A Pinterest Party!

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 If you have not yet heard of Pinterest, let me tell you, it is amazing. Whoever thought of this site was brilliant!  Many of my friends are obsessed hooked, and it is inspiring me to try all sorts of new things, from wardrobe ideas to party ideas to home decorating.  If you are unfamiliar with Pinterest, it is basically an online bulletin board where you can post pictures you find from different websites (in one place).  You can make boards like: recipes, home decorating, hair ideas, wardrobe, funny things, etc...  You can also see the pictures your friends have posted, and re-post them to your own board.  It is a really fun time-waster hobby.

For instance, last night I was going to a concert with my husband (an Amy Grant/Michael W Smith reunion tour that was A-MAZING), when my sister took one look at my outfit and said I looked like one of the Duggar daughters. At first I thought she meant Jaycee Dugard and I was confused.  Then she clarified that I looked like one of the "19 Kids and Counting" Duggar daughters.  Um, yeah. Thanks, sister!  That's what sisters are for, right? Basically she said I was dressed like the Amish.

So, I remembered some pictures from my Pinterest board and came out dressed like this instead:

I call this one "I'm not pregnant, I just look like it."  Anyway, I digress.  I wore a Pinterest-inspired look and my sister approved, and off we went.

The day before, I had planned a Pinterest-themed surprise party for my best friend.  We wanted to keep it small and intimate, so there were only 10 of her closest friends invited, and all of them love Pinterest.  We chose Pinterest-inspired food and Pinterest-inspired dishes.  Each of us invaded her boards without her knowing, chose her favorite things, and showered her with love. It was SO much fun!!

I know, I know... I chose the side braid 2 days in a row, but what can I say? I got the idea from Pinterest!

My gift to her was a bubble gum necklace that I made (idea from Pinterest, which I will also blog about later this week)...

And this framed print that I found on Pinterest (but purchased from Etsy)...

While we were partying, we all pitched in and made her a wreath out of magazine flowers (another pinterest idea). It came out beautiful!

Overall the day was amazing - not only because of our amazing friend, but the fellowship and laughter we all shared together...

 Happy Pinterest Birthday Heather!!  :)

How To Meet Other Moms

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It's Back to School time!  Many of your kids have already started school, while my big boy starts 1st grade on Sept. 7th, and my little one starts preschool the week after.

With new classes come new friends for our kids.  I have a desire to know each of my kid's friends by name, as well as their parents.  This will get even more important as they grow older, and I would really love for our house to be the place that other kids want to come.  In order for that to happen, I have to work hard now to create relationships.  Nobody wants to send their child to a strangers house to play, including me.

By nature I am more of an introvert, so reaching out and making new friends is not always easy for me. In fact, there were days where I wanted to send my husband to drop off and pick up, just so I could have a break from socializing during those times.  When Micah was in preschool, his class size was only 10 children, and the other outgoing moms made it easy for me to get to know them.  As he entered kindergarten, however, his class size went up to 30, and I was daily hearing new kid's names who I didn't know.  By the end of the year I knew every child's name in his class, scheduled playdates throughout the year, and had other moms calling just to say hello.  Again, not easy for an introvert, but I wanted to do it for my son.

Meeting other moms not only creates new friendships, but it is also a way of creating connections that will last throughout the years.  The friendships I made with the moms in Micah's first year of preschool are still strong, and we still get together regularly for playdates, even though our kids go to different schools.  My husband has gotten to know their husbands and we've invited these families to church, to birthday parties, and networked with the businesses they have.

For those of you who might have difficulty reaching out, here are a few things that have worked for me, a fellow introvert:

-Volunteer in the class. Even if it's for 2 hours a week, it makes a difference.  You get to see who your kids friends are, how they interact, and begin to know all the kids by name.  You hear their family stories.  The kids love when you volunteer in the class; I would always have numerous kids come up and hug me and ask when I was coming back.  This way, when you meet the parents, you can say, "I volunteer in the classroom," and that always opens up doors for conversation.

-Arrive at drop off and pick up early.  This is where parents just stand around and wait, a great breeding ground for conversation.  Here are a few conversation starters:
     "Is this your first year at the school?"
     "Do you guys live around here?"
     "Do you know anything about such-and-such event coming up?"
     "How is the year going for your son/daughter?"
     "How does your son/daughter like school so far?"

-If your child has certain playmates at school, meet their parents and ask if you can go to the park after school one day.  Grab some snacks, and head over to the nearest park for even an hour.  We did this numerous times during the school year and I made some great friends during our park time.  It is helpful to offer to meet in a neutral location (at least for the first time), since some people may not feel comfortable entering your home with their child if they barely know you.

-Become a room parent.  Yes, this usually takes some work, so be sure you have the time if you commit to it.  But this is a fantastic way to keep in communication with the other parents and kids.

