Dinner Party Games for Small Groups

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Aside from your menu, perfect table settings, and carefully-selected guest list, dinner table games are one of the most important ways you can make your next soiree a total success.

Dinner party games are great ice-breakers and can break up the evening in exciting ways. If you’re looking to host the next big dinner event, check out these fun easy-to-understand games.

Never Have I Ever

If you’ve been to college, there’s a good chance that you’ve played a game of Never Have I Ever. This classic game involves some strong drinks and a set of questions designed to get people talking.

Essentially, a designated person states something they have never done, and those who have done it have to take a sip of their drinks.

Although you can make the game as tame or exciting as you’d like, it’s a good idea to think about the group before planning the questions or setting ground rules.

Charades

Charades is easily one of the most amusing party games you can bring to the dinner table, and since everyone knows the rules, there’s not much of a learning curve. Everyone writes down a well-known person and tosses their paper into a bowl or hat. Then, the designated charader picks a name, and the fun begins.

You can get as creative as you’d like, but try not to go too obscure; otherwise, your dinner guests might not pick up on who you’re talking about. As with Never Have I Ever, it’s important to be mindful of your guests and keep things PG-13 if you have to.

Cards Against Humanity

Cards Against Humanity is a fantastic dinner table game for an intimate group of friends. It’s not necessarily the ideal pick for mixed age groups or families, as the combinations on the cards can get seriously raunchy. Cards Against Humanity is a type of matching game.

There are several white cards and black cards in each hand. The objective is to put them together in unexpected and hilarious combinations. Then, a designated person collects the cards anonymously and selects their favorite conversation. The person who chooses the winning cards gets a point.

I Would Rather

I Would Rather is another ice-breaker and is a fantastic way to get to know your friends better. As with many other dinner party games on our list, it’s a good idea to set ground rules in advance, especially if you’re dealing with a mixed group of people.

The name of this game sums it up. A designated person goes around the table asking guests if they would rather have, or do, one thing or another.

Many of the options are downright silly; most people opt to ask their guests things like if they’d rather have a cat’s eyesight or be able to swim like a blue whale. But you can go in any direction that you’d like.

Kiss, Marry, Kill

In this version of I Would Rather, people have to choose who they would kiss, marry, or kill out of three people. These people can be celebrities, politicians, or even fictional people. A less common but more explosive way to play the game is to use mutual friends.

If you’re having a dinner party with mixed company, it’s not a good idea to use people at the table or those who you’ve just met. Some more conservative guests might find Kiss, Marry, Kill slightly offensive, so it’s good to read the room. Plan a different game if Kiss, Marry, Kill might be too scandalous.

Spot The Lie

This game works best if you’re having a dinner party with people you know pretty well because the objective is to listen to three statements and determine which one of them is a lie. Each guest has the opportunity to make three statements, but only two of them are the truth.

Although guests can talk about anything they like, it’s best to make the lie harder to spot by making all three statements similar or equally scandalous. Like other games on our list, you’ll want to lay down some ground rules if you think specific topics might be offensive to some of your guests.

Follow The Rules

This game is one of the best dinner table games to get everyone active and engaged from the beginning. As guests come to your party, ask them to develop a specific rule that everyone has to follow. The rule should pertain to something that guests often do, but not something they can avoid doing, like breathing.

There are a few good examples of rules that fit these criteria. Use these as inspiration for your own game.

Don’t use people’s first names
Avoid saying yes
Only drink with your left hand

Keep track of who abides by the most rules and award a prize at the end.

The Category Game

The Category Game is an enjoyable way to get everyone at the table engaged because not only do you need to participate when it’s your turn; you have to listen to other peoples’ answers. The Category Game is simple; one designated person comes up with a category, and everyone else has to name things in it.

For example, if the category is “marine animals,” everyone would go around the table naming creatures like “whale,” “dolphin,” and “shark” until the category was exhausted. If guests have a lot of expertise in a particular area, you can even get more specific, like “Blue Whale,” “Bottle-Nosed Dolphin,” and “Tiger Shark.”

Each guest has to name a unique thing in the category without repeating any other answers.

