Winter Holiday Drink Station

 Disclosure: Thank you to Cost Plus World Market for sponsoring this post. Product and/or compensation was provided to me to share my ideas and tips, however, all opinions are fully my own. #GiftThemJoy #ad #worldmarkettribe

I absolutely love hosting parties in my home, especially during the holidays.  For years, I've centered most of our entertaining around our kids likes.  As they're getting older now and our family dynamics are changing, I'm turning more of our entertaining towards adult flair and fashion.  That being said, I realized with the holidays fast approaching, I needed to get our home into holiday hostessing shape.

We have a vintage dresser that my husband converted into a buffet for our dining room. I usually use it for displaying desserts or food when we entertain....mostly, it's just set up with regular seasonal decor and sometimes ends up being a catch all spot for homework - you know....real-life living.  

Recently, we changed the location of the buffet in the dining space.  It is now situated in front of our dining room window....that window has an eyesore of an AC unit behind those velvet curtains.  So, this setup is great for colder weather months....but it will certainly not work for the spring or summer.  This setup also works great as I can change out the drapery to suit the decor I plan use for whatever particular holiday occasion I'm hostessing.

We have an actual bar in our home but it is located in the Man Cave.  We also have a liquor cabinet in our dining space as well, but it doesn't function as a suitable place to mix and serve drinks.  Since most of our holiday entertaining takes place in the main living area of our home, I decided to use our buffet as a drink station.

I love the holiday selection at Cost Plus World Market so, I headed to my local store at Pentagon Row in Arlington, VA to find some essential Christmas Dinnerware pieces for our festive holiday Christmas Food and Drink station.  There were so many Christmas Decorations/ChristmasDécor options to choose from. 

I was instantly drawn to some of the icy accented decor as it reminded me of the day after a beautiful snowfall, from my years growing up in Connecticut.  I also thought the bold golden metallic glassware that I found was just beautiful and deserved a spot at our drink station.  

Here are my tips and suggestions on pulling together a winter holiday drink station for your home.

To set a winter holiday drink station, I recommend decorating with snow and iced kissed decor.  You can hang icy wreaths as a focal point to your backdrop.  They're festive and seasonal and add just the right decorative touch to the space.

Use metallic and mirrored pieces to bring lots of light and reflection to your drink station.  I found a beautiful mirrored tray and placed metallic confetti gold glassware on it.  I also added a few whimsical decorative snow birds and some fresh rosemary sprigs to create a winter look and feel to the table.

I like to offer guests options for their adult beverages, some people like alcohol and some do not.  So, for a signature drink, I recommend trying an Elderberry Cordial.  It's a very concentrated fruit blend that must be diluted with, sparkling water or juice for a non-alcoholic drink.  However, if you'll be serving alcoholic drinks, you can add white wine or vodka. 

I like to place Vodka or Gin in a large glass flask alongside the rest of the mix-ins.  This lets guests control what they would like in their drinks.  The cordial and sparkling water is the base for your cocktail mix and can be combined in a decanter.   

Set out garnishing to complete your drink set up - I think cranberries and fresh sprigs of Rosemary are perfect complements and trust me, the Rosemary adds just the most subtle and delightful flavor to your holiday drink!

When serving drinks, its a really good idea to offer some edibles.  Cost Plus World Market has a wonderful selection of quality gourmet meats.  You can create a simple meat and cheese platter and garnished with fresh seasonal fruit and rosemary.  You can present them on a white platter, slate tile or cheeseboard, whatever you have on hand would work perfectly.

Don't forget to add festive plates for your appetizers and bites!  

Adding a bit of candle light is another way to bring light and reflection to your drink station.  I like to use battery powered candles and dress them up with decorative candle rings.

Holiday entertaining is always a joy for me to share with those in my life I love dearly.  I hope you will be able to use some of the tips I shared on creating a winter holiday drink station and that your next holiday gathering is full of fun, food and good times.

FOR MORE HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING IDEAS LET BRANDI MILLOY SHOW YOU HOW TO BRING 3 DELIGHTFUL (AND AFFORDABLE!) COST PLUS WORLD MARKET LOOKS TO YOUR HOLIDAY TABLESCAPE.

