Party Games, some new, some old!

New Year's Eve or even New Year's Day is a great time to get together with family. All the obligations are over; now is the time for some fun. Here in the South we get together to eat certain foods, particularly black-eyed peas. But chips and dips and college bowl games are the order of the day as well. And it's always fun to play some games.

Besides the usual games your family might play, here are some you could add.

New Year Scattergories~

Played like "Scattergories" of course, but I've added these questions that pertain to the holiday. See your "Scattergories" game box for the rules. If you have younger children, put them with an adult so they can play too. This is fun for everyone.

Just print this game sheet out so everyone has a copy. Check your Scattergories game box for rules or get online. But basically you roll the dice with the letters of the alphabet on it. Let's say someone rolls a "D". Then everyone writes the name of a winter sport that starts with "D". (Perhaps "downhill.") Then continue down the list. A song title or lyric that starts with "D," and so on down the list all starting with a "D" on the first game. You set the timer, and then stop when the timekeeper announces. Points are given if you are the only one who had an answer that no one else thought of or wrote. I'll post the website with the rules.

Do You Know Me?

The next one I call, "Do You Know Me?" Pass out slips of paper and pencils. Someone is the reader. The reader reads the question and everyone responds writing their answers on their slip of paper. Papers are then turned in to the reader. The reader reads the responses. Everyone else tries to guess who said that. Points are given to the person/persons who correctly guesses who said that. On the next question, assign a different reader so everyone has a chance. After all rounds, the person with the most correct guesses wins.

Here are some sample questions. Party-goers can also come up with questions of their own to submit.

Happy New Year to all my blog readers! May your 2020 be happy and bright with a year full of blessings. And stay safe this New Year's Eve. ​

Website with Scattergories rules: www.wikihow.com/Play-Scattergories

WAIT! Don't take that tree down yet!!

​Write the stories of your ornaments! You'll be glad you did.

Two years ago I did a blog about taking pictures of your Christmas decorations and including all the pictures in a book. www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/a-book-of-christmas-treasures

And yes, I used one of those online photobook-making sites, but you could certainly do a scrapbook. Any way you choose to preserve those memories. You could even gather your grandkids and great-grandkids around and tell the stories of your ornaments. Oral history is important too!

I was reminded how valuable this is on this Christmas holiday. I set my book out and discovered my kids and grandkids going through it. It prompts a lot of discussion about family history.

​Here's a peek inside my book:

Treasured ornaments~

The photos you include don't have to be only heirloom ornaments. Got a beautiful ornament recently from a dear friend? Include that ornament! And you can write something about that friendship--how long the friendship has lasted, how you met, and her personality traits.

Be sure to include those picture ornaments of the grandkids. They'll get a kick out of seeing those old photos in your book.

Always include handmade ornaments. For certain those are real treasures, especially if they get passed down through the ages.

You get the idea~

I just wanted to remind you to do this before you take your tree down, and put those decorations away. There are blessings twofold to this--you'll love photographing the ornaments--it will bring back fond memories for YOU. And you'll love documenting details in a published photo book or scrapbook for your children and grandchildren to read and cherish.

This blog is about sharing ideas. Please let me know if you do this. And let me know about other books you've created along these same lines, whether it be family Christmas photos through the years, or a book of favorite Christmas recipes. The ideas are endless. I love when you share, and I always pass it on to others.

​Just to repeat--here's my blog from two years ago with this same idea:

​www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/a-book-of-christmas-treasures

Crafts and Christmas seem to go hand-in-hand~

I see my friends and family making decorations for the house. And if they are not doing that, they're busy making Christmas gifts for a homemade Christmas exchange. It's all good and it's all FUN!

For the past couple of years, I've tried to get together with my grandkids to make some Christmas ornaments. They are out a week at Thanksgiving, and that seems to be a great time to get together with them. 

And we try to make it fun--maybe do lunch, then return home for dessert, hot chocolate and some crafting. I've tried to find homemade ornaments that would be easy, and be something that really would add to their tree. And we do it with an eye for saving them, so they can eventually add them to their own tree.

I found some this year that we could make which entailed decoupaging to thin wood plaques.

Here's a sample:

​

The supplies:

The supplies I had to purchase included some Christmas card stock papers, Mod Podge, beads for embellishment, and thin wooden plaques. From my own house I got out scissors, other embellishments I had on hand and old Christmas cards as well as a hot-glue gun.

Very basic instructions~

We simply chose a paper that we liked for the ornament, trimmed it to fit the wooden plaque, and coated the plaque with Mod Podge. I provide a link to the youtube video that shows how to do this below. Then we let it dry for 20-30 minutes and then hot-glued or decoupaged our chosen decorations. Easy, and it makes for a lovely afternoon of conversation while we are waiting for each coat to dry.

On the tree!

After I sent them home with the girls, I texted my granddaughter to send me pictures of them actually adorning their tree. She complied.

Also, please note: we included a label on the back with each girl's name and the date it was made. Then they can (hopefully) show their children and perhaps grandchildren. I can dream. (Insert chuckle here.)

Crafting with the kids and grandkids--nothing better!

Such a fun day or afternoon. You can made it as special as you want--pop popcorn, put on the Christmas music, make hot mulled cider or hot chocolate. Just another family tradition for your children to carry with them their whole life through. 

​
Video demonstration for decoupaging:

​www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9Yhxzgpd24

My blog from last year about making Christmas ornaments out of cookie cutters:

​www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/making-keepsake-ornaments