Interesting. Maybe if I lived in So California, Texas, or Florida. Not in Tennessee! Unless I hated my guests, I'm pretty sure we won't be outside. Thanks for the tips though!

2 Amazing ideas!!! The photo op center- pure genius! Especially the naughy and nice meter. Please tell me you did NOT print that by hand on the chalkboard in 30 minutes!! I'll credit the Wonderful Life omission to a brain fart, LOL Although, Ed Asner seems to be in a lot of Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel, and he isn't listed either, LOL The kids here were having a great time playing a "heads up" game that was a .99 app. for the smart phone! Merry Christmas to you and yours, Candy

Any ideas for ANYTHING! Thank you! My FIL is going to take her out the day of the party do that my ex SIL can help me clean and set up. I have extra frozen hamburg to make the Paseo soup that she makes every year. I'm going to 'borrow' her recipe. Parma - Sometimes I have to show that I'm NOT the black sheep of the family:) My MIL never really gives ornaments but your thought prompted me to think about maybe a 'Sign In/ Sentiment' book for the party? What do you think? Maybe put it beside the basket that holds all of the ornaments each year for each guest to put on the tree. OOOH, OOH, OOOH! What about parcel tags that people could sign instead and hang on the tree as the ornament?! I just saw something similar in Country Living yesterday. The lady 'ages' big tags and writes the name of anyone new welcomed into the family on it and then hangs it on the tree. Jan - I should probably take that wine for a test drive prior to the party! I like the old photo idea. DH's Aunt (MIL's SIL) has recently been going through old family photos so maybe we could grab some from her, copy them and set them out in frames for my MIL. Heaven knows I have a way too many empty frames lying around!

I don't believe that an open bar is part of the plan at all....and it needn't be. But I do think that it adds a festive touch to have something alcoholic. Orchid, only you and your husband know the "politics" of his workplace. I wouldn't pay much heed to the naysayers. A party like this is an excellent way to meet the spouses of the co-workers...sounds like a great idea to me. Some may live in an environment of 'eye rollers' and treacherous office politics. Most of us don't. After we moved into our new home some years ago, we hosted a holiday party for many of the people who work with Robert (including the boss) , plus our new neighbors, and some very close friends. I was a new comer (we were newly married) to the area and wanted very much to meet people AND welcome people into our new home. It was a rousing success and a great opportunity for these people to truly associate with each other outside of work. It was more of a party than an open house. I'm so glad that we invited people outside the workplace......they added some new blood to the mix. Have a fun time! I hope that we get to see pictures of the decorations when you put them up!