moms' night out

Shortly after having Grant last summer I joined the Livermore Mom's club which is a great network to connect with other mothers in your same stage. Being a part of this group really meant the world to me as we got going in this journey of parenthood, and especially for me staying at home with Grant. These ladies are a support system and have really become my dear friends.

When our 'first time mothers of '09 babies' playgroup got started we had to decide who would be in charge. And if you know me you know I like doing that:), plus it gave me something to keep me busy, as well as a way to feel like I was really helping other people. Shortly after getting on our feet we all realized we needed to make an exerted effort to create 'ME' time; time away from our babies and even our husbands. We needed a time to just be 'the girls' and to enjoy our womanhood without focusing on our new babies, or even necessarily our motherhood.

So, we started having a Moms' Night Out event once a month. It has been tough to focus on everything else in our lives, the things that existed for so many years before baby, but it has been an adventure to encourage each other to not talk about our kids and to remember who we are aside from them:) It has really brought us very close. Here are the details and a few pics from some events so far.

1st Moms' Night: Wine & Cheese Party. This was a joint effort by myself and my friend Hillary who hosted at her beautiful home. We needed an excuse to drink again and to taste some delicious cheeses!!


2nd Moms' Night: Recipe Exchange and Potluck. I hosted this event at my home and although the turn out was small, it was really the beginning of some close friendships.

3rd Moms' Night: Chair Dancing Class. Our friend Mindy had gone to a class at this new gym which focuses on unique ways to get in shape. Anywhere from pole dancing, to urban striptease, you can find a fun way to work out at this location!! And yes, we even did the routine in heels... seriously 10x harder, and more dangerous too:)



Striking a pose.

4th Moms' Night: Dinner with a Personal Chef. I had this idea after finding an add in the newspaper. After pitching it to the ladies, our friend Abbey suggested going with her old friend from college who did this very thing and lived only a few towns away. It was a wonderful night with some of the regulars from the mamas group:) We learned new tricks, heard about how to shop the local farmers' markets, and dined on a delicious meal!


Me working my inner desperate housewife while slicing oranges.


Abbey hard at work rolling out the homemade pasta we later made into both fettuccine and bow tie.


Leslie getting her grate on with the lemon.


Our delicious appetizer of baked brie with mini toasts and apples with mint- oh and the amazing fig jam!!!


The gals: Hillary, Abbey, Leslie, and me.