Story Roundtable

Story Roundtable is a fantastic way to get to know all of your guests, and it works incredibly well if your attendees are more creative.

The game is straightforward. Someone starts to tell a story and then stops at a critical point in the plot. The following person at the table picks up where they left off and continues the story.

You can leave the start and stop points up to your guests or use a stopwatch to make the game more random. If you have a mixed group, you might want to keep specific topics off-limit. Story Roundtable is an excellent way for your guests to stretch their creative muscles while enjoying a delicious meal.

Traditional Cards

Cards are a great way to break the ice and keep your guests as comfortable as possible. Better still, virtually everyone knows at least one or two card games. Smart hosts will want to stay away from one-on-one games or singular games like Solitare. Instead, opt for Poker, Rummy, or even something like Go Fish.

Try to choose card games that are inclusive and have simple rules. That way, if someone else comes in to join the game later, you can explain it to them. Plus, you don’t need any special boards or an expensive set-up to play traditional cards. All you need are a few inexpensive decks and a big group of people.

Jar of Conversation Starters

This game is perfect for people who might not know each other very well. Before the party, the host or hostess fills a jar with folded pieces of paper. These are your “conversation starters.”

As with many of the other games listed here, it’s good to think about what kind of people are attending your party before writing out the questions.

Everyone takes turns choosing a piece of paper and reading the conversation starter. Unless you’re entirely sure who your audience is, stay away from politics, religion, and anything else that could be divisive. The best conversation starters are creative and will bond your guests.

Who Am I?

This game is better for mingling rather than sitting at the dinner table. So if you’re hosting a cocktail event for a larger group of people, consider using it.

For this game, you’ll need some Post-It notes and a marker. As each guest arrives, place a Post-It note with a celebrity’s name written on it on their forehead. The guests aren’t allowed to check their own notes and have to guess who their mystery celebrity is by the way that people interact with them.

The idea is that you treat each guest like the celebrity on their note. So, for example, if a guest is labeled “Lady Gaga,” another participant could ask them what acting with Bradley Cooper was like.

Final Thoughts for Successful Dinner Party Games

These dinner table game ideas are a fantastic starting point for your next party, but you can also customize them to fit your specific needs. For example, if you’re hosting a literary party, the “Who Am I?” game might feature characters from books rather than celebrities.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should err on the side of conservativeness. If you’re not sure if a topic or game is too racy for your guests, omit it. This way, everyone will have a great time. Also, have a few backup games on hand in case you need them.

How To Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party Game

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Few things are as exciting and entertaining as a murder mystery dinner party. Funny, customizable, and completely Instagramable, these themed get-togethers have become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s no wonder since they’re the perfect dinner table games for any birthday party, anniversary, or Saturday night bash.

If you’re interested in hosting one, a little research is all it takes to become a champion of house parties among your family and friends. Follow this guide, and everyone in town will be clamoring for their next invite.

Here’s how to host a murder mystery dinner party game.

Organizing the Essentials

Organization is the driving force behind any well-planned shindig. Simple steps such as creating lists and delegating tasks can help your event go off without a hitch.

Start by deciding who you wish to invite, themes you may want to use, and any supplies you might need. If this seems overwhelming, don’t worry. Here are a few tips for getting started.

Creating a Guest List

Sometimes the most straightforward place to start is the guest list. By knowing who you want to invite, you can make informed decisions concerning time and space.

You’ll want to consider who will have a good time at a dinner party of this nature. Murder mystery dinner parties are highly theatrical and involved. Of course, feel free to invite anyone your heart desires, but remember that introverts and timid people may not enjoy such an occasion. Try to find people who will play along.

Knowing who’s on the list will also make it easier to get a headcount and deal with potential dropouts. Last-minute cancellations aren’t usually a big deal, but some games will require you to know exactly how many players are left.

Selecting a Theme

Next, you’ll want to pick a theme. Choosing a suitable theme will be influenced by several factors. Is it a formal get-together? Casual? Will you be celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or holiday?

One of the great things about murder mystery Is that it is easily customizable to any event. From characters to the color scheme, there is no shortage of options.

