This time of year there are plenty of parties and reasons to celebrate- but one of my favorite things to attend is a “Favorites” Party! “These are a few of my favorite things”.... How did that turn into a Christmas song anyway? ;)

Anyway, my neighborhood has been doing this for a couple years now, and it’s such a fun excuse to get together and exchange gifts in the simplest of ways!

The great thing about a favorites party- easy prep! No drawing names or creating wish lists or creating Secret Santas- you simply show up with your favorite thing (new, not used)! I’ve seen it done a couple ways- you can bring 2-3 of the same $5 item, or have everyone bring one item valued at $10-$15. But the point is, you’ll be bringing one of your favorite items and leaving with someone else’s favorite item! It’s a fun way to get to know people, get a little present, and a great way to get to know some of the great products out there that you might not have known about otherwise!

One year, we had everyone draw a name. Then you gave that person your present, but before giving it to them, you had to introduce yourself by saying something unique about yourself, and then explaining the gift you brought- why it’s your favorite, and anything else you might want to explain about it. Another year we drew questions from a bowl that we had to answer, such as “What is your greatest fear” or “What is your dream vacation”, and then you chose a wrapped gift from the table. You then drew a name out of another bowl and it was there turn. At the end everyone unwrapped their gifts and we went around the room showing off what we got and giving everyone a chance to explain their favorite things. Both methods worked great and were tons of fun!

Now surprisingly, one of the hardest things about hosting/attending a favorites party, is deciding which favorite item to bring! It seems easy at first- but it’s almost hard because there are SO many ways you could approach it! Here are some of the things I’ve seen to get your brain going. Now obviously, with all these things, you’d bring your favorite brand! So for example, you wouldn’t just bring any chapstick- but your absolute favorite kind!

• A CD from your favorite music group, or movie soundtrack
• Hand soaps and hand sanitizers from Bath and Body Works
• A big bag of treats from Costco
• A gift card to your favorite restaurant or bakery
• Fuzzy socks and hot cocoa
• A big warm plushy blanket
• Bath bombs and lotions
• A home decor item- a lantern, a pillow, a simple sign
• Your favorite brand of water bottle or thermos
• Favorite brand of beanie or baseball cap
• Dangly earrings
• Mascara
• Dry shampoo
• Pottery items
• Anything to depict your favorite hobby, such as cute notebooks and journaling tools, a jelly roll of fabric ready to be quilted, or your favorite kitchen utensil or brownie mix.

As you can see, there are a lot of fun ways to go about this! You can be as creative as you want, and it’s so fun to see what people are into! And to get some great recommendations! Pair it with a Christmas cookie swap or a potluck and if you’ve got a simple and fun Christmas party in the bag! Of course, you don’t have to do this at Christmas time- this would be fun to do any time of the year! I think it would be the perfect January pick-me-up.

Have you ever been to a favorites party? I’d love to hear about what you took, or what you would take if you were attending one! Share your favorites below!

*In case you’re curious, for me personally- I brought a Piano Guys Christmas CD the first year, and the second year I brought a conglomeration of things- a cute journal, a notebook, some hand sanitizer from Bath and Body Works, and a small bag of Brookside Crunchy Clusters because they are my FAVORITE! :)