Sending out Simple Joys!

I can’t say what it is about this year that has lead me to be extra thankful for my people. The people who have built me up, supported my passions and lent a hand when I needed it. But I wanted to do something that made each one of these people feel special. I didn’t want it to be a Christmas gift or anything like that, I wanted it to be little out of the ordinary and well, a little extra. I love giving people little things randomly, just to brighten their day. I am also the kind of person that thinks the simple joys can often be the best ones and I wanted to find a way to package that up. So I thought of some of the best little extra things you sometime happen upon in life and put them all in a shiny envelope because good packaging is one of those special little things for me and sent them off to the greatest humans I know. It was fun, easy, affordable and good for my soul. The best part for me was actually thinking up a list of simple joys like when you get a cocktail and it has a mini umbrella in it, or chocolate that comes out with your bill at the end of a meal. Once the train gets rolling, I think they come pretty easy! You can make it extra personal by including a handwritten or typed list for your gift receiver!

Here are some of the items I included if you are looking for ideas:

1. Little note of encouragement - ban.do

2. Smiley face stickers - amazon

3. Metallic Mailers - amazon

4. Fancy Chocolate - ghirardelli

5. Drink Umbrellas - amazon

6. Confetti - amazon

If you are looking for more inspiration, I always highly recommend Oh Happy Day! (plus their shop is full of fun stuff that would be great for this kind of thing)

Welcoming a Little Adventurer

Most event professionals will tell you that the best part of our jobs is that we get to be with people during some of the most important moments of their lives and that we get to help people capture those moments memories. That is absolutely true. What is also absolutely true is that it is so easy to forget and to sweat the details a little too much. Sometimes, I just need something to ground me, to be humbled by the complete honor it is that people allow me to help them commemorate such big occasions. Sometimes, that's seeing a bride walk down the aisle and sometimes that is watching people reunite for the first time in years at a celebration. This past weekend, it was the honor of getting to help celebrate a new little one that in the life of one of my friends!

Hosted in my very own backyard, we threw an adventure themed baby shower appropriate for the personalities of our friends. Because I am me, everything had to on theme. I brought some of our furniture outside for a loungy feel and kept the menu light with trail snacks. While it was fun to honor my friend by using a skill set that I don't always get to flex in my personal life, it was even more fun to watch all the beautiful women in her life rally around her in the atmosphere I created. 

Ladies Celebrating Ladies

Happy Galentine's Day Friends! In the words of Leslie Knope herself, "it's the best day of the year". Ladies celebrating Ladies. If you're scratching your head right now asking what's Galentine's Day? Do yourself a favor, open a new tab and go watch Season 2, Episode 16 of Parks and Rec right now before you do anything else. 

As much as I would like to think otherwise, I am not nearly as good at celebrating my female friends accomplishments as Ms. Leslie Knope herself, who is endlessly complementing the women around her. So, even though it is a fictional holiday, from a TV show, I am personally thankful that Galentine's has turned into a Holiday all it's own. In my city alone, there are dozens of public events being held today for the very purpose of Ladies celebrating Ladies. Galentine's day, at least for me, is a great way to hit the reset button on any feelings I have of competition or judgement I have towards other women in my life. 

The celebration of Galentine's day on Parks and Rec was my first introduction to the concept of Shine Theory, something that I have actively been trying to practice in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, you need to read and bookmark this article by Anne Friedman. The concept is essentially this: "If you Shine, I Shine". Meaning, when we are in the proximity of women who are doing inspiring, chart topping, lady boss things, we also look like bosses by being close to them. So, instead of trying to push each other down and claw our ways to the top Shine Theory says we should lift eachother up? It's a lot less exhausting and frankly more fun to tell eachother how impressed and in awe we are of one another than to try put on 1000 layers of fear and loathing and try to come up with reasons why we don't like the boss lady things are friends are doing right? 

Or as Friedman writes, "When we hate on women who we perceive to be more “together” than we are, we’re really just expressing the negative feelings we have about our own careers, or bodies, or relationships." And well I don't want my friends hating on their own situations, so why would I add fuel to that flame? 

I will fully admit, sometimes this is easier said than done for me. I personally have 27 years of messed up patterns I learned from growing up in a world that told me I had to fight tooth and nail with my fellow ladies to get noticed and get anywhere (emphasis on the messed up). Shockingly similar to it's Valentine's Day, I do feel like everyday should be Galentine's Day. As someone who loves throws parties for a living, I am also thankful for the opportunity to have a day to throw a party to celebrate my gal pals, "It's like Lilith Fair, minus the angst, plus frittatas." 

And Hopefully If I get my blog game up - more on the party later :)

Peace Friends.