Keys to a Great Christmas Party

When throwing a Christmas party there are several things to keep in mind. But don't worry Phat Al's got your back. We'll go through them all step by step.

1 -2 weeks before

In the weeks leading up to your party put up your decorations. Your house should be the loudest in the neighborhood. If your electric bill for the month of December isn't double what it normally is you did something wrong. When your neighbors drive by, they'll know where the hottest party of the holiday season is going to be. All your lighting needs can be handled by Hope Depot (link included below). They've got everything you need and are always the cheapest.

2-3 days before

Now is the time to start getting the inside of your house ready for the festivities. It goes without saying you'll need a tree and trimmings. I won't go into details about your traditional decorations. You can take care of that on your own. But lets be honest every party in town is gonna have a tree and a wreath. We're trying to set YOU apart from the rest of the neighborhood. Invest in a can of spray snow. This will set you back about $1.99 and is available at most stores. If you're feeling artsy give your window a wintry design. If not just cover all your windows with the stuff. Windows covered in fake snow serve as a guest book of sorts. When you're cleaning up beer bottles and nursing a hangover in the morning you'll enjoy knowing who was there. Another key part of your party is going to be mistletoe. It should be placed conspicuously and near the bedrooms - wink wink. (See picture below) As a friend so eloquently reminded me on a recent PodCast "Do use mistletoe to confess your love to a secret crush. Don't use it as an excuse to come out of the closet". Moving on.

Day of the Party

Now is the time to start preparing all the food and drink you'll be needing for the night's festivities. Well lets be honest - mostly drinks. Here's a list of ideas in no particular order. All of these are tried and true (by yours truly) and are sure to be a hit.

Egg Nog

• Egg Nog is a cheap and easy beverage to prepare. Nothing screams Christmas quite like a nice cup of Nog. Purchase as much Egg Nog as you like. A gallon of Nog will make about 15-20 drinks. You're going to want to find a nice dark unspiced rum to mix with the Nog. I recommend Meyer's. Remember Egg Nog is already spiced so don't use your regular Capt Mo (spiced rum). Depending on how strong you like your Christmas beverages mix 2-3 parts Nog for every 1 part rum. Serve hot or cold depending on your own personal preference.

Hot Chocolate

• Hot chocolate is another very simple drink to prepare. It has always been the most popular at all my Christmas parties. Tell your guests to come early if they want this tasty holiday treat, because it will be gone before you know it. Just prepare your hot chocolate as you normally do. If you have a favorite mix use it - if not I recommend Ghirardelli Double Chocolate. Its strong enough to be mixed with alcohol without losing its chocolaty goodness. For the alcohol here go with Peppermint Schnapps. You can find 30 proof or 45 proof Schnapps. Unless your guests are lightweights I recommend the 45. You won't be able to taste the difference, and trust me your party will be WAY more fun. Simmer over low heat during the party and serve with whipped cream.

Jello Shots

• Remember folks we're celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus here - so obviously you need Jello Shots. Its Christmas so I recommend cherry and lime (red and green). Just prepare the jello as you normally would but where the recipe calls for water use vodka. And don't waste your money on a high end vodka here guys. Buy something cheap, you won't be able to taste the difference. Give yourself 3-4 hours for the jello to chill. You may want to get this one going early in the afternoon so it will be ready by the time your first guest arrives.

Beer, Liquor, Champagne

• Sure you'd have these at your party anyway, but this year I recommend serving these items to your guest with a bit of a twist. Rather than just having a cooler full of bear and the liquor sitting on the kitchen table have a little fun. After everything is good and chilled, wrap it up!!! Seriously, take that wrapping paper and make presents out of your booze. Do this about an hour before guests arrive so everything will still be relatively cold while it sits under your Christmas tree. And don't skimp here guys, nobody wants to unwrap a Natty Light or a handle of Heritage. If your wondering if this is going to work at your party, I'll refer you to the picture sequence below of Candace unwrapping a handle of tequila. It speaks for itself.

Find music appropriate to the type of atmosphere you're trying to create here. Even if this Christmas party of yours is going to be the rager to end all ragers, you still want to throw a bit of Christmas music in there. My recommendation is to start with some holiday tunes to start out, but as soon as the party gets going, throw on something people can rock out/dance to. (Check out the Christmas music available at Amazon below)

Remind your guests to dress festively. You only get to break out that Christmas sweater once a year so take advantage. And ladies - Victoria's Secret offers several seasonal lingerie items. Unless this is your church's holiday party I recommend showing some skin. (link included below).

With that said it looks like you're ready to get out there and make it happen. Good luck.