It’s also essential to bear your budget in mind. Going with a simple theme or game can help keep your funds tight if you have a small budget. Something as simple as snacks and a game of Clue will suffice if you want to host a party on the fly.

Time is also a crucial element in planning your party. If you intend to drag out the event over the evening and into the night, consider a variety of dinner table games and activities. Otherwise, select one game or activity, and wrap things up as soon as the murderer gets caught.

Picking Out Decor

Decorating your party shouldn’t be a headache. Sometimes, though, selecting the right decor to establish an atmosphere can be mind-boggling.

A good rule of thumb is to keep it simple. If designing an elaborate theme based on everyone’s favorite crime series sounds like more work than it’s worth, it probably is.

Instead, choose a standard color scheme. Play around with the tones of the box your game comes in. You can also do some research and see if you can find out what your character’s favorite colors might be. Think Colonel Mustard.

Most importantly, you will want to ensure you have all the right props. Some games require characters or rooms to have specific items that represent clues. Make a list of these things because they will be some of the essential elements of the game. Function over fashion every time.

Also, remember that your guests can help create the right ambiance. Make sure to include in your invites that the party is themed, and your guests should dress accordingly. Coordinating with everyone beforehand to come costumed as certain characters is a lot of fun and make excellent photo ops.

Choosing a Meal

Lastly, you will want to plan the meal. Although the food doesn’t have to be the star of the show, you certainly don’t want it to be lacking either.

Having a headcount and knowing your budget will influence food choices as much as game and decor selection. If you don’t have much room left for a multi-course meal, don’t worry. A light dinner and some ice cream are usually enough to please your guests. Even a grazing-style snack table can serve as your entrée.

If you have the time and room in your budget, you can consider making your meal on the theme. Select dishes that are favorites of your characters. Or, pick out popular recipes based on your party’s time frame or location. If you’re going for a 50s motif, try serving diner-style burgers, fries, and milkshakes.

Popular Murder Mystery Games

If you are unsure what murder mystery dinner table games you want to play with your guests, check out a few of these popular selections.

Clue

Many of us have played clue around the dinner table with our families since we were young. Six suspects and one murderer must use their ingenuity and wit to reveal the truth.

High Noon at Dead Man Saloon

This murder mystery kit is perfect for large groups. You and your fellow Cowboys will get a kick from wrangling the murderer terrorizing the Wild West.

Masquerade Murder

If you want to go all out with your themes, costumes, and decorations, pick up the masquerade murder mystery kit. Who doesn’t love dressing up for the ball and a night of scandal?

Avoiding Disasters

During your party, there will surely be hiccups, but likely nothing serious. If you want to do everything in your power to mitigate such occurrences, there are a few steps you can take.

Avoiding messy foods like spaghetti with red sauce or crumbly cake can help keep your space neat. Manageable plates can be exceptionally helpful if you intend to move around a lot. If your crowd plans to drink, this may be even more important.

And, of course, if you plan to serve alcohol, don’t overserve anyone.

Staying within your budget and time limit and making sure your guests do the same will also take a lot of pressure off of hosting. If you have kids or pets, don’t be shy about letting them play along, but make sure they are put away or sent to bed within a reasonable timeframe.

Remember that everyone is there to have fun, and if things don’t go exactly as planned, it usually doesn’t matter. Family, friends, and food. What more could you need?

Other Themed Activities

You might be interested in incorporating other murder mystery elements during your dinner party. While you want your main focus to be on solving the murder, it can be really fun to include side entertainment and challenges for your guests to complete.

Have everyone compete to find the most pieces of evidence during the game. You can hide them around your home and the one that gathers the most wins a small prize. Or hold a challenge for the first one to alert the media by posting a selfie on Facebook.

It might also be fun to create a themed photo wall. Just decorate an open expanse of wall in your home for your visitors to pose in front of. Add props like a most-wanted poster or sheriff’s badge.

Party Tips

Now that you know how to host a murder mystery dinner party game, you’re almost ready to send out the invites. Before you do, here are a few last-minute tips for managing the evening:

Keep things light-hearted and fun
Stay within your budget
Ask your guests about any potential food restrictions
Respect everyone’s time, including your own
When in doubt, just make things up as you go along

Your friends and family will likely have fun spending time with you no matter what, so try not to stress too much about making your party perfect. Chances are, no one but you knows how the game will end, so improvise if you have to.

