What Each of My Friends Brought to Our Favorite Things Party
And yes … this is the only picture we took all night – ha!
One of my favorite traditions of the pre-holiday season is attending my friend’s annual Favorite Things party. Every year, she gathers a group of girlfriends for an evening of good food, lots of laughter, and a gift exchange centered around some of our favorite things. I look forward to it every year, and last night was no exception!
If you’ve never been to a Favorite Things party, here’s how it works: Each person chooses one of their favorite things and brings two of them to share. We set a $15 limit for each gift, which makes it fun to see what everyone comes up with. It’s amazing how many wonderful little things you can find for $15 or less!
My friend has the most fun way of organizing the exchange. When we arrive at her house, we sneak into a back bedroom where she’s laid out trays and tea towels. We arrange our gifts on a tray, cover them with a tea towel, and head back out to join the party. Once everyone has arrived, she brings out all the trays and reveals the gifts, one by one. Then we have to guess which friend brought each favorite thing! Whoever guesses the most correctly wins a little prize.
It’s such a fun way to exchange gifts because you get to hear why each person loves what she brought. And after several years of doing this together, we’ve learned a lot about each other’s tastes!
This year, I thought it would be fun to share everything we brought because there were so many wonderful finds. If you’re looking for a little gift for a friend, a stocking stuffer, or something to add to your own Christmas wish list, here are a few ideas!
Everything We Brought to Favorite Things Night
Wild Refillable Deodorant + Blistex Lip Balm
This was my first introduction to Wild refillable deodorant, and I’m intrigued! It’s an aluminum-free deodorant that comes in a reusable case. Once you’ve used up the deodorant, you just purchase a refill cartridge instead of replacing the whole thing.
My friend brought it because she says it’s one of the only aluminum-free deodorants she’s tried that actually works. It also smells amazing! I love the idea of having a pretty reusable case and just purchasing refills as needed. She paired it with a classic tube of Blistex lip balm, which is always handy to have around.
Shop: Wild Refillable Deodorant | Blistex Lip Balm
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups + $15 Gift Card
I thought this was such a thoughtful gift! One of my friends brought a package of Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups (if you know, you know!) and a $15 Trader Joe’s gift card.
She explained that one of her favorite little treats lately has been buying herself fresh flowers from Trader Joe’s. So her gift to us was essentially, Go buy yourself some flowers!
Isn’t that sweet? I love the idea of giving someone permission to enjoy a small luxury they might not ordinarily buy for themselves.
Colorful Beaded Necklace + Cinnamon Tea + LMNT Electrolytes
Another friend put together the cutest little assortment of things she’s been loving lately: a colorful beaded necklace from Amazon, cinnamon tea, and a packet of LMNT electrolyte drink mix.
The necklace was so cheerful and fun, and I love that she included a few different things she enjoys in her everyday life. One of the best parts of these parties is discovering little products you might never have thought to try yourself!
Shop: Beaded Necklace | Cinnamon Tea | LMNT Electrolytes
The Shop Around the Corner Art Print
Oh my goodness. This might have been one of my favorite finds of the night, and I was lucky enough to bring it home!
One of my friends brought a beautiful art print of The Shop Around the Corner, the charming little bookstore from You’ve Got Mail. It’s from a boutique art shop that creates the most beautiful prints and watercolors.
As someone who loves books, bookstores, and You’ve Got Mail, I was absolutely delighted by this one. I can’t wait to find the perfect frame and hang it in my office. It’s the sort of gift that feels so personal and special, and I love that it was still within our price limit.
Artist: R. Grace Brown, The Wrinkled House @thewrinkledhouse
Contact: thewrinkledhouse@gmail.com
Spiral Candles + An Emma M. Lion Book
Another friend brought a pair of beautiful spiral pillar candles tied together with a pretty chiffon ribbon. They were so lovely and would make such a pretty addition to a Christmas table or mantel.
She paired them with an Amazon gift voucher intended for the next book in the Emma M. Lion series.
Now, apparently, I am the ONLY person in our friend group who has not read these books. I discovered this when everyone started talking about how much they love the series, and I admitted that I hadn’t read a single one.
You would have thought I’d confessed to a crime.
I was absolutely shocked to learn that several of my friends are on their second or THIRD read-through of the entire series. And I was relentlessly teased for being the odd one out. Ha!
Suffice it to say, I have some reading to do. I can’t wait to find out what all the fuss is about!
Shop: Spiral Candles | The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion
Anthropologie Carrot Mug + Cross-Stitch Beet Tea Towel
This was my contribution to the party!
I brought an Anthropologie mug with the most whimsical little carrot handle. It’s colorful and cheerful and exactly the sort of thing that makes an ordinary morning cup of coffee feel a little more fun.
I paired it with an Anthropologie tea towel featuring a cross-stitched beet design. I found the towels on sale, which meant I could pair the two together and still stay within our $15 limit.
And I loved the tea towels so much that I bought extras! I already have a few people on my Christmas gift list who I think would love them.
I love gifts like these. They’re useful, but they’re also a little unexpected and playful. And Anthropologie has such a knack for making everyday things feel special.
Shop: Anthropologie Carrot Mug | Cross-Stitch Beet Tea Towel
Of course, the gifts are only part of what makes this tradition so special.
We spent the evening eating snacks, catching up, and talking about why we love the things we’d brought. And my friend had planned another game that ended up being one of the highlights of the night.
Before the party, we each filled out a little questionnaire about some of our current favorite things. Things like our favorite music, podcasts, coffee orders, and other everyday preferences. Then our hostess read one person’s entire questionnaire aloud, and we all had to guess whose answers they were. Apparently, I am also the odd one out when it comes to not enjoying board games and drinking very boring coffee. Who knew these were such controversial personality traits? Once again, I was relentlessly teased by my friends, and I loved every minute of it.
On my way home, I kept thinking, I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. And isn’t that such a gift?
I love that this tradition gives us a reason to gather in the middle of an otherwise busy season. We all have full lives, and the weeks leading up to Christmas can fill up so quickly. But for one evening, we get to sit around together, share the little things we’re enjoying lately, learn something new about one another, and laugh until our cheeks hurt. I’m already looking forward to next year!
If you’ve never hosted a Favorite Things party, I can’t recommend it enough. You don’t need a big budget or an elaborate plan. Just gather a few friends, set a spending limit, ask everyone to bring something they love, and enjoy an evening together.
And if you do host one, I highly recommend the guessing games. You might discover that one of your closest friends has terrible taste in coffee. Or, apparently, that you’re the only person left on earth who hasn’t read Emma M. Lion.
Either way, you’ll have a wonderful time!
Grab your downloadable favorite things sheet below!
(If that’s not working, grab this link too)
