Whether you are planning on hosting a holiday party, or simply looking for a way to take your gift giving up a notch, celebrity party planner Rachel Hollis has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and tips to make your next party a success. I had an opportunity to speak with her in Los Angeles recently, and along with providing party planning inspiration, she showed us some easy ways to use products from Cheryl’s and Mrs. Beasley’s.

Party planning inevitably causes varying degrees of stress. Here are my favorite take-away tips from Rachel Hollis:

1. Get creative. Rather than simply placing cookies on a holiday plate, utilize dessert as an opportunity to end your party in a festive way.  Experiment with themed displays.

2. Make your drinks sparkle. You can use seasonal ingredients and festive glassware to take a conventional drink and turn it into something that shines. Check out Rachel’s recipe for a Holiday Cider Sip:

2 quarts apple cider

1 tsp. aromatic bitters

2 sticks cinnamon

1 tsp. whole allspice

3 Cardamum seeds

2 orange studded whole cloves

1/2 bottle of brandy

Combine all ingredients in pot and heat on medium flame for 1 hour. Reduce flame to warm 2-6 hours. Serve Wassail juice with chilled Champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with orange twist and fresh cranberries.

3. Plan a no-fuss menu.  Rather than spending the entire time in the kitchen, serve foods that can be eaten at room temperature so you can spend time with your guests.

4. Find new ways to use items you already have. Serve those gourmet cookies and mixed nuts from holiday baskets to your guests to keep them satiated until meal time or use those items to bulk up the food items you have already prepared.

5. Make time for yourself. Simply put, schedule in a time for you to make yourself look fabulous.

One of Rachel’s brilliant ideas was to take Cheryl’s buttercream cookies and set up a cookie decorating station with the kids. Taking away the “baking” step can truly help avoid the boredom, impatience, and mischief that kids are so notorious for.

Mrs. Beasley’s, Miss Grace, and Cheryl’s offer a vast array of baked goods and gift baskets. Mrs. Beasley’s has been a staple in LA for over 30 years and is famous for their truffle cookies and teacakes.  Miss Grace is known for their handmade Lemon Cake and Cheryl’s is known for their buttercream frosting which can be found on cookies, and brownies.  For more information, just visit each of the respective websites.

No compensation was received for this post. I attended a media event which helped facilitate this review.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by. The winner is Michelle S. Congrats!

Tis the season for holiday gatherings and parties.  Dave & Buster’s, the restaurant and entertainment venue, is offering a sweet holiday deal for parties booked before November 24th. Simply book a party before the end of the promotion and receive a free room rental and 25% more game play.

If you’ve never been to a Dave & Buster’s location, it’s quite an experience.  You can dine and then engage in a variety of the latest video games (this is actually where I played Dance Dance Revolution for the first time).  While I’ve only attended adult-type gatherings at the venue, teens and tweens will enjoy the video games offered.

If you’re planning a party, the establishment offers a variety of resources to assist in planning including meal and entertainment suggestions.  This season, Dave & Busters offers your choice of five holiday buffets which include everything from turkey and stuffing to steak and salmon.

For more information about a party at Dave & Busters, check out their Holiday Party Guide.

Win It! One of you will win a $25 gift card to Dave & Busters.  Simply leave me a comment with something you learned on the site.  Comments will close on December 4th, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

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No compensation was received for this post.  Gift cards for review and giveaway were supplied by the company.

Christmas is almost here!  The day after Halloween, I saw stores changing over their fall decor to winter and Christmas-themed decor.  While the sites and smells of the holidays excite me, it’s the extra time with my family that I particularly look forward to.  This year, as crazy as it may sound, we’re still planning on having friends and family over. My husband and I truly enjoy hosting people in our home and this season will be no different (unless I’m in labor!).

If you like hosting gatherings and parties, Beau-coup offers unique, festive favors and accessories to help make your party or occasion memorable.  I like their Personalized Cookie Mix Favors, Snowflakes Keepsake Boxes, Holiday Chocolate Puzzle Favors, Holiday Photo Oreos, and…oh there are so many you simply have to visit the site!  And that’s not all you’ll find at Beau-coup!  You’ll find tons of creative, inspirational products to make your occasion sparkle and shine including wedding, baby shower, and party favors, invitations, thank you cards, centerpieces, decorations and so much more.

I spent a lot of time planning my wedding (I didn’t hire a wedding planner).  I searched through dozens of sites for ideas on how to make my wedding unique, personal, and meaningful.  I wish I had known about Beau-coup because you’ll find ideas on the site you won’t find anywhere else.  Their prices are appropriate and while I haven’t physically seen their product (yet), they look to be made and presented beautifully.  If you’re getting married this winter (which I think would be a gorgeous season to celebrate such an occasion), be sure to check out their winter wedding favors.  Wouldn’t it be cute to have a Miniature Wedding Snowglobe at each setting?

If you have any occasion coming up this season and you’re looking for something truly unique and trendsetting, check out Beau-coup!

Win It! One of you will win a $75 gift card to Beau-coup!  Simply head on over to their site.  Then come back here and leave me a comment with a product you’d love to use this year for your holiday party.  Comments will close on November 25, 2009 at 10 PM PST. One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Add the “Holiday Gift Guide” button to your sidebar and leave me a comment (be sure it’s up for the duration of the gift guide!)

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For more fabulous Holiday Gift Ideas, visit The Mommy-Files

Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this review. I did receive a product, courtesy of the company in order to facilitate my review.