As my dearest may know, I am a planner. I keep my planner with me wherever I go. I plan each day of the week, and feel as though I always have something to do before work, during lunch and after work. I plan my weekends, and I even plan time to do nothing. {With all of this planning, you'd think I would exercise more, but unfortunately I have not done a great job of planning that in 2010 and I have had to say "I'm sorry, I have plans" more times than I would like.} My year-end work schedule, holiday parties, and Christmas expectations had a mighty fine way of shoving my planner and ideas of plans right out of the way. Once I returned from Boston, I hit the ground running.
Event #1: I was responsible for coordinating my firm's annual Children's Holiday Party. This year, 75 children plus parents attended the event. Santa visited the kids, face painters, caricaturists, a clown, video games brought in (X Box Kinect Dance Party may be the best game on the market), a dj, sugar cookie decorating and tons of food were part of the fun! After all of the stress was behind me, the party was a success!!!
Event # 2: Department lunch at Charlie Palmers on Capitol Hill. Fortunately, this lunch was planned while DC was receiving our first blanket of snow in the 2010-2011 winter! I could not have asked for a prettier sight, with our table situated right by a huge window for us to watch the beautiful snow falling. The food was also fabulous and I may have to make a special trip back just for the french fries! Our cab driver took us the long way back to the office so we were able to enjoy the snow in the city!
My office in the snow!
Event # 3: I put together a Toys for Tots drive in my office and was very pleased with the response. I think it is always important to think of others during the Christmas season.
Event #4: The floor in my office hosted a Christmas party! Tons of food and a great way for people in different departments to mingle and enjoy a break. I was able to spend a few minutes speaking with a partner who has been at my firm since the beginning, and I managed to grab a glass of wine to bring back to my office while I finish my work. Not too bad!
Event #5: We spent an evening at the Sofitel enjoying appetizers and cocktails while we shared fun stories from the year. After a few bellinis and glasses of wine, we had no problem getting on our hands and knees when the cutest little puppy strutted through the lobby!! {His paws were covered in snow too!}
Event # 6: I was responsible for organizing my office's annual Holiday Cocktail Reception for 250 guests!! After spending hours meeting with the caterer, sorting through linens, menu choices, finding a band, working on the invitation and more, the party was a blast!! Here are a few ladies from work....
My fabulous caterer!
Our HR Assistant, Karen, always smiling!
The best "bosses and assistants"
Some of my favorite people I work with!
Event # 7: After our holiday cocktail reception, I was finally able to relax with some coworkers at the gorgeous Willard InterContinental for a few cocktails. This hotel does it right when it comes to holiday decorations and really got me in the mood for Christmas!
Event # 8: When one of your bestfriends has a birthday, you party! Since Sarah's birthday falls so close to Christmas, I thought it would be fun to get a few people together for a Santa / Birthday bar crawl. I loved some of the great sweaters people pulled out. I wore a brown shirt, leggings and boots with my reindeer ears. I hope to find a "tacky sweater" for next year, but time did not permit this year! We had such a blast drinking "snow drink" (a concoction of alcohol that is drank in the winter and must be kept out in the snow prior to drinking for approximately 18 hours. "Boat drink" makes its appearance in the summer and contains different ingredients with different prerequisites.) and we sang our hearts out to "The 12 Days of Christmas". {There is a video out there somewhere of this lovely ballad.}
Event #4: The floor in my office hosted a Christmas party! Tons of food and a great way for people in different departments to mingle and enjoy a break. I was able to spend a few minutes speaking with a partner who has been at my firm since the beginning, and I managed to grab a glass of wine to bring back to my office while I finish my work. Not too bad!
Event #5: We spent an evening at the Sofitel enjoying appetizers and cocktails while we shared fun stories from the year. After a few bellinis and glasses of wine, we had no problem getting on our hands and knees when the cutest little puppy strutted through the lobby!! {His paws were covered in snow too!}
Event # 6: I was responsible for organizing my office's annual Holiday Cocktail Reception for 250 guests!! After spending hours meeting with the caterer, sorting through linens, menu choices, finding a band, working on the invitation and more, the party was a blast!! Here are a few ladies from work....
My fabulous caterer!
Our HR Assistant, Karen, always smiling!
The best "bosses and assistants"
Some of my favorite people I work with!
Event # 7: After our holiday cocktail reception, I was finally able to relax with some coworkers at the gorgeous Willard InterContinental for a few cocktails. This hotel does it right when it comes to holiday decorations and really got me in the mood for Christmas!
Event # 8: When one of your bestfriends has a birthday, you party! Since Sarah's birthday falls so close to Christmas, I thought it would be fun to get a few people together for a Santa / Birthday bar crawl. I loved some of the great sweaters people pulled out. I wore a brown shirt, leggings and boots with my reindeer ears. I hope to find a "tacky sweater" for next year, but time did not permit this year! We had such a blast drinking "snow drink" (a concoction of alcohol that is drank in the winter and must be kept out in the snow prior to drinking for approximately 18 hours. "Boat drink" makes its appearance in the summer and contains different ingredients with different prerequisites.) and we sang our hearts out to "The 12 Days of Christmas". {There is a video out there somewhere of this lovely ballad.}
Event # 9: My department enjoyed another holiday lunch at Galileo iii. One of my coworkers was in town and it was the perfect excuse to celebrate and kick off Christmas week!
Event # 10: It was never a tradition growing up to bake and decorate cookies for the holidays. My mom admits that baking has never been her favorite pasttime {although she has some pretty amazing desserts in her repertoire}. This year we decided we would give it a shot!
