Joli Women's Ministry:: Favorite Things Party

One of my roles here in Colorado is to lead the Joli Women's Ministry of Connection Church. 

I absolutely love this!! I get to organize events for us to get together to get to know each other better, have fun, and grow spiritually...

Our first event was meeting at Arts on Fire, a local pottery place where you can pick your own piece of pottery and paint it. That was so much fun...and as I write this, I'm actually drinking hot chocolate out of the mug I painted that night!!!  

Our second event was just this past Friday night. We had a "Favorite Things Party!" 
(*Special thanks Ms. Mittie from Lafayette for giving me this wonderful idea!!!)

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Favorite Things Party

Here is the directions I gave the ladies:

1. Choose 1 of your most favorite things that costs $5 or less 

This can be your best kept secret cleaning product, beauty product, special treat...anything that is YOUR favorite.

2. Buy 3 of those same item. (Shouldn't cost you more than $15)

3. Bring those 3 items to the meeting place on Friday night. They don't have to be wrapped because you'll be showing everyone what it is!

4. You'll be going home with 3 new items that could become your new favorites!!!

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So on Friday night, we had each lady write her name on 3 pieces of paper and put it in a bowl. Then we drew numbers to see what order we would go in. (Mrs. Mittie said that she numbered name tags, and they went in the order on their name tags...I just didn't et name tags for our event.) Each lady then was able to introduce herself and explain why she brought her favorite thing...and then pull 3 names for who she would give it to!

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Friday was a wonderful night! We had snacks and punch as we socialized before...and then we had a ton of fun doing the exchange! Some ladies even squealed with delight as their name was pulled!! It was like winning 3 different times!!! It was so neat to learn more about each other...and to hear about some great products too!! 

The ladies loved it so much, they are already talking about when we can do this again!!!!

I came home with Rose Salve (never heard of before!!), a Shine Eraser, and a hand-made crocheted headband!!! So fun!!!!

This is a fun event to do with your friends...and an opportunity to invite new ladies to be a part of your life - this doesn't have to be done with a church group...you can totally do this on your own!!!

(If you would like to do this for your women's ministry or with your friends, and you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with me!! I'd love to help how I can!!!!)

Some Blakney Colorado Firsts...

We have had (and will have) a few firsts this week...

Bella's first birthday in Colorado. We've already started celebrating! She's received cards and gifts in the mail, made a birthday cake with sprinkles, and got a card and crown from her school. She's a fun age, and we are looking forward to spending the rest of the week celebrating our beautiful, fun-loving, kind-hearted little girl...well, more of a big girl now...

On Sunday, it was my first time teaching Kids' Church in Colorado...and teaching it in general in a VERY long time. It went well, and the kids were a ton of fun. I'm looking forward to teaching again this next Sunday...I've already started preparing now! I don't consider myself a conventional teacher...and I definitely want the kids involved in activities...so that's taking some planning and creativity!! But those Adventure Kids are worth every bit of it!!!

Our first Joli Women's Ministry activity is this week, too. We are going to a place called Arts on Fire. If you've ever been to a place like Painting with a Twist...it's similar to that - except this is pottery pieces and glass fusion art...you get to select the project you want to paint and then they will fire it up for you to take home. 

I'm really, really excited about this. Our ladies will have part of the studio reserved, and we'll get to laugh, paint, and just have a great opportunity to build relationships with each other. And thanks to the generosity of a friend who wanted to invest in these ladies of Colorado, Joli has a starting budget to pay for the studio space and some snacks for the ladies...each lady will just have to pay for her own pottery piece she's selected!!! And there will probably be some money left over for the next event!! That's humbling to me!!!

I'm also excited that this is just the first of many things we'll be able to do with the ladies of Connection Church. I really am looking forward to volunteering with these ladies at local places, having fun get-togethers, doing Bible studies...the possibilities are endless!!!

I know that we'll keep having more "firsts" as time goes on...our first snowfall, our first holidays here, our first baby born here in a matter of weeks...just a lot of things ahead!! And they are going to be happening in no time!!!!

And it's an adventure that I am loving...and I love it even more that I get to enjoy it all with my best friend.