Some Favorite People and Some Favorite Things

For the past 4 years I co-hosted a "Favorite Things" Party (see here, here, here, and here) while we lived in Iowa. After talking to my friend, Kami, about this fun tradition, she convinced me to try it out here with our friends on the East Coast. I'm so glad we did it---it was a great way to kick off Spring and spend a little bit of time with our friends who will be leaving us soon. 

I really scored this year! I went home with a potted plant (Gerber Daisies---my very favorite flower in the whole world), a new writing tablet and pen, and tortellini and pesto from none other than Trader Joe's (and you all know how I LOVE me some TJs). Can't wait to put them all to use!

Since menu-planning has become one of my saving graces over the past year (saves time! saves money!), I decided to give away these chalkboard menus that my sister made for me:

I get more compliments on my chalkboard menu than any other decoration in my house. It is cute and functional and Allie sells them here in her Etsy shop if you are interested.

Kami (my co-host) and I at the party. I love this girl. We first became friends when we started to run together last fall. She quickly became not just my running buddy but also a free therapist--we talked about all sorts of things while exercising. Now she has a bun in the oven so our weekly runs are on hold but I still look for every chance I can to spend time with her. She is a true friend. Luckily she has one more year here before her husband finishes his medical training.

Krissi lives just down the street from me and has a daughter Maddie's age, so I knew the first time I met her that we were destined to become friends (and the fact that she baked me the most amazing chocolate chip coconut cookies that day removed any previous doubt from my mind). We've participated in a preschool co-op this past year with our daughters and the girls have loved it. Krissi faithfully attended institute with me and has been a shining example to me of how to handle being a medical resident's wife with grace and a positivity. She is years younger than me but I want to be like her when I grow up! Sadly she will be moving next month, but lucky for her (and Iowa!) she is headed to the Midwest. I'm crossing my fingers that someday we end up being neighbors again.

Are you sick of pictures with me in them yet? Melissa is my other dear friend who will be moving next month. I am so sad to see her and her 3 (soon to be 4!) children leave us. I don't know who I will miss more---Melissa, or her cute kids. They are seriously some of the most polite children I have ever met. I have loved to watch her with them---she is a wonderful mother . She is headed to sunny Arizona where her husband just accepted a job. I am so happy for her, but sad for me and my kids. Luckily we both have ties to Northern UT so I know our paths will cross again.

I couldn't help but think of my Iowa girls (many of whom are not in Iowa anymore) during the party. I have really been blessed with good friends throughout my life. As I think back over the past couple of years in particular, I don't know how I would have survived without them. Life is good, but these years haven't always been easy ones and I'm so thankful for the friends that have helped me along the way.

Favorite Things 2011

Tonight we celebrated our favorite things in grand Oprah style during our 4th annual Favorite Things Party. I am going to miss Iowa so much and the people in it even more! Thanks ladies for a great night!

Chrissy is definitely one of my favorite things. She has taken hundreds of pictures of my children and family, but this is the very first picture I have of the two of us together. She strategically planned to be on vacation when all the graduates make their grand exodus so that she doesn't have to say goodbye to anyone. Pure genius if you ask  me. No need to say goodbye to her since she'll totally be visiting me in Connecticut.

Obligatory picture of the crowd of ladies.

I know this picture of Robyn is blurry, but seriously, isn't it classic? Totally hoping she gets her name drawn out for a gift. Every year Robyn wins the award for most enthusiastic. Tonight was no exception.

Liz wins the award for most creative with three different favorite things. Every year I cross my fingers that I will win one of her gifts because they are always the hit of the party, whether they are homemade aprons, a cd of sweet jams for a road trip, or tonight, a Cooks Illustrated magazine, among other things. 

Nikki, myself, and Erin. Nikki works for DMU and is one of my local Iowa friends--I scored one of the cupcakes she brought as her favorite thing...muy delisioso. Erin and I met four years ago when her husband started at DMU the same year as Ryan. She's headed to Indianapolis and I'm already planning on inviting myself out to visit her.

Hilery and I. My only regret with this woman is that I didn't get to know her better years ago--she is such a reliable friend! I am praying for a Hilery or two in New Haven.  I could really use a friend like her!
I was lucky enough to win some of her sweet favorite nail polish and facial lotion.
Don't hate me because I like to post multiple pictures of myself on my blog. It is my blog after all, isn't it?

Girls' Weekend in Park City

My sister Allie and my Aunt Shelly. 

This past weekend the girls in my family (along with baby D because he's my little sidekick) took a trip to Park City. We hit up the Kimball Arts Festival, the swimming pool, watched chick flicks, played games, saw the worst movie ever made (The Other Guys---don't waste two hours of your life on that one), ate sushi, shopped our hearts out, and did mani-pedis galore. It was so fun to have us all together. It has been years since that has happened and it will most likely be many more before it happens again. Thanks for the memories girls!