Wrapping Up

As your party comes to a close, you may wonder how to wrap things up. Do you make an announcement? Do you take a final bow, skip town and never see your friends again?

Fortunately, there are some rules of etiquette you can follow for dismissing guests. This is where the setting of start and end times can come in handy. No one wants to spend hours trying to scoot stragglers out the door.

When the murderer gets caught, this is your chance to start winding down the evening. You can start by giving the murderer a round of applause. If your character can, have a speech ready, or ask the person that caught them to share a few words. You might even offer them a prize.

Next, you can thank everyone for coming. Doing so clarifies that you are ready to turn in and start cleaning up after the party. After that, make yourself busy. By declining to hang around and chat, you free yourself from the responsibility of being the host. Most people will take the hint and move on.

Offer your guests goody bags on the way out the door If you want to go the extra mile.

Conclusion

Figuring out how to host a murder mystery dinner party game is a lot of work. Fortunately, the fun you’ll have will make up for it.

Borrow inspiration from places like Pinterest and Instagram. You’re sure to find that there is no end to the themes and niches you can come up with. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your dinner party today.

Our Favorite 3 Easter Fruit Platter Ideas

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Easter is almost there, and you must be prepared for one of the most fun holidays of the year. Because it’s spring, it’s time to bring more color to your table by making an Easter fruit platter. But who wants a standard fruit salad when you can add a bit of a twist to it?

In this article, we’ll present you with three Easter fruit platter ideas to try at home. Also, we’ll suggest other Easter platters to consider serving, and we’ll answer some questions you may be having.

Let’s dive in!

3 Easter Fruit Platter Ideas for the Perfect Spring Evening

These DIY fruit platters are pretty straightforward to create. With a bit of imagination and minimal chopping skills, you can put together a wonderful platter that the whole family will admire.

1. Watermelon Bunny Fruit Platter

If you’re good with carving, you’ll likely find this fruit platter easy to make. Just take out your carving knife and transform a watermelon into a bunny. You can also choose honeydew as the bow base.

Shape the narrow end to represent the bunny head and remove the core of the watermelon to make room for the fruit salad. When the platter is ready, chop your favorite fruits and fill the bow base with them.

You can fill the platter with strawberries, raspberries, and more. Also, you may want to add dices of yellow or green apples for more color variety.

2. Easter Egg Fruit Platter

Another idea we also like is to buy an egg-shaped glass platter and fill it with all your favorite diced fruits. These platters come in various sizes, so you can pick the right one to match your needs.

Next, all you’ll have to do is layer raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, grapes, slices of kiwi, and whatever other fruits you like. Position them in rows so that they’ll form a colorful rainbow, and you should be good to go.

3. Bunny-Shaped Easter Fruit Platter

Here, the bunny isn’t the platter itself, but rather the painting that you’ll be making with your colorful fruits. Simply enough, create the head of the rabbit with any light-colored fruit you like, preferably diced apples or pineapples.

Use blueberries for the background and the eyes. For the insides of the ears, you can use strawberries or slices of kiwi. For the base under the head, you can spread some strawberries, too.

For the teeth and whiskers, we recommend that you use apple chunks.

Of course, you can change the arrangement of fruits if you’d like to create a platter that’s uniquely yours. Even better, you could also make a veggie platter to get along with your fruit platter.

For the veggie platter, you may want to use carrots, cucumbers, slices of bread, or baked potatoes.

What Can I Serve With My Easter Fruit Platter?

The best thing about a fruit platter is that you can pair it with a wide variety of other delicious additions for a more festive experience. For instance, you can add:

Vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream
Melted chocolate
Your favorite choice of yogurt
Salted caramel

Of course, you can still serve your fruit platter alone if you wish to keep the calories to the minimum. With its colorful appearance, it can do well on its own without any extras.

What Other Easter Platters Can I Pair With a Fruit Platter?

You have many choices when it comes to Easter platters to serve alongside your fruit platter. You can make all of the following platters at the same time, or stick to your favorite type of cold platter alone.

