Trading Up Downtown

Last night, the folks at NuVal gathered for their annual holiday party at Alba Restaurant in Quincy.

The group met upstairs in a private function space, which was decorated beautifully for the holidays.

The festive decor definitely added to the joyful spirit of the evening.

The holiday party had quite the spread of delicious (and nutritious) appetizers. The evening’s menu included:

Marinated Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil on a Crostini

Vegetable Crudites with Onion Balsamic Crème Fraiche and Crackers

Chicken Satay with a Spicy Peanut Sauce, Shrimp Cockail, Mini Quiches, Steak Tartare, and Vegetable Spring Rolls with Ponzu Sauce

In addition to plenty of eating and drinking, there was also lots of mingling and merriment among colleagues. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know each another better, especially the new folks (like me). I spent a lot of the night meeting new people and chatting away.

The main event of the evening was a 28-person Yankee Swap. What’s a Yankee Swap, you ask?

Here’s how SecretSanta.com explains it:

“In Yankee Swap, each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, and they select and unwrap gifts from the pile in that order – with a twist.

The person who receives the number 1 will pick a gift (that is not their own) from the pile and open it for all to see. During the selection of a wrapped gift, the participant may visually inspect the gifts, pick them up and/or gently shake them.

The person who receives number 2 then chooses a gift and opens it, and then must decide whether to keep it or swap it for the first player’s gift. Each person in order then gets to select a present, open it and decide whether to keep it or swap it for any other gift someone has already opened.

Opening of gifts and swapping takes place until all the presents have been chosen. Finally, the person who picked first gets to choose from all the gifts or keep what he/she has already received. In the end, the gift you are holding is the gift you take home.”

There was a lot of back and forth during the Yankee Swap, but everyone was a good sport about trading gifts even when they didn’t want to. There were a ton of great gifts to chose from, but, of course, like any Yankee Swap, there were some so-so ones thrown into the mix as well.

The hot item of the night was, surprisingly, not one, but two Snuggies! One of which was leopard print! The Snuggies probably got passed around a dozens times over the course of the game. Who knew these things were so popular?!? Perhaps I am missing out?

At the end of the Yankee Swap, I ended up with a gift card to Starbucks, so I was happy.

All in all, the NuVal holiday party was a great way to kick-off the holiday party season.

My Tips for Navigating Holiday Parties

Staying on-track during the holiday season is definitely not easy, especially if you love to eat—like me! Here’s how I indulge without overdoing it at holiday parties:

• I use a plate. For me, a plate is essential for dealing with all of the wonderful holiday food at parties. If I start picking at appetizers and platters, I never seem to stop. However, if I get myself a small plate, load it up with goodies, and enjoy it, I’m much less likely to go overboard. Once the food on my plate is gone, I can always go back for seconds, but having a plate makes me more conscious of my decisions.
• I only indulge in the once-a-year goodies. I wait all year for my Grandma’s cranberry pie, so when Christmas rolls around, I make sure to leave room for a piece. Instead of filling up on everyday foods, like store-bought cookies, chips and salsa, or cheese and crackers, I save up for a piece of warm cranberry pie (with ice cream).
• I exercise on the day of the holiday party. If I plan to splurge at a holiday party, I make sure that I have a good workout earlier in the day to help balance-out any extra calories. Plus, exercising always makes me feel good about myself and puts me in an upbeat mood for the party.
• I snap photos. As the “unofficial” photographer of the night, I keep my hands busy by snapping photos of friends and family instead of chowing down on holiday treats.
• I don’t beat myself up. If I indulge a little too much at a holiday party, I try not to feel guilty. I just eat lightly the next day, exercise, and get back on track. The holidays are supposed to be enjoyable, and for me, eating and drinking is the best part!

Category: Uncategorized by Tina