How About a Cookie or Ornament Exchange?

Still in the holiday mood? You've probably been invited to a party at work and maybe at a neighbor's or friend's house. But you know...sometimes those shindings can be incredibly BORING. If that's not enough to get you in the spirit, or you want to do something different this year, how about hosting a cookie or ornament exchange?

I've done both in the past. If you're apprehensive about doing it by yourself, enlist a friend to co-host it with you. A cookie exchange is more labor intensive and for those who like to bake and fuss over the holidays, it's a perfect way to try new cookies and goodies. Everyone will come away with many containers of a variety of cookies. Here's how to set one up. You can also request the recipes beforehand and make copies for everyone to take home to try for themselves at a later time.

If you really don't want to or don't have the time or intensity for that, how about an ornament exchange? You can do this with a group of neighbors, friends, church group, wives get together group, Cub Scout pack...for just about any group you might belong to. Have each person bring an inexpensive wrapped ornament. Be sure to set a dollar limit. Have each family or person also bring a covered dish, or to make it even easier, just a dessert or appetizer. That means all you have to do is provide the drinks and eating implements, some festive music and you're good to go!

In an ornament exchange, you set all the pretty packages on a table. Have each person pick a number out of a hat. The person with the lowest number goes first and so on. Each picks out a gift, unwraps it and watches everyone ooh and aaah over it. The next person can either choose to take that ornament away...hey, you have to have some extra kind of excitement....or they can unwrap another gift of their choosing. The next person up can take either of those two unwrapped ornaments or choose to open up a new one. An ornament can only be "stolen" three times. After that, it stays with that person. I've seen some serious ornament exchanging going on, always in good fun, and it just amazes me at the diversity of ornaments that gets unwrapped!

Do you have any ideas for holiday fun or parties?