How to Sleigh Holiday Hosting

Tis the season — the season for holiday parties, cocktail nights, and showing your friends and family that you love them in the best way, with the gift of a good meal and better company. As you ready your home for the holidays, we have a few tips and tricks for ways Nite Ize can make your life easier (and a little brighter) this holiday season.

Make an Impact with a Unique Tree

If you celebrate Christmas, your tree will likely be the focal point for decorating. Whether you prefer live cut, live potted, or fake, choose a central location and make it shine with decorations that reflect your family’s unique personality and style. Living in Colorado, we like to head into the National Forest to cut our tree. 

We pick up $10 Christmas tree permits which allow us to cut evergreens up to 15 feet tall in designated areas. (If you’ve been tree shopping lately, you know that $10 is quite the bargain for any size Christmas tree!) In getting a tree this way, it’s not only the memorable tradition of venturing out into a winter wonderland to find the perfect tree (Griswold-style of course), but we’re also supporting the Forest Service and their efforts to maintain healthy ecosystems. To see if there’s a permit option like this near you, you can visit the National Recreation Site.  Below is a list of items I’d recommend bringing along on your tree-cutting adventure, and also remember that however far you hike in is how far you’ll be hiking out – with a tree – so choose wisely!

1.    A hand saw and clippers

2.    A sled: to pull kids and to help pull the tree back if you pick a biggie

3.    Extra warm layers for everyone

4.    A thermos of hot cocoa and some cookies: because, why not?

5.    Your permit and the included guidelines for tree cutting in your area

6.    The CamJam XT with Rope – it is simply the best way to safely secure your freshly cut tree to the roof of your car.

Watch this quick video to see how it's done:

A great holiday punch or eggnog with the right presentation can be a beautiful centerpiece for your holiday spread. Add cranberries and rosemary to a festive punch, or for eggnog, add a pile of freshly whipped cream then sprinkle grated nutmeg and cinnamon on top. Then I add a wreath of pine boughs (just extras cut from the tree) to nestle the punch bowl in. I like to wrap LED ShineLines through the boughs to give it a festive pop of color. And for more bright pops throughout your party, keep some red SlapLit LED Drink Wraps on hand for those holiday brews.

If you are the type of person whose friends call a “decorating genius”, “a visionary”, or a “true holiday-cheer savant”, then you need to know about Gear Ties. Whether you are imagining elaborate shapes made of string lights, lining fences with endless welcoming wreaths, or hoisting Santa’s sleigh sky-high, there is no vision that a handful of Gear Ties can’t help you achieve. 

If you are of the opinion that holiday inflatables are cheerful and festive, and you have one (or ten), my children thank you. Also, you may have noticed over the years that the cheap plastic stakes and thin lines they often come with don’t withstand the elements – especially if you get the kind of wind Colorado does. So, if you have a high-profile penguin or enormous elf, I highly recommend adding a small CamJam XT with paracord to add a little extra security and ensure Santa and his reindeer don’t go flying until the 24th.

Looking for unique things in your home to decorate for a party? Why not decorate the dog? (If your dog is a good sport and won’t chew up the decorations, that is!) A Rechargeable SpotLit XL set to red or green brings a bright pop to the party as your pup roams about, and some Gear Ties can be used to secure bows or just about any other dog-friendly decoration to your four-legged bestie’s collar.

Kiss the Cook, and Keep ‘Em Happy

Lastly, there are a couple Nite Ize products that simply make cooking and decorating more fun, and little easier. In the kitchen, a Steelie Pedestal by the stove makes it easy to pop a phone on there for convenient recipe viewing while you cook. And, if you don’t want to lose track of your beer in the chaos of cooking and entertaining, a Traveler Drink Holster on the hip ensures you can always take a quick sip.

Whatever celebrations you have planned this month and to ring in the New Year, we hope that these tips and tricks help to make them fun and bright. 

Happy Holidays!