Cheese Platter

For every cheese lover out there, a cheese platter sounds heavenly. Just pick your favorite types of cheese at the supermarket, slice them up, and put them on display on a large platter.

You can shape those cheese slices like a bunny, or place them in rows according to their color shade. It’s all left to your decoration skills!

Meat Platter

Here, you can combine smoked meat, lunch meat, beef jerky, and more inside a wide platter. People could make tiny sandwiches out of your meat platter, making it perfect for a party.

Veggie Platter

Just as we’ve mentioned earlier, a platter filled with mixed vegetables may get along fine with your fruit platter. Consider adding cucumbers, carrots, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables you like.

You can shape those like an egg, too, or like a rabbit, if you like it better. Don’t forget to make some delicious dipping sauces to go along with your sliced veggies.

Bread Platter

If you intend for your guests to make sandwiches, it’s best to add a bread platter as well. This plate can include crackers, too, since many people love to pair them with cheese or meat.

As you can see, you can upgrade your Easter dinner by adding one or several types of these platters. The best thing is that they take almost no time to prepare and are effortless.

Do I Have to Prepare My Easter Fruit Platter Right Before Serving?

Fortunately, you don’t.

If you’re a typically busy person, you can always make your Easter fruit platter ahead of time. You don’t have to worry about the fruit being fresh as long as you prepare everything the same day you’ll be serving it.

After slicing and assembling the fruits in the platter, make sure that you wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. When you’re ready to bring the fruits to the table, simply remove the wrapping and serve this delicious dessert!

The Bottom Line

To make your Easter more vibrant, fun, and joyous, make sure that you prepare a fruit platter after your meal. You can serve your Easter fruit platter after breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and we’re pretty sure everyone on the table will appreciate it.

After all, your dessert doesn’t have to be packed in calories and carbs to be tasty. By keeping things simple and healthy, you’ll get the best of both worlds!

4 Steps to Write a Killer Birthday Toast

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Birthday toasts are the second best thing after the cake and food at birthday parties. A good toast engages and entertains the audience while saluting and showing love for the guest of honor. But small mistakes can ruin the vibe of the party.

It’s not hard to create and give the perfect birthday toast. You just need to prepare well, take your time, and be creative during the writing process.

In this article, we’ll discuss 4 steps that’ll help you write a killer birthday toast. So let’s jump right in!

Don’t Have Time? Check This Summary

First, write your first draft. It can be anything that comes to your mind when thinking of the guest of honor.

Then, write your intro. Start by greeting everyone and then hook them by telling a joke or an embarrassing fact about the toastee.

The following step is to create the body of the toast. Introduce yourself and tell a funny story about the toastee or a good memory of you both.

Lastly, wrap your toast and make your wishes. Invite everyone to toast in honor of the toastee.

Deliver your toast confidently and have fun during the process.

Why Give a Toast?

A birthday toast can be the best gift for the guest of honor. It’s an opportunity to create a memory, full of smiles, laughter, and even tears, that will last forever.

This memory can be a gift to the audience as well. Maybe a funny story about you and the toastee can cheer people up and bring them closer to the guest of honor.

Your toast can also make you the rockstar of the party. Once you put down the microphone, everybody will want to talk to you. So if you want to be a celebrity for 20 minutes or so, this is your chance. But remember not to steal the thunder from the toastee.

Creating the Perfect Birthday Toast

It’s best to prepare for your birthday toast and practice well before actually giving it at the party. The following steps are going to guide you through this process.

Step 1: Preparation

Take a few minutes and think about the guest of honor. What are the first things that come to your mind when you picture this person? What are their hobbies? What is the happiest or most adventurous memory of you both?

Now that you have a clear picture of that person, write these scattered thoughts on a piece of paper. This is your first draft of the toast.

If you need, ask family members or close friends for funny or embarrassing stories that you think could be fun to add to your toast. But don’t choose rude stories that can hurt the toastee’s feelings.

If you can, try to take a look at the guest list or ask who’s coming to the party. This helps you to choose what to include in your toast. It’s also helpful to know if it’ll be a formal or an informal party.

