Hi Everyone! It's Nicole, Annette's web-manager and friend. Over the weekend, I went to an intimate holiday brunch at my friend Paige Minear's house. Paige served a lovely, simple spread, and we all sipped a prosecco punch while having conversations about our favorite Christmas memories. Then, Paige surprised us with a DIY activity: gingerbread house building!

She purchased these kits which allowed us to get a head start on one of the hardest parts: building the house itself. Our kits came with a few cute candies for decorating, but Paige also provided some other treats to make our houses unique. We laughed and helped each other when sides caved in or our windows turned out looking more like doors. It was a blast, and it got me thinking that having an activity at a party is almost as important as having great food.

Annette has always said that any extra touch at a party is what guests are going to remember. In her archives, she has directions for DIY snow globe place cards (I copied it again below!). You could do this yourself, or you could set out all of the materials ahead of time for guests to make their own take-home gift. Five years from now, I won't remember the yummy avocado toast that Paige served, but I will remember belly-laughing over gingerbread houses.

Find Annette's directions for DIY snowglobes below.

Happy holidays!

xo Nicole

You will need:

– Hot Glue Gun

– 2. 5″ ball jar

– Small toy deer, rabbit, or christmas tree

– Faux snow

– 1/2 inch silk ribbon

– Stickers (these are from Michaels)

– Sharpie

– Twine

How To:

1. Cut a 3 inch piece of ribbon, attach the sticker, and write the name of your guest

2. Attach the ribbon banner to the tree or toy animal with a dot of hot glue

3. Remove the lid of the jar, pull the lid apart, and add a little glue to the inside of the outer rim. Glue the round part of the lid to the rim.

4. Place a dime size round of hot glue on the inside of the lid, and attach tree or toy.

5. Place about 1″ depth of the faux snow into the jar.

6. Once the glue has solidified, twist the top onto the jar.

7. Flip the jar and place the jar lid side down on the table. You can shake the snow into place.

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Holiday Party Punch

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Traditional with a Twist: PANFORTE ICE CREAM AFFOGATO