To Host or Not to Host...

October was very busy at my house because I was a "host" all month long. I really don't mind hosting, I think it's pretty fun once in a while. But when all of your events happen in the same month, it's a lot of planning, invitations, cleaning, cooking, setting up chairs, and re-cleaning after the party is done... all to do it over again and then again. I had fun doing it, I'm just glad it's over! I never planned for them to all happen in the same month, it just kind of ended up that way! 

My first party was a favor to my friend, Angela. She became an Usborne Book consultant and needed a ginny pig to help her with her first show... I was the ginny pig! But it went really well! I had a delicious spread of food (that I forgot to take a picture of) but it was my yummy cheesballs and crackers, a vege plate, pumpkin cookies, and lemon/orange water. It was really pretty! 

I had a pretty good turn out and it was a lot of fun. I also got a ton of outside orders. Because Angela was a new consultant, I got the benefit of earning DOUBLE FREE BOOKS if I hit a certain number. I thought no way would I sell over 200+ dollars of books. But I sold over 500! So I not only got free books, but I got my double free books. I got $230.00 in free books! It was pretty awesome. I also got some discounted books later on that would be fun for Christmas presents! But I got my boys "book library" stalked up and they each have some fun books for home, church, and upcoming Christmas gifts! I am really excited because Usborne has this really fun reading program that I would never buy for myself because it's $70 dollars. Well, thanks to all my free books, a big chunk of my money went towards that! It was really exciting! Thanks to all those who ordered! 

My next party was my dear friend, Amber. It was her bridal shower! I met Amber my first year of college and I just adore that girl. We have had some good times together. So I was pretty excite that she met a guy who is so sweet to her. I was one of her bridesmaids, so me and 2 others planned a "Bedroom Shower". Can you guess their names? Ashley Willoughby  and Ashley Pike. It got a little confusing sending emails back and forth  with all of us being named, Ashley! We finally just took the sports approach and used our last names. 

We decided to only play one game. We video taped Ben and asked him a whole bunch of questions and I made a movie out of it. When Amber got the question right, she got a candle, when she got it wrong, (which was more so then right) she had to chew a big piece of Bubble Yum gum! She had a pretty big bubble wad in her mouth by the end of the movie.

I made Lion house rolls and a light lemonade punch. Pike brought gorgeous desserts! And Willoughby brought yummy pecan chicken salad. We had a couple other friends who volunteered and helped us by brining fruit and fruit dip and vegetables. I thought it turned out really nice. Amber gets a little embarrassed, so she was pretty relieved when a few people gave her sheets and DVD's! 

And for my last hosting event, Bunco! I had signed up to host in October... way before I knew my friend would be getting married and before my other friend would need a book host. This one took more work then the others because I had to find 12, $10 dollar prizes. I was everywhere! Any home decor shop, mall, and Kohls. Buying, returning, second guessing myself! AH! But the prizes turned out cute, I'm just mad I forgot to snap a picture of them. They were all Halloween and Fall home decor items.

I made it a dress up party (even though some disagreed) because it was a Halloween theme. Here were the costumes: Christie (Gorilla), Sami (Pirate), Angela (Ref), me-Ashley (Spiderella), Misty (Rainbow Brite), Heidi (Mrs. Potts), Rachel (Alice in Wonderland), Arin (Hippie), Darci (Ladybug), Michelle (Nurse), Ashley H. (A voice teacher who just got off work!) And, Emily (Flo from Progressive). Emily looked just like Flo! She was our sub for the night and it was fun getting to know here, though we missed Natalie! We voted on the best costume and the winner got to pick 2nd Bunco prize! The winner: Heidi! Mrs. Potts! She was so cute. I just loved her costume.

We only have to host once a year and have dinner. So I made Harvest Soup. I remember making it once upon a time, and I knew it was good... so I really wanted to make that. Funny thing, I meant to "try" the recipe before the party... but I never got around to it with all my other events. So D day came and my recipe wasn't very detailed as I remembered! So between my mother-in-law and me reading a few different recipes (and a lot of praying!) we came up with how to make this one. I was so relieved it turned out soooo yummy! I felt like I was making a potion all day. Add a dash of this and a little of that... thats so not like me to do something like that! But I knew it would look and taste so good in my pumpkin bread bowls. (I had to laugh when my friends asked me for the recipe because I really couldn't tell them what I had done.)

But why stop there... the day of, I got the idea to do something else I had never done before... pumpkin cake balls! So with A LOT of help from my sister Rachel, (poor girl, I called her with my idea, she got the ingredients and made most of them) we made darling pumpkin cake balls on a stick! I also made a drink  I had never made before. I had tasted it, so I was just hoping it turned out as good! It was a green lime slush with red (maraschino cherry) eyeballs. It was delicious!

I also made a pretty vegetable platter and made carrot fingers with almond nails glued on them, and stuck  like they were coming out of the dip. Rachel and I created a Halloween playlist complete with Thriller and the Monster Mash... two greats!

It all came together and it was a really fun night. We laughed, a lot! It was a wonderful night and I'm thrilled all the food turned out so good. This is such a fun group of girls and we always have a good time when we get together. I told myself I was done hosting for a while, but Daxy was going to be turning one in a couple weeks... so I guess I still to had one more small party with the family to plan!