At Properly Posh Pets, we don’t ever need a reason to plan a party, but when the holiday season approaches each year, we start planning a series of parties to celebrate with our friends and family.

Parties this time of the year are all about decorations, presents, cocktails, sugar cookies, and fabulous fun! But they are also about pausing to celebrate the magic of the holidays with the members of your “pack” who fill your life with love and laughter all year long.

We will celebrate Christmas Eve with our “Pack of Four” party here at home in front of the Christmas tree.  The invitations to our “Friends and Family Pack” are already in the mail for our party to celebrate the new year. And our final party of the year will be a “Neighborhood and Beach Pack” blow-out celebration that includes everyone my Westie, Beckham, has met in our neighborhood and on the beach. 

Who are the members of your “pack” and which members of your pack are the most fun? Plan a party and invite them all!

My “Pack of Four”

Beckham, Alessandra, Zhivago, and I are a pack of four – all for one and one for all, no doubt about it.  Every day is filled with fun and laughter and love with my four-pawed crew.

Christmas Eve is my favorite night of the holiday season, and this year, we’ll be spending it together eating and drinking and laughing and loving every minute of the best time of the year. Champagne and fudge for me. A burger and ice cream for Beckham.  Shrimp and whipped cream for Ali and Z.

Parties with your best friends are the best kind of parties.

 

A Posh Holiday Celebration for Our “Friends & Family Pack” 

At our house, the holiday season is our favorite time of the year.  A Christmas tree with all of our favorite special ornaments, most of which are either dog-themed or cat-themed. A mix of traditional Christmas carols and new songs from our favorite artists like Kelly Clarkson and Mariah Carey.

Lots of edible treats – for pets and people. My frosted sugar cookies are famous with my friends, and no one is able to resist my homemade fudge. 

Decorations all over the house – designed to delight and entice Ali and Z, who love ribbon and wrapping paper and tissue. Presents for everyone and all the fun that goes into finding the perfect present for each member of our “Friends and Family Pack.”

What better way to say goodbye to 2022 and welcome 2023 than with friends, family, and their pups, of course!

 

A Fabulous Party for Our “Beach & Neighborhood Pack” 

My Westie, Beckham, is the friendliest dog I have ever had.  He makes friends wherever he goes, including at our local beach and in our neighborhood.  Sunny, Gus, Daisy, Bonnie, Cuddy, Tugboat, Galileo, Bear, Rosie, Maggie, Bella, Margot, Jacques, Skooter – the list goes on and on.

What could be more fun than a party this holiday season with Beckham’s “Neighborhood and Beach Pack”?

Holiday cookies, decorated pet treats, and winter cocktails with coffee and cocoa. Classic and easy so all your guests can focus on meeting and greeting and making plans for adventures in 2023.

The Party Cocktails with Coffee & Cocoa

Here are two amazing cocktails to enjoy at your holiday parties.  One is for coffee-lovers and the other is for chocolate lovers.

Peppermint Christmas Coffee for Two

Ingredients

• 2 cups strong brewed coffee
• ¼ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate
• 2 ounces peppermint schnapps
• 1 ounce Kahlua
• Milk (either 2% or whole milk)
• Whipped cream

Directions

• Brew coffee.
• Melt the chocolate.
• Dip the rim of a mug into the melted chocolate.
• Divide the rest of the chocolate and spoon it into the bottom of each mug.
• Fill each mug ¾ full of hot coffee and stir to mix in the chocolate.
• Add 1 ounce peppermint schnapps and ½ ounce Kahlua to each mug and stir.
• Top each mug with milk.
• Add whipped cream to each mug.

 

Bourbon Hot Chocolate 

Ingredients

• 4 ounces of good quality bittersweet chocolate
• 2 cups of milk
• 4 ounces of bourbon
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Whipped cream or marshmallows

Directions

• Add the bittersweet chocolate into a small saucepan with ½ cup milk.
• Heat over medium heat, while stirring, until the chocolate melts. Keep stirring to prevent the chocolate from burning, until you have a smooth chocolate sauce.
• Add the rest of the milk and sugar and lower the heat to medium low.
• Mix with a whisk to combine. Continue to heat the chocolate milk over medium low heat, whisking frequently, until the chocolate milk thickens (about 5 minutes).
• Add the bourbon and stir to mix.
• Serve in two small glasses.
• Serve with whipped cream or marshmallows.

 

Holiday Parties are SO MUCH FUN!

My Pack of Four is amazing. We’re like a really small gang that lives and eats and sleeps together. We keep secrets and cover for each other when necessary.  The bonds between the four of us are unbreakable.

Once you have had a dog and two cats as your best friends, you will never want to live without that sort of pack at your side.  A glass of wine, laughter, and a good conversation with your dog or cat is the best way to start and end your day.

Celebrating the good times with all of your “packs” – every single holiday season with parties that create memories that will last a lifetime.