chips and salsa, food, friends, girl talk, Life, Party, women

Party Like A Chick!

July 19, 2017

We all enjoy a girl’s night, right? But what does that even mean? A girls night to the chicks means time spent with friends in a space that is comfortable and filled with love and laughter (oh, and then there is good food and drinks, too!). Some of my favorite girls’ nights have been those where we can compare notes with friends on life, marriage, motherhood and the newest reality shows! Girls nights can be as few as 2 friends or as many as 10, but no matter what, the main goal is to make it a special way to get together and have fun!

There is a rotation among the chicks where we take turns having each other over — that way we all have the opportunity to get together often without the pressure of hosting all the time. This also means that we each take that opportunity to host seriously and try to find a way to make the most intimate gatherings just a little “extra” special. To help, party chicks have made planning a little easier — by making affordable and adorable party boxes. With the craze of selfies and dessert tables, everyone is looking for the Instagram-perfect picture to share with friends and family. We are excited to announce our first party box themes: the Fiesta Box and the Bollywood Box!

As women in our thirties we pay attention to all the details that go into hosting a girls’ night. The Party Chicks have hand picked these specialty items to make your get together a little different with everything you will need (even the command hooks!) and ten minutes. You can create the perfect atmosphere to make your friends lay back, relax, and enjoy the time you all have set aside for each other.

Check out our introductory boxes in our Etsy Shop here.

chips and salsa, food, Life, Motherhood, Party, Recipes, women

Packing The Perfect Picnic

May 24, 2017

Let’s be real, eating out is the BEST; it’s a meal that I don’t have to cook…woohoo! When the weather gets warmer, I’m always up for finding a way to combine my love of ‘not cooking’ with the outdoors. Wait for it…a picnic! Yay, ok now that you love the idea, take a deep breath and accept that the planning is totally worth it.

Growing up, my mom would throw some PB&J sandwiches, potato chips, and Coca-Cola’s into a backpack with a few towels and call it a picnic and as fondly as I remember those times, I have NOT been to or had a picnic like that in years! As a mindful eater and a mother, making EVERY meal into an opportunity to do right by my family keeps these meals a little more balanced and creative.

The essentials are still the same — something to sit on, something to eat, and something to do! So grab a blanket, (check out these super trendy and beautiful ones by Boho Street), try out some of our favorite bites, and throw in a frisbee, kite, soccer ball, or our personal favorite, Bananagrams and head out!

One of our favorite family recipes is my mom’s semi-homemade ‘3 Bean Salad’. With less than 10 ingredients and in just 5 minutes, you can wow your taste buds on the go! To see more recipes like this, like us on Pinterest and check out our ‘Picnic Basket’ board for more ideas.

The baskets that we use include reusable utensils and dishes and although it may seem like you’re doing more harm than good, the utensils are also eco-friendly so you can enjoy your meal, guilt free. Be sure to pack some wipes to wipe off the dishes before you pack them and keep a couple of disposable grocery bags for garbage.

For larger potluck style picnics which may include kids, an effective tool that we have used is a Google Doc for tracking who is bringing what. Here is a peek at what that form looks like and lucky you, it’s already set up as a template!

With the summer vibes kicking don’t forget your bug spray and sunscreen, this Aromaflage perfume has a built in bug repellent that you can’t smell, its wonderful and made from aromatic essential oils made from botanical extracts.

I hope that this inspires you to get out sooner because if you are anything like me, later never comes.

Have fun!

Your Party Chicks,

Rina And Sonia

Chick Picks:

chips and salsa, Life, Motherhood, Parenting

“Gee, it must be nice…”

March 21, 2017

A random Thursday night and I’m surrounded by a handful of talented, educated, intelligent women at the nearest Mexican restaurant, and I pause. What did each of us go through to get here tonight?

Each of us rushed out of the house at 8:30 — after putting the kids down to bed, of course. Each of us rushed out in a frenzy, feeling overwhelmed by the constant to-do list running through our minds. Each of us made sure that the kids’ lunch, backpack, and outfit for the next day were prepped and ready before heading out. Each of us parked our cars and immediately touched up our makeup — because we just didn’t have a moment to stop and take care of it before leaving the house as were already running late. Each of us dashed into the restaurant and collapsed into the others’ arms with a sigh of relief thinking “I’m finally here!”

Motherhood is our bond — but the need for surrounding ourselves with support is the bigger quest. You see, more often than not, we assume the person sitting across from us has it so much better OR doesn’t know what our day has been like OR has no idea what we have gone through to get here. We just assume that no one knows what our frustrations feel like. You know what they say about people that assume, right?

We each have a story and may not always go around showcasing it for the world to see. We all have the same level of stresses and drama — but they come in different forms. Oftentimes I’m told that I carry my anxiety, frenzy, drama very well; truth is, I don’t feel like airing my dirty laundry when I’m trying to have a great time. I choose not to rain on my own magical parade of enjoying a night out. I choose not to think about the craziness and drama when I’m out.

Our stories stem from who we are and what we do; we tend to label ourselves. The stay-at-home-mom, the part-time working mom, the full-time working mom. Why can’t we just be a “mom”? Society has us labeled and these labels come with some pretty nasty stereotypes. I know first hand, that as much as I would like to stay away from these stereotypes, they’ve crept up on me from time to time. The nasty stereotypes we’ve all heard like “it must be fun sitting around eating bon-bons all day” OR “the nanny mothers my kids better than my wife” OR “the mom, otherwise known as the maid.”

So many times I hear “gee, it must be nice…” — and I cringe waiting for what is to come after. Maybe what is to come will most likely sound like a back-handed compliment. Why do we naturally assume the woman sitting across from us has it so much better? It’s a societal view…what you see is what you get, right? Truth is, if I showed up looking like how I really feel, I would be a “hot mess.” I would be disheveled, sobbing with mascara running down my face, and most likely in my yoga pants from the day before.

So here I am, surrounded by these amazing group of ladies, taking in the funny stories of what little “Johnny” did at school, the stupid husband anecdotes, recipe exchanges, and book reviews. Did it matter that I folded laundry while watching Gilmore Girls reruns at 1:00 in the afternoon while the woman across from me was in a tense board meeting?

Who cares how she got here? Who cares if my day was worse than hers? Does it matter if I worked harder than anyone? NO. Let’s just be and diminish the societal views and focus on the fact that we are here in this moment. Who knows what each of us will have to deal with once we leave this restaurant? All we can do is enjoy this moment and take it in, one sip at a time.

Cheers to that!

Your Brainy Chick,

Komi