Monday's 7 Holiday Party Hacks

You have enough on your plate this holiday season, so don’t fill it with piles of cookies, awkward social interactions, binge eating/drinking, and party fails. Keep a few of these Holiday-Hacks in your pocket and roll through the holiday party like a seasoned veteran.

  • Keep One Hand Busy: “Idle hands are the Devil’s playthings,” and boy can they get you into trouble at a holiday party. There’s commonly a bounty of snacks and treats within reach, but If you keep one hand occupied, it’s far easier to avoid grazing over the entire buffet table. When attending your next seasonal soiree, dress up some glamorous glassware with stunning garnishes and have a Zero-proof Monday cocktail that looks as good as your outfit, (while keeping your hands away from the more troublesome indulgences).
  • Eat Hearty Before the Party: Reward yourself before the challenge even begins by treating yourself to your favorite healthy meal before you head out the door. Now you can actually feel satiated having just ONE cookie from the buffet table.
  • Everyone Is a Photographer: There's always that one person who gets a little too tipsy and subsequently becomes the story of the office that everyone’s talking about on Monday. Add the fact that everyone has a high-resolution camera at their hip, and you have the recipe for an ill-timed indulgence you can never live down. Curb your consumption with a delicious alcohol-free cocktail to replace or punctuate your drinking. Ensure the only thing that stands out in your holiday photos is that sweet new cardigan.
  • BYOV (Bring Your Own Vibe): Leave the 6 pack at home (there’ll be plenty of nog & grog anyway) and instead bring a healthy dish or drink. You’re gonna have to use some creativity here, because no one wants to host a prohibitionist wielding boiled broccoli. So up the ante by busting out a miso-infused sweet potato hummus, or a festive cranberry ginger Monday Gin fizz. This way you kill 2 birds with one stone: 1. You brought the coolest drink or dish, and 2. You now have healthy options!
  • Cut the Rug: When holiday shopping, talking, planning, cooking, and travel booking have got you a little stressed you can always lean on some good old physical activity to work out the jitters. Missed your morning workout window? Already at the party? No worries! Hit the dance floor and Jingle-Bell-Rock it out. When you're dancing for health and well-being, even the cheesiest moves are winners. So go ahead, bust out ‘The Sprinkler’, revive ‘The Electric Slide’, and rock ‘The Robot’ because however you ‘drop it’, you’re sure to feel the stress drop accordingly. 
  • Keep Your Job: Holiday work parties give you two hazardous materials that are explosive and deadly when combined: Alcohol and Your Boss. We’re telling you right now, DON’T get drunk with the boss right there, but if you must, definitely DO NOT: Ask the lady over there if she works for the same jerk as you. No, she doesn’t. That's her husband. DO NOT: grab the microphone from your boss’ hands to take your turn at karaoke, (when there is no karaoke). DO NOT: rub your boss’s bald head like a crystal ball to tell co-workers their fortunes. Instead, keep an alc-free Monday cocktail in hand without worrying about how many you’ve had. Job security never tasted so good.
  • Ugly Sweaters, Not Ugly Hangovers: Ugly sweaters are cool, hangovers aren’t but that doesn’t mean you can't join the cheers with a rich, deliciously complex, eye-pleasing cocktail. Matter of fact, pour yourself another! Because with Monday zero-proof gin and whiskey you know tomorrow you’ll be in tip-top shape to tackle your holiday to-do list.

Gingerbread, pies, bosses, bottomless alcoholic drinks abound, and yet, with these strategies, and a dose of disciplined mindfulness you can masterfully navigate the season’s holiday parties in health, peace, and dignity.

Cheers!

-Monday