2018 Favorite Things Party

Earlier this month I hosted my annual Favorite Things Party with some friends.

If you are new around here, I have hosted a scarf exchange for quite a few years now.

But last year I decided to change it up and make it a Favorite Things Party!

You can check out last year's party here that featured our favorite beauty items.

This year the theme was Wearable Accessories.

Honestly, I knew the second that I said accessories what item I was sharing :)

Unfortunately, I didn't snap a picture before I packaged up the goods in these super cute tins from Hobby Lobby.

I scored them for $1 a piece!

Inside those tins were these super soft and lightweight camo earrings from Baubles by B.

I actually found them on her Etsy shop originally, but found ordering from her actual site just as easy :)

I ordered the 2 inch size to gift since it is a great size for everyone :)

We all gathered at 1285 Winery located at The Blueberry Patch.

I was able to reserve the upstairs space at no additional charge.

It was perfect!

We ordered some drinks and food, and got the exchange underway.

They make this Apple Cider Wine that is SO GOOD!

But my favorite part is that they rim the glass with brown sugar.

YUM!!!

There were a variety of bags, but of course you know the camo and buffalo plaid were right up my alley ;)

If you have been to a party like this before, go ahead and skip ahead to the pictures.

If you haven't attended a party like this before, let me explain how we did things this year.

I had a bag with all of the attendees names (5X) in it for us to draw from.

I didn't want anyone to draw their own name, so I switched things up a bit this year and we all drew 5 names each before exchanging.

(Then you know no one is left with their own gift)

Instead of gifting those 5 people with your gift, we decided that you would receive the gifts from those 5 people you drew.

Once those 5 gifts were passed out, those 5 people opened them at the same time.

I really think things went great this year!

And we had such a variety of items!

Here are some of the goodies we brought home with us...

By the way the items were displayed in those photos above, pretty sure my friends know they were being featured on the blog ;)

Here are the items I brought home...

A lot of the items we exchanged were from local boutiques,
but I did find some similar pieces to link for you.

CC Beanie - Leg Warmers - Feather Earrings - Camo Earrings 
Pom & Beanie - Cross Bracelets - Crystal Bracelets - Finishing Spray
Christmas Decor - Cardigan - Dry Shampoo - Hair Tie 
Face Mask - Wine Glass - Socks - Scarf


After exchanging all those wonderful items,
we ate, laughed, and just had a good time hanging out with each other :)

And we may have had some dessert too! ;)

I absolutely love hosting this party every year, but more importantly I love getting to spend time with these amazing ladies :)

Do you host or participate in a favorite things party or scarf party?
If so, what type of items do you exchange?
What do you think our theme should be for next year?

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

XOXO ~ Vanessa

Maybe Next Week & Coco Fun!

Linking up with Andrea, Narci & Erika for...

Well it wouldn't be right if this morning was any different than the rest of the week.

Holy moly!

We have overslept/been running late all week!

Thankfully, we have a pretty low key weekend ahead of us so hopefully we can catch up on some sleep and get back to normal for next week.

Plus, next week is a short work/school week so it can't be that hard right?!?!

Anyways, let's get on with my FAVORITES from the week!

 On Friday evening I hosted my annual exchange party with friends.

This year we changed it up and made it a FAVORITE Things Party!

Check out all the details here :)

On Saturday, X and I traveled north to celebrate my grandma's 83rd birthday :)

My FAVORITE part of the day?

This little one (my niece) FINALLY not crying when she sees me!

In fact, I was able to make her laugh!

And she let me touch her!!!!

<insert all the praise hands emojis here>

I even went home and used my mug my brother gave me in celebration :)

 I did my normal grocery shopping Sunday evening, so I knew I needed something to help me get through it.

Stopped by my FAVORITE coffee spot inside Kroger and enjoyed my FAVORITE holiday drink :)

Target had a 30% coupon on Cartwheel Sunday for sleepwear for kids, so I swung by there to pick up a couple things for X.

While there I saw they had 20% off all adult sleepwear.

I couldn't pass this combo up!

My new FAVORITE for sure!

It came with the hat, sweatshirt, shorts, and socks for about $20!

