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6 Ways to Pull Off the Best NA Soiree This Year

Pulling off the best non-alcoholic (NA) holiday soirée is all about creating a festive, fun, and inclusive environment without relying on alcohol.

Heather Lowe Award Winning Sober Coach
Black Bear
Published in
5 min readNov 19, 2024

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Photo courtesy of @Ditchedthedrink / Heather Lowe

I’m Heather, a member of Chicago AF and the ultimate party girl turned sober coach. Trust me when I say I would not sustain sobriety if I wasn’t having any fun. I host more parties now that I am sober than I ever did as a drinker. I have curated this holiday guide just for you this holiday season.

Fellow Chicago AF member Kate Bluestein introduced me to Priya Parker’s book The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, which serves as a great guide. Your gathering must have purpose. I love a good theme, to be honest, but it’s more than that. The company you keep is everything. Not every gathering will be for everyone, so the guest list is very important. If you want a lively gathering but inclusive conversation, a group of 8–12 people works best. Smaller groups lack diversity and larger groups make it harder for everyone to speak. When the host is curious, willing, and generous gatherings flourish.

Here’s what you can offer as host (ess) with the most (est). Enjoy my 6 tips for hosting memorable and meaningful gatherings sans alcohol.

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Black Bear
Black Bear

Published in Black Bear

At Black Bear, we share informative articles and personal stories about struggling with mental health and substance use disorders.

Heather Lowe Award Winning Sober Coach
Heather Lowe Award Winning Sober Coach

Written by Heather Lowe Award Winning Sober Coach

FREE TRANSFORMATIONAL WORKBOOK www.ditchedthedrink.com Award-Winning Coach, Insider Membership Community, and Podcast. The Peripeteia Podcast

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