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11.09.2009

Maggie's Dinner Dates: Group Dating Inspiration

My blog has been hijacked!!
Okay, I'm only kidding. But, if I could choose anyone to hijack it, it'd be Maggie from Maggie's Dinner Dates.

We're gonna try a blog swap every month or so...she has some fabulous ideas for group dating....
I'll let her tell you the rest...
~~~~~~

Hello Love, Actually readers! I'm so excited to be blog swapping with Cher today. I'm Maggie, the dinner date girl. My blog is Maggie’s Dinner Dates. Cher, thanks so much for blog swapping with me! I also would like to invite you to come read her post today at my blog.

A Little About Me:
I am a super busy SAHM who does digital scrapbooking, puts together family home evening kits, and designs Twilight products. My specialty and joy is planning and carrying out themed dinner parties in our home.

How Maggie’s Dinner Dates began:
My love for group dating really started a year and a half ago as my husband and I undertook a ‘year-long project’. We were determined to meet every couple from our church ward on a more personal level. Our 4th child was recently born and I was just a little overwhelmed by motherhood! I was dying to get out of the house and have fun with other adults, but it never seemed to happen. Jeff and I were so busy with our young family and not making time to date one another. By Summer of ’08, I knew that I had to do something!

Then the idea came to me rather suddenly. I would pick a different theme per month and plan a dinner party around that theme inviting somewhere between 4 and 9 couples to each party. My husband, who was also eager to get some adult time, was all for it!

That first dinner date was an Italian dinner. I remember how I felt that night after my first dinner party. I felt wonderful! I was exhausted and a little sore from all the running around, but I was deliriously happy that it had gone so well. I guess you could say that I was giddy!
Because of the success of the first one, I felt reassured that we needed to continue with the project. We followed with an Asian dinner party the next month and every month thereafter it was a new theme. We quickly worked our way through the couples in our church and while doing it, WE HAD A BLAST! During each dinner party (as hectic as they sometimes were) I would step back and think about what an amazing group of people had come over that night and how it seemed that everyone was really enjoying themselves. After our first dinner party I was on a total high! I didn’t feel like Ann’s mom, or Jeff’s wife, but I felt like Maggie, the fun loving outgoing girl that I had once been. With each party my confidence grew!

I hope that each of you will give ‘dinner parties’ a chance! Just go for it! It may sound scary, but with Cher and I here helping you with any suggestions or advice you may need I know that you can do it! Don’t keep putting it off! In the process of group dating/dinner parties I have fallen in love with my husband all over again. And I do every single time we host a party.

This month Cher has asked me to share with you one of our dinner dates. This is a party that I have not hosted yet, but will be hosting on the 19th of this month. It is a dinner party for the release of the New Moon movie in theatres. I know that my husband is one of many men that have also read the books and won’t mind having dinner celebrating the movie release (not to mention.. those Twilight books always put me in a more affectionate mood (wink, wink). I have created for you some fun date idea cards to help you quickly plan a New Moon party in the next few weeks.

Images are LINKED for free download!

I look forward to posting next month about a couple’s dinner party to celebrate Christmas called a Jingle Mingle! You don’t want to miss it!

~~~~~

Isn't she great? Thanks, Maggie.

I gotta say, I can totally relate to loving my husband more when we hang out with other couples...however bad this is about to sound. After interacting with other couples and their husbands, I sometimes can't help but be thankful that I have my husband... (and hopefully none of my friends reading this take offense...) because I think mine is the best! {But isn't that how everyone should think about their spouse?} It's nice to go with him at the end of the night.

Don't forget to go check out Maggie's Blog!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not a Twilight fan, and with my husband being deployed and all, I don't think I'll be using this paricular idea. But I checked out Maggie's blog and I'm loving all the different ideas. I think a dinner party is in store for the months to come.

Unknown said...

Courtney,
Thanks so much for your comments. I debated about what party theme to do for my first dinner party, and since the New Moon party is so much on my mind (and coming up in less than two weeks!) I wanted to share that with all of you. This also makes a fantastic girls night.
The party for next month will be just in time for your Christmas dinner parties. I hope you love it!

Scott and Manda said...

Oh. my. gosh. I freaking LOVE this!!!!! Ya I'll probably be doing this exact party coming up. And I'll definitely be following maggie's blog! Thanks!!!!!!

Outnumbered said...

Wow great blog swap! I will definitely be checking out your blog Maggie:D

I love the monthly dinner party idea...we usually have people over to our house because of our 3 little ones under 4 years old. I think I might incorporate it into a monthly game night sort of thing. Thanks so much for the great ideas!

Unknown said...

Veyr sweet idea about maggie, I like a lot maggie and if anyone is going to impress via maggie dating than surely gonna mad..

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