Me with my bayou sister and my artistic sister

Self portraits always seem like a good idea in the moment...

About to down some sushi in record time.

Davis loved all the attention he got over the weekend.

Getting ready to start our weekend of nonstop fun

My baby sister, Corey, and I at the Arts Festival

My sister Erinne chatting it up with one of the artists. They may as well have been speaking Swedish because I had no idea what they were talking about.

This and That

We're still here, just trying to get ready to move and enjoy our last couple of weeks in Iowa. Here are a few recent pictures.

Ryan and the kids at the park (Davis is still trying to master the whole head control thing, but check out all that blonde hair!)

This one's for my baby sister who requested more pictures of Davis

Maddie at the park, sporting her most recent fashion statement---Isaac's dinosaur pajamas along with her black Mary Janes.

He paused just long enough to say cheese--that smile disappeared from his face seconds later when he had a potty accident...

One last park picture

Last weekend was the annual Favorite Things Party, otherwise known as the social event of the season! I took my new favorite homemade jewelry--scrabble tile necklaces---and went home with a beautiful flower and a loaf of Dutch Apple Cinnamon Pecan Bread, a sweet cookbook and some candy, and a couple of new workout DVDs. What's not to love?

Me with Robyn and Laura--two of my favorite friends

Davis was my date to the party. He was the only male in an entire house full of females. As you can see, by the end of the night it started to get to him a little bit and he was ready to hang out with his dad again...

Favorite Things Party!

Last night we threw what has now become the annual "Favorite Things Party." Let me tell you that the girls did not disappoint! Some of the favorite things included aprons, jewelry,homemade cards, kitchen utensils, movies, and of course chocolate!

The food was also amazing. Along with bringing 3 of your favorite things (the same thing), everyone brought their favorite appetizer or dessert. There was more good food than I could handle and I still have a stomach ache this morning from eating too much. The beauty of this party is that all the hostess has to do is send out an Evite invitation and round up a few paper plates and cups. Everyone else brings the food (appetizers and desserts) and the entertainment (their favorite things). It's like a baby/bridal shower where EVERYONE gets presents! Seriously, what could be better than that?

The crowd sharing their favorite things.

Robyn (the hostess with the mostess), me, Jenni, and Laura. Jenni moves in a couple of weeks and I am going to miss her so much.

Tiffany and Amanda

Me and Shauni. See that necklace I'm sporting? One of the favorite things I won. Love it! Thanks ladies for making it a great night!

Iowa Falls

One of my closest friends, Laura, moved to Iowa Falls late last year. Even though we had only known each other a year when she moved, it was really hard to see her leave. She and I had become great friends and she is someone I look up to in so many ways. She is definitely one of my "mommy mentors"---someone I look to often for advice on how to be a better mother. Luckily, Iowa Falls is only an hour or so north of us, so we visit her every once in awhile and we always have a great time.

About a month ago, we decided it was time to have a little girls' night up north, so me and a couple friends left our kids with the hubbies and made the trek to visit Laura. It was just what I needed! Great food, great conversation, and great friends.

Here is Jenni slaving away in the kitchen, making us a gourmet meal (seriously, when I say gourmet, I mean gour-may!). This is the same Jenni that gave me the rockin' salsa recipe.

While Jenni was busy cooking, I was busy documenting the moment behind the camera. Laura and Robyn, on the other hand, were busy doing a whole lot of nothin'.

Just kidding--Robyn and Laura did help in the kitchen--here you find Robyn carrying on an intense conversation while frying up some appetizers at the same time--such a multi-tasker.

Just before heading out four-wheeling

Can you see the excitement on our faces? We drove the four-wheelers across the frozen Iowa River--something everyone should do before they die. I had never been so excited to live somewhere where it gets cold enough that the rivers are frozen solid. The locals actually drive their four-wheelers on the frozen river to get to the grocery store.

Laura is 7 month preggo in this picture (currently 8+ months) and she still maneuvers the machine with ease

You can't tell because I hide my fear so well, but I was shaking in my boots with Robyn behind the wheel. She told me as she was driving a hundred miles an hour (or at least 20 or 30mph) that she felt invincible while driving! I, on the other hand, saw my life flash before my eyes once or twice...

She, too, is one of my "mommy mentors" here in Iowa--hard to believe from this picture alone, I know.

Have I sold you all on Iowa Falls, yet? Anyone up for a day trip? Seriously, it will make you want to live on a farm! We missed you more than ever, Ash!

