan. Throwing a Holiday party may sound tough especially when you don’t know what to do, how to start and where to end but actually, it’s really easy. Always keep in mind that you’re doing this because you wanted to give joy to your guests and you wanted to have a quality time together. Christmas parties are worth organizing and if it’s a successful party, you’ll see on your visitor’s face the happiness you’ve been wishing.

Basically, you have to plan and make sure to take down notes in order for you not to miss the very important details of the party. Make a list of the guests you plan to invite, how many are family relatives and who are the family friends that are coming. In a way, this would give you an idea on how much food you should prepare as well as the serving dishes you have to set up. Once you have already listed the number of people who are attending, it’s time to have the invitation. It doesn’t need to be formal but it should be more appealing, a hand-made invites could be one too, it feels great to receive invitations that is made from the heart. Next, give a boost to the party by organizing games and activities that are suited for all the guests regardless of their age. Try listing activities that includes charades, exchange gifts or just have a party of dancing and singing. Also, make sure that the environment is filled with Christmas ornaments for you to have a more Holiday feel.

Simple things can go along way when you know how to plan it well. Every occasion is important and one of the best events that are worth celebrating is Christmas. It’s a time of the year that no one wants to miss for it’s a season to be jolly! Have a meaningful Christmas celebration!

AskAnissa: My children are attending a Christmas party in our neighborhood. She's been invited by our friend's daughter to be with them in a Kid's Christmas party but she's too worried because she doesn't have anything to give aside from her gift. Can you give me any suggestions to take this worried feeling of hers? – Anonymous

Answer: Wow! Children's Christmas Party sounds fun. Before anything else, you should know the time of the party. If it's during the afternoon, then prepare snacks that they could eat before they brace up for the planned activities, just think of a tea party concept. Children are very eager to know what might happen in their little get-together so your snacks should also add a little surprise.

Prepare snack treats that can boost their energies in order for them to enjoy and be prepared with all the afternoon's activity. Children get excited whenever they have something to be munched, like cookies and candy treats because it's a clear reminder of their youth. Preparing holiday shaped cookies can be very easy and you can even do it with the kids in order for them to experience baking, the kid's style. Christmas shaped cookies are what children's look for mainly because they see a clear picture of what the season is all about. Get cookie shapers of different outlines and sizes like stars, circles, Christmas tree cutters or just about anything that is related to the Holiday season. Decorate them with fun colors like green and red or just a simple plain icing. Use your creativity and the children's ideas as well. Place them inside a small gift box so they would think that it's a gift, kids love presents and the disclosure that goes along with it.

It's during the Christmas season wherein individuals of different age groups get excited for there will be new gifts to open, surprises and the never-ending family gatherings. It's really important to let these things be experienced by your little ones so that when they grow up and have their own family, they can eventually share it to them too. There's no such thing as a perfect Christmas but it could be wonderful experience when everybody takes their part and remember that's it's a season of giving.

Behold. Preparing for a Halloween party could be energy consuming but would really be fun. Every October, neighborhoods are just so busy preparing their children’s goodie bags for their trick or treats, healthy meals for the entire family, friends and other guests. All of this fun stuff is happening when the sun starts to set; it’s most likely after seven ‘o clock. I believe, no one in the neighborhood will organize and celebrate a Halloween party by lunch time, right?

When preparing for a Halloween blast, costumes should be ready the day before the event which includes the jack-o-lantern, skeletons, fairy or Frankenstein perhaps. There’s so much preparation to do but what’s most crucial is the food. The food must match up with the event and do not serve foods that’s for a wedding or a debut. Meal preparation should be likewise scary just as the same with the costumes, backdrops and even make-ups.

Setting up a treat table for the Halloween would really be fun considering the type and names of food to be served. It needs not to be coming from a brain of animals, eyeballs of some other specie or rather exotic foods. It just needs to have the right meal preparation and taste for the said event.

For the appetizer let’s try, French Fried Eye Balls. It’s pretty alarming right? Just imagine eating an eye of a human. Oops, but not in here. It’s just a mashed potato and molds them into balls then adds some relish.

Another dish is the Bat’s Lips Sandwich Tray. Don’t fret it’s just some finger sandwiches made with yummy fillings of roast beef, ham, chicken salad and cheese.

For the drinks, let’s have Dracula’s Blood Shake. Many children get scared when they hear the name Dracula but this meal couldn’t be that horrifying. It’s just a combination of plain yogurt, strawberry ice cream, vanilla extract, frozen strawberries and ice cubes.

Lastly, for the desert, it’s a Spooky Cupcake. It’s just the old timer cupcake recipe but will be designed with a spooky theme like spiders, ghosts and pumpkins.

Have the scariest and funniest dinner for the Halloween, enjoy!

AskAnissa: I'm wondering on what would be the best activity that I could share to kids during Christmas parties? My kids are often bored whenever they attend Christmas parties for adults because I believe they can't relate in an adult conversation and in that case, I believe it applies to other kids as well. Perhaps, I wanted them to enjoy themselves and create a good relationship with some other kids who will be joining their parents in our house party. What activity can you suggest for them not to get bored? Most likely, they are between 5 to 7 years old. – Anonymous

Answer: Parents often only think of themselves whenever they go to a party probably because they get so excited to see good old friends and miss talking with them. However, it is also important to consider their kids who are coming. Basically, there's no need to have a special activity like games for kids because they can already enjoy being a kid as long as they are with other children who would love to play just like them.

Preparing them an activity that would make their imagination works and writing skills would definitely be a good choice. Today, there are a lot of printable activities found online, it may come in different forms and styles but it doesn't matter, as long as it gives enjoyment to kids then it's all good. Parents would no longer bother if their kids are enjoying or not.
Children indeed love writing especially when they have just learned how to do it. They often make the best out of their time. And during Christmas parties, isn't it good that parents should give their sons and daughters to have their very own "Santa Wish List?" During the season, children often wanted something for themselves; it's either toys or just the fact of being together as a family. Let them write these things in a piece of paper together with the other children. Prepare them a Santa notepad wherein they could write down their simple rants and wishes like a normal kid does, there's a wide arrange of printable activities found in the internet that kids would surely get amusement from. And during the party, tell them to read it out loud in front of the guests and I'm sure not only children will enjoy it but also the parents.