How To Host a Favorite Things Party

It’s the latest rage in party planning…the Favorite Things Party.  Have you heard of it yet?  Been invited to one? Wondering how it works? A couple weeks ago we had a Favorite Things Party for our Iowa City Moms Blog contributor team. We had so much fun, and now I’m going to tell you how to host one of your own!

host a favorite things party

What is a Favorite Things Party?

As the name suggests, get a group together and have everyone bring a certain number of their favorite thing. The actual number is up to you, but we chose to have everyone bring 3 of their item.  For example, one of my favorite things is lip gloss. So I picked out my favorite lip gloss and then brought 3 of them.  You also need to set a price limit.  We wanted to have fun, but also make it affordable for everyone.  So our limit was $5/item (3 items at $5 each = $15 total). 

Get to thinking! Sometimes the hardest thing is picking just one favorite thing to bring.  A couple ladies got creative and made a package of a few of their favorite things that added up to the limit. You may have a favorite item that costs more than the limit…watch for a sale or coupon to help you out.  Or you may want to set a higher limit and have everyone bring just 1 item. There really aren’t any rules when it comes to the number…just whatever you decide!

How does it work?

Everyone writes their name on 3 slips of paper (or however many items you chose to have everyone bring).  The papers go into a bowl and then the first person draws out 3 names, making sure their own name wasn’t drawn.  The first person shares why this item is one of their favorite things and then gives that item to each person whose name they drew.  Go around the circle until everyone has given out their 3 things and received 3 new things! So fun! Who doesn’t love going home with 3 brand new things that come highly recommended?  And you can bet I went out and picked up some of the things I didn’t receive!

Fave things - group

What about refreshments?

 

We asked everyone to bring their favorite snack to share.  We also decided to have a little wine tasting before exchanging our favorite things from Erin Floy, with Wine Shop at Home. This was so fun and a great chance to discover some new favorite wines as well (plus some sparkling cider for those who preferred a non-alcoholic option)! Erin brought 6 bottles of wine from Napa Valley for us to try, ranging from sweet to bold, white to red. 

 

We started by filling out an assessment that helped us discover what type of wine we would prefer.  Next Erin taught us how to experience and savor the wine, as well as what foods to pair with each one. We had various cheeses and chocolates to sample with each wine, and it was neat to see how each one paired differently.  We enjoyed experiencing different wines we may not usually try, and it was really fun to learn the nuances of wine tasting from a wine expert in a relaxed environment.  Once the tasting was done we had plenty of wine left over to enjoy during the rest of our party! 

Wine Shop at Home is a fun, affordable way to experience an exclusive wine tasting in the comfort of your own home! Add the experience to your own Favorite Things party or invite the girls over (or some couples…because you know your sweetheart is going to want to participate) for your own Wine Tasting party! I also love that Wine Shop at Home also offers a Wine Club, where you can have bottles of wine delivered to your door directly from Napa Valley on a monthly basis. You can choose red or white wines, and have a chance to do your own personal wine tasting every month! Be sure to check out Erin’s website and Facebook page  for more information!

Fave things - wine tasting

Our Favorite Things…

I know you’re wondering what we all brought to our Favorite Things Party, so here’s the list (each item/list of items is $5 or less):

Burt’s Bees Tinted Moisturizing Lip Balm

Sinful nail polish in “Nirvana” and Nutella/breadstick pack

Tumbler glass, scarf, jar candle, chapstick, reusable shopping bag, and skinny cow chocolate (all from $1 store)

e.l.f. liquid tinted moisturizer and e.l.f. liquid eyeliner

Reusable dry-erase labels with dry-erase markers

Gift card to The Java House

Jube gels (candy hearts)

 EOS shave gel, valentine gel window clings, coupon organizer, thank you notes, sprinkles (Target $1 bin)

Starbucks gift card

Fave things

Have you been to a Favorite Things Party? What did you take? Thinking about hosting one in the future? Let us know!


 

Kaitlyn Swaim
Kaitlyn is the owner of Cedar Rapids Moms Blog and is an Iowa girl who has been married to her husband, Joshua, since 2007! She’s a busy work-at-home mama to their 5 children: 3 girls and 2 boys! A true Hawkeye, she graduated from the University of Iowa with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, something that comes in handy on a daily basis while trying to raise 5 kids! Her favorite things to do include spending time with her family, cheering on the Hawkeyes, reading a good book, shopping (of course!), and checking out all the activities the Corridor has to offer!

3 COMMENTS

  1. Such a fun time! This is my second favorite things party and I blogged about the first one because they are so much fun. Love seeing what everyone brought all in one photo. Isn’t it awesome to see how creative people were with their $5?

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