a very merry weekend recap

I literally can not believe that Christmas is THIS week. Is everyone prepared? Are all of your presents bought, wrapped and under the tree? We have tried really hard to do lots of festive things with Luke this year since it's really the first year he is super interested. He loves Christmas music, love Santa and he loves giving presents! 

This past weekend was our 2nd annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, and we had such a good time. I love themed parties and is there any better theme than an ugly sweater? I think not!  Ryan and I had been crafting away all week (no, seriously he helped a lot this year) so we were ready to unveil ours this year. A Christmas tree and a present! He was a good sport and I am so happy we were able to pull it off!

Everybody had such cute sweatshirts, but unfortunately my camera died at the beginning of the party. I was able to snap a few before it went dark, but I swear everyone looked so good!! As always, Luke and his friends had such a fun time running around eating all the sugar they could sneak. 

I love hosting parties and I have definitely found that the more you can do throughout the week, the better. The day of the party we mainly just had some picking up to do, last minute decorating and drink making. Luckily, my house gets festive pretty early in December. We didn't have too much to add, except some fresh flowers and a few candles. 

Mimosas may be my favorite drink, but since this was a night party, I knew I had to change them up slightly. So, for the signature drink I did a Cranberry Delight!

Cranberry Delight

Ingredients:

1 Bottle of Sparkling Apple Cider 

1 Bottle of Brut Champagne

2 cups of cranberry juice
Double (or triple!!) if needed

Mix all together and add in some frozen raspberries for some added flavor. I also did a non-alcoholic version, using a very watered down lemonade instead of champagne and no sparkling cider. 

We made the pulled pork for the party and everyone brought a side to share. I love doing potluck parties, because we have friends from everywhere. It is fun to see what people will bring, and how different your favorite dishes can be. It was very successful! Look for my pulled pork recipe in the next few weeks, it is absolutely amazing!

Luke and I made these super cute reindeer (pictured at the top of the post) and they were SO easy. Thanks to Jamielyn, from I Heart Naptime, for the fabulous idea. Who doesn't love rolos and pretzels? I added them to the top of some of my cupcakes for an added bonus.  

My favorite dessert by far were the Oreo/Pretzel balls that I made. They were so good and pretty easy to whip up during Luke's nap. 

Salty Oreo Surprises 

Ingredients:

1 family size Oreo pack, finely crushed

1 8oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups pretzels, crushed 

2 packages of chocolate melts (white or chocolate)
Dash of peppermint

Directions:

Crush the pretzels and the Oreo in a blender or food processor. Pour into a bowl and add in the softened cream cheese. Mix with your hands until incorporated. Roll into 1-2 inch balls and freeze for at least 1 hour. 

Melt the chocolate in the microwave and dip the frozen balls into the melted chocolate, completely covering. Add whatever toppings you want.  Place on a wax lined pan and pop them back into the freezer, so they can set. Keep in fridge until you are ready to serve! 

So easy!! While I love baking for the holiday, it is important to me to not completely over due it. I was asked recently to review a product called MealEnders. Part of this review was to share them at my party and see what guests thought of the product. I have used them for a few weeks, and am definitely a fan of them! 

"MealEnders Signaling Lozenges are a revolutionary way to help beat overeating, master portion control and curb snacking by clearing cravings from the mouth and mind. MealEnders’ combines the best of food science and behavioral psychology to offer a stimulant-free way to fight the urge to overindulge." - MealEnders.com

They offer so many different flavors, my favorite being the cinnamon. "MealEnders consist of two components: a sweet, outer reward layer and a cooling/tingling inner core. The outer layer provides a measured dose of “dessert” associated with the end of a meal, while the inner core engages the trigeminal nerve (the nerve that senses “taste”) with long-lasting cooling/tingling sensations that cleanse the palate (MealEnders.com)" 

Now I have not noticed a huge change in my cravings, but I do think they taste good and I think the theory behind them is genius. So often our mind thinks we want something sweet and savory, but in theory we are just bored. I am a huge fan of everything in moderation, but when I have already used up my daily dose of moderation, these were a "go to" for me. 

I loved sharing them with the guests and I was even able to give out a few packets for them to try at home or during their next holiday craving! 

You have a chance to win 4 packets of MealEnders! This is a huge value and trust me, you will love them. These will be the perfect addition to your New Years Resolution! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am already planning next years ugly sweater! We love hosting this party, it always gets us in the holiday spirit. Spending the holidays with friends and family is my favorite part of the year.

What is your favorite holiday treat? 

Happy holidays,