hostess gift ideas

Ryan: I would give the recycled bikes, fun/different gift.

Sara: Oliver plates!

Sara: After all of these years, I am still a sucker for the stainless steel snack bowl. I like the small one with the set of appetizer spreaders. Or the set of 3 stacking acrylic boxes filled with hard candy (a different flavor per tier) and tied with a ribbon.

Ali: Elf candle holders and taper candles.

Raymond: Lotus Candleholder or a variety of mini beaker glass bud vases like joyce, or the curve…

Curtis: The bag vase full of fresh flowers. So fun and inexpensive as well.

Judy: A set/4 bloom etched champagne flutes…and most likely in multiples—the price is so good!!

April: I think the beaker glass pitcher, stirrer and marta glasses are super stylish and very affordable! Tres classy!

recipe: egg nog

12 eggs, separated
6 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups bourbon
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup brandy
2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a mixer for about 10 minutes—until they’re firm and the color of butter. Slowly add the bourbon and brandy.

Cool in the refrigerator before the party—for up to 6 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the milk and add nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream with a mixer on high—until the cream forms stiff peaks.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Then gently fold the cream into the egg mixture.

After pouring into oliver martini glasses, sprinkle with ground nutmeg.

Thanks to april and curtis, CB2 catalog, for this submission.

happy hanukkah 5771

Known as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is observed by lighting a Menorah which holds 9 candles. One for each night of the holiday, and an extra light called a shamash—meaning guard or servant. The shamash is traditionally placed higher than the others and is lit each night since it’s used to light all the other candles.

Hanukkah begins tonight at sunset. Happy Hanukkah!

name games: amy's family

Judy: These ornaments remind me of Russian nesting dolls.

Raymond: They remind me of Amy’s family—especially with the house in the background since her husband’s an architect and they just bought a place.

Judy: Wonder how she’d feel if we named them after Jimmy and their son Jaden?

Amy: Hah! That’s very funny—even though Jimmy doesn’t have a goatee and I’m a brunette. I’ll see if he’d be ok with naming them after us.

Judy: But they’re just as adorable as you three.

Amy: It’s a go—he laughed and agreed.

Judy: Whew! That helps a lot—we’re running out of time and naming product isn’t my best quality. Thanks Amy and Merry Christmas!

Meet amy, former product manager assistant, judy and raymond, product managers.

host a tree trimming party

photo courtesy of: qmnonic Traditionally, Christmas trees were decorated on Christmas Eve and stayed up until the day after Twelfth Night, January 6th. Ironically, decorating an evergreen tree for Christmas supposedly started as the Protestant counterpart—as a symbol of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden—to Catholic Nativity scenes which are now often displayed under a tree.

Early decorations were foods such as sugared plums, gilded apples, white candy canes and strings of popcorn and cranberries. Woolworth’s was one of the first retailers to sell glass ornaments imported from Europe, and later made in the US, as the tradition made it’s way across many lands and down the social ladder from royalty.

Today, ornaments are made of glass, paper, wood, porcelain…most of us reminisce as we put up favorites from Christmases past and add new ones each year. Hosting a tree decorating party can be a quiet evening visiting—creating new memories while the work gets done—and before guests are off to a second or third party of the night.