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Anyone who's met me knows my love for all things Oprah. Throughout the holiday season I was trying to think of a party to throw for my friends that would be different, not a cocktail party (although cocktails were definitely served), not an ugly sweater party (although those are fun). I started thinking about all of my favorite things & how I love to tell people about great finds (Oprah's Favorite Things anyone?). And voila, the Favorite Things party was born. I then looked online & found, this was not an original idea. My ego was bruised, but not beaten. I came up with a list of friends who I knew would be up for it - signature cocktails & hot cocoa, delicious food & a boat-load of favorite things!
Unlike traditional Favorite Things parties, I knew my friends would
want one of everything (only going home with 3 items? Not my friends!) The rules were simple - bring 14 of your favorite item under $10. I gave suggestions of Trader Joes, Target, Walgreens, Whole Foods or even a homemade dessert. My friends did NOT disappoint! Everyone put one item in each gift bag & one of the display tray (pictured below).
We started the evening by serving a signature cocktail - hot spiced
cider with a splash of salted caramel vodka & a cinnamon stick. (Thank you to my friend Amy for the cocktail idea, you can read her amazing blog at: The Appreciator and it's totally worth the read.) We also had plenty of wine & beer to go around. (Plus, I got the chance to use my dishes & glassware from my wedding registry - score!)
There was plenty of food & wine for all. We made fantastic crock-pot meatballs, (thank you to my wonderful friends Tracy & Sarah for the assistance.) Trader Joes appetizers featured heavily & a gorgeous cheese board, veggie tray, hummus & crackers & of course dessert! If you know anything about me at all, I have a compulsion to overfeed my friends. I can't help it & I blame this issue 100% on my mother who has the EXACT same problem. My dad & my husband both shake their heads & walk away, knowing they are helpless to stop us. It's a problem. It's not going to change. I'm okay with it.
Then we get to the good stuff - the favorite things! My friends brought everything from chocolate covered almonds to mascara to socks to eye-shadow, face serum, headbands, a lucky bamboo plant, coffee shop gift card, mint brownies, Starbucks scones, hot chocolate mix, oatmeal soap, vitamin E oil, mini to-go fork & spoon, stationary & more! Everyone went around the room telling each person about the item they brought & why it was their favorite. We were all so excited to try all these new items.
We finished the evening with a demitasse cup of hot chocolate with
mini-marshmallows & a mini-candy cane. Everyone grazed on
puppy chow (a personal favorite), German cookies brought by a dear friend, Kathrin & pound cake (thank you Liz!) It was a hit! Everyone had a wonderful time & we are already planning our next party. It was great for my friends to meet new people & make new connections. That's one of the best parts of my job - being able to connect people who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet.
So, again, what does this have to do with real estate? I can tell you that everyone at the party either works with my at First Weber, my team has sold a home to or I've met through a real estate connection. The bottom line, by turning my clients into my friends, I've been lucky enough to grow my friend circle to include some pretty incredible women. Real estate isn't just about finding my clients a home, it's helping them build a community of people to support them.
Disclaimer: This is not a paid advertisement for any of the products or business mentioned here.