I asked this question on my Instastories the other day, but I figured I would ask it here too.

I am looking at picking up another curling iron for looser waves.

Should I go with a fatter clamp style iron or a curling wand?

What are your FAVORITE brands?

The other morning I was taking out the trash and decided to take a minute to scout out a spot for our family photos.

Living in the country sure isn't fun all the time, but I do have in a built backdrop for our photos every year :)

This was my FAVORITE spot :)

 I have wanted to order something from WeeStructed for a couple of years now, but I never remember until it is too late or the items I want are sold out :(
Well, I remembered early this year and picked up a couple gifts for X's teacher this week.

My FAVORITE part....they already arrived!!!!

Crazy fast shipping! And the products look great!

Someone from the company even emailed me a thank you note!

Rockstar service in my opinion!

I shared some of X's FAVORITE things right now that are on his Birthday/Christmas wish list.

I am sure the little boys in your life would like some of these items as well :)

Instagram FAVORITES of the week

It has been forever since I received a box from Influenster!

Well, one just arrived this week and I was super excited!

I briefly opened and already saw a couple of items that I will love!

A full post will be coming to the blog next week!

#funmailismyFAVORITE

NOT MY FAVORITE - remembering that X had to bring a snack to school this morning that began with the letter of the week :(

I made a Kroger run around 9pm last night to pick up some applesauce for all the kiddos.

And that is it for the week!

I am looking forward to relaxing at home and getting some more Christmas shopping done :)

What are your weekend plans?

If you are in the Cleveland, Ohio area check out this fun event for your kiddos tomorrow :)

This Saturday (November 18), each Young Chefs Academy in Northeast Ohio is hosting a special event to celebrate the new Disney/Pixar movie, COCO.  This one-of-a-kind cooking workshop will take fans through several fun recipes, which take their cue from the storyline of the animated movie.   Each event will feature COCO giveaways.  Participating locations include Strongsville, Mentor (in Great Lakes Mall) and Solon.  Event times vary per location.  Please note there is a registration fee to participate.

For locations and more info,  please go to: https://youngchefsacademy.com/coco

About The Movie:

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Héctor (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history. Directed by Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist “Monsters University”) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (“Toy Story 3”), Disney•Pixar’s “Coco” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2017.

Favorite Things Party

Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Over the weekend I hosted my annual exchange party with friends, but this year I changed it up a bit.

For the last 4 or 5 years we have done a scarf exchange, but this year we exchanged some of our favorite beauty items instead!

So here's the details...

Each person brings 5 of the same item

I set a limit of $7-10 per item

The theme this year was Favorite Beauty Item

There were 10 of us this year, but we still opted to meet out for dinner at ABC Kitchen.

Once we ordered we started the exchange.

I had printed some little questionnaires that I had each of the ladies fill out for me while we were waiting to order.

I read the favorites off and the rest of the ladies had to guess who it was.

It was fun since not everyone knows each other that well :)

Once we figured out who it was, that person drew 5 names from a bag and gave their favorite item(s) to those ladies.

We continued this until everyone had 5 new items to bring home with them :)

Now onto what everyone brought!
I picked up these super cute cosmetic bags from Etsy and had all the ladies names printed on them as favors.

And here is the what my Favorite beauty item looked like...

Nail polish on my nails always makes me feel pulled together.

And this shade is my absolute favorite, go-to polish for years!

I get so many questions about it on Instagram, Facebook, etc. that I knew I had to share with my friends!

It is Take It Outside by Essie.

Honestly, it is the perfect neutral!

There were so many bags I couldn't get them all in the picture!

Hi Lindsay! :)

And here is what each of the ladies brought home with them...

Essie Nail Polish
yes to tomatoes Charcoal mask
Mario Badescu Facial Spray
Organic Coconut Oil
EOS lip balm
Moroccanoil shampoo & conditioner
Yuni Shower Sheets
que bella face mask
Bath bombs
Makeup brushes
Burt's Bee chapstick & face wipes

Sally Hansen nail polish


Overall I think it turned out great!
I am already thinking about the theme for the next one :)
You could easily host this party any time of the year too!

Do you participate in an exchange with your friends at the holidays or throughout the year?