Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix

Happy Thursday everyone!

Welcome to the first post about some fun party ideas that I got from my cousin's shower! Well, I'm going a little backwards because this first one is about the fabulous favors that everyone got at the end of the fiesta!

Yep, we had a fiesta - complete with a taco cart, margaritas, and paper flowers.

In going with the theme everyone received a jar of Mexican Hot Chocolate mix in an adorable mason jar. These were very easy to put together and really can make a fun gift! Holidays, birthdays, teachers, neighbors - you name it!

For the mix:

Mix 2 cups of coco powder with 2 tablespoons of cinnamon and a dash of cayenne pepper. Mix all of these up and divide into individual jars. We put mini marshmallows on top for a cute addition.

To make: stir 2 tablespoons of mix with 1 cup of hot milk and enjoy!

To make the gift extra special we included a cinnamon stick and instructions on colorful paper that we got from Joannes with some orange raffia.

Coming up: how to make the perfect paper flowers, easy game prizes, fun games, and easy guacamole!

Follow along on Twitter and Instagram for some fun inspiration.

-A

Pre-Party Planning Tips

Some of my current inspiration

As many of you know, I love a great party!

I'm currently in the process of planning a couple of different parties; bridal shower and bachelorette for one of my cousins, graduation party for my youngest brother, and a birthday party for a friend.

For each party there are specifics, however in a more general sense I go about planning each party the same way.

1. Pick your date/time/location. This is crucial in planning the rest of the event, it will play a big part in many of the other decisions including food and decor.

2. Pick your theme. Each of the parties listed above have completely different vibes. Some parties don't need a "theme" but an overall feeling is great. For instance; outdoor BBQ, brunch, or Italian dinner party. They aren't themes that you would find at a party store - but it will give you some direction when looking for food and decor.

3. Look for decor and food inspiration. When thinking about any event do some research online or look through magazines for inspiration. It will give you some great ideas for drinks to serve, decoration ideas, or favors! Pinterest is always a great place to look and with their "secret boards" it is easy to keep an element of surprise!

4. Start picking things up as you see them or set things aside in your house. If you are hosting a backyard BBQ and you have seen a few decor ideas on Pinterest that use mason jars, look in the Sunday paper or online for coupons. If you plan far enough in advance you can save yourself a lot of money. Joanne's and Michael's always have amazing coupons. Also, you can look to see when alcohol is on sale and start picking that up if you know it will be something that you will be using! Also, creating a little section of your house or garage where you can keep things will make it easy the day of!

5. Ask for help! If people offer (especially for a big event) ask them to help out. It will make your job a little easier. Even bringing a bottle of wine or an appetizer can make a huge difference. If you know that for your dinner party you want to serve water in wine bottles, ask a few friends to save their's for you!

What are some of your tips when planning a party?

-A

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