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Monday, December 22, 2014

Do you get an office holiday party?

My one paying job, childcare, doesn't exactly provide a holiday party for me. The ladies whose children I take care of on Thursday mornings, all enjoy a holiday party while I watch the kiddos. Hmmm, yeah, not quite fair, right? Oh well, it's all part of that job.

Anyway, as my son and husband were heading out the door, one day last week, they mentioned office holiday parties. "Holiday party?" I exclaim in a rather disgruntled tone, every year. "Nobody provides a holiday party for meeeeee". (Think whiny voice, here.)

So, what's a lonely housewife to do, with no holiday party? Well, make one for myself, that's what!

And, as circumstances would have it, a good friend of mine, is currently working just down the street from me, at her boss's home, and is the only employee there, with, you guessed it, no holiday party either. Plus, there are my 2 daughters home during the days, on winter holiday break from classes.

That's one plus two plus me, equals four for this holiday party!

My daughters are helping me plan and prepare a nice little luncheon for the four of us, on Tuesday (with much appreciated input from another good friend -- :-) thanks friend!).

Here's our menu:

Tomato-basil soup (made with canned tomato paste and frozen basil from summer)
Toasted cheese sandwiches, cut into stars using a star-shaped cookie cutter
Pumpkin bread with cream cheese (made the pumpkin bread over the weekend)
Curried pea and peanut coleslaw
Fruit salad (using whatever fruit we have on hand, canned, fresh and dried)
Nuts
Chocolates
Frosted Christmas sugar cookies (made those on Sunday afternoon)
Orange-spice tea (black tea infused with fresh orange slices, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks)


When my kids were younger, the day that my husband had his office party, the kids and I would put on our own party. Some years, we had enough cash to do a lunch out, other years we just put together fun and festive foods to enjoy here at home. This year, we're doing lunch, using only food items we have here on hand.

We even happen to have the chocolates "on hand" this year! "How does a frugal person happen to have chocolates on hand?", you ask. Thursday afternoon, after I got my good medical news, I asked my girls what we should do to celebrate. One daughter exclaimed, "See's!!!!!!!" (She was rather vocal about wanting to hit up the candy shop.) But it was mid-afternoon and the mall parking lot would be jammed. So I suggested that we go to the drug store and buy a box of Russell Stovers (which happen to be on sale this week, for $3.99 a box). We chose a box of all dark chocolates, brought them home and each picked 1 to eat, then and there. The rest of the box has been stashed in a cupboard for our "office" party.

If you don't get an office party, either, consider throwing your own party. Those of us who hold the fort down during the day really do deserve a holiday party, too!!!

Cheers!! (raising my cup of tea to all of us who make our own holiday parties)



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12 comments:

  1. I dislike office parties and am glad it's easy to skip them. If they are in-house, it's not so bad, but for many years, I was expected to go to evening parties which involved a lot of heavy drinking and dancing. In those days, I wasn't married and I never seemed to have a boyfriend when the parties were occurring, so it was awkward. Glad you get to have a fun party with a friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      I had forgotten all about "those" kind of office parties. Yeah, I wouldn't care for the evening ones, especially if there was a lot of drinking. When you don't drink, it's just not much fun to be around a bunch of people who have had way too much. I don't "get" that sort of party.

      My son's office did something that sounded fun. They went bowling and had dinner.

      I hope you're enjoying these last few days before Christmas!

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Blessings to you and your family this Christmas, Shara! Keeping your daughter in my prayers.

      Delete
  3. A good idea to make things special for you, your daughters, and your friends.

    My husband and I have both had office parties that we like this year--cover dish dinners at lunch time. I always choose to make something to take in and my husband always chooses to give money to help purchase the meat. Each one of us in our comfort zone that way.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family, Lili.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi live and learn,
      your office parties, hubby's and yours, sound like fun. My husband's office had a pot-luck, and he enjoyed it.

      Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas!

      Delete
  4. I hope that you, your daughters and your friend have a truly festive "office party" tomorrow.

    cheers,
    Jayne

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a wonderful idea. Though I must tell you, I don't think you're missing much when it comes to office parties. I always found them to be fairly dreadful affairs. The ugly office politics always seem to surface, and inevitably at least one person will drink themselves to excess. I consider freedom from those sorts of events to be one of the great perks of self-employment! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cat,
      I think you're right about those evening office parties, especially the type that are often depicted in movies and TV.

      One place I worked many years ago, put on a nice breakfast for a holiday party. It was nice and low-key, and fortunately no opportunity to over-drink. And another place held a dinner at a local restaurant for the employees. And I think we all enjoyed that dinner party.

      Today's lunch will be a combination celebration for my friend, as she just landed a new job, and a Christmas-y thing.

      Delete
  6. What a great idea, to throw a holiday office party for yourselves. I like that idea. :) And I've heard that See's is good, I've never tried it myself. It's a great way to treat yourselves. Hope you Christmas is Merry and bright. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Belinda,
      We had a great time, yesterday. Merry Christmas!

      Delete

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