A fun, low-stress girls’ night you’ll want to repeat every year
I’m hosting our third annual Favorite Things Party soon, and I truly look forward to it all season long. It’s the easiest, happiest girls’ night — simple to pull together, interactive for everyone, and each guest goes home with a few new favorite little gifts. We hosted this party for the first time three years ago, and it instantly became one of those traditions that sticks.
If you’ve been wanting to host something festive that doesn’t require days of prep or complicated menus, a Favorite Things Party might be the perfect idea. I’m sharing exactly how ours works, what everyone brings, the budget we use, and even a cute invite template so you can host your own.
What Is a Favorite Things Party?
A Favorite Things Party is exactly what it sounds like: every guest brings a few of their favorite things to share. The items are all small (think under $50), wrapped individually, and brought in multiples so multiple friends get to go home with the same fun find.
It’s cozy, thoughtful, and full of that “ooh, what’s inside?” excitement — like Secret Santa meets a really good girls’ night.
What I’m Bringing This Year
I always choose something I truly adore — a product I’ve used for ages, a kitchen staple I can’t live without, or a little beauty item that feels special. For each of the budgets $10, $25, $50, $75, splurge here is what I would be bringing.
- $15: Something practical but brings little joys! Match Stricker or these chic Pens.
- $25: Something your girlfriend would use and think of you every time! The best hair clip – great for travel, as it lies flat against your head! This butter – if you know you know!
- $50: Your body will thank you later! Two beauty products I can’t put down: this body oil and this lotion.
- $75: I was so loyal to one face wash until this one came along! It’s that good!
- Splurge: The brush you need but may not buy for yourself, and this card wallet that is my new fave!
How It Works
The setup is incredibly simple, which is why I love hosting this in the middle of a busy season.
Here’s the exact format we use:
1. Set a budget + quantity
Every guest brings three wrapped items, $30 each (or whatever price makes sense for your group).
Three gifts at $30 means each guest spends about $90 total. You can tweak the budget say $10 each or do a higher price at $50 and only bring two of the same item.
2. Guests choose their gifts
When everyone arrives, we start with cocktails and snacks. Once the full group is here, each person draws a number from a bowl — 1 through however many guests you have.
The numbers determine the order of who chooses first.
3. Play the exchange game
The game works similarly to Secret Santa or a light-hearted White Elephant:
- Guest #1 chooses and opens a gift.
- Guest #2 can either steal that gift or choose a new wrapped one.
- The game continues around the room.
- Once a gift is stolen twice, it’s “frozen” and can’t be taken again.
- After three full rounds (or however many gifts you had each guest bring 1, 2, or 3), Guest #1 gets a bonus final pick.
It’s lively, hilarious, and so much fun — everyone gets into it.
At the end I always love for people to share what they ended up brining and why – fun way to connect and also a great way to then also go try your friends favorite things if you want to go home and order them!
4. Everyone goes home with three new favorite things
The best part: you leave with gifts that someone genuinely loves, uses, and swears by.
Why I Love Hosting This Party
There are so many reasons this has become an annual tradition:
- It’s low-stress — truly one of the easiest gatherings to host.
- It works with large groups — everyone is involved the entire time.
- It feels thoughtful and personal — every gift has a story behind it.
- It’s full of laughing, stealing, swapping, and cheering.
- And everyone leaves with actual things they’ll use and love.
It’s one of those nights that feels cozy and connected — the kind of gathering that makes the holiday season feel extra fun.
Download the Invite
If you want to host your own Favorite Things Party, I included a simple invitation template in the post that you can customize and send to friends. Add your date, budget, and address, and you’re all set.
What to bring!
One of the questions I get every year is: “Okay, but what should I bring?”
The fun part is that the options are endless — beauty, home, kitchen favorites, books, cozy finds, little luxuries, snacks, gadgets… truly anything you love.
To make things easy, I pulled together gift ideas by budget, so you can choose something thoughtful without overthinking it. These are all items I use, love, or would be thrilled to receive — perfect for your Favorite Things exchange.
I’ve broken everything out by price point so you can find something that fits your group’s budget:
