Boots and Booties at the Venetian

When Jaren was pregnant with Elsie, she told me about a military baby shower through the community. When I knew this little bean was going to turn into an actual baby, I searched around, and found that it was happening in October. Boots and Booties was happening at the Venetian, and I was officially invited! I wanted to make sure that Charlie's rank as an officer would not be an issue, but I was told with enthusiasm that there were more than enough donations for us, and to please come.

A few of my pregnant friends went as well - Leah Churchill due about 10 weeks ahead of me with a baby girl, and Ariana Wethington, who is due about 3 weeks before me with twin girls! Ariana and her husband moved into the house 3 doors down from my parents! It's been so fun having a pregnant military spouse so near.

We drove together and I got a text from a really good family friend that they were volunteering and saw my name. Her daughter, Kyra, is the sweetest thing, and I was so happy to see her!


The Venetian donated the space, staff, AND food. And one more big thing I'll write at the end.

THey had a really cute cake on display:


Volunteers throughout the community donated items for over 200 expectant mothers, and rolled I don't even know how many diapers for each mom to get a diaper cake!




Very excited to see Ariana's gifts:


And then of course we had to go find mine!




Me and Ariana:


There was food for all, and an MC for all the speakers. Lots of state representatives came and spoke, as well as people involved with military non profits.

I was kind of obsessed with these:


There were raffles for some big items including 11 cribs and 5 new car seats! Since we have a crib and carseat I put my ticket into a photography package and didn't win. But that is fine by me, this event was SO ridiculously generous, from the community and the venetian.

I didn't open the gifts there because I wanted to do it at home where I could really dig in.





As if this wasn't enough, they made an announcement that the Venetian had donated a gift card to every single mother for $150 for babies r us. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Sheldon Adelson owns the Venetian and the school my mom teaches at, so I have seen his generosity with the Jewish community. He has donated millions to amazing organizations such as birthright and Yad VaShem. His and his hotel's generosity hit a personal level with this though. Mr Adelson and the powers at be at the Venetian, the thank you note that I sent is not enough. What you did for these military moms is absolutely amazing and life changing for so many of them/us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Taste of the Nation 2013

Taste of the Nation is our all time favorite charity event. No offense to galas, but they get so overdone. Yes, they are all for a great cause, they all have good food and good auction prizes and good speakers. But it's the same old thing. Taste of the Nation is what we based our wedding off of! We wanted tons of different small plates, and Taste was the inspiration.

Share our Strength is a national organization whose mission is to end childhood hunger, and Taste of the Nation is an event they have in several cities in America, where the top restaurants in the city are invited to participate. They each come with a sample off of their menu (or somethings not on their menu, special for the event). $100 for one ticket goes 100% to the charity, and gives you entry to taste unlimited amounts of 30+ chef's dishes, and pairings of drinks. It's SO MUCH FUN. Even being prego and not drinking.

Chef Carlos Guia (bottom right) from the Country Club at the Wynn is the chair of the committee, and Chef Rick Moonen (in the front in the black) has participated 3 out of 4 of the last years.


Not all the chefs made it to the pictures since this was 15 minutes before the event started, and they were probably prepping their stations!

Speaking of stations, here are some of them:




Not a station but the ice sculpture we get by one of the bars each year:


Some of the auction items:


And more stations:










See that jar with the orange ribbon at each station? I am proud to say that was my idea 2 years ago, and it's brought in over $10,000 each year in tips! We realized that even though the event was all you can eat and drink for the ticket price, that people would still tip for the service, especially at the bars! Well, I thought, what better than a friendly competition! We have the restaurants and the bars compete for the most tips, and they win a prize from us! I don't know the total tip earnings yet this year but last year it was around $14,000!!!

Press wall: thanks sponsors!


My mommy and some of her best friends - thanks for supporting the event guys!!




And some of my good girlfriends:


Thanks so much for supporting us this year. Jaren frantically searched for a babysitter, so thanks Lynsey for stepping up last minute! I am so so grateful. My friend Jill, on the left in this pic, won tickets! My amazing husband and his business partner agreed to raffle off tickets to their vanpool customers! Each winner got two tickets, and Alex (Jill's husband) was one of 2 winners from his squadron. I am SO glad they agreed to this because I think that all their members really enjoyed the even that they would not have known about or been able to attend, and it helped Share Our Strength raise a lot more money!!!

