friends – Page 2

annual favorite things party

I’m going to go ahead and say that our Favorite Things Party is my favorite holiday event. Sorry family, you’re nice and all, but this one is the best.

My First Thursday friends (girls I graduated high school with and hang out with once a month) and I started this tradition last year and it was so much fun that we decided to make it a yearly occurrence. We brought decadent, guilt-producing, delicious food (I made whipped cheesecake and holiday potatoes), drank adult beverages, and exchanged gifts. So much fun.

The premise of the Favorite Things Party is that each person comes up with a present that they love (our money limit was $10 per gift), buys enough of it for everyone (in our case, eight other people), and then we take turns explaining our gifts and why we love it while our friends open them. It’s fun to hear what my friends love, what makes their lives easier, what they do to relax, and what they hope we get out of their gifts.

What did everyone get, you ask? Well, thanks for asking.

Kristen brought everyone Indiana glassware so we could start collecting the set that she’s been coveting. I had never seen them before, but now want the rest too. Plus, she threw in some classy gum. (I can’t find the glass online, but she got her goods from this awesome, local store that sells tons of Indiana stuff if that’s your thing.)

One thing I think of when I think about high school is riding around in Melissa’s blue Mustang. We all loved that car and I remember vividly that she always had air fresheners for the vents or hanging from the mirror. Which is funny that she bought everyone car air fresheners but ones that are a million times better than the ones from the nineties. (Side note: she might have also been covering up the smell of smoke when we were in high school but those days are in the past, right Mom?) These sparkly ones from Bath & Body Works clip to your visor and then have refillable scents. Mine is already hanging out in my minivan making things sweet and peppermint-y.

Emily brought everyone a night of relaxation: fuzzy socks, popcorn, pop, and a scented candle. All I have to add is a good book and I’ll be set for hours. As someone who really likes to spend time alone, this gift really speaks to me.

My friend Heather who has been on this running quest with me this year got everyone new running socks. Not everyone in our group is a runner, but more people are testing out the waters after seeing Heather and I survive some long runs. It makes me proud to see how far we’ve run this year and that Heather wants to share that new joy with others.

Jessi is the expert pie maker; she makes tons of pies every holiday season and she surprised all of us with chocolate cream pies in customized pie dishes. We’re still working our way through our delicious pie (that she made crustless since I’m still trying to eat paleo-ish) and rumor has it my last name will be inscribed on the bottom when we finish it off. I don’t even know what to do with that, it’s just too fancy.

Jessica shared The Wet Brush with us and it is CHANGING LIVES. Have you heard of this before? Jessica cuts my hair which makes her a very patient woman, but she also has young daughters with ratty hair and less patience with them. And I, as the mom of children with the most tender heads in the world, will try anything to make the screaming stop. This brush is magical. I don’t know how it works and why, but I will use no other brush forever and ever, amen. (Another side note: does more screaming mean you brush harder or does that just happen at my house? Eh.)

Amber brought her favorite ways to make it through the winter months without getting sick. She’s got three kids and runs the children’s programing at a local health club so she gets germy often. New soap and hand sanitizer that smell great are never bad ideas.

Jennifer thinks we all stink so she got us perfume. Just kidding. I think. But a girl can never have enough perfume.

And my favorite thing this year was very similar to last year’s favorite thing. I obviously have a thing for lip gloss. I never wear lipstick, but I’ve always got gloss or Chapstick nearby. So I gave everyone C.O. Bigelow’s Rose Salve plus some of my world famous chocolate chip cookies. The Rose Salve can be used as lip gloss, cuticle repair, eye shadow, and blush, plus about a million other ways. And the cookies have to be consumed in one sitting, preferably binge-style followed by lots of guilt. At least that’s how I do it.

The party was fun, I picked up some killer gift (what Christmas is really about…I KID), and I got to hang out with some of my favorite friends for the evening. If you’re still not convinced a Favorite Things Party is for you, I don’t know what to do with you.

my memories of these two men

Last week I lost my good friend Joe and then, less than forty-eight hours later, my grandfather died.

To say that the past seven days have been rough would be an understatement. I wake up each morning remembering that they’re no longer here, that I won’t see Joe at school in a few weeks, and that my grandpa won’t be around for Christmas this year. Right now I’m trying out a new normal that feels itchy and bruised and painful.

I don’t feel angry even though both their deaths could have been avoided and were messy. I don’t feel anything at all, really, and then, a second later, I feel everything. I feel too much, too deeply and too overwhelming. There is no in between, I’m either completely fine or completely wrong.

