Christmas Scavenger Hunt Party

A while ago we decided to find another opportunity to wear our ugly Christmas sweaters (Haha!!) and we created the Hamilton Reindeer Games.  I wanted a way to get together with our friends but have them create some memories with their families at the same time.  Everyone is always busy on the weekends, so I decided to make it a Monday night Family Home Evening activity.

I blogged about our very first one HERE.  Not even kidding, it ended up being on the coldest day of the year.  But our hearts were warm...

You should totally do this with your friends and family and I'm going to make it easy for you and have included my invitations and score cards that I made for your reference.  I hope you do it and make some fun festive memories!!

Here are some invites:

One from another year:

And another year:

A. Luke 2

1.        And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

3.         And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

CLUE:  Address of a local Liberty Tax

CHALLENGE 1:  Pay a tax of one cookie to the person in this address to receive your next clue.

CHALLENGE 2:  Put a “tax” of any amount in any Salvation Army Bell Ringer Location

B.  Luke 2

4.        And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5.       To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 

6.       And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

CHALLENGE 1:  Find a pregnant woman and take a picture with her (10 extra points if she is wearing red or a Christmas sweater)

C.  Luke 2

7.        And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 

CHALLENGE 1:  Take a picture asking if there is any vacancy at any Inn/Hotel/Motel

BONUS CHALLENGE:  Serenade Front Desk with the song, Away in a Manger

D.  Luke 2

8.        And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9.       And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid. 

CLUE:  Go to this address and look under the sheep for your next clue:  I sent everyone to a widower’s home and hid the clue in his manger scene under the shepherds.

CHALLENGE 1:  Carol at that address

CHALLENGE 2:  SING ANY CHRISTMAS SONG THAT HAS THE WORD, ‘ANGEL,’ OR ‘SHEPERD’ IN IT.

E.  Luke 2

10.    And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 

11.   For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12.   And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13.   And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14.   Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15.   And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which is the Lord hath made known unto us.

CHALLENGE 1:  How many angels can you find on Christmas Drive in the north pole? (I sent them to a community with a lot of blow up Christmas decorations and such. 

CHALLENGE 2: Take a picture with the majority of your family wrapped in a blanket. 

CHALLENGE 3:  Find a peace sign, take a picture with it

F.  Luke 2

16.    And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17.   And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18.   And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 

19.   But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20.   And the shepherd returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.   

CHALLENGE 1: Find a shepherd, take a picture with it.

CHALLENGE 2:  Find a heart, take a picture with it.

CHALLENGE 3:  How many nativities are in that same community as above?

G.  Matthew 2

1.        Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.

2.       Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 

      Matthew 2

7.  Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 

8.  And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 

9.  When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 

CHALLENGE:  Take a Picture with any star decoration

BONUS CHALLENGE:  10 Extra points if the star is lit up in some way.

SUPER BONUS CHALLENGE:  Have three people put on Burger King crowns and take a picture

H.  Matthew 2

10.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Matthew 2

11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 

CLUE:  Look under the sack of gifts at this address for your next clue:  Pick an address of people you know that have some kind of gifts decorations in their yard.

CHALLENGE 1: Take a video showing your family rejoicing with exceeding great joy.

CHALLENGE 2:   Deliver your gift of a plate of cookies to anyone you choose.

I.  Matthew 2

12.  And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 

CLUE:  Depart to where the party is!

CHALLENGE 1:  Sing Christmas songs in your vehicle the entire way to this address.

 

Artichoke Dip Recipe

I'm a little behind posting about my sister's birthday weekend...  I had to hold a sick baby for a week, and then I helped do a baby shower, and then my Grandma came to visit!  AND I'm redecorating my house (when I wasn't doing all those other things!)!  Phew!!

This artichoke dip is a huge crowd pleaser! I always get tons of compliments and requests for this recipe.  So, I guess it's your lucky day I'm sharing it!  ;) 

I've been making this for a long time just by throwing a dash of this and little of that in a pot, but I had to write it down when I practiced making it for an appetizer for my sister's wedding and it's the one I've used ever since.

I think what people like is that it doesn't have large chunks of artichokes (some people don't mind them, but my husband does, so I always puree those, and it seems like that is always a comment I get from people is that they like that there aren't big chunks of artichoke in it).  It is also a creamier based artichoke dip, not oily like many recipes that have mayonnaise in them are.  To each their own, but this is the one we like!! 

I like to dip bread (or baked baguette slices) in artichoke, some people like the pita chips or vegetables.

Artichoke Dip Recipe

1 (10 - 12 oz.) jar marinated artichokes pureed with the oil  (you can use more if you want a richer taste!)
16 oz. cream cheese
2/3 c. feta cheese (for a stronger taste you can use goat cheese)
2/3 c. milk
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (you can omit this if you don't want that tiny kick)
3- 4 cloves garlic minced (or however many to get the taste you want, but remember the marinade usually has garlic in it)
2 T. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in medium saucepan over low heat until melted.  I use a fondue pot.  Super easy!  Super yummy! When warming up leftovers (or even when making it) you can add a little bit of milk to make desired creaminess.  Enjoy!!

Holiday Party Food Ideas

Last year my sister opened her pilates and fitness studio and asked me to help her host a Christmas party/Grand opening/trunk show with another local vendor and myself.  I'm always game for a party... 

She lives three hours away from me, and with me bringing my kids, let's just say it was one crazy night and day putting this all together. 

