Anyone that knows me knows that I love ANY excuse to have a get-together or party. Having friends over and spending quality time together is so important to me.
I hosted a margarita make and take party using Young Living Essential Oils and it was a blast!
I got my color scheme and inspiration for the party a couple months ago when browsing the aisles of King Soopers and came across this fun table cloth. The bright colors and tribal prints just screamed summer.
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I knew I wanted to have a taco bar and margaritas so I headed to the store and got myself all the ingredients for a perfect party.
For the Taco bar I had:
- Hard shells
- Tortillas
- Ground beef in the crock pot
- queso in the small crock pot
- lettuce
- tomato
- onion
- cilantro
- guacamole
- cheese
- limes
- black beans
- cheesy Mexican rice
- hot sauces
- chips and salsa
My boyfriend and his step-dad built this large buffet table a few years ago that we use all summer long. It works perfectly for cookouts and parties!
I kept the soft tortilla shells in a crock pot too. It was a challenge at first how I was going to plug all these crock pots in (and the blender) but with an extension cord and power strip it worked out perfectly. I had the cold toppings for the tacos in this Dollar Tree bin filled with ice. It kept everything cold for a couple of hours!
I added little sea shells and some cacti I already had and some tea lights here and there.
I made this Taco Bar menu and threw it in a frame I had. I just love little details like this at parties. It is so simple and cheap to do but adds a little something special.
I always serve lemon water at my parties because who doesnt love lemon water? I always use this stand from IKEA to put my water dispenser on so you can fit your glass perfectly underneath the spout. I got this water pitcher for christmas a few years ago and I have used it at EVERY single get together I have hosted ! You can find a similar one here.
To add some flare to the glasses I added these little umbrellas from the Dollar Tree and gave these crazy staws a festive flair by adding these free printable straw flags from Weddingchicks.com
You can’t have a margarita party without the margaritas ! I brought my blender out and made pitchers of both mango and regular margaritas.
I kept it simple with sturdy white paper plates and napkins to make clean-up a bit easier.
After dinner and talking a bit about why Young Living essential oils are safe and some easy ways to use them , we went into making the DIYs.
I have hosted several of these “make and take” parties and it is always hard for me to decide what to make! There are SO many fun things to make as a group. This time I decided we would make a whipped body butter, coconut lime sugar scrub, and a good night linen spray.
These were all very simple things to make and are really great gifts too.
I set up an additional table to make some of our DIYs (which was much easier than having to clear and set up everything after eating dinner).
For the linen spray you will need :
- 15 drops lavender
- 5 drops lemon
- 5 drops peppermint
- Himalayan sea salt
- Distilled water
- 2 oz spray bottle
- small funnel
INSTRUCTIONS
*Sprinkle a layer of sea salt on the bottom of the glass bottle (using a funnel for this is much easier)
* Drop the essential oils directly on the salt
*Fill the bottle with distilled water (using funnel)
*Shake well and spray on linens or in the air for a relaxing evening
My friend (and upline) had the brilliant idea to put the instruction sheets in these binders so that you can easily read them while making.
For the coconut lime sugar scrub you will need:
- 1/4 C organic unrefined coconut oil
- 1 1/2 C raw sugar (I get mine from Costco)
- 10 drops lime essentail oils
- 4 ounce glass jars
INSTRUCTIONS
*Place the coconut oil in a small saucepan and melt over low heat ( or if its warm outside, it will already be in the liquid state)
* Once melted, take the liquid coconut oil off the heat and let cool for a few minutes
*Add in the lime essential oil and mix well
*Makes about three jars
*If you like your scrub to me more grainy add more sugar
You can store it at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 3 months. Use scrub to gently exfoliate skin and then rinse skin clean with warm water. Massage in oils left on skin for a soft, silky finish.
(the coconut and lime smell SO good- like a margarita !)
The last thing we made was my favorite- the whipped body butter. This was a bit difficult to make this time because my house does not have air conditioning and it was a hot night so the consistency was a bit off because the coconut oil was melting.