Cooking Club

This past winter some friends and I started getting together once a week for what we call "Cooking Club." A different girl hosts each week and teaches the rest of us how to cook something. We've learned how to cook everything from soups to pie crusts to pumpkin bread. We've learned some simple and easy recipes as well as some complex ones. Whoever hosts posts their recipe on this blog. Today, we learned how to make pot stickers. Needless to say, they were delicious.

More than anything it was organized as a way to ward of the winter blues and get our kids out of the house. Sure, it's a little bit crazy and one or multiple children are almost always crying (mine did their fair share of that today), but we have a lot of fun, and the food never disappoints. Plus, the kids get to play at their friends' houses with their friends' toys (which are always much more exciting than the toys they have at home).

I thought that the novelty of it all would wear off after a month or so, but it's still going strong. It keeps us happy and entertained until it's warm enough to go to the park instead.

Wanna come next week? Isaac learned how to push Maddie around on his car while we waited for friends to arrive. She loved it because he was sharing her toy and he loved it because he was being such a "big boy." I loved it because I didn't have to strain my back. Here's the master chef working hard in the kitchen. Shauni taught us what to cook but it was held in my apartment since I live a little bit closer (she lives about a half hour away from most of the girls). Who knew homemade pot stickers could taste so much better than the store-bought variety? Maddie was a little upset that I sat her down so close to the food but wouldn't let her eat it. She needs to get another tooth or two before that can happen.

These are a few of my Favorite Things...

Because we live in an area where there are a lot of student families, each Spring some students move away (either because they are graduating or headed to do rotations in a different city), and each Fall new students move in. It is bitter sweet-it gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful people, but it also means saying a lot of goodbyes.

My kindred-spirit-of-a-friend, Ashley, and I, wanted to do something fun with all the girls before the big move happens (Ashley will be heading to Ohio--sniffle...sniffle).

A special thanks to Andrea who gave us the idea of doing a "Favorite Things Party." Here's how it works. Each girl brought 3 of her favorite things (all the same thing). I saw everything from chap stick to candles to crossword puzzles and more. Each girl also brought her favorite snack/treat to share. We ate and talked and then played a little game. Each person introduced their favorite thing and why they brought it and then drew out three names from the jar (where we had all put our names on three different pieces of paper). Whoever got their name drawn won your favorite thing, so we all went home with 3 different things than we came with. Ryan thought I was crazy for wanting to have such a party but it was so fun (and he gladly took the kids so I could have a night out)!

Here's what I decided to bring as my favorite thing--a special thanks to my sister for introducing me to this amazing face wash--it actually gets warm as you lather it on your face---what could be more refreshing than that? Lisa and Aupreille showing off their faves Erica and Laura Lee--two friends who have since moved to Ohio Ashley and Robyn (who became the cheerleaders of the party--getting so excited and screaming after each girl introduced their favorite thing) All the girls crammed into Ashley's apartment----thanks Ashley!

I went home with some lip gloss, a cute baby bracelet for Maddie, some sweet-smelling soap, and a refreshing candle. I definitely see a tradition starting with this party.

Good Eats

Once a month a bunch of girls living here in Des Moines get together for Recipe Club. Anyone and everyone is invited. There is usually a theme and each girl makes a recipe regarding that theme. Then, they bring their food to the party along with copies of recipe to share with the group (or they post their recipes on this blog.

Erin and Cassie

Last night it was my turn to host the party. The theme I chose was "International Food," So everyone brought foods from different countries. All of the food was SO GOOD!! We had everything from Greek salads to crab wontons to chocolate Italian cakes to sushi.

Ryan and Isaac had a boys night out while the girls came over. The parties are always very well attended (hello? who doesn't love good food?), and I tried to explain this to Ryan, but I think he was a little surprised when he came home to put Isaac to bed (which didn't work out too well since Isaac quickly discovered it would be much more fun to stay up where the party was than go to sleep) and saw our apartment full of people.

When Isaac and Ryan did come home, Isaac was a little shocked to see so many strangers in his house and was clinging to Ryan and I like glue. I mentioned this to Ryan later on that night after everyone had left. "Did you notice how wary of all the girls Isaac was when you first came home?" I said.

"Isaac?" Ryan replied, "What about me? I was more scared than anybody. When I came home and looked around, there were like 15 different conversations going on at once and all of you talking together made this weird buzzing noise. I've never heard anything like it."

He retreated very quickly to our bedroom and stayed there until all the girls left. What does he expect when you get a bunch of women together with a lot of food? He didn't mind having the party here, though, because he got to eat a bunch of the food that I saved for him after everyone left.

In all my haste as hostess I forgot to take pictures of all of the good food. I did take a picture of the cookies I made earlier that day. By the time I remembered to take a picture of all of the other food, most of it had been eaten!

Polka-dot kisses cookies (recipe courtesy of Ryan's South African Mother)

Isaac with Laura Lee (after he got over the shock of all the people)