What I love to hear after my parties... One woman said her husband did not want to come with her to the party, he said "the food is never good at those things."  Well, he raved about the food and couldn't stop eating.  That made me feel great!  Also, one of my sister's clients called the next day and was going to a party that night and wanted to know if she could buy any leftovers from our party!  Love it!

Menu:  Artichoke Dip, Veggies with hummus and ranch, yummy gingersnaps, chocolate covered strawberries, cream puffs dipped in chocolate, white chocolate mousse brownie cups, fruit salsa with cinnamon pitas, Bruschette, sugar cookies, and cranberry meatballs. (Some recipes linked)

So, obviously the messy ones my sister were the ones my sister did when she was helping me.... :) 

My sister whipped up the fruit salsa

We served a cranberry punch and wassail

with crushed peppermint of course!

I could eat all of this by myself - probably one of my favorite appetizers!

The sugar cookies were devoured by the end of the night! 

I didn't get very good pictures but there were pretty silver ornaments hanging from the lights through that part of the studio

Sadly, I won't be hosting any holiday parties this year, just hosting a new baby...  :)  But it was nice to re-live this one in pictures!! 

First Annual Christmas Road Rally

Two years ago I came up with an idea to do a Christmas party on a Monday night, where friends could bring their families and we'd just have a big Family Home Evening together. The weekends in December always seem to be busy, but who plans a party on a Monday night? ME!!

I wanted to do it two years ago, but never was able to squeeze it in. This year, I was determined to do it, and literally squeezed it in. I wrote the invitations on a Sunday morning, and handed them out that Sunday afternoon, I came up with and printed up the scavenger hunt at midnight, the night before the party, and made the crowns and put together the prize basket the afternoon of the party... it was a squeeze. It was pretty simple anyway, we had everyone bring cookies, and we supplied the hot chocolate, and marshmallows to roast. But, we pulled it off, and now I have a whole year to plan for next years! We already have some fun ideas...

However, of course I ended planning the party for the COLDEST day of the year so far, so that put a little damper on the outdoor festivities. We had planned to just have opening and closing activities outside with a bonfire and all the treats outside, but it was seriously too cold. So that made for tight quarters in our house!

Anyway, we love that we started this new tradition. You should do one with your friends too!

Here's the invite:

Come celebrate Christmas with the Hamiltons!
It’s our favorite time of year!
Bring the family, and come on over!
Let’s spread a little Christmas cheer!

Please join us on Monday, the thirteenth
For a Family Home Evening night.
And even though it’s FHE,
We hope there’ll be no fights!

It’s a Road Rally and Scavenger hunt.
Where you’ll earn points while on your race.
You’ll need a digital camera, and your car.
And more importantly, your smiling face!

Extra points if you arrive dressed festively,
Even more if you “decked” your car.
If your family comes up with a festive team name,
your family should surely go far!

Please also bring two plates of cookies –
one to give, and one to share.
If you want to bring a third for me, well…
‘Tis the season to love and care.

Extra points if you RSVP to Holly:
xxx-x zero x eight
We’ll be starting at 6:30,
You just won’t get as many points if you’re late.

If you can’t fill a car with your own family,
Feel free to invite another that will.
But if they damage your car in any way,
Please don’t send us the bill.

Don’t you love the twinkling lights?
We’ll send you on a hunt to find some,
And a nativity, and some figgy pudding…
It’s going to be a lot of fun!

If your Christmas spirit doesn’t keep you warm,
We’ll have a bonfire when you return to our home.
So, bundle up and bring a chair,
Enjoy cookies, marshmallows, and cocoa with foam.

Bring the fam, and come join the fun!
Excuses – we don’t want to hear it!
The family with the most points wins a prize!
Will your family be crowned with the most Christmas spirit?

I won't put the whole scavenger hunt on here, but here are a few of the items they had to find/do:

• Build a snowman with items found in your car.
• Find a house that has TEN or more Christmas lawn ornaments (blow up things,
reindeer, etc.) and take a picture.
• Ask a sales clerk what aisle the figgy pudding is on.
• Sing the chorus of, “We wish you a Merry Christmas” when you pull up to the drive thru and they ask if they can take your order.
• Donate spare change (any amount) to any Salvation Army ringer.
• Find strangers wearing Christmas sweaters and ask to take a picture with them (50 points per stranger). (Some people even found dogs with Christmas sweaters!)
• Stop at a Christmas Tree Stand and ask if they have any artificial trees.

One team used my camera on the hunt and these are a few of the pictures off of it:

So fun!

One of my friend's won the judges choice award for her going the extra mile for her team. Their team was the Dudolphs...

They even had shirts!



and they all had their reindeer names on the back! Here was her car:

Our neighbors were Santa, his elves, and reindeer! Too fun!

Our friends literally "decked" out their van.

I wanted to get a picture of everyone's decked out ride, but I got too busy and forgot... But I heard some had Christmas lights, and the battery candles in their car windows!

We put everyone's cookies out on the table outside, and they literally froze, so we brought everything inside!

Tight quarters in our house:

Their teams name was the Christmas Kisses; they had mistletoe on their hats and carried Hershey's kisses.

My friend, Shasta's family was crowned with the most Christmas Spirit! (I forgot about the crowns until that afternoon, and had to make them out of whatever I had, so that included some velvet bows and red tinsel (shown above))

It was so fun! We're looking forward to 2011!