One of my favorite holiday traditions is getting my best friends and family together for our annual White Elephant pajama party. Have you ever hosted a white elephant party? It’s a great alternative to Secret Santa… and way more fun, if you ask me! The rules are pretty simple.
How to Play: White Elephant Gift Exchange
- Determine a gift price limit. We usually stick to $30 or less.
- Each guest brings a wrapped gift.
- Display all of the wrapped gifts in the center of the room or playing area.
- Draw numbers to decide the order you’ll be selecting gifts. (Only those that bring a gift can participate.)
- Player #1 chooses a gift and opens it. Player #2 can choose to steal that gift, or choose to open a new gift.
- If your gift is stolen, you choose a new gift. You must wait one turn before stealing a gift that was stolen from you.
- After the last gift is stolen, Player #1 has the option to steal one last time.
- Take turns guessing who purchased each gift!
To make things more festive, I request that everyone wears holiday pajamas. We all bring a favorite dish or dessert, and I serve up signature cocktails. This year I treated my guests to the Kahlua Cold Brew Martini (partly because I need all the caffeine to make it through the rest of this year. Ha.) Coffee lovers will appreciate the sweet java-infused flavor, while the hostess will love that it only requires three simple ingredients. Here’s how you can make it at home…
Kahlúa Cold Brew Martini
- 1 part Absolut Vodka
- 2 parts Kahlúa
- 3 Parts Cold Brew
- Espresso Beans for garnish
Pour ingredients into a shaker over ice and shake vigorously to create a thick layer of foam. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with 3 espresso beans. Enjoy!
