I never thought I’d be blogging about holiday party ideas, but here I am. Now that I have room to entertain, I realize that I love it.

There are 4 things to know about me when it comes to hosting a party: 1. I love a theme 2. and decorating 3. I don’t have cooking skills (or…I have never really tried). 4. and I hate cleaning up large messes. That all means, I LOVE hosting people for the holidays. But my main job is to make things look pretty and give guests something fun to do. It’s Bobby’s — or the local pizza parlor’s — job to keep them fed beyond the hors d’oeuvres I put out. And I put a cleaner into my party budget, which is worth every penny!

There are also, coincidentally, 4 things that are absolute mainstays for my holiday parties. I’ll share them here to give you holiday party ideas to keep in your back pocket.

Holiday Party Idea #1: Christmas Cookie Decorating Station

I might not have many kitchen skills, but I love making holiday cookies. Truth be told, Bobby still makes the dough for me most of the time; I just roll them out, cut, and bake. We make a large batch of sugar cookies using this sugar cookie recipe from A Beautiful Mess, royal icing in different colors, and set up a station for guests to decorate their own sugar cookies.

I use cute little Christmas ramekins for sprinkles, keep the royal icing in a baking dish for easy clean-up, and make sure to have treat boxes for guests to bring home their creations. Everything you see here is from HomeGoods, from the bakeware to the garland. We partnered for an upcoming video of holiday party ideas, which I’ll share on Friday!

Holiday Party Idea #2: Make-Your-Own Hot Cocoa Station

For me, nothing says “‘Tis the Season!” like a mug of hot cocoa with a candy cane and marshmallows. I started making hot cocoa stations for my holiday parties and they’re fun for kids and adults alike and it’s now one of my holiday party staples.

Where to get your hot cocoa station supplies

Hot tip: HomeGoods has the best selection of gourmet hot cocoa options, like the hot chocolate spoons, hot cocoa spheres, swizzle sticks, dark chocolate jug, and decorative marshmallows seen here. And of course, everything else from the cake plates (minus the jadeite one, which was a gift from my sister) to the kettle are from there as well. I’m not just saying that because they’re a valued partner (though they are!) — they’re truly my go-to for all holiday entertaining. Sometimes I just walk up and down the aisles to find inspiration for my holiday entertaining ideas!

I used to stack disposable cups, but the last couple of years I’ve switched to holiday mugs. Much less waste, much more cheer!

Holiday Party Idea #3: Customized Hot Cocoa Mug & Ornament Candle Gift

Speaking of hot cocoa, it ties in to my holiday party favor idea. This would also be great for a White Elephant exchange, because it’s something that people will actually enjoy! I put these together as little gifts for a small holiday gathering I’m having with friends. Holiday mugs were filled with extras from the hot cocoa station: hot cocoa sphere, swizzle sticks, candy canes, and hot chocolate spoons. I attached gift tags and jingle bells to each, with their name on them. The ornament candle was just an added gift because I couldn’t resist the Christmas tree scent. The total was under $25 including the candle but you could easily keep the hot cocoa mug to $10!

Holiday Party Idea #4: The Charcuterie Wreath (or Charcutewreath!)

I’ve become known for my festive charcuterie boards and that all goes back to those 4 things to know about me: I love a theme, I love decorating, I don’t cook, and I hate cleaning up large messes. This charcuterie wreath — or charcutewreath — is so easy to make. It’s a huge crowd pleaser and makes for a gorgeous centerpiece. What makes this one even better is that it’s a lazy susan board!

You can see how I built this board here. I start with a bed of fresh herbs, then add the focal points of salami and strawberry roses. The rest, I fill with cheeses, crackers, fruits, or whatever I feel like adding. Nuts, olives, dried fruits, and dips in ramekins also make great additions. Or you can go for a sweet treat snack board, like I did for this Halloween jack-o-lantern snack board.