Wow-Worthy, One-of-a-Kind Christmas Celebrations

December's here and once again ushering in the season of non-stop parties. So...how do you make yours stand out? Here are a few ideas for fun and funky bashes that will offer your guests something unique and unforgettable!

• Especially for you party girls out there...recruit one of your male buds, or contact a local modeling agency and hire a guy for the night to pose as "Hunky Santa." Provide each guest with a holiday snapshot on Hunky Santa's lap -- a playful and sassy spin on jolly old St. Nick.
• Get festive with your furry friends. Invite humans and their four-legged companions for an all-inclusive celebration. Enlist one of your friends to dress up, or search online sites like craigslist.com for someone to play Santa. Offer keepsake photos of Shaggy and Sheba on the big guy's lap. Serve up bowls of "dognog" (i.e., plain old water served in festive bowls) along with regular eggnog. And send guests home with "goody bags" -- pet-sized mini stockings filled with cat and doggie treats...and a few sweets for their owners too.
• Organize a holiday hunt -- think "Easter Egg hunt" with a Christmas twist. Hide small gifts and goodies around your home and send guests on a spirited adventure to find them. Fun for kids (and adults) of all ages.
• Indulge in an international affair. Throw a dinner party inspired by Christmas as it is celebrated in France, Italy, or another foreign country. For French invitations, paste computer print-outs of the Eiffel Tower onto silver paper and top the tower with a silver star or dab of glitter. Cook up a menu based on traditional French holiday foods, like turkey or chicken and la bûche de Noël. Place a few shoes in front of the fireplace (the French version of "stockings") and print "A Parisian Christmas" information cards on pretty vellum paper to be placed on each guest's plate explaining the traditions.