Hello Friends and Happy 2023!
Notice I did not say Happy New Year, because let’s face it. I should have said THAT a month or more ago!
It’s been a busy few months here in the Heartland. Thanksgiving, Christmas, the end-of-the-year mayhem that is my life at work and then, pow! It’s a brand-spankin’ new year again. Yes, I know, it happens every year. I should be prepared right? Well, since that’s probably never gonna happen, let’s just move on shall we?
A little frantic, but so, so excited to host my first retreat!
Every year about this time, I spend a couple of hectic weeks planning for my annual craft retreat. I choose and discard a dozen projects, try to pare down my excessive list of supplies and things to pack, start packing and then, I start second-guessing myself. Because, 1) I ALWAYS pack WAY more than I could possibly complete in a weekend and 2) my car only holds so much stuff. Also, I have to leave enough room for the best friend and whatever she chooses to bring along! This year, I am doing all that AND coordinating meals, lodging, goodies, treats and entertainment for twelve. I think I promised shenanigans too, so guess how many times I have re-evaluated my lists this year!
The last couple of months have been full of wild plans for how I would run this retreat. Actually, the wild planning started last February when I took over hosting this annual event. I think I had half a notebook filled before the retreat ended. As with most things, my ambition and dreams far out pace my ability to carry them all out, and I have tossed at least half a ream’s worth of lists in the garbage, but I think I have things pretty well sorted out now. Thank God in heaven for best friends who lend a hand and talk me off the ledge of insanity!
Is Skittles® a theme?
One of the things I really loved about the retreats of past years is that we had a different theme each year. I honed in on that early in my planning, knowing that once I had a general theme in mind it would help me to determine many other things. Decorations being one of them.
Way back when my boys were little, we hosted a lot more birthday parties and I also decorated for more holidays. By the time our youngest, Josh, made it to middle-school the birthday parties were dwindling and my energy level for decorating my whole house had taken a hit. I mean, who has time to decorate for every holiday?!? Even now, I really only decorate whole hog for Christmas and limit the rest of the holidays to a refresh of my foyer tiered tray and my dining room table. So, when I took over this retreat, all of a sudden I had visions of colorful decorations, banners, pennants and flowers flooding my brain and I couldn’t wait to make it all happen. Come to think of it, this might be why I had to call in reinforcements last weekend to talk me off the ledge. (Thank you Twyla).
You guessed it. I zeroed in on bright colors and rainbows right away. Partly because in Minnesota, in February, there is typically a whole lotta white and gray in the landscape, and I am desperate for Spring. Partly because bright colors are happy and they make people smile. What better for a retreat weekend?
Putting this theme into action involved a lot of paint, paper and yarn, but dang. It’s going to be so fun! Almost as much fun (and good) as the food!
2023 GIRLS Retreat Recipes – Sneak Peek!
The other thing about hosting this retreat that I am looking forward to is hosting the meals. I love to cook for a group. There’s just something wonderful about making food that people enjoy. Even better when you can recruit help with the clean up! For this retreat I’ve gathered together an assortment of recipes that are both satisfying and semi-healthy. Of course there are a couple things on the list that don’t fall into that healthy category, but really. Who wants healthy all the time? Many of the recipes I am using are from others so rather than recreating the recipe cards in my usual Recipe Box, I’ve created a list of them with links to the originals and have parked them RIGHT HERE. Just in case you want to give them a try. *wink* I also wanted to leave you with something yummy since you were kind enough to read ALL THE WAY to the end of this post! I’ve included a mix of build-your-own meals so everyone can choose the things they like, a couple of soups that are guaranteed to be seasonal favorites (it IS February in MN after all) and a trio of salads that I think make nice additions to the menu.
So, can you see now why I’ve been AWOL for so long? The retreat is just a little over a week and a half away so I’m in the home stretch now. A good thing since there’s this thing called a blog that needs some TLC. If you are curious, the webshop still has a great selection of bags, candles, and if you are feeling crafty, card kits! I’d love to hear if you have ideas for other card kits you would like to see. Drop them into the comments or shoot me an email at Toni@lovefromtheheartland.com.
For now, let the shenanigans begin!
