The Holiday season has crept up on me, but it is one of my favorite seasons for entertaining. The parties are unlimited, and there is a ton of unique ways to celebrate.

One of my favorite Christmas celebrations is a good old-fashioned “tree trimming.” A tree trimming is simply a party to decorate your tree. It is a great time to reconnect with family and friends, as well as trick them into putting up your Christmas tree!

If you have some hang up about Christmas trees and why we even put them up, I want you to relax and know this: Christmas trees are pretty... Parties for decorating them are pretty awesome!

Here is your checklist for making your first or 50th tree-trimming party outstanding:

Amp up the Holiday Spirit: Pull out your Johnny Mathis and Jackson 5 holiday albums and put the eggnog on ice. Light a fire in your fireplace or pull up a video of a burning Yule log to play on your flat screen. Hang those stockings from the chimney with care. This is the time to pull together all the things that make it Christmas time in your home, so when guests arrive they know without a doubt the holiday season is upon them.

Eat and Drinking to be Merry: Providing a spread of all the things that make this season delicious and high in calories is a must for this shindig. You don’t want to overload your guests with a preview of the dinner for Christmas night, but you can get creative with ornament-shaped cookies, mini chicken or turkey potpies, and cranberry tartlets. Finger foods with seasonal flavor are sure to please your hardworking guests. Make sure to have plenty of eggnog, ciders and champagne on hand!

Supplies are essential: Of course, your most important supply would be a tree. I prefer a live Frasier Fir. However, there are beautiful synthetic trees available. Next you need lights and decorations. Make sure, whether you choose to have a monochromatic tree or a montage of all the decorations you have collected over the years, to pull those out and organize them before guests arrive. Ensure your lights are working properly and your tree has been trimmed and mounted in its stand so there is no awkward set up in the beginning of your celebration. Be sure to have enough hooks, ribbons, balls, lighting or other needed tools so your party doesn’t stop short of making your tree beautiful! You may also need a stool so the angel or star can be gently placed atop.

Share the tree trimming love: Your guests have come and helped you make a beautiful show of a simple tree, so in honor of their hard work, send them home with something for their own trees. Simply purchase a bundle of ball ornaments and paint pens in your favorite colors. A holiday or thank-you message and the year make this ornament a one-of-a-kind favor for your guests. Simply wrap them up, and your friends will never forget your tree-trimming party is not to be missed for years to come.

I sincerely hope that each of you enjoys your time with family and friends. Happy Holidays!
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Kelley Carboni-Woods is the owner of Splendid Soirees (www.splendidsoirees.com) in Charlotte. Phone: (704) 807-2613

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