I know so many people are waiting to hear my words, my memories of these two men. The night Joe died, I couldn’t turn away from Facebook, couldn’t turn away from the memories people were posting. Friends and coworkers were sharing their disbelief, their shock, and their hurt and it felt good and comforting to know that the things I was feeling were being echoed by others. That I wasn’t alone in my pain, my loss, and my confusion.

And now people are waiting for more of that. Friends have mentioned they’re looking forward to what I have to say about Joe. And my beautiful memories of my grandpa, they can’t wait to read stories about his life and who he was.

But I don’t have any words yet.

I’m sorry.

I am consumed by the thought of these two no longer being in my life. But I don’t know how to write about it yet. I don’t know how to tell the world about them in a way that would do them justice and honor. Because that’s what they deserve.

That’s where I’m at right now, why there was silence last week, and why there might be more. The words will come eventually, I’m sure. They always do and it’s normally when I least expect it.

In the mean time, these from Anne Lamott will have to do:

You will lose someone you can’t live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you will never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly–that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.

favorite things party

The holiday parties are in full swing (I’ve got two this week alone!) and just as things were starting to get busy, my favorite First Thursday girls and I got together for a little celebration of our own.

We had the usual: drinks, yummy food, and great conversations, but this time we threw in a little favorite things gift exchange to make the evening even better. Everyone was in charge of finding that one thing they love dearly and buying enough for everyone else. So I showed up at Melissa’s house with seven of my favorite lip balms (more on that later) and everyone else did the same.

I’m not going to lie, I was excited about this event all day. Even my students said I was acting nicer than normal. I just love hanging out with these girls, reconnecting after all these years and, all of the sudden, doing life together again. It’s sweeter the second time around, for sure.

We had so much fun, I’m telling everyone I know they should do this with their friends or family. Here’s how it worked:

It’s really simple: everyone invited brings enough of one gift for everyone else. Eat lots of yummy food and drink delicious drinks that make your belly warm and fuzzy. Then when bellies are full, it’s time to pass out the gifts!

Every girl got to pass out her gift and then talk about it (why it was her favorite, what was so great about it, etc.) as everyone else opened them. I loved hearing about everyone’s favorite things and why they loved them. And I think I picked up a couple new favorite things as well.

Jennifer brought Albanese gummie bears, specifically the red, blue, and white ones because those are her favorite flavors. Albanese Candy is an Indiana confectionery that makes the greatest gummie bears I’ve ever tasted. She said their factory is something right out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and they deliver!

Jessi is the poster child for shopping local and she brought a sample pack of her favorite perfumes from an Indianapolis-based company, Ambre Blends. They create organic body products and I’m already a big fan of the solace essence.

Heather brought awesome packages of Rubbermaid. And you would not believe how excited we all got about them. It was embarrassing. Lids that actually go to something! Matching bowls! Thrilling.

Jessica’s favorite thing was the new Pampered Chef mini nylon serving spatula. Again, we all got a little too excited over this one. Oh, the scooping possibilities! Also, welcome to adulthood, let’s make brownies!

Amber’s favorite holiday is Christmas and so she brought beautiful snowflake ornaments for everyone. I’ve already got mine hanging on the tree and it looks smashing if I do say so myself.

Krissy brought a little grab-bag of favorites including Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Bath and Body Works candle, gum, Nivea A Kiss of Shimmer lip balm, and Ghirardelli chocolate squares. She had so many favorites she couldn’t decide, but I’m not complaining.

Melissa shared her favorite sandstone citrus scrub from Lush. The smell alone was worth the buy, so I can’t imagine what magic it’s going to do as an exfoliate.

And I brought my favorite of favorites. I have these in every purse, keep one in my desk at school, and in random cars, some that I don’t even own. C. O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine from Bath and Body Works. This stuff has just a enough mint to make your lips tingle, masks bad breath in a pinch, and has the perfect amount of shine. It’s the only thing I wear on my lips.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t get a lot of surprises for Christmas. I know what’s waiting for me under the tree, but this night of little gifts from my friends was perfect. It was exciting and fun to share the things we love with each other. And it doesn’t hurt that as I’m writing this, I’m snacking on gummie bears and enjoying a sweet smelling candle.

What’s also great about this idea is that you don’t have to wait for Christmas to do it. This is the busiest time of the year and sometimes you just can’t cram onemorething into your schedule. Do this on a girls’ night in the spring or host a summer BBQ with your favorite things. Maybe throw in a themed favorite things night: pick a color for the gifts, a room of the house (kitchen-related items, vanity-related items, office-related items, etc.), buy only local gifts, or focus on a specific culture (Italian! Spanish! French!).

What do you think? Have you done something like this before? Do you have any fun theme ideas?

« Previous Page

SHARE OUR SITE