-If you can't devote the time to being a room parent, ask the teacher for other ways you can help out. Our classroom had a parent in charge of the Scholastic Reading program, and that parent would mail out monthly letters to the parents. That is all she did, yet we all got to know her name and her face.

-Go on a field trip with your child's class.  Reassure the other parents that you will be there to help keep an eye on the children. They will love you!

-If you cannot volunteer during school hours, see if there are other ways you can help out at school during other activities at night.  This will still give you opportunities to meet parents.

Obviously to do all of these would be really overwhelming.  One mom gave me a great piece of advice when Micah entered Kindergarten: "Don't volunteer for everything."  She got burned out fast.  In the same way, don't do everything on this list, but pick one or two if you want to meet other parents.

What other ways have you found to meet parents?  What advice would you give to moms looking to meet other moms?

Easy Entertaining

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I used to be pretty scared of entertaining people.  Not as in - dancing and singing entertaining, but having people over to my house entertaining.  My house was small.  It was (very) humble.  It wasn't always clean. I didn't have a nice backyard for kids to run around in.  So, I missed out on some good opportunities.  When I did overcome my own inhibitions, I found that others were very gracious and thankful, and they felt right at home.

Since moving I have had a lot more people over.  A little more space does make a difference, and although we haven't increased a ton in square footage, I am closer in proximity to friends now and have no excuse!

I still tend to get a bit overwhelmed when thinking of what to prepare when friends come over.  However, I have come to rely on a few staples that make entertaining very easy and simple.  No matter what time of day you prefer, I hope you find a few helpful tips here!

The Breakfast Hour:
Let's say you want to invite a friend and her kids over at around 10am.  Here are my staples:

-Assorted Teas (Just get water ready to boil)
-Coffee (be sure to have half & half, sugar, or other "fun" creamer available)
-Homemade Banana Bread or a store-bought breakfast bread or pastry item.  (Cut this recipe in half and then cook it in a bundt pan.  Best banana bread recipe I have ever used!)

-Some fruit, but only if I have it on hand.  Cut up apples, grapes, orange slices or bananas sliced in half can look pretty on a nice plate.

That's it!  I find that kids and moms alike seem to enjoy banana bread, and so I put it in the oven one hour before they come over.  The smell of warm banana bread is welcoming and homey.

The Lunch Hour:
If you're having such a great time from your mid-morning affair that you'd like to carry it onto lunch time, OR you want to just invite someone over for lunch, here are a few ideas:

For the kids:
-Mac & Cheese.  Who doesn't love mac & cheese?  You can pick up Annie's Organic Mac & Cheese if you have fancy friends :) (they sell it at Target).

-Applesauce cups
-Sliced carrots
-Juice boxes.  We hardly ever have juice in our house, but I do bring it out when we have company over.  Kids love juice boxes!

For the moms:
It can be difficult knowing what other moms like to eat.  I have had good experience with these:
-Bagged salad mixes: especially the ones with spinach, cranberries, blue cheese and vinaigrette.
-Baguette rolls with turkey breast, swiss cheese, tomato and lettuce.  You can pick up fun sauces at Trader Joe's too, like cranberry sauce, pesto, chipotle mayonnaise, etc.  Even more fun if you toast the bread, turkey and cheese!
-Fruit on the side (again, grapes or cut up apples do fine)
-Iced Tea.  For this, I just boil 6 cups of water, add 4 tea bags and steep, then pour over 8-10 cups of cold water and ice.  Have sugar available for those who like to sweeten it themselves.

The Dinner Hour:

I usually do one of two meal options here:

Option 1 (All American Meal):
-Shredded chicken with BBQ sauce on rolls.
Simply put enough chicken breast in a crockpot with 1/2 jar of BBQ sauce, and simmer on low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken before serving and put on rolls.  You can also find amazing recipes for Pulled Pork here, if you prefer that instead.
-Roasted corn.  You can buy pre-roasted corn at Trader Joe's, or just take frozen corn and roast in a skillet.  Roasted corn is SO yummy!
-Salad.  (see bagged salad above).
-Potato or Macaroni Salad, or any other side of your choosing.

Option 2 (Mexican Meal):
- Sour Cream Enchiladas
- Crock Pot Pinto Beans (use this recipe but put them in a crock pot instead for 8-10 hours)
- Spanish Rice
- Salad

Dessert:
- If I'm keeping it simple (which I usually do), I just make brownies and shake powdered sugar on top.  You can make them even more pretty by adding raspberries and mint leaves if you like, or make some fancy brownies by finding a recipe here.

- For something more fancy, I might make a cake.

Okay, now you have no excuses!! :)  I encourage you to have someone over this month.  Have a playdate, or a family over for dinner.  Or just have a friend over for tea.  It will bless and encourage someone so much!

What are your entertaining staples?