Go for classic Christmas dinnerware colors, add a touch of wintery shimmer with silver and white table decor, or create global style with vibrant table linens. These festive finds also make fun Christmas gifts! Imagine the joy you’ll bring. #GiftThemJoy

Visit your local Cost Plus World Market for your holiday entertaining needs.  Find your local shop here:  http://stores.worldmarket.com/index.html

Icy Bird and Owl Set 

Metallic Confetti Glassware 

Belvoir Elderberry Cordial

Icy Circle and Heart Wreaths

Gold Mirrored Tabletop Tray

Daniele Italian Brand Spicy Gourmet Salami Pack

Champagne Glittered Fern and Pine Candle Ring 

Metallic Confetti Glass Decanter



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Girlfriend Gathering: Hot Chocolate Mixer

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, a hot chocolate social 'mixer' is great way to get together with the girls for delicious sweets and a warm treat during the remaining winter months.  Get ready to sit by the fireplace, here are some ideas to help you plan your own.

{Inspiration Board Created by K. Sibert - Cupcake Wishes & Birthday Dreams - photo credits below}

1. Select your Cocoa

Start with good quality hot cocoa like Marie Belle Aztec Hot Chocolate or Ghirardelli for a splurge and set out Swiss Miss or Nestle packets for tried and true standards. 

2. Arranging your Hot Cocoa Bar

Display your hot cocoa by flavors/brand (milk chocolate, white chocolate , sugar free, dark chocolate, etc.). You can present packets in a basket embellished with ribbon or place packets in decorative envelopes cut from scrapbook paper to coordinate with your theme; use this tutorial as a guide to make your own.   If your cocoa is in a canister, be sure to have a small scoop spoon available.

Keep hot water and hot milk warmed in coffee carafes for easy dispensing.  A fondue pot will keep melted chocolate nice and warm for guests who want a more homemade tasting cup.

Put  toppings and 'mixins' in bowls or stemmed glasses so guests can create their own custom flavors.  Some suggestions for toppings are whipped cream, marshmallows, Hershey's Miniatures, sugar cubes, or crushed bits of peppermint, toffee, candied ginger and Oreo cookies!  Don’t forget to label each item for easy identification.

{Photo Credit}

Use tasty confections as stirrers. I recommend chocolate covered pirouettes, vanilla swizzle sticks, peppermint and cinnamon sticks.  Place these items in footed mugs for a grand display. You can also dip spoons in melted chocolate or add a dollup of whipped cream to them.

Be sure to have plenty of mugs and spoons on hand for guests who want to try more than one cup!

3. Provide Sweet & Savory Bites

A hot cocoa social is sweet but be sure to have a few sweet and savory bites which guests can nibble on.  Set out  pistachio biscotti, Chocolate Dipped shortbread cookies and savory chicken salad or cucumber tea sandwiches will keep guests from going hungry.

4. A 'Favor'-ite Activity 
Send your guests back into the wintery world with their own custom hot cocoa mix.  Have guests create their own cocoa mix then package them in mason jars or soup containers to take home as favors.  Label or tag each container with the guests name and what type of cocoa mix they created.

{Photo Credit}

5. Wintery Decor
Hues of soft blues and brown compliment the theme.  Hang knitted mittens, scarves, hats, paper doilies or snowflakes from the ceilings or light fixtures.  Little snowballs made from cotton balls or styrofoam spheres also add a wintery element.  If you have one, a fireplace adds a bit of coziness and warmth to set the scene.

*Bonus Tip

For a small group of friends, create a cocoa mix recipe based on their different personalities.  For a friend who is spunky and fiery you might create a custom Mexican Hot Cocoa using your favorite chili powder.  For the friend who is adventurous and outgoing, a zesty Orange and Cream Hot Chocolate would be fitting.  A friend who is very traditional, a classic Hot Cocoa is suiting.  Make sure to include instructions for preparation and additional ingredients.

Now that you are inspired and have the plan - here is a free printable invitation for you to download and send out to your gals!

Photo Credits:

Whipped Cream Spoons

Hot Cocoa Mix Favor

Crushed Candies

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

Marie Belle Aztec Hot Chocolate