My Favorite Things

(I know, I know...I'm really behind :D)

I read about this party a couple of months ago and knew that I wanted to have one...it sounded so much fun and I loved the idea, Sonia suggested that I use my birthday as an excuse (but if we're being honest who needs an excuse for a party? ;D).

Here are the basics of the idea: each person picks a favorite (can be anything...lotion, candy, recipe, gift card, etc.) and brings five of the same thing. I put a $5 limit on each favorite but you could pick whatever you want to. When they arrive at the party they write their name on five separate slips of paper and put them in a bowl. When the time comes everyone draws five pieces of paper (with five different names on them), you then give one of your favorite to each of the names that you drew. At the end of the party you go home with five new favorites.

Part of Mom's favorites...she loves cards so she made a pack of cards for her thing.

My favorites in my chair and ready to go (because I love to bake I made a baking kit---muffin pan, cute pink and polka-dotty (both favorites too!) muffin liners and sprinkles).

I made salt scrubs as the party favor.

We played the word game...you couldn't say the word "like" (do you realize how hard that is?), every time you said it you had to give a penny to the person that "caught" you. At the end of the party the person with the most pennies received a prize.

Two of my favorite colors! All lined up pretty and ready to go.

This year I had everyone also bring a favorite dessert...because I'm always trying new recipes I have many favorites. I made cookie cups and filled them with a cream cheese pastry filling and then topped them with a strawberry pastry filling.

We started the party with lots of talking (of course what kind of girl talking would be without talking?)

Irene (from Trafalga) and I.

Libbey, Mom, and I

Our family is really good at the silly pictures :)

Anna, I, Janet, and Candace...my roommates from last year (I found out like five seconds before or after this picture that Candace had gotten engaged!)

Filling out the papers with their names.

Kimmy

Brea getting some of the really yummy drink

Leah and I

To fill some of the time we played catch phrase (with lots of candy as the prize)... playing catch phrase without being able to say "like" is really really hard--try is sometime!

After the games came desserts!

A classic Anna and Candace

Our New Favorites!

Brea and Kimmy

Libbey

Mom

Candace

Anna

Irene

Janet

Erin

Charissa

Leah

I loved the variety in favorites that were given/received...

Brea/Kimmy (Caramel Apples--yumm!)--Irene, Charissa, Mom, Anna, and Leah

Libbey (Be Active Kits--water-bottle, gloves, chapstick and I'm not sure what else)--Erin, Anna, Janet, Charissa, Leah

Mom (Card Kits)--Janet, Libbey, Candace, Irene, Kimmy/Brea

Candace (Easter egg full of Change)--Erin, Mom, Kimmy/Brea, Janet, Beth

Janet (Cinnamon Cheerios)--Libbey, Leah, Irene, Candace, Erin

Anna (Playing Cards)--Janet, Libbey, Erin, Beth, Mom

Irene (Nail Polish)--Charissa, Candace, Beth, Leah, Kimmy/Brea

Erin (Cross Stitch Kits)--Mom, Charissa, Kimmy/Brea, Janet, Beth

Charissa--Libbey (Red Vines), Anna (Spatulas), Mom (Loofa), Erin (Candle), Candace (Silly Putty)

Leah (Pretzel Turtle Kits)--Charissa, Anna, Beth, Irene, Kimmy/Brea

Beth (Cupcake Kits)--Leah, Libbey, Candace, Irene, Anna

I really enjoyed this party and I plan on making this an annual thing every year sometime in October. I do think that I will switch it up every year and I will change what the favorite food that people bring is (Soup, Salad, Casserole, Appetizer, etc.). I think that it would be fun to see what different people enjoy.

Thanks to all those that came this year I hope that you had fun and that I will get to see you again next year!