Step 2: Writing the Intro

You need to hook your audience quickly. People usually decide within the first few seconds whether they like the speech or not.

Your intro should start by greeting everyone and letting the audience know that you’re making a birthday toast.

Don’t move on to introducing yourself or your relationship with the guest of honor yet. Instead, capture the audience’s attention with a joke, a funny quote, or an unknown fact about the toastee.

Your intro may look like this: “Good evening, everyone. I’d like to make a brief toast to… But first, let me tell you something funny about…”

Step 3: Creating the Body of the Toast

This is the part where you tell the audience why you’re giving the toast in the first place. Introduce yourself and how you’re related to the birthday boy or girl. Keep this part short, and don’t waste an opportunity for a good joke, but don’t try too hard to be funny.

And now for the best part of any toast: the stories. The stories you give are crucial for an amazing toast. They grab the audience’s mind and keep them focused on your speech.

The best stories to share at a birthday are the embarrassing ones. They could be embarrassing to you, to the toastee, or someone in the audience. But don’t go too far. You want the audience to laugh, not feel awkward.

If you think the toastee can’t take a joke, you can share one of your best memories. Think of a memory that brought you closer to each other and write it down.

Step 4: The Wrap Up

This is the part when you get sentimental and offer your wishes. Don’t forget to thank the host. It’s best to make the audience feel like you’re speaking on their behalf in that part.

This can go like: “Thanks for always being there for me. Thanks for having us here. Wishing you all the best in life. And Happy Birthday!”

General Tips for Giving Your Toast at the Birthday Party

Discuss with the host ahead of time when would be the best time to make your birthday toast. Most people like to give the toast just before cutting the cake.
To attract people’s attention, just confidently ask for a few moments to give your toast. You can also ding on your glass with a knife.
Don’t read from your note cards. Use them as a reference, but don’t hold them in front of your head.
Make sure to use your body language and make good eye contact.
Speak loudly and clearly. If you’re using a microphone, ensure that your voice isn’t too loud before you start.
After you’re done with the toast, hold your glass, lift your hand, and invite everyone to toast in honor of the birthday boy or girl.

To Sum Up

Writing an unforgettable birthday toast isn’t impossible. Just grab a piece of paper and a pencil, take a deep breath, and follow the previously discussed steps.

Close your eyes and start picturing the toastee. Create your first draft and then organize your intro, body, and conclusion. Keep the tone of your toast fun and positive.

After these steps, you’ll be 80% ready to give your toast at the party. To be fully ready, practice your speech with a friend. Our last piece of advice for you is to be confident and have fun!

7 Tips to Give Heartwarming Christmas Dinner Toasts

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Talking openly in public can be nerve-racking. When you’re approached to make holiday toasts at your office or a friend’s gathering, the pressure increases even more.

It’s a special event, so you need to give your crowd a warm feeling, but it’d be preferable not to get corny. You should employ stories, genuine emotion, and sincerity. In this post, I’ll show you my seven go-to ways of delivering a perfect Christmas dinner toast. Let’s see!

In a Hurry? Here’s a Quick Summary

Avoid clinking your glass: Simply raise your glass during a toast instead of clinking it with a knife because the glass may potentially break.
Raise your glass: Don’t raise your glass directly upwards to the ceiling. Lift it until you can barely see the toastee.
Give thanks and gratitude: Show appreciation to everyone listening to your toast.
Do it early: Start your toast as soon as everyone arrives.
Keep it short: Keep it as short as two to three minutes. You can go shorter, but never go longer.
Add humor: You can also add in a touch of humor, but just make sure that it’s not something offensive. Entirely abstain from humor in official parties.
Consider your audience: You have to be familiar with the crowd you’re dealing with. Be aware of what they like and dislike.
Be prepared: If you’re having trouble remembering speeches, it’s ideal to bring an index card and add in bullet points on what to say so you can be prepared.

1. Avoid Clinking Your Glass

Try not to hit your utensil into the side of the glass or plate. Why? Well, this is quite unsophisticated and potentially dangerous. Whistling isn’t appropriate, either.

The most ideal route is to speak up. Stand up while holding your glass and say, “Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention, please?”

