Favorite things parties are great for the holidays or anytime of the year! I hosted one for my mom’s 70th birthday; each guest had to bring two items - one for the birthday girl and one for a guest to go home with.
Here’s how it works
1. Set a price. Everyone brings one favorite thing worth about $30. That’s enough for something you really love without making it a big spend.
2. Wrap it so no one can guess. Hide the shape with a box, a bag, or tissue paper. Nobody should be able to tell what’s inside until it’s opened.
3. Names go in a bowl. Each guest writes her name on a slip of paper, and you draw them one at a time to set the order.
4. Pick, open, share. The first woman picks a gift from the table and opens it. Then the woman who brought it tells everyone why it’s her favorite thing.
5. Pick or steal. When it’s your turn, you can open a new gift or steal one that’s already been opened. If yours gets stolen, you can steal a different gift or open a new one, but you can’t steal right back the gift you just lost.
6. Two steals and it’s locked. A gift can be stolen up to two times. After the second steal, it stays with whoever has it.
7. Keep going until every gift is open. If you pick your own gift, set it back and choose another.
8. The first picker gets the last word. Once every gift is open, the woman who went first gets one final choice. She can keep the gift she has or steal any gift that isn’t locked. If she steals, the woman she took it from gets her gift in return, and the game is over.
Everyone leaves with a new favorite, plus a few stories she’ll remember.
A few hosting notes
Give it a little time. The sharing is the main event. Ensure you have enough time for everyone to share why it’s their favorite item.
Shop local if you can. Some of my favorite things come from women-owned businesses right here in Charlotte, and this is a sweet way to pass them along. We had several items from Erin McDermott.
Want everyone to go home with more gifts? Ask each guest to bring three of the same item at a lower price, around $10–$15 each. When it’s her turn, she pulls three names instead of one, so everyone leaves with about three new favorites.
Need ideas?
A candle you don’t want to ever stop burning. A good pen. Local honey or coffee. The best mascara. A book that you recommend to everyone. A face mask, a fuzzy pair of socks, a tea you drink, a journal. Anything that makes your regular day a little better.
Why I love this party
Many women love connecting and meeting new women, but sometimes conversations can be hard and surface level at networking-type events. This type of event allows women to get to know each other more casually and naturally.
Also, when someone tells you why she loves something, you learn something about her. You also get ideas on presents you might want to treat yourself to or buy for someone else.