Jaren enjoyed the drinks :-) (And still maintained her weight watchers goal, you go girl!)




Why are you so tall, blonde, and fabulous? Kind of jealous here.



Babie's first Taste of the Nation! Next one won't be for 21 years! Lol.

Back to Monday: Springs Preserve, cheat hostess foods, and The Bachelorette

Craving: being green, pretty food, sappy romance

On Monday I headed out to Springs Preserve to meet my friend and fellow military spouse, Alison, for lunch. As we drove in the parking lot, I was reminded of the last time I was there which was with the Mountain family, and I had a pang of missing them!

The cafe used to be Wolfgang Puck and is now run by culinary students. It was really good, although I was expecting a restaurant and it was set up like a cafeteria - no big deal. I ordered a salmon wrap and Alison got a goat cheese panini. We sat outside even though it was hot as ****. I really don't know what four letter word to use for that, they all fit, and add some more heat!

We had a view of the strip which was nice, but I couldn't get a good pic on my iPhone due to lighting, so this looks super emo but it's the only edit that really showed Alison!



Hello pale Avigail! Maybe this is the lighting as well....or maybe I need a touch of sun.

After lunch we walked around a bit. We weren't in the right shoes or clothes for one of the hikes so we went into one of the museums and learned all about conservation.

They had an actual garbage truck that modeled how much garbage could be recycled instead of thrown out. The sides were filled up with cans.


A couple weeks ago, I was SO FRUSTRATED when Charlie forgot to take the recycling out. It is only picked up every other Friday. My friend Eden told me that they collect it twice a week at her home outside of Philadelphia. I was sure she was confused with garbage, but she assured me it was the recycling. Although I am frustrated that we missed the recycling, I am proud that we have much more in our recycling bins than we do in the trash!

They also had a "house" where you could explore and find random ways to reduce energy etc.

Fun Fact: Lower your energy bill by closing vents in the bathrooms and closets. Brilliant!

There was an interactive display about how energy travels to your home:


I counted that as my workout for the day. Okay not really, I did work out that day, but I haven't been going as regularly as I should be. Even though I'm not working, I am stressed lately and the day just seems to go!! Must. Schedule. Gym. And. Go! (Update, I wrote this on Tuesday, but I actually ran on Wednesday and worked out! must...keep...it...up!)

On the way home we stopped for a sonic soda, during happy hour. I had a diet sprite with strawberry. I highly recommend it.

That night several girlfriends came over to watch The Bachelorette.

As I mentioned, I am not working, but I am BUSY and stressed out. With leaving for Alabama on Saturday, I have been getting things together and getting organized for the trip. Lots of errands and phone calls, etc. I decided to make cheat foods with pretty presentations. I had the idea to do a "make your own salad" from Adina, and wanted to replicate it but in small dishes instead of all on a plate. I only had 6 of these and they were way too small. I will do a different presentation next time, but here you go:


I also made ravioli skewers with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a pesto dipping sauce (not pictured):

I didn't photograph it but I had chicken meatballs in the freezer and I cooked them up with some vodka sauce. They were a hit.

Rachel was one of my best friends growing up here in Vegas, and she came and brought a bottle of wine she made in Napa!


Here are the girls with crazy picture eyes:


And you know how much I love my mommy so of course she came:


I am enjoying this season of The Bachelorette. I like that Emily is really following her instincts and asking them real questions. Ever since Charlie and I met and fell in love I have a new appreciation for the Bachelor, because Charlie and I fell in love in like, NO TIME. We were probably naming our babies after a month. I know that the Bachelor relationships don't typically work out, but I love Ashley and JP, and I think Emily could be looking for the real thing. I am obviously in love with Arie as is all of America, but I think that Sean is actually the best fit for Emily. I do like Chris and think that younger guys CAN be the real thing - my friend Emily's husband is almost 5 years younger than she is and he's an amazing husband and father.

