5 tips for hosting the ultimate holiday party
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season has officially arrived which means you might be hosting a party or two for friends and family. While they’re incredibly fun and fulfilling, holiday parties can be a tad stressful if you don’t plan ahead. But don’t fret because the PC® Insiders Report™ - Holiday Edition is back and full of 100+ exciting new PC® products and ideas! I look forward to the report every year because it gives me so much inspiration when I’m holiday planning. I always give it a read before shopping for everything I need with my PC® Mastercard®.
Now that I’ve revealed my source of inspiration, let me share a few more tips so YOU can host the ultimate holiday party this year.
How to host the ultimate holiday party
Plan an exciting festive menu
A unique and delicious holiday menu could have your guests smiling from ear-to-ear. That’s because food is arguably the most important element of any party. Trust me, your guests will remember the dishes so spend a little bit of extra time planning out your festive menu.
You’ll want to choose items that are easy to prep, but deliver on taste. That’s where the PC® Insiders Report™ - Holiday Edition comes in really handy. It can also help you get theme inspiration. Themes are a great way to go beyond traditional, predictable holiday meals to give your guests an exciting experience they’ll remember. When I browsed the report this year, I was inspired by all of the international flavours so we’re going with a culinary travel theme! Here are the must-try holiday products I bought using my PC® Mastercard® (because who doesn’t love a side of PC Optimum™ points?!).
Appetizers: PC® Jerk Chicken Wings, PC® Cranberry & Brie Puff Pastry Bites, PC® Fried Olives Stuffed with Cheese, PC® Blue Menu™ Tzatziki Yogurt Dip, PC® Mini Ham and Cheese Cubano Bites.
Mains: PC® World of Flavours French Style Braising Beef Short Ribs prepared in the PC® Black Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, PC® Tourtière.
Drinks: PC® Dealcoholized Mulled Wine With Natural Flavour.
Dessert: PC® Cranberry Vanilla with White Chocolatey Fudge Crackle™ Ice Cream, PC® Black Label Madagascar Vanilla Marshmallows, PC® Praline Pecans, PC® Milk Chocolate Toffee Hazelnuts, PC® Black Label Amarena Cherries in Syrup.
2. Stick to your budget
In order for you to feel good about the holiday parties you’re hosting, you’ll need to create and stick to a budget. I always make a list before heading into the grocery store and load my PC Optimum™ offers on the PC Financial® app. Then I use my PC® Mastercard® to earn points on every dollar of my purchases throughout the year so I can redeem them during the holidays. There’s nothing quite like redeeming points¹ toward free groceries when holiday planning on a budget – sign up (opens in a new window) for your PC Money™ Account or PC® Mastercard® today to get to free stuff fast!
3. Offer a welcome drink to guests
Greet your guests with a special holiday welcome drink and they’ll immediately slip into the festive spirit. There are some great non-alcoholic options like the new PC® Dealcoholized Mulled Wine With Natural Flavour that I’ll be serving. Present it in a glass or a punch bowl and don’t forget to garnish with orange slices and cinnamon sticks for some extra pizazz!
4. Set up an interactive dessert bar
I love creating special moments for my guests. They don’t need to be complicated – just thoughtful! This year I’ll be setting up an interactive, DIY ice cream station featuring PC® Cranberry Vanilla with White Chocolatey Fudge Crackle™ Ice Cream, PC® Black Label Madagascar Vanilla Marshmallows, PC® Praline Pecans, PC® Milk Chocolate Toffee Hazelnuts, and PC® Black Label Amarena Cherries in Syrup. I know it will be a hit because the products are incredible. I can’t wait to see what delicious creations my guests dream up!
5. Set the mood
Ambiance is the key to elevating any party. This year I earned so many PC Optimum™ points by using my PC® Mastercard® to buy Life at Home® Scented Candles, PC® Stemless Wine Glasses, PC® 4-Hour Firelog for my fireplace, and a few other décor elements. You don’t have to spend a lot for a big impact -- just think about your lighting, festive scents, and the guest experience when you’re planning it all out. Most of these items can be reused for other parties so keep that in mind as well when shopping with your PC® Mastercard®.
I hope you’ve found this post helpful for your holiday planning this year. Remember to have fun with it all and check out the PC® Insiders Report™ - Holiday Edition (opens in a new window) for some inspiration. Pay for all your holiday essentials with your PC® Mastercard® and use the PC Optimum™ points you’ve earned² to redeem on more of what you love throughout the year.
Haven’t signed up? Learn more and apply (opens in a new window) for a PC® Mastercard® today.
Prefer paying with debit but still want the points? Learn more and apply (opens in a new window) for a PC Money™ Account today.
¹Minimum redemption is 10,000 PC Optimum™ points (worth $10 in rewards) and in increments of 10,000 points thereafter at participating stores where President’s Choice® products are sold. Some redemption restrictions apply; visit pcoptimum.ca (opens in a new window) for details, participating stores and full loyalty terms and conditions.
²PC® Mastercard®: Earn a minimum of 10 PC Optimum™ points per dollar on all of your purchases charged to the credit card. Any bonus PC Optimum™ points offers available to all PC Financial® Mastercard® customers are calculated based on the regular earnings rate of 10 PC Optimum™ points per dollar spent. This offer may be terminated or changed at any time.
PC Money™ Account: Earn at least 5 PC Optimum™ points per dollar on qualifying purchases with your PC Money™ Account, wherever your card is accepted. Earn 10 PC Optimum™ points (5 regular PC Optimum™ points plus a bonus of 5 PC Optimum™ points) per dollar on qualifying purchases at participating Loblaw banner stores, Shoppers Drug Mart® stores, Joe Fresh® stores, and Esso™ and Mobil™ stations in Canada. Bill payments, electronic funds transfers, account fees and interest are not qualifying purchases for the purpose of earning PC Optimum™ points. PC Optimum™ points will be deducted for any credits or returns. President's Choice Bank reserves the right to cancel, change or extend regular and bonus points earning rates at any time. Account must be in good standing at time of qualifying transaction and awarding of points.
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