Tacos and Tequila: Amy and Greg's Baby Shower

This past weekend the girls and I helped host a couple's baby shower for our friends Greg and Amy. Little back story on Greg and Amy...they have been trying to have a baby for several years now. They had tried IVF several times with no success. Amy was going through her IVF experience while several of us were pregnant with our first babies. I'm sure that couldn't have been easy for Amy, but she was nothing but excited and happy for us, and even helped host our baby shower back in November! What a great friend! Amy and Greg tried IVF one more time at the beginning of this year, and....HOORAY...IT WORKED!!! Baby Spock will be here November 2015! God is so so good! So needless to say, we were all very excited to celebrate this miracle child, and the wonderful parents to be! 

If you know Amy at all, then it's safe to say you know that this Texas girl loves herself a good fiesta themed party and some even better Mexican food! So we all knew that despite our desire to throw her a Star Trek themed baby shower (there last name is Spock! Just kidding Amy we would never do that to you!!) a Mexican themed shower it would be! Their only other request was that the shower be a couples shower for men and women. So after scouring Pinterest, we decided that a Tacos and Tequila theme was perfect for a Guy/Girl shower in honor of Baby Boy Spock!

***I feel like I should mention that party planning seriously stresses me out. I'm getting hives just thinking about it. I am not crafty or organized so the idea of hosting a couples shower for 65 people was right up there with basketball and self-pedicures as things I fail at. Conveniently, our group of friends is filled with talented women that put together fabulous parties like it ain't no thang! So when I say that "we" did all of the following things, just know that I was much more of the manual labor end of this party, as opposed to the conceptual side! I can, however, assemble party lanterns and rope lights like a boss now! Marketable skills people...marketable skills. ***

**Disclaimer 2: One of the hostesses, Sarah, is a generous and talented photographer who graciously captured all the goings on from the shower so that Amy and Greg have some great keepsakes from the night.  She also let me share them on my blog today! If you want to see more of her work, and some of her great photos from around Kwaj, check out her page here.

We had the shower at the Yacht Club on island, and it turned out to be a great location! We were a little nervous because most of the Yacht club is an outdoor patio with a portion that is covered, but it's shall we say "open to the elements." We went to set up the morning of the shower, and it was sunny and bright with nary a cloud in sight. The party was at 6pm that night, and our plan was to head down to the Yacht Club around 5:15 to set up food and give everything a once over before guests arrived. Well...our beautiful sunny weather was more along the lines of this when we arrived...

That is lots and lots of rain...there are other islands out there you just can't seem them because...RAIN!

We had streamers and tablecloths and center pieces all set up, but then the aforementioned rain hit, and you've never seen 6 women in heels move so fast to take everything off the tables before they got soaked. Thankfully that was the only hiccup, and the rain actually ended up cooling the temperatures down, and stopped by the time most of the guests got there! We were even able to dry everything off and get the original decorations put back out: 

Tables, centerpieces, and fiesta lights 

The weather finally cleared enough for the guests to go outside

The centerpieces were beautiful and so easy...just some glass hurricanes filled with lime slices, lemons, and some natural flora that was growing near by :)

Everyone had to grab a necklace ...

And a Koozie ;)

We served a few appetizers (taco dip, queso, guacamole, mini taco cups) then a buffet style dinner with pork and chicken tacos, tamales, rice, beans, various taco toppings: 

For dessert we had a very talented woman on island make a Mexican Chocolate cake (it had some kind of cinnamon spice in it) and it was delicious!

Sarah and I were in charge of the games for the party, and we were pretty much on the same page as far as what kind of games we thought would be good for a couples shower. We figured that most of the men in attendance wouldn't want to guess what kind of candy bar was smashed in a diaper, or "pin the sperm on the uterus", etc. so for our first game we had a "Guess the Baby Beer" game. We filled 6 baby bottles with 6 types of beer ( we used Corona, Dos Equis, Bud Light, Miller Light, Redd's Apple Beer, and Hoegaarden) and you got to sample beer from each bottle then try and match which beer was in which numbered bottle. We had it set up on the bar right where you walked in so it was a nice way to get people to play, and make sure people were getting drinks and having a good time. I highly recommend this game for guy/girl showers because it really gets the men folk involved. If I did it again though, I would pick beers that weren't so similar because nobody was able to guess them all correctly. We did however have two guys get 4 out of 6 right, and we made them our winners.

Eric was one of the lucky winners!

We wanted our second game to feature Greg and Amy in some way, so we played a little baby trivia game. We had Greg and Amy sit in front of everyone while wearing their finest Mexican attire while I read some multiple choice baby trivia questions. I used some of the questions from this trivia sheet. Greg and Amy were pretty impressive with their baby knowledge, and it was nice to have a game that featured just the two of them!

Action shot of the trivia game...no...that's not a microphone I'm holding...I prefer to do my emcee-ing, drink in hand. #crushedit

Amy and Greg in their fiesta finest

no peaking allowed!

We didn't want the night to be too game focused so, after the trivia game, everyone relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the party! Here are some candid's from the rest of the night: 

The parents-to-be: Greg and Amy!

Two of the hostesses Lindsey and Mandie

I should probably work on more animation when I talk...

You can't have a Tacos and Tequila shower without margaritas

Most of the gentlemen spent the evening propping the bar up ;)

A little Baby Spock love. Photobomber-Don

Rounding out the promised tequila portion of the evening...

...it went down smooth!

Some gag gifts were opened

the centerpieces were diligently inspected by Maya and Aksel

The hostesses-minus Angela, Cher, and Jane who were off island!

It was such a fun shower, and I think Amy and Greg really enjoyed it! It was a perfect mix of celebration and island fun. Baby Spock we can't wait to meet you...you are already so loved!

What's Up Wednesday!

I thought I would try something new this week. Instead of just a regular recap of what we've been up to lately, I thought I would link up with Shay from Mix and Match Mama, and participate in her What's Up Wednesday post! So here is what the McClellan crew has been up to lately:

What We're Eating:

My mom made this stew for me when I was home at the beginning of the year for Hadley's delivery, and it blew my mind! For whatever reason I always pictured stew to be time and ingredient intensive, but not this bad boy! It is so easy, and even better...I always lose weight the next day! Double win! Here is the recipe: 

• 1 onion
• 2-3 garlic pods
• beef stew meat ( I use about 1.25lbs, and that feeds Johnathon and I)
• 1 pack of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce 
• Fill the Cream of Mushroom can 3/4 of the way with red wine, then again with beef stock
• Veggies of choice: green beans, mushrooms, carrots, peas, etc
• 3 medium potatoes 
• S & P to taste

Saute the onions and garlic, and once the onions start to get translucent, add the meat. Brown the meat on both sides, then add the cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, wine, S&P, and beef stock. You can add whatever veggies you want...we opt for peas, carrots, mushrooms, and cook until tender. Be sure to add the potatoes toward the end so they don't get to mushy! So easy, and its delicious!

What I'm Reminiscing About:

  

Miss Hadley Kate is going to be 6 MONTHS AUGUST 1ST!!! I truly can't believe it's already been 6 months since Hadley entered this world, and it has been such a fun ride ever since! I've been looking back at her newborn photos, and I can't believe she was that tiny!! 

What I'm Loving:

  

We had been watching Sons of Anarchy, and it was really good, but REALLY INTENSE and depressing, so we took a break from that and started browsