Galentines Party 2017!

The Sunday before Valentines I hosted a Galentines Day brunch and I just had to share!

Everything (well, almost) turned out so great and I think everyone really had a great time! It was an extremely busy week for me so pulling this together was a bit hectic but oh-so worth it. To me- parties always are!

I had originally planned on hosting a kids Valentines day party but thought me and my mommy friends could use a morning off from the kids and have a reason to eat a hot meal off plates that aren’t plastic and drink from cups that didn’t have Paw Patrol on them.

So out went the invites and I had to keep the guest list short unfortunately because I have a very small kitchen and living room and only had enough chairs to seat 6. It was a bit cramped as it was but it was “cozy”.

My original plans of how the table was to be set didn’t work out as planned but it was clean and simple.I used a long fold-out table we use for garage sales and bought a white cotton tablecloth from Bed Bath and Beyond. I wanted to make a long hot pink table runner and just ran out of time.I got some fresh flowers from King Soopers and got two gold chevron print glass votive holders from the dollar store.Eeach place setting had a gold charger that I already had (These are plastic ones from the Dollar Tree from two years ago around Thanksgiving time), a white plate, a pale pink doily (from Target) a glass with hearts (Dollar Tree) and a gold chevron paper straw…. the napkins were a disaster. I had originally planned to dip-dye ombre them and I did- and they turned out beautifully- but  I had waited to do it the morning of and they still weren’t dry by the time the party started! I was so sad because that was going to add such a fun pop of color to the table. Lesson learned- don’t procrastinate like me and get that done DAYS before the party. They did turn out really cute so I will have to share how I did them soon! I also was going to make super cute napkin holders/place cards but the night before was our big date night downtown and I had watched kids everyday the week before. Next year I will plan this better and get everything done WAY before.

My house is quite small so there wasn’t room to do a fancy food table this time so it all just went on my counter and we served ourselves buffet-style. It worked! Isn’t that safety lock dangling from the cupboard lovely? haha that is there because my 4 year old likes to climb on the counter and dig through the cupboards to help himself to snack and treats. All. the. time.

On the menu:

1. Sausage (I cooked this up my cast-iron skillet and then kept it warm in the oven until it was time to eat)
2. Ham and cheese quiche
3. Cucumber tea sandwiches
4. Overnight french toast (recipe at the end)
5. Donuts
6. Cake bites
7. Apple cranberry walnut salad
8. Mimosas!!

>>This glass tiered tray in the back is two plates and a candlestick from the Dollar Tree glued together. I make and use these all the time they are so perfect for parties and SO cheap and easy to make !

The french toast bake I think was by-far the most praised dish I served. It is so amazing and the most perfect when you can eat it right out of the oven! (recipe at the end). It is always a crowd-pleaser and very easy to make. I love that I can make it the night before and just pop it into the oven in the morning.Easy-peasy!

I cannot have brunch without DONUTS These little cake bites were from Target and delicious ! There was a white cake with sprinkles, red velvet and double chocolate flavors

I don’t follow many rules when it comes to brunch etiquette but mimosas are an absolute MUST. We had plenty of bubbly and even a bottle that was alcohol free (perfect for your pregnant friends!) and it tasted like the real thing! I always give two OJ options when serving mimosas and fresh sliced strawberries.

These cute napkins^  were from Wal-mart! Can you believe it? They had a whole “Galentines” section! They were around $1.50 I think.

I also almost always have to have a little photo booth because why not??

These photo props were also from Wal-mart and under $2! Not too shabby

My awesome friend Kate brought her polaroid .. so much fun!!

For the backdrop I just hung a plastic tablecloth (also from Wal-mart) up with tape, added a cute tassle banner that I got from the dollar section of Target and filled up a bunch of heart balloons (Wal-mart). It was obviously much too small but that is the only wall I could have done it in our little living room! You work with what you have am I right?One thing I didn’t take any photos of that I wish I did was during our gift exchange game. I asked each lady to bring a wrapped gift around $10 and we played a fun game to swap the presents! It was so fun and everyone got some seriously cute stuff. I can’t seem to find a free version of it online but it was called The Love Story of Cupid and Psyche – A Valentine Left Right Game.

It was so much fun and I already have a bunch of ideas for next year! Hoping I can continue this every year. I know I really look forward to get-togethers with my girls and truly NEED them in my life. A lot of women do, especially mothers. We all know just how stressful and lonely motherhood can be and before I found my tribe I was so lost and didn’t even realize how bad it was. These women have helped me through one of the worst years of my life (2016 can suck it!) and I have never felt so loved, empowered, supported , and uplifted as I do when I am around these women.  

So if you love your gal pals and want to show just how much you appreciate them, throw a Galentines party next year and share the love ! Even if its just donuts and coffee … getting together, wearing pink and being kid and husband free is pure bliss. Cheers!

 

Overnight french toast bake recipe HERE