We tried four different recipes and three turned out great. Lets not talk about the Peppermint Snowballs. My sister showed tons of concern for the "shards of peppermint that may get stuck in someone's throat" and she was also none too pleased when my mom and I found every possible way to speak of the "balls" of peppermint. It provided some amazing laughs, but unfortunately, the final product was not so amazing. {I still laugh thinking about my dads expression when he tasted the peppermint snowball, and the thought of confectioners sugar causing all to cough.}
This little guy always wants in on the action ..
We tried four different recipes and three turned out great. Lets not talk about the Peppermint Snowballs. My sister showed tons of concern for the "shards of peppermint that may get stuck in someone's throat" and she was also none too pleased when my mom and I found every possible way to speak of the "balls" of peppermint. It provided some amazing laughs, but unfortunately, the final product was not so amazing. {I still laugh thinking about my dads expression when he tasted the peppermint snowball, and the thought of confectioners sugar causing all to cough.}
This little guy always wants in on the action ..
Event # 11: As I mentioned above, my dear friend Sarah's birthday falls very close to Christmas. December 23 to be exact! I love birthdays, and I love her, so it was the perfect excuse to break away and spend some time with her and her family on her birthday. Our friend Kim and I surprised Sarah at her parents house that night and she will even admit, she teared up. {We are pretty awesome, but there is no reason for tears!!}. We had so much fun meeting the newest addition to Sarah's family and just spending time catching up before Christmas! Meet Riley ...
The girls in front of Sarah's parents tree!
After visiting with Sarah, I made it back to my parents house just in time to exchange gifts with my sister's boyfriend and wish him a Merry Christmas!
Event # 12: Christmas Eve is one of my favorite days of the Christmas season. I spent the morning hanging out at a local coffee shop with two of my very bestfriends from high school {who I was so happy were in town for the holidays and who I never get to see enough} and we laughed and smiled for a few hours which flew by all too fast. {Pictures to come} I left with the biggest smile on my face, managed to squeeze in a manicure and pedicure and headed off to church. I love helping in the nursery at church on Christmas Eve because the kids are always dressed in their Christmas best and boasting a grin from ear to ear. The candle-lit communion service always makes me teary eyed and at that moment, it all sets in that it is finally Christmas. For the second year, my family headed to a local diner, Amphora, which has anything and everything on the menu! We love laughing together, sharing memories, and we work very hard at keeping our gifts a secret from each other {in my family, this is very hard}. We headed home to put presents under the tree {sneak in a glass of wine} and head to bed!
Event # 13: CHRISTMAS DAY!! I am not exxagerating when I said I could not sleep. I woke up every hour throughout the night in hopes it would be "late" enough to get out of bed and enjoy Christmas morning with my family. Fortunately, the family opened presents a bit earlier this year as my sister was set to visit her boyfriend's family in Richmond a bit later in the day.
Mom made her incredible monkey bread and quiche for breakfast. We only get monkey bread once a year in my neck of the woods, and for very good reason! The family crushed, devoured, inhaled {whatever you would like to call it} the monkey bread in under 10 minutes!
I spent the afternoon in my pajamas reading and napping with my favorite feline.
My grandmother (93 years old!!!!!) joined us for Christmas dinner and she opened her gifts! I am fairly certain my dad and I received our "sweet tooth" from this lady! She can't get enough chocolate and if she could eat it for every meal, she would!
It is hard to think Christmas 2010 is over as it really is one of my favorite seasons of the year. It seems like a complete whirlwind of events. I could not be more thankful for all of the people I was able to share this special holiday with and for all I was able to accomplish and be a part of. I am so thankful for all of the generous gifts and love I received and all the memories shared. Another great one in the book!
The girls in front of Sarah's parents tree!
After visiting with Sarah, I made it back to my parents house just in time to exchange gifts with my sister's boyfriend and wish him a Merry Christmas!
Event # 12: Christmas Eve is one of my favorite days of the Christmas season. I spent the morning hanging out at a local coffee shop with two of my very bestfriends from high school {who I was so happy were in town for the holidays and who I never get to see enough} and we laughed and smiled for a few hours which flew by all too fast. {Pictures to come} I left with the biggest smile on my face, managed to squeeze in a manicure and pedicure and headed off to church. I love helping in the nursery at church on Christmas Eve because the kids are always dressed in their Christmas best and boasting a grin from ear to ear. The candle-lit communion service always makes me teary eyed and at that moment, it all sets in that it is finally Christmas. For the second year, my family headed to a local diner, Amphora, which has anything and everything on the menu! We love laughing together, sharing memories, and we work very hard at keeping our gifts a secret from each other {in my family, this is very hard}. We headed home to put presents under the tree {sneak in a glass of wine} and head to bed!
Event # 13: CHRISTMAS DAY!! I am not exxagerating when I said I could not sleep. I woke up every hour throughout the night in hopes it would be "late" enough to get out of bed and enjoy Christmas morning with my family. Fortunately, the family opened presents a bit earlier this year as my sister was set to visit her boyfriend's family in Richmond a bit later in the day.
Mom made her incredible monkey bread and quiche for breakfast. We only get monkey bread once a year in my neck of the woods, and for very good reason! The family crushed, devoured, inhaled {whatever you would like to call it} the monkey bread in under 10 minutes!
I spent the afternoon in my pajamas reading and napping with my favorite feline.
My grandmother (93 years old!!!!!) joined us for Christmas dinner and she opened her gifts! I am fairly certain my dad and I received our "sweet tooth" from this lady! She can't get enough chocolate and if she could eat it for every meal, she would!
It is hard to think Christmas 2010 is over as it really is one of my favorite seasons of the year. It seems like a complete whirlwind of events. I could not be more thankful for all of the people I was able to share this special holiday with and for all I was able to accomplish and be a part of. I am so thankful for all of the generous gifts and love I received and all the memories shared. Another great one in the book! 
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