My friend Katie throws a fabulous Christmas party every year, and this year because of an idea that I forced upon her, she decided to go with a reindeer theme. It was so fun, as always, for the kids and adults alike!
We arrived after Em’s dance recital to a house full of festivities, inside and out! The kids looked adorable in their holiday finest and everyone was enjoying some delicious food, holiday fun, and good cheer! The little reindeer touches were just adorable.
I love watching Em embrace her role as a “big kid.” Up until now she had been one of the babies at these big gatherings, but now she hangs with her big brother and all their friends, and it makes me excited to see how she’ll be as a big sister.
Still not totally sure, but she’ll get there. Luckily she has some great friends to help her along the way! I can definitely say the same!
Our hostess Katie, who is an event planner (you may remember her from our awesome Snowman Party last year), never just leaves kids to their own devices for long, and she suggested we have a book swap for the kids, which was a huge success. We got a few great ones and I loved sharing some of my favorites with friends! (We gave a couple Piggie & Elephant books by Mo Willems–big hits in this house, in case you were wondering).
And then the piece de resistance: the reindeer bar! I saw the idea initially at Kelle Hampton’s blog last year and I have been waiting patiently for my chance to give it a try! The idea is that you set out a variety of foods that Santa’s reindeer will enjoy, and then give kids mason jars with their names on them that they can bring home and spread out on the lawn on Christmas Eve so that the reindeer will have something to eat while Santa is inside. Kelle gives explanations as to why each food is there, but since I think Jax is the only kid who can read, I figured we could forgo the details and just let people know what reindeer like to eat best.
In case you’re wondering, we had raisins, bread crumbs, “flying power,” oats, potato chips, and cocoa. But I think that Santa’s reindeer aren’t that picky and would appreciate anything you took the time to offer them! Oh, and don’t forget to add glitter for good measure! We put it inside the mason jars ahead of time for clean-up sake, but you could certainly add that to your bar as well.
Needless to say, the kids love the idea and Jax and Em can’t wait for Christmas Eve to spread it on our driveway!
And in case you’re wondering, yes, there was a Grown-Up Reindeer Bar upstairs for the adults who wanted to enjoy a tasty beverage! Add a candy cane straw and there was happiness for all, as well as some fabulous memories.
So from our little elves to yours, have a Merry Christmas and don’t forget to make the most of the holidays this season!
It’s the little details that make all the difference.
