Charity Girlfriend Party and Kitchen


Hello Sweet Friends.

The holidays just flew by.  I got all my decor down this past weekend.  Looks so sparse now. :(

Trying to find some cute Valentines Decor to brighten things up.
Girlfriend Charity Party:
For the past 16 years I have been giving this Girlfriend Party for my girlfriends and now my daughter's friends too.

I traditionally have this party each year on the first Saturday in December.  
With the first Saturday this year being later in the month I decided to wait and have the party in January.

So many of us had so much going with Thanksgiving being late and Christmas on the fast down hill slide right after.

January is quiet and dreary here in Illinois so this party might just be a nice perk up after the holiday let down.



The whole idea of the party is to celebrate our friendship and to remember how blessed we are to have each other in our lives.  
I was excited to find these party cups and plates at Home Goods.

The premise of the party is each girl brings a girlfriend exchange gift that the proceeds from buying her gift go to a charity.

Each year the girls amaze me with the gifts they find and how that charity has touched their lives.

It is a pajama party and each girl will be wearing these cute cocktail pj's. Because we all know it if more fun to party in your jammies!


I think a lot of you know Diana from her Nana Diana blog.  
Diana and I have become friends through blogging and she comes each year to the party and brings her daughters and DIL.  
Well as most of you know Diana is not only the sweetest but she has such a great sense of humor.  Diana this year made our tops to go with our cocktail pj bottoms.

Yep these are the tops we will be wearing!  
Get it wink wink Girls that Give since we are a charitable group of gals!!!!!
Thank you Diana for our sweet and fun tops.
The theme for this year's party is Let's get together and "wine"a little!
Two of the prizes are these cute wine bottle bags.

Loved the saying on these bags.  Perfect for this girlfriend wine themed party.

These are two more prized.  
Cute travel wine coolers with the upside down cups attached at the top of the bottle.  
 It is hard to see the upside down wine glass at the top.


Another couple of prizes are these bath bombs.  They are no ordinary bath bombs!!!

No Sir!! these bath bombs after they are melted in your bath have a wonderful gift inside.  
The gift is a ring.  

Here is the fun part every 2500 of these bombs they make have a real diamond ring inside. 

One of the girls that wins this prize may just have the lucky bath bomb with the diamond ring.

 Otherwise the rings given inside are really quite nice.


Remember the post I did about Michele's daughter making and selling these wonderful soaps and sugar scrubs.  I got a set for a prize for this party.
You can see that post on her soaps here.  
I love that she gives back to her community with the sale of these soaps.  This makes for a great gift for my charity party.
 Found these cute prize bags.


I get each girl a tote bag from Home Goods or TJ Maxx.  
They are the best tote bags for 99 cents.  
I use these bags for everything.  Each girl gets one to take home all the goodies from the party.  
I folded each one and tied it off with a little pink ribbon. Love the bike theme.  Makes me dream of summer to come!

One of the fun games we play is the saran wrap ball game.  Each girl gets a chance at unraveling the saran wrap and prizes then drop out of the ball.

 It is a fun and fast game.  While the one girl is trying to unravel for prizes the girl next to her rolls two dice.   As soon as she rolls doubles the ball gets passed to her and she gets to unravel for prizes.  
It is so much fun.

The best game we play is Left Right Center or LCR.  
Each girl brings 3 $1 dollar bills and the game begins.  By the end of the game one girl will win the whole pot of dollars.  
It can add up with over 20 peeps at the party and each person contributing 3 @$1 bills.  
We laugh and have so much fun with this game.  We also play this game at all our family parties too. It is sooooo much fun.

I made up these favor bags for each girl to take home.  Hobby Lobby carries these cute bags and tags.
I also made up these adorable to go cups I found at Home Goods.  

I filled each cup with a Starbucks gift card and tied them off in cello bags.  This is my favor to each girlfriend.

I then put them down inside the favor bags.
Gotta love Home Goods for those cute cups.

That is what I have been working on this week for my party. I cannot wait to celebrate our friendships and have a night of fun and good food and drink.

30 comments

  1. What a fun party theme.... and such cute party favors too! I'm sure everyone will have a great time and will look so fabulous while partying in their cute little pj's!!! Can't wait to see what you are up to in the kitchen.
    ~Des

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  2. Kris, I love all the cute things you have gathered for your party. What a fun time it must be for all of you. You are so right about Diana. She is sweet and so funny. Oh my gosh the last photo ...looks like so major changes. Blessings to all of you, xoxo, Susie

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  3. Hi Kris,

    This morning, no joke I said, no pajama party for Kris? Oh how I should've known better.

    Everything you you have for this party is "The Bomb", horrible I know. Love the thought you put into this, loving the tites and cups.

    The laughing that must go on with these games must be priceless.

    Sweet Diana, does it surprise me, not in the least. She rocks.

