Ideas

Wine is a standard corporate gift, but you can beef up (pun intended) the offering with a custom gift cooler from Butcher and the Burger. The $100 gift set includes two bottles of wine, plus a cutting board, summer sausage, and a branded baseball cap. Optional add-ons can include a gift certificate for a cooking classes, additional bottles of wine, and carving utensils from Tabula Tua.

The Cookie Joint's "cookie fries" make for fun meeting snacks or take-home gifts. Baked in the shape of crinkle-cut fries and served in french fry packaging, the shortbread cookies come in flavors such as cinnamon spice and chocolate toffee crunch. Accompanying dipping sauces—including salted caramel, marshmallow, and peanut butter—are served in small paper ketchup containers.

Chocolat Uzma Sharif is a locally made line of chocolates with an "East meets West" sensibility. Continuing a family tradition started by her grandfather, a pastry chef in Pakistan, Uzma Sharif hand-makes unique treats such as Rishi organic jasmine tea chocolates, hazelnut-coriander pralines, and—for the holiday season—dark-chocolate-peppermint candy cane truffles. Her products are available in gift boxes and hat boxes that range from $15 to $95. Sharif can also host chocolate-making classes for small groups of six at her Pilsen boutique and studio. The classes are two hours and cost $65 per head; each guest leaves with a box of chocolates.

Available for private holiday parties, the Adler Planetarium is currently showing Welcome to the Universe in its Grainger Sky Theater. At the end of the show, the theater is transformed into a 70-foot snow globe as falling snow projections flash across its domed screen. The planetarium's exclusive caterer, Food for Thought, has seasonal offerings such as the Apropos cocktail made with clover honey and cinnamon.

Steve McDonagh and Dan Smith, founders of local catering firm the Hearty Boys, have a new, gift-worthy book of recipes. The New Old Bar, which hit shelves this month, has recipes for more than 200 cocktails and dozens of finger foods. The catering firm can also arrange to serve the vintage cocktails featured in the book for holiday gatherings.

MSG Entertainment's production of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes, comes to Rosemont's Akoo Theatre December 14 to 30. With glittery new costumes, lighting effects, and a 50-foot LED screen, the family-friendly show includes Santa Claus cameos and a sing-along to "Joy to the World." Group tickets are available in blocks of 10 or more.

Kehoe Designs' new Goldsmith Holiday decor scheme includes golden furniture rentals and marble-top accent tables. The collection introduces the new Paloma sofa and also includes bar fronts made from silky, kelly green fabrics and sleek white reindeer sculptures. For small, impromptu gatherings, the company can arrange for decor in as little as seven days; more elaborate events require longer lead times.

Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique launched a line of cake pops in October. The treats ($2.50 each and $28 per dozen) come in 18 different flavors, including cookies and cream and strawberry dream. Gift options include cake pop bouquets and tiered cake pop stands.

Magnolia Bakery's holiday offerings include boxes of treats that can be served at meetings or distributed as gifts. The Christmas and Hanukkah cupcakes ($24 to $36) are topped with edible ornaments. The Twelve Days of Christmas cookie assortment ($125) if filled with snickerdoodles, shortbread cookies topped with red and green sugar, peppermint meringues, gingersnaps, and more. The bakery also supplies boxes of 12 vintage-inspired holiday cards ($18).

For a lighter catering option—which may be a welcome reprieve in a season full of decadent treats—the Sofitel Chicago offers its new De-Lite menu. Developed by nutrition and fitness experts from the Thalassa Sea & Spa in France, the menu includes items such as oysters with passion fruit caviar and marinated skirt steak with seasonal steamed vegetables.

Red and green are the colors that immediately come to mind when thinking of holiday events, but they aren’t a requirement—in fact, event designers say they typically avoid pairing the two in an effort to avoid appearing to favor Christmas over Hanukkah. However, red—especially when paired with black and silver—continues to stay hot, as it evokes a feeling of holiday nostalgia. “Rich, deep shades of red will be big this holiday season, and touches of sparkle will stay strong,” says Jennifer Iovino at Peterson Party Center in Boston. “Industrial metallic, especially brass, is a look that will also be seen quite a bit.” Also trending: emerald green, Pantone’s 2013 color of the year. Or, opt for a subtler palette, mixing silvers and whites with shades of grey for a cool, wintery look. “For the holidays this year, I’m going to be keeping colors neutral,” Gorjestani says. “I’d leave out the red and opt for whites and muted winter tones.” Add in organic textures, and the color scheme lends itself to an updated twist on the ever-popular snowflakes-and-icicles winter wonderland theme. “To create a sort of Narnia-esque winter forest, pair an earthy color palette with burlap, branches, birchbark, and organic materials like wood and leaves,” Galley says. Pictured: A tabletop look designed by Boston’s EFD Creative, with a centerpiece by Jeri Solomon Floral Design and rentals from Peterson Party Center, shows off one of the season’s most popular color schemes: red, black, and silver.