Allow a couple of moments for everybody to stop what they’re doing and direct their attention towards you.

2. Raise Your Glass

Adopt a relaxed, cheerful persona while speaking. Lift the glass until you can barely see the audience over the highest point of your glass. After finishing your toast, pull the glass back toward your lips and take a sip.

Traditionally, the host gives the first toast to welcome the party’s guests. Others can speak during the dessert.

3. Give Thanks and Gratitude

Everyone should be acknowledged and appreciated during your toast. If you’re a visitor, make sure to thank the host for opening their home and for the abundance of the feast. If your group is small, mention every individual separately.

If you’re toasting in a corporate Christmas dinner, thank teams or departments that have worked hard and succeeded in certain projects. Thank your colleagues and partners, especially if they’re sponsoring your organization’s celebration.

4. Do It Early and Keep It Short

Toasting is a great way to kick off a Christmas party, so do your toast once beverages have been served. It’s also important to consider choosing a time when the visitors are generally quiet. That way, you won’t have to yell over the crowd to get your guests’ attention.

The ideal toast duration is three minutes. Going any longer may bore the guests, especially if there are numerous speakers still to come.

5. Add Humor

A safe alternative for fun is some light teasing of your audience. Think of funny things that will make the room grin and smile. Raise interesting events where they were silly yet adorable and lovable.

Remember, you should always abstain from using foul language telling humiliating stories that will embarrass anybody.

If you don’t feel great about joking, it’s alright to begin by saying something about how you appreciate that everybody is here to partake in this festival with you.

6. Consider Your Audience

Think about who’s in the room and how much detail individuals need to know. Try not to let your toast become a giant inside joke that only a couple of people understand.

This is a critical component to remember regardless of what you’re writing. Who are you toasting for? What’s the room like? Are the individual’s gathered as friends or just business partners?

Knowing what your crowd anticipates, likes, doesn’t like, and wants to hear will assist you with composing a good toast.

7. Be Prepared

Although toasting is intended to be improvisational, you can still have a plan. As Mark Twain once stated, “It usually takes three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”

If you want to give your toast without planning, you should at least have some famous toasts in mind. A few weeks beforehand, gather your thoughts and decide what you will say. Practice your toast a couple of times until you feel that it’s recognizable and comfortable. Get a friend or relative to tune in while you practice.

If you’re not a fan of memorizing word-for-word, writing down some key points on index cards can assist you with remembering everything you want to say.

Here are some famous quotes to try:

“I have always thought of Christmas as a good time; a kind, forgiving, generous, pleasant time; a time when men and women seem by one consent to open their hearts freely; and so I say ‘God bless Christmas.’” —Charles Dickens
“Christmas isn’t a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” — Calvin Coolidge
“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” — Burton Hills

Conclusion

Remember that your toast is a demonstration of love. The greatest gift you can give another person is sharing your affection for them openly. It respects them, it honors your relationship, and it shows others you’re pleased to have them in your life. So don’t only have an alright toast, have a great one.

May your festival and your New Year be loaded up with laughter, energy, and generosity!

How To Care For Wooden Salad Bowls

Pass The Salt

Wooden salad bowls aren’t just one of the most elegant ways of serving food, but they’re also very practical and surprisingly durable.

However, people usually tend to be overly careful about not soaking them in water or scrubbing them too harshly that the bowls end up with a sticky, rancid residue over the years.

So, if you’re wondering how to care for wooden salad bowls and clean them properly, this article offers the dos and don’ts of caring for and cleaning wooden bowls.

To Sum Up

Choose a high-quality wood type, to begin with.
Always wash your wooden bowls by hand using warm water and mild soap.
Reseason your bowls with mineral oil.
Use the baking method to remove sticky residue.

What Wood Should You Choose?

Caring for your wooden salad bowls starts from when you’re first buying them. Choosing a high-quality type of wood can make the caring and cleaning process so much easier for you.

Woods such as cherry, walnut, and maple make for excellent salad bowls thanks to their natural beauty and rustic color.

Acacia wood is another popular choice because it’s durable with a nice texture. Bamboo bowls are also becoming more popular among environmentally-conscious customers, but they don’t last as long as hardwood bowls.