For the whipped body butter you will need:
- 1/2 C coconut oil
- 1/2 C shea butter
- 20 drops Stress Away essential oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ounce glass jars
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the solid coconut oil & softened shea butter in stand mixer. Whip on medium or high for 5 to 8 minutes. Because it was a hot day we had to put the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to thicken it back up before continuing whipping.
Gently stir in essential oils
(Makes about 4 two oz jars)
*I keep mine in the fridge so it does not melt !
This body butter is amazing. It heals and moisturizes my skin so quickly. It at first seems heavy and greasy but in just a couple minutes it will soak into your skin. Plus, Stress Away is one of my favorite essential oils so I love slathering up after a shower with this stuff! Smells So good !
To get your free printable Taco Bar Menu click here
For the free make and take recipe printables :
A couple quick party tips:
- Eat first ! Everyone is always hungry when they come to a party and having everything done and ready to go when guests arrive is easier than trying to set it all out in the middle of the party.
- Don’t forget bug spray
- String lights outside if you can- it always makes the area look like a party
- Plan that people will cancel last minute or come a bit late. Don’t stress at all, make sure to get all your socializing in as guests are arriving and don’t forget to make those introductions for anyone who doesn’t know each other.
- When I host these get-togethers I usually ask my friends to pay $5 an item that they make and take home. This will help you cover some of the cost of supplies. ( All the glass jars alone came to about $50). If you do this, make sure you let everyone attending know that they should be prepared to pay for what they take ! People are usually really understanding of this and it won’t get awkward if you tell your guests before the party!
- Every single party I have, I forget something. No matter how organized I feel, how many lists I make… I always forget at least one small thing to put out or serve. Over the years I have learned it does not matter ! Forget the little stuff. Have a great time, laugh with your girlfriends and remember the reason why you wanted to host in the first place- to hang out with your friends !
Thank you for stopping by! If you liked this post you should check out : Galentines Party
What is your favorite thing to make with essential oils ?I would love to know !
Have a beautiful day !
This looks like so much fun! It seems like I never host get togethers anymore these days but this makes me want to do it again soon! What great inspiration!
Thanks Brittany ! It was fun and you should 🙂 having a kids free night is always needed
That sounds like such an awesome party! The taco bar looks so delicious!
Thanks ! Yep it was pretty yummy 😋
That is such a great idea! I love it! I especially like the idea of charging people $5 for items that they take with them. But does that mean that if they don’t take anything they don’t have to pay? I have some friends who would try to skirt the rule by eating as much as they can at the party and not take anything home. LOL
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks ! Haha !! Yea I only ask that it is $5 per item , if they don’t want to make anything that’s fine with me 🙂
I wish I could have joined! I’m just learning about all my essential oils and loving them!
I love it! This preggo mama is now dreaming of that taco bar! 😁
Haha !
Absolutely sounds like a fun party and I’m sure I will enjoy the Taco bar
What a great party! That taco bar sounds amazing! I’ve had great success with plain old roller bottle make and takes!
Thanks yea it was a blast ! It’s been awhile since I’ve done a rollerball make and take but those are great ! May have to do one of those soon 🙂
You seriously inspired me to host a build your own taco night!! Love the set up. This looked like a lot of fun ❤️
Yay! That’s awesome ! It’s really easy and fairly cheap for all the toppings too 🙂
Looks great, Im getting ready to set up a party I hope so soon. If I need some ideas I can always ask you I’m sure. Tacos, yummy!!
What an awesome idea for a party! And always nice to leave with a little something you made yourself! Love coconut and lime.
That sounds like so much fun! I would love to do something like that!
What a fun party! You had me at margaritas! 🙂
I wish I was at this party! Looks like SO much fun! Inspiring!
Thanks Elizabeth ! 😁
This is a perfect idea for a party! This looks like it was so much fun!
Thanks ! It was fun !:)