party guide

The Ultimate Christmas in July Party

| The Bee Life

For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to throw a Christmas in July Party. Since we became homeowners, an annual Christmas, holiday party became a tradition and something our friends always asked and were excited about — since our annual parties have been canceled, it felt like the perfect year to finally throw a Christmas in July party. Here is how you can plan your own Christmas in July Party; first things first, get a date set in advance if you have super busy friends!

Pro-Tip: Pin this post for your party planning next Summer!

Pick Your Theme🎄

This might be harder than you think, at least it was for me! I was thinking Red, White & Blue Christmas theme (cause you know, 4th of July) – then I was thinking Hawaiian-esq, flamingos, pool Christmas (think Mele Kalikimaka as your inspo). But then, I was thinking just straight up Christmas in July, faux Christmas tree, red, green, plaid, snowflakes, traditional dishware – so that was the direction I went with a touch of our favorite Christmas movies as added inspiration for decor and food: Home Alone and Elf.
– Home Alone inspired decor/food: Cheese pizza, candy/ice cream sundae bar, framed picture of Buzz’s girlfriend, Pepsi, Little Nino’s Pizza.
– Elf inspired decor/food: Candy, snowflakes, candy cane swirl,

Food & Bevies 🎅

Once you have a theme, figuring out your food and beverages is a bit easier! We also hosted a smaller crowd, so I wanted to keep it simpler and easy so we weren’t doing too much work. We ordered pizza’s, made some pigs in a blanket, a Christmas-tree shaped charcuterie board and then your standard snacky foodies with a candy bar, ice cream treats and Christmas in July themed sugar cookies by the talented Sweet Geebs.

We of course had a fridge stocked with all sorts of bevies from local beers to seltzers – but we also made a handcrafted cocktail that I knew our guest list would be all over (and they were!) which was a Spicy Jalapeño and Lime Tequila cocktail that B has perfected this summer.

Decor & More ❄️

This might be my favorite part of parties – creating a moment, evoking a feeling and overall vibe for the party. My biggest issue was trying not to spend too much money – but also trying to keep it easy. I ended up compromising and ended up DIY-ing more than I planned, headed to the Dollar Store and bought a few high-impact pieces. Another tough part about a Christmas in July Party is you’re starting basically from scratch – Christmas parties in December are easy because the decor is already taken care of! I wanted to transform our garage into Christmas so I focused on a green and red backdrop with hand-cut coffee filter snowflakes with clear string I already had. Making and hanging these was a pain in the butt, but very fun. We also had lights strung in the garage which helped add a little extra twinkle.

Don’t forget to encourage your guests to dress festive! B and I got matching McAllister Home Security shirts and I pulled out some big red bow-beaded earrings for an easy look! We also had a blistering hot day, luckily it was overcast so a pool would’ve been a great addition to our Christmas in July party… but alas we don’t have one! Finally, just remember to have fun and Merry Christmas in July ya filthy animal! 🎅🎄❄️



Shop my Decor: Green & Red Foil Curtains and Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal Banner

Galentine’s Brunch Planning Guide

| The Bee Life

With Galentine’s falling on a weekend, it is the perfect excuse to host a brunch! And for me, there is nothing more that I love than a good brunch — not to mention, I think it’s one of the easier meals to host, while still being able to make an impressive spread that is tasty for everyone. But don’t worry, I have you covered from the menu, recipes, table setting, Valentine’s and decor, too!
Galentines_beelifeblog(2)When it comes to brunch food, there are a ton of great recipes that are overnight prep so all you have to do the morning of, is stick them in the oven and wait for your guests to arrive! Not to mention both casseroles are easy to prep, don’t require a done of ingredients and cover both bases for those friends who are sticking to a diet or maybe love indulging in a little something sweet! The overnight egg casserole is easy to switch out to be meat free if you’re accounting for any dietary needs. Fresh fruit with brunch is always a must, I like to go with blueberries, strawberries or raspberries – something colorful and health conscious to take away some of the guilt!

Galentine’s Brunch Menu:
– Overnight Casseroles: Breakfast Egg Casserole + French Toast Casserole
– Fresh Fruit
– Donut holes or Cinnamon rolls
– Bloody Mary Bar
– Mimosas

Lastly the beverages for your Galentine’s Brunch are just as important as the food! Knowing your gal-pals preferences always helps streamline this, so you can have a mix of Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas or can stick to one. This post on how to create your own Bloody Mary bar can help you make a fun statement and if you’re planning for mimosas, be sure to grab a few extra juices besides the standard, like cranberry or pineapple plus your fresh fruit can garnish these too!
Galentines_beelifeblog(3)Set the Table & Decor. Since it’s your gal pals, keeping the table setting and decor simple, yet fun and festive is key and will also let you enjoy yourself too! Making your own table runner and place settings can help save some money with taking little time and effort on the crafting side, and still resulting in a big impact. This hand painted X’s and O’s table runner, I shared last week is just too stinkin’ cute and is pretty in pink for Galentine’s Day!

Also, don’t let your gals go home empty handed without a little keepsake; these wooden love letter Valentine’s can be customized with everyone’s names or fun little notes like, “U R CUTE” or “BFF4L” or “Ride or Die.” Adding a little note on the back is another way to send a little extra love their way! These will help finish off your table decor and filling these seats, while also bringing a big smile to your pals faces. And snag the colorful cute heart tassel garland from Target for only $6 to add to your table decor or hang in an entry way! Galentines_beelifeblog(1)Finishing Touches. Getting festive red or pink paper straws can be a fun touch for those Bloody Mary’s or the mimosas. Fresh flowers are always a nice touch if you wanted to switch out your table centerpiece.  Don’t forget to set the mood for your brunch with some music, check out my Heart Ache playlist or my emnblovetracks playlist for a mix of all those feelings of love. Heart Ache has a lot of good throw backs, especially some good ones to sing with your gals.

Happy Galentine Brunching!

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