Have you ever been to a Favorite Things party? Why not host a small get together to celebrate Galentine’s Day with some of your favorite gal pals? It’s a fun way to share a few laughs, some sips and snacks, and discover some of your friends’ most favorite, “can’t live without”, items and products. Here’s how to plan a Favorite Things Galentine’s Day celebration your friends will love!
Guest List
You can plan a Favorite Things party with as few as 8 guests or as many as 20. When inviting your guests, make sure the instructions are clear! Ask them to bring 5 of the SAME item, unwrapped—something that is a favorite of theirs, times FIVE! It can be anything they love. It’s best to set a clear price range so everyone is working within the same budget—maybe $20-$25 per item. Honestly, any price range works. Smaller price ranges force a bit more creativity! Suggestions include a favorite beauty product, kitchen gadget, a book, or even a Starbucks gift card with a list of your favorite off-menu drinks. The idea is for you and your guests to explore and discover new things.
What to Serve
A jam-packed charcuterie board with savory and sweet bites would be perfect for munching. If you missed my post on how to create a delicious charcuterie board, you can check it out here. I would also suggest a mimosa and flavored water bar with champagne, a mix of juices, and fresh berries.
Party Prep
To get started, designate a place for all of the items to be on display as guests arrive and mill about. You could clear a dining table and place disposable placemats (one for each guest’s items) so everyone has a place to show off their goods! These medium-sized handle bags would be perfect for your guests to carry home their new treasures. Decorate the bags with a computer print out of “These Are A Few of my Favorite Things”—super cute.
Welcome Everyone
Next, set-up with two small jars or bowls, strips of paper, and pens. Each person writes down their name 5 times on 5 separate strips of paper and adds all the strips to one of the bowls. We’ll call this BOWL 1. Then, they write their name just one more time on another slip of paper and add that to the second bowl. We’ll call this BOWL 2.
It’s Go Time
Once everyone has had time to chat, enjoy some snacks, peruse the table of goods, and fill out their names on the slips of paper, it’s time to get started. First, select one strip of paper from BOWL 2. This is the first person to share her item. She should tell the group all about why she loves her item, what she uses it for, or how she discovered it. Then, she selects 5 names from BOWL 1. Those are the 5 women that will receive her particular item. Think Oprah style — “You get a lip gloss”, “And you get a lip gloss”, etc. You get the idea! If the same name is drawn twice, just put that slip back in the bowl until 5 unique names are drawn. Finally, before they end their turn, they select a name from BOWL 2 and that is the next person to take center stage and introduce her favorite thing. This continues until every name is drawn, and each guest is now the proud owner of five, unique, special new treasures.
Zoom Party
No in-person parties? No problem. This party easily works over Zoom as well. Just have each guest drop off their 5 SAME items to your home, and then as the host, you prepare the names in the bowls and make the name selections. Each woman can still explain her items to the group via the video chat, and then you just fill the designated goody bags for each guest as their names are called. You can bring their items to their home once the party ends.
My Favorite Things
The most difficult thing for me is deciding which one of my favorite things I want to share. After some careful consideration, I usually try to find an online retailer that might have my items available in bulk. For example, I love the Philosophy Dry Shampoo dual pack. These Deodorant Removing Sponges might not be glamorous but they work and I use mine ALL the time. If you haven’t tried this Diva Laundry Detergent, it has a cult following and I think the scent is amazing. You can’t go wrong with Jo Malone fragrances and this gift pack is perfect for your 5 items. I fell in love with the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip product over the summer. The formula is glossy, but not sticky, and it smells amazing. The two packs of three leaves one extra….hmmm, bonus!
Have fun planning your Favorite Things party! What are your must-have, favorite things? Please share in the comments below.
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I can’t wait to try this amazing idea!! Love it!! And love your favorite things ideas! I’d have to say one of my favorite things on the planet that I would share at my party is Smile’s PRID Drawing Salve. Everyone has had that same awful experience of feeling a giant pimple deep under your skin (and why hasn’t this stopped now that I’m in my mid-40’s? You’d think we could catch a break by now!) and knowing that it is only a matter of time until a huge red welt starts to unveil itself somewhere “strategic” on your face – like the middle of your chin. PRID is this thick, slightly smelly goo that comes in a little tin and all you have to do is slather over the buried pimple and go to bed. By morning, one of two things has happened…either the pimple has come to the surface in a much smaller and manageable form OR the deep pain has subsided and just vanished! I seriously swear by this stuff and the best part is that it is $5 on AMAZON!
Thanks Heather! I just put Smile’s Prid Drawing Salve in my cart–thanks for the suggestion and for reading! xx Susan