After the show I called Charlie and told him that even though I had said I'd leave him for JP, that I would now leave JP for Arie. Sorry JP!!!

Half of the weather!

Craving: weather moderation!

Okay, for those who read my unfortunate fiasco about passing out from the heat while trying on my wedding dress, may remember that the heat on Tuesday (4 days ago) was this:



Well, this morning I was up at 6 am and this was the weather:




REALLY?

Taste of the Nation (including a recipe for an amazing bourbon drink)

Cravings: hair extensions, peach tea bourbon drinks, unlimited gourmet food, helping to end childhood hunger in America!

Taste of the Nation is an event I got involved in 2 years ago (this was my 3rd event). It's an event through Share Our Strength - http://strength.org/.

Fact: Did you know that one in six households in Nevada struggle with hunger?

One of the beneficiaries of Taste of the Nation is Three Square. It is the main food bank in Las Vegas and Charlie and I are actually getting married there! Please consider making a donation. Only one dollar buys three people a meal because they buy their food in such bulk! Donate To Three Square Now!

I had a groupon for airbrush make up that I decided to use that morning. However, when I arrived, they had a scheduling issue and couldn't do it, so they said they would reschedule me and throw in a hair appointment as well. I saw that they had clip in extensions which I've been meaning to get because I want them for the wedding. I LOVED IT! I am so excited that it blended so well with my hair and really looked natural and healthy.

This is a picture I took when I got home, although the light wasn't that great.

Last year I had the idea that if we put a tip jar at each table, and a few at each bar, that people would give money, even though all the food is free once you pay for admission. We ended up making TONS of money in tips. I put a tag with Share Our Strength's logo that said "Tips for Kids" as well. (Thanks mommy for helping!) Two of our liquor sponsors donated several pitchers that we used as tip jars.


We distributed them to all the bars and chefs, but it ended up being so windy that we had to go and collect all the "tip jars" from outside. After these were set out I just helped with random last minute things (don't even remember, just lots of things) and waited for 6 p.m. to roll around!

The event brought in hundreds of people and had some awesome food from some of the best chefs. There was a drink that was amazing. I had the bartender write it down:

-Peach Tea Vodka
-Bourbon (they used Jim Bean)
-Mint
-Peach bitters
-Lemon Juice
-Agave Nectar (I'm sure stevia/sweetner/simple syrup etc could be subtituted).


I literally had like 4 of these!!

Here are me, Mom, and Eden getting it.
























Here is some of the food:

A "s'more" lollipop. I had two of these


Oysters in the half shell, yes please!






This was pâté with a pickled cherry. I am not a fan of cherries unless they are fresh, but I love anything pickled. Result - LOVE!


Chef Carlos' lobster from Country Club at Wynn. Arguably my favorite dish that night:




They had a white chocolate macadamia bread. Arguably my mom's favorite dish that night! Yes, out of all the gourmet goodies, this won her heart. I mean tummy.


Here is the planning committee at the press wall - the right side isn't being seen, so we can't see Chef Carlos and a few others.

There was an amazing silent auction put on by Lindsay Delgais and her mom Heidi Watt. They outdo themselves each year. Here is a picture of me checking out one of the items, and showing off my hair at the same time! Unfortunately, I was outbid on the Tastefully Simple basket I wanted. (If you don't know about Tastefully Simple, go order their "garlic garlic" NOW). 

Did you order the "garlic garlic" yet?

Here are some pics of me and family/friends at the event. Thank you SO much for the dozens of friends who bought tickets to support this amazing cause. SO MANY KIDS will be having full bellies thanks to you!

I had to show off Eden's sleeve!

Me, Katy, Lauren, Eden, and Rose.

My daddy came!

One of my favorites of me and Charlie:

Look at my hair!!!!!!!! Tee hee.

And another:

I love his new jacket!

The event was really windy outside but that was the only real downfall, and we still had SO MUCH FUN! I can't wait to find out how much money we raised.

Keep up with me for some recaps of the next day with Eden and her mommy on a double date w/me and my mommy, and some great recipes (to be posted soon).