So you’re the one holding the blazing torch, responsible for entertaining friends, family or coworkers this holiday season. Year after year, people seem to watch the same movies, play the same games ? even tell the same stories! It’s time for a complete holiday entertainment makeover. Check out some of these ways to spice up the season and perhaps truly make it the most wonderful time of the year.

 

Food & Drinks

Nothing brings people together like great food and delicious drinks. It’s plain fact. However, as fun as cheese and crackers can be, it’s time to completely “wow” your guests.

Most people love all things creamy and warm when it comes to the holidays. Surprise your friends and family with some delicious cheese or chocolate fondue. The Good Cooking Deluxe Fondue Maker holds up to 12 ounces of your favorite dip, with four skewers for a variety of tasty snacks. The warming function keeps your sauce creamy and warm until it’s all scooped out. The best part? The tray and bowl slide out for an easy clean up!

Nothing pairs better with fondue than some tasty drinks! Impress your guests with a fancy wooden beer and wine flight from D’Eco! Show off your favorite flavors and brands with four 6-ounce glasses, the perfect sampling for guests. The wooden trays even come with a chalkboard for you to label the brands and flavors of your choice.

Games

It can be hard to get a game started at a holiday party, but once it’s in action, it becomes obvious that there is no better way to bring people together. Check out a few of these new games that are bound to keep everyone in the spirit.

What Do You Meme? Everyone knows that memes are the quickest way to a person’s heart. With a group of friends, a judge plays a picture meme while the players search their hand for a caption that they think matches it. It’s the type of game that can have people in hysterics in seconds!

At little to no cost to you, Candy Canes is a variation of the game Spoons. All you need is a deck of cards and one less candy cane than people playing. Everyone gets four cards, and one person will continuously pick a new card from the deck and pass it around until someone gets four of a kind. Stealthily or obnoxiously, the first person will grab a candy cane, and the moment they do, so must everyone else. The person who doesn’t get a candy cane in time has to sit out. The game continues until there is only one lucky winner left!

Get Creative

Try these surefire hits and offer something a little unexpected at your holiday party.

The Boozy Creamery offers people an easy way to make boozy ice cream with no ice cream machinery required. Choose one packet of flavor, including Pina Colada, Irish Mudslide or White Russian, and pour it into a bowl of chilled water or milk. Whisk it up for three to seven minutes and put in a shot or two of your preferred liquor. Top it off by placing it in the freezer for two to six hours, and bam ? it’s ready to go!

A Jell-O shot Christmas tree? Delicious, festive and intoxicating ? nothing could look better as a centerpiece for your table! Get some friends together and have a blast making a Christmas tree out of Jell-O shots! You don’t need to be an artist to make it look presentable. Get some lime and strawberry Jell-O powder and add some liquor into the mix. Pour it into plastic shot glasses, balance them on each other in circular formation and add a few decorations on top. It’ll look great and taste delightful.

There are so many routes to take when it comes to entertaining guests during the holidays. No matter what you do, have a blast with it and be yourself! Your guests will love you for it.

Quick toaster oven meals for the dorm:

If you’re hosting a soirée in your dorm, here are some quick and easy ways to create food worthy of the holidays!

Cheesy garlic bread: Evenly slice a loaf of bread and garnish it with garlic, butter and pepper. Wrap it up in foil, toss it in the toaster oven for 10 minutes, and finish it off with some shredded cheese.

Kale Chips: Grab some kale leaves and sprinkle them with salt, pepper and olive oil and place it on a tray in the oven for seven to 10 minutes.

Mediterranean Pita Pizzas: Grab some pita and smother it in humus or marinara, sprinkle your preferred cheese on top and finish it off with toppings like onions, olives and pepperoni. Slide it into the toaster oven until crispy!

Blueberry Scones: Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with a pastry blender and add in butter until crumbly. Mix in lemon peel, blueberries, eggs and whisk cream until thoroughly blended. Shape into ball and let it rest for about two minutes. Knead the dough and cut into six wedges, baking in the toaster oven for about 20-25 minutes.