This post was sponsored by PPL Electric Utilities as part of their Project Envolve Ambassador program. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.
When you think about saving energy in your home over the holidays, you might think about wood stoves, fireplaces, and turning down the heat. But have you ever considered moving your festivities outside? Hosting an outdoor holiday party saves on your energy bill by getting guests out of the house and away from the TV!
Our family loves to invite neighbors or family over for a holiday deck party. Learning how to utilize more energy-efficiency in our habits has saved us a lot of money, without sacrificing holiday festivities and fun times.
How To Host an Outdoor Holiday Party
Keep the food simple. Serve a few simple snacks with a warm beverage, and then invite your guests to bring a plate of Christmas cookies to share. Focus your efforts on the conversation and fellowship, which is what will bring the most joy to your time together!
Some of our favorite simple holiday recipes are sugared cranberries, beginner cherry wink Christmas cookies, and christmas morning muffins. Although buying some praline wafers at the Pepperidge Farm Discount Store is a cute and simple time-saving option.
Avoid the oven by utilizing your slow cooker or grill. We love to serve hot chocolate or mulled cider in our slow cooker for a deck party. Its a great way for everyone to warm up.
Fun times are always to be had with roasted marshmallows or banana boats—especially over a grill! These are great ideas for keeping children busy during the outdoor party.
Use decor that can be reused each year. I like to use a quality holly berry garland and simple chalkboard signs to label the food areas. I can easily decorate with these year after year, keeping my budget to a minimum. Or consider making your own decorations, like this country Christmas star made out of brown paper bags. It’s simple and super-affordable!
Print FREE printables or design your own. Pinterest is flooded with cute signs you can quickly print and pop in a frame. I love chalkboard art, but I was feeling a different style for our deck party this year so I designed this FREE farmhouse-style printable you are welcome to use at your party! Or if you’re not having a hot chocolate bar, you might find this Merry Christmas sign attractive too.
If your party will be at dusk or into the evening, decorate with solar lights. We found these solar string lights to install under the railing of our deck, as well as these solar deck lights for our deck posts. Every evening they turn on by themselves after the sun goes down and I relish at the thought that they aren’t using any electricity!
This solar lantern adds a unique feel to the atmosphere whether in daylight or moon light.
And I have simply fallen in love with these solar firefly fairy lights that could easily be used any time of year. You buy the lids and screw them on any mason jar you already have in your pantry. Perfect for holiday parties, birthday parties, summer potlucks or even weddings!
This is how we save energy over the holiday season, but I’m curious how your family saves energy during the holidays? I’d love to hear how energy efficiency fits into your holiday planning. Feel free to share in the comments below!