How Should I Clean Wooden Salad Bowls?

The best way to clean your wooden bowls is by hand washing. You should use warm water with mild dish soap when cleaning a well-seasoned wooden bowl. This way, the exterior will be cleansed without exposing the wood to harsh chemicals.

Make sure you always dry any wooden bowl thoroughly after cleaning. Never soak the bowl in water or put it in the dishwasher. Otherwise, your wooden bowls will be at risk of warping, splitting, or cracking.

How Can I Remove Sticky Residue from a Wooden Salad Bowl?

Years of dealing with oily salad dressings can cause a sticky residue to build up over the surface of your wooden bowl. Luckily, you can restore it back to new using the following baking method:

Adjust your oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper then place a wire rack on the sheet.
Put the wooden bowl upside down on the rack.
Turn off the oven. Don’t forget to do this or the bowl might burn.
Place the sheet in the oven. Built-up oils will start to bead on the bowl’s surface within a few minutes.
After 1 to 2 hours, the oils will drip off the bowl and onto the sheet.
When the bowl looks dry, remove the sheet from the oven and wipe down your bowl with paper towels to get rid of any lingering residue.
If the bowl still feels sticky, repeat the process.

How Should I Season or Reseason Wooden Salad Bowl?

Seasoning your wooden salad bowl is very important to keep it in optimal condition. When you first buy a wooden bowl, you should season it every day for a week, then once weekly for the following three weeks, then every month after that.

Whenever your wooden bowl looks dull or feels dry to the touch, you should reseason it. Mineral oil is an excellent choice for seasoning wooden salad bowls because it’s affordable and won’t go rancid like dressing oils.

First, you need to dry the bowl thoroughly.
Then, soak a paper towel in mineral oil and apply it freely to the entire surface of the bowl.
Let it soak in for about 15 minutes (or longer if necessary).
Wipe away the residual oil with a clean paper towel and use the bowl as usual.

How Can I Sanitize a Wooden Salad Bowl?

Part of caring for wooden salad bowls is sanitizing them to help control bacterial growth. In this department, white vinegar works like a charm. Here’s what you need to do:

Mix 1 part of white vinegar with 5 parts of water.
Thoroughly wet the bowl with the solution.
Allow the solution to sit for about 10 minutes.
Rinse the bowl using warm water then let it air dry.

Alternatively, you can fill a spray bottle with equal parts of white vinegar and water. Spray as necessary and wipe off the excess solution with a clean paper towel.

How Do I Repair a Fuzzy Wooden Salad Bowl?

If your salad bowl feels fuzzy when you touch it, this indicates that the wood grains are raised. In such a case, some damage control is needed via hand sanding:

Use 400 to 600 grit sandpaper or steel wool to gently rub the damaged area until it gets smoothed out. Wash the bowl and dry it as we explained earlier.
If you can’t find sandpaper, a brown-paper bag can also work.
If your bowl gets dented, start with coarser sandpaper then gradually progress to finer grits, 80, 100, 120, and so on. When the dent is smoothed out, wash and dry the bowl as usual.
Be sure to season your wooden salad bowl after sanding.

How Often Should I Use a Wooden Salad Bowl?

If you got yourself a fancy, high-quality bowl, or if it’s a family heirloom, you may be thinking about saving it and only using it for special occasions.

The thing is, wooden bowls are meant to be used every day. Washing, drying, and buffing wooden bowls regularly help keep them in good shape.

Moreover, salad dressing oils can also help maintain the condition of the wood.

How Should I Store My Wooden Salad Bowl?

Wooden bowls are quite tough and can last for a really long time. You can stack multiple bowls together to save space.

Open shelving is a nice idea if you want to show off a particularly elegant bowl. You can also go for roll-out shelving if you’re looking for easier access.

What Can Serve in a Wooden Bowl besides Salad?

Wooden bowls are conventionally used for salads, but you can also use it to serve popcorn, wetter foods such as stews, chili, and pot roasts, as well as breakfast cereals and side dishes like coleslaw.

Wrap Up

There you have it, a complete guide on how to care for wooden salad bowls and keep them new for as long as you own them.