You know what I’m not very good at now that I’m a mom? Outside of showering with any sort of regularity, and watching Real Housewives marathons, I mean. Since venturing into parenthood, I’m not very good at doing me things. I think I used to rock at me stuff. I was really good at getting my feet done, laying around on the couch all weekend watching SVU marathons, and shaving my legs daily. But now. Well, much of that has gone to the wayside out of necessity. For reasons of time. Bandwidth. And sanity.
You get me, right? Once our kids become our favorite people, sometimes we start to lose track of our favorite things. And for the most part, that’s okay because things are just things, after all. But there are things that I used to do on the regular that I have sorely neglected as of late… as in, the most recent 5 years. Like grabbing coffee or a drink with a friend I haven’t seen in a while. Or getting to the Dentist {which, yes, happens to be something I love}. Or throwing parties.
Before the boys arrived on the planet, I used to love to entertain in our home. In fact, just days before I went on bedrest with Barrett, I was up until dawn hosting a NYE bash at Casa de Brehm. And the hubs and I used to enjoy hosting friends and fam for game watching parties. And until Jonah came on the scene, I was part of a fabulous Bunko crew. But since having kids, I feel like it’s too much work. It’s too much work to plan it all in advance. It’s too much work to put on jeans. It’s too much work to clean up all of the evidence of my children in order to create some sense of order in the house. In fact, when I wrote recently about an adorable shower I {and I use this term loosely} co-hosted, I talked about how I was just happy to have showered for the day. I just don’t have all my ducks in a row these days.
Does anyone else feel like this?
BUT. Every once in a while… I get a wild hair. In April, that wild hair led me to hosting a little mom/kiddo May Day brunch as we ushered in spring. And most recently, I had my heart set on getting a group of gals together for a little Holiday soiree of sorts.
I wanted a chance to be surrounded by estrogen. I wanted my worlds to collide a little. Introducing people from one part of my life to others. And, truth be told, I desperately wanted a break from the bedtime routine of the three little bros. I know. I’m the worst.
So, I talked to the hubs. Picked a date… Early December so it could be festive and I could see my friends’ faces before the calendar turns to 2015. A week night, so people would be less likely to have other Holiday obligations. I decided to keep it cozy. A small guest list. And, I found the most perfectly fitting invitations. Signed, sealed, delivered and it was official. A Favorite Things Not-So-Fancy-But-Fun-Night In was in the works.
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Per the invite, they would each bring a wrapped gift of their favorite thing or things to exchange. While there are different formats for Favorite Things gatherings, I decided this route would allow for a wide range of options. So they would provide their own gift. And I would provide the food, bevs, and a clean house.
So, first… clean the house. Given the fact that a paper-eating tornado, and two very busy older bros live under our roof, I did most of the picking up right before hand. Anything else would have been a fool’s errand.
Keeping with the theme, I boxed my Favorite Things package. I will admit, I had a very difficult time out of the gate, but seeing as I was not going to include a $150 Clarisonic, a nap, or my husband and children, I went with a small sampling of a few of my favorite finds. I love baths, and writing, and I always always always have chapstick in tow. So I included…
Philosophy’s Amazing Grace shower gel. Sharpie Fine Point Pens. And Burt’s Bees chapstick.
In planning the menu, I decided to keep it simple {AKA buy most of the items pre-made and ask my very-talented-cook mama to make a few star hors d’oeuvres}.
For drinks, I offered what my sister cleverly coined, Cran-I-Have-Another-Ritas.
Sadly, while they may have looked festive, by the middle of the evening, I had renamed these as Cran-I-Never-Drink-That-Agains. If you like drinking pulpy, tangy, gravy than this drink is for you. If not, I recommend never letting it pass through your lips. So, wine and soda won out.
The spread included both sweet and savory. But all were bite-sized nibbles to nosh.
My my mom gets the credit for that gorgeous antipasta display. And the festive silver accents. And the stuffed ‘shrooms. My three year old gets the credit for the chocolate-dipped mallows. And Costco, gets the credit for most every other offering.
I also mixed up a batch of my quintessential Holiday drink, wassail {get my recipe here}. Served both warm and cold, our family has been a-wassailing since I was a wee babe.
There were 13 in attendance which meant 13 gifts were in play. The gifts were all wrapped. Everyone drew a number. And the white elephing began. And I’m gonna go ahead and say it… I thought it was really fun. Is it kosher to say that about your own gathering, at your own house? Well, I doubt it. But I loved seeing each gift as it was opened.
Because… in a traditional White Elephant, the gifts are usually pretty hilar. They can even be scandalous. And I most definitely enjoy a good bit of frivolity. But what I loved most was hearing about why each person chose each gift. Each of their fave things. Because they gifted bits of themselves right along with it.
One told about how she loved a hair product because it allows her to sleep longer in the morning. And shared her favorite mascara find. One had a box of goodies that told of her loving travel, and diet coke, and Costco, and the Creighton Bluejays. Another shared a cozy scarf because those are her security item. And one had picked up a fresh bouquet to accompany her gift because she loves nothing more than fresh flowers.
Two women had purchased the same red wine, not knowing the other’s, because it is the only red wine they like. And everyone agreed that was quite serendipitous. One wrapped a Target gift card and delicious Wheatfield’s cake because those were the last two places she’d been that day. One gifted a cookbook and Trader Joe’s gift card because she loves nothing more than cooking. One, beautifully crafted items that she’d bought local… because that is what makes her heart happy. Tingly lip gloss and shiny baubles from the girl who always looks put together. A myriad of heavenly scents packaged together by the clean queen. And delicious chocolates, treats, and another highly sought after scarf from a fellow three-boy-mama.
The entire evening made me thankful for wild hairs. And for bursts of energy. For having had a reason to clean the house and to reapply deodorant. And for having ordered and mailed out real invitations that I couldn’t just back out on the wild hair. Because I walked away with a bottle of red that the gifter says we shall drink together. And a box of one of Oprah’s past favorite things, fine artisan chocolates from The Cordial Cherry.
But really, the best gift I received was an evening that I was happy to have had. A break from the hum drum of the daily routine. Quality time with friends. Some old. Some new. And one, my mama. And the chance to be reminded, or learn about what those friends love most in life.
And I remembered, once again, why I used to love to entertain so much. And that this is the type gathering I could host at any time of the year. With different and the same faces. And at different or the same places. Because there are friends I still didn’t get to see or catch up with. And the Holidays aren’t the only occasion for celebrating. Or gifting.
Good people. Nice people. People that I enjoy. And time with those people… drinking… eating… friending… and getting to know all of their little stories… well… those are among my most favorite of things.
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