Cocoa & Cookies!

Well, the big day is almost here and I FINALLY feel fairly prepared for all the celebrations!  Since the last day of school is today, we can soon start baking cookies and getting ready for all the holiday callers!  And it’s a fact that we will be loaded with plenty of gingerbread, sugar, and other varieties of Christmas cookies, so we NEED to have a warm and toasty drink to go with them!  One of my favorite sips during the holidays (and actually all winter long) would have to be hot cocoa!  We serve it up often when the cool winds begin to blow, but there’s something about Christmastime that give us the opportunity to doctor them up in holiday style!  At our annual Christmas Eve Gumbo I usually prepare the hot drink…but this year I thought a Cocoa and Cookies bar was in order!  It’s a perfect opportunity to make it special with plenty of friends stopping by all evening for a cup of soup…AND some sweets and hot chocolate to wash it all down!  If you caught the Holiday Hop last week, you got a good dose of inspiration…including some festive cocoa displays!  Lucky for me, I also soaked in the wonderful ideas that inspired my own cocoa station for my family and holiday guests!  Hot cocoa is easy to make and you really don’t need much to go with it to create a treat table that will delight kids and adults alike!  So with a few days left before Santa arrives, you still have plenty of time to create a holiday treat for whoever may come calling!  Have a peek at what I’ll be serving up on Christmas Eve…

hot, hot, hot chocolate!

all you really need to set up a cocoa station is a table, hot cocoa, cups, and a couple of your favorite toppings!  everything else is really just fluff…but at the holidays fluff is kind of fun!

since i’m serving the cocoa during our Christmas Eve festivities, i wanted to make an easy, self-serve station…especially for the kids!  i decided that prepared cocoa in a pump dispenser would be much simpler and less messy!

i stacked up all my holiday mugs on a tiered server…as they get used, i can add a few more and break out the disposable ones too!  but to start, i’ll use my cutest!

i really didn’t include many choices for the toppings.  some marshmallows, peppermint bits, and candy canes are the only goodies to add!  a few cookies for dunking are the only other sweets on the table!

a little wood crate keeps tidy some plates and napkins to hold all the “dunking” materials!

and when it comes to cookies, there’s no right or wrong!  this time of year we have an abundance of purchased goodies, home baked, and gifted…all perfect for refilling the containers throughout the night!

and you may have noticed the special marshmallows i’m using this year…

aren’t they the cutest?!  these sweet mallows are from Candy with a Twist!  you should check them out for any special occasion! they print on graham crackers too so you could create a special s’mores party! (promise me you’ll look, i included the link above!)  you can upload your own design or use a stock pattern like these…

another simple way i dressed up my toppings was to set my dish of peppermint candies into an empty frame filled with extra greens and pine cones!  a really easy way to highlight a special treat and add some color & texture to the table!

and the simple felt banner (from the Target dollar spot) is strung up with twine tied to two vintage spindles i found at the Butter Bean Antique Barn!

if you don’t have spindles you could use two dowels (from a craft store) wrapped in ribbon.  i held my spindles in place with two tin cans filled with dry beans and some greens!

but the reality is, all the fluff is still just fluff!  the most important thing about treats for a gathering is WHO they are for!  party props are wonderful but are never more important than who’s gathered in your home!

if you’re entertaining over the holidays, i hope you could find some inspiration for your celebrations!  i know i can’t wait for our festivities to begin!

Have a Very Merry Cocoa & Cookies…

and a Merry Christmas too!

i’ll be taking a break during the remainder of the holiday to spend time with my family!  i’d like to devote my attention to our gatherings and special family events!  i will be back after the New Year to share some of our Christmas fun and look forward to a new month of inspiration!  you can still find me on instagram with last minute gift ideas and holiday inspiration!  see you there! …and best wishes for a Happy New Year!