And just like that, the holidays are back. From recipes, meticulously designing your playlist, to DIY decorations, we’re here to make holiday hosting stress-free, sustainable, and enjoyable for you and your guests.
1. Have Fun With Decorations
So much fun to have with decorations. As a sustainable brand, we love making DIY decorations using what we already have around the house. Add a pop of color to your tablescapes and use repurposed wine or kombucha bottles as vases. Peel off the labels and there you have it, good as new glassware. Mismatched cups are always a fan favorite. Pick up glassware from your local thrift store or use something you have on hand. Old yogurt and pasta sauce jars double as tiny wine or water glasses. Wall decor? Instead of buying garland from the store, slice and pop any lemons, oranges, grapefruits into your air fryer. Once they’re dry, string them through twine for a colorful garland display. If there will be gifts involved (some new wolven goodies??), we recommend wrapping them in old newspaper, magazines, or fabric.
2. Drinks
I love to have a signature cocktail at my holiday parties. This way, you can prep it, and save money on buying ingredients for multiple drinks. My go to has been a lemon drop martini. So tasty and so simple. Garnish it with a little basil leaf and suddenly your friends will think they’re in the presence of Ina Garten. Always keep your non drinking friends in mind too, and make sure to make a mocktail version! Simply combine all of the ingredients below into a shaker and serve cold!
Ingredients:
½ ounce lemon juice
1 teaspoon simple syrup
½ ounces lemon vodka (use club soda for mocktail)
Basil
Sugar (for the rim)
3. Food, Food, Food
This is where you get to cater to your guests (and yourself!). Try that recipe you’ve been eyeing. If I let someone look at my “saved” on Instagram, all they would see was an endless scroll of recipes I’ve been wanting to try. I’ll definitely be using them for the holidays this year. I’m big on keeping the dishes vegetarian and vegan friendly. Also! Ask your friends to contribute. Request each person to bring a dish (and tupperware for leftovers to avoid waste).
4. An Outfit to Remember
Time to figure out what to wear. Try pairing our Zephyr Keyhole (filled with festive gold) with the matching bottoms or black flairs. Add some accessories and you’re golden. An added bonus — you’ll be extra comfy. If you want to stand out, go with the Cayenne Pyramid Top and matching Biker Short. Top it off with a cozy thrifted sweater and jewelry of your choice. A personal pick for our warm weather friends — we took the Harmony Short, matching Runched Top, and threw a bold cardigan on top!
5. Curate a Vibey Playlist
My favorite of all of the things. Music sets the mood, is something guests can connect with each other on, and fills any (hopefully rare) awkward silence. I love creating an arc of sorts when making playlists. Here’s my bucket of songs checklist:
- Beginning
- Middle
This is where I like to throw in the jams. The music that brings up the energy and gets guests grooving. A great place to throw in songs your friends may know the words to. Always a great place to throw in some LCD Soundsystem, in my opinion.
- End
Pro tip: change the mood of music toward the end of your playlist. Start to slow it down or chill it out. This gives your guests an idea that the party is starting to wrap up. No need to start dropping verbal hints that it’s time to go.
I know that bucket just read so serious, but I promise. It’s not that serious. Your guests will be happy either way in your presence. We even took the liberty of creating a playlist for you here.
6. Set Boundaries
Finally, you’re throwing the party - you call the shots! You know when you make an initial guest list, and then one friend asks to bring another friend, and that friend asks to bring their second cousin twice removed, then by the end of the night your ex-partner has shown up? Yeah, no. Protect your energy! Allow yourself to take control. One thing I will say about that though is while the holiday’s provide us time to spend with loved ones, if your energy allows it, it's also a great time to meet new people. People who may fill you up and feed your soul.
About the Author
Jordan is a Brooklyn based member of Wolven’s marketing team. Outside of Wolven, she is a certified yoga and pilates instructor. On her mat is where she finds mental clarity, physical strength, and her source of breath. Her energetic spirit and appreciation for the roots of the practice is visible in her teaching. Wolven is where she combines her adoration for fashion, wellness, and media.