    Have a blast. Can't wait for the kitchen.

    Hugs,

    Cindy

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  4. I love that idea and I know it is fun with Diana there. xo Laura

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  5. You throw the best shindigs, Kris! From the intent of the party to all the little details - I know your friends feel very special being there.

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  6. I love everything you bought for the party and I know you’ll all have a great time together. I can’t wait to see and hear all about the fun party. Waiting to see and hear about the kitchen too.

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  7. How fun Kris, I am so excited to see the party. :-) And the kitchen.
    Happy New Year,
    Carla

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  8. Kris, I love this party and every year I love peeking at what you gals are going to do, wear and play. Of course, the idea of giving is wonderful, too. You're such a generous soul. xoxo

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  9. What a fun way to bring your girlfriends out of their post-holiday blues. Looks like an amazing party. Can't wait to see what is going on in your kitchen!

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  10. Oh Kris, so much on the horizon! I love that you make January a month on working on projects! Some people would mope away January but not you....no US! Before we know it, your party will happen, that new kitchen will sparkle, then the seasons will start to eclipse and we'll be in flower season. WE CAN DO THIS!

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  11. Wow, what a delightful party. I love the picture of wine glasses in that first photo, it almost looks like needlework. Have fun and enjoy your new kitchen.

    FlowerLady

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  12. Omg, Kris, another project??? Lol, you kill me! I am most definitely pinning this post for ALL the really cool ideas for the party. Love the jammies, (Diana, what a hoot you are!), the gifts, the games. Now all I need are the recipes. Wish I could be there!

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  13. Sounds like so much fun and what a great tradition!!

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  14. Hi Kris! What an amazing party you have planned! I love all of the beautiful goodies - spending time and having fun with like minded friends is one of the best things that you can do. They are the family that you choose. Looking forward to seeing what you and Terry have been getting up to in your kitchen! Hugs, Gilly x

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  15. Looks like you could have a second career as a party planner, Kris!
    Brenda

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  16. Kris, this looks like the ultimate girlfriend's party! You really know how to put on a good one.

    Hmm, looks like you're getting a new sink? :-)

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  17. I look forward each year to seeing your post on this party. It shows just how wonderful women are, loving to help others and having a great time while doing it. I can't believe Diana made all the tops for your pj party! Where does she find the time? Where do you find the time? I want some of that secret energy you two have! Have lots of fun and share more later.

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  18. You are seriously the cutest human ever, Kris!!!! I wish I lived closer to come to one of your amazing parties! And all this while tackling a kitchen reno? Brave lady, for sure!

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  19. That sounds like the funnest party ever! So sweet that you do that each year. Everything you found is just adorbs! And to give a party PLUS tackle the kitchen reno??? wow.. you are super woman! What a neat way to star the new year.. with the Girlfriends' party. Kudos to you! xoxoxo Marilyn

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  20. Wow, what a fun event to put on for your girlfriends! I love the fact that charity benefits from all your fun too! Such a lot of thought and preparation you've put into it, and of course, having Diana there will be a highlight, what a hoot she is! Enjoy your party, and hopefully the kitchen renovation goes well and smoothly for you!

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  21. I was just wondering if you had your party, too! Always fun to read about! Looking forward to seeing what is going on in your kitchen!

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  22. I wondered if you had your party, too. You sure do find the cutest packaging for your gifts, Kris. Have fun with all of your friends! Looking forward to some pics. Also, looking forward to what is happening in your kitchen.
    Smooches.
    Debbie
    xo

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  23. Wow Kris, your party sounds fabulous. How cute everything is. Perfect cups and party accessories. Diana made the cutes shirts. So perfect. I wish I was lucky enough to be a guest. Have fun with the ladies. Another project, I so admire you. Xo

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  24. Hello Kris!
    So marvelous that you make January such a fantastic month. So sweet that you do this each year. Every single item is gloriously adorable and you are doing all of this while you remodel too! You are an angel and a superwoman too!
    Hugs,
    Jemma

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  25. Such cute party ideas. I'll bet there will be a lot of laughing and hugging going on. Can't wait to see what the changes to the kitchen bring.

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  26. Kris, you always come up with such fun ideas for your girlfriend's parties. I bet they all really appreciate it all. Well, if I am allowed to guess I would say you are getting new counters and maybe a farmhouse sink?? Whatever it is, I am eagerly awaiting the news and just know it will be gorgeous..xxoJudy

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  27. Amazing & FAB! Everything is gorgeous, and you’re SO talented -and- energetic! If love to do something like this one day! (On a much smaller scale, of course). 😄❤️

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  28. I am so excited---can't wait!!!!! And--I am NOT sitting next to Mindy when they pass that saran wrap ball around-she is crazier than a mad rabbit when she gets that thing. What fun----Now-let's pray for nice weather for the drive down!!!! One of my favorite things of the year!!! xo Diana

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