"If you feel like your dinner parties are drier than an overcooked turkey, it's time to get creative and inject the fun back into your gatherings with a lively theme or alternative entertainment.
Dream dinner date
As much as we love our friends, everyone has fantasised about which famous faces we would invite round for dinner if we could. A poll showed that our top would-be guests are Jesus, Leonardo da Vinci and Nelson Mandela. Make your friends' dreams come true for the night by getting everyone to pick their ideal companion and having someone else come dressed up as that person. If you want to get really into it, make everyone stay in character all night.
Game on
Hunt through your wardrobes and dig out those classic board games that you've forgotten you had. These old-fashioned forms of entertainment will break the ice and get you laughing. A game of Cluedo might seem quaint, but give it a few rolls of the dice and competitive spirit is bound to kick in!
Formal fun
If you're used to only seeing your friends in their casual gear, get everyone to scrub up smartly by instigating a fancy theme at your next gathering. Naturally, this means enforcing a dress code: men should don their sharpest suits while women can find on-trend maxidresses at Very. Try your hand at a tricky dish, or serve up more standard fare on china plates with silver cutlery. Choose a suitably classy playlist to accompany the meal.
Murder mystery
Add a tantalising touch of danger to your evening by turning it into a murder mystery party. You can buy ready-prepared plans with characters, a plot and a chosen murderer. There are even different themes, from Victorian to gangster, so you can go as wild as you want.
Competitive spirit
Copy the format of Channel 4's hit show Come Dine with Me and take it in turns to host. Mark each other on your efforts and give the winner a prize at the end. A little bit silly and lots of fun, be warned that this might bring out your ruthless streak!"
This post was written by Kira and is a part of a series of seasonal guest posts that I will be featuring on my blog over the next few weeks. So keep an eye out for those!