The holiday season has already arrived, and it's time to plan those (last minute) Christmas and other holiday parties. For some, you have already been planning for months, but for others, if your anything like me— you could use some help. And so, I’ve created a list of party ideas that I hope you find helpful. A few things to keep in mind; any of these ideas can be combined with another idea to make it even more eventful, Christmas music always sets the mood, baked goods are a must, and gift are always most welcome.

1. White elephant

I’m not going to explain how this game works, but it can be easily found on the internet. It's a very simple gift exchange game, that can go as fast or as slow as you want it to be. Beforehand, you may want to establish whether gifts are silly or sweet. Silly white elephant exchange is when you bring a random item found around your house, whereas a sweet white elephant can be bought at the store for a small price. It all depends on the company of people, so figure out what would work best for your group.

1. Game night

Gather all of your favorite board games and deck of cards, pull out the X-box, the Wii, whatever you have…and let the games begin. My personal favorites are; Just Dance for the Wii, and Mexican Train with dominos.

2. Ugly/Christmas sweater party

These kinds of parties are always fun. It either gives you the excuse to buy a cute Christmas sweater or buy an ugly sweater from a thrift shop. Either way, it's an easy idea that can make your party more festive. And if you make it a contest, to see who has the ugliest or most festive sweater it makes it even more fun!

3. Secret Santa

This is the kind of party that you have with a small close friend group. Draw a name beforehand, decided on an amount of money you will all stay within, and exchange the gifts, however, you all decided at the party. This is a fun thing to do with a small group of friends, that makes it more personally, and it's more cost efficient.

4. Elf themed party

Now I don’t mean everybody should dress up as elves, but the theme is based on the movie ELF. This can go any way you want it to go, just keep in mind that things can get hectic. I’ve had a successful ELF themed party and it was fun. We decorated gingerbread house, we made snowflakes, we had spaghetti, lots of candy, and watched the movie. It was a night to remember. This is another idea that you can get further ideas offline, or re-watch the movie for inspiration.

5. Hot chocolate bar

I’ve never had a hot chocolate bar party, but I’ve been to one. And it fun and taste great! Here are some ideas of things you need to pick up: hot chocolate, candy canes, chocolate covered pretzel sticks, marshmallows, M&Ms, whipped cream. Set all the items out on a table or counter and let your guest enjoy this easy treat.

6. Christmas sock exchange

You can also look this up, or used the same guidelines as a white elephant or secret Santa. But the idea is that everybody leaves with crazy and cozy socks to enjoy throughout the cold season.

7. Movie marathon

Bring out the Christmas movies, get some tasty treats, and sit back and relax with your friends, and/or family. Some favorites: Home Alone, Christmas Story, While you were sleeping, and White Christmas. Or with all of the new Star Wars movies coming out, re-watch the classics. Winter break is the perfect time to binge watch your favorite movie series, especially Christmas movies!

8. Traditional sleep over

What more fun, then getting together with your friends then a sleep over. Also, a great idea because you can personalize it to your liking. Eat junk food, watch movies, pull an all-nighter, sleep in sleeping bags, and share all your deepest thoughts and secrets. You don’t have to be a child to enjoy a good sleepover, so get together with your girls or guys and have a traditional pillow fight!

9. Baking day

Pull out your grandma's cook book, check out Pinterest; start baking in the morning and enjoy all of your tasty treats in the evening!

Well, I hope you find some of this helpful! Enjoy your winter break, and have fun!

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!