365: The Reboot

Valentine's Day is known as one of the most commercialized holidays found in the calendar year.  A day Hallmark invented to sell more cards, red heart shaped boxes of candy and teddy bears.  I disagree.  I think its all about how we look at the day... for me its a day that makes us stop and recognize the love we have surrounding us each day.  This year I threw a "Girl's Night In" Valentine's Day to celebrate friendship and the women who add so much light along my journey.  In addition to fabulous food and cocktails, we exchanged White Elephant gifts and had a "Swap Party" - the latter taking the award for "most fun".  I never realized so many of my friends had never heard of a swap party, much less participated in one.  For those of you reading this with a confused look on your face... a swap party is where all the girls bring things from their life that they no longer want such as clothing, shoes, accessories, make-up, jewelry, etc.  It's all organized in one room and it becomes a free-for-all... anyone can take anything they want.  You normally leave with no less than 4-5 things that are now "new" for you.  What a glorious feeling for each girl at the end of the night... plus you cleaned out your closets and all "left-overs" get donated to a local women's shelter.

So our party was a huge success and we're scheduling another swap party in two months.  The celebration of friendship is an excuse for any Saturday night get-together. "A friend is one who knows who you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still gently allows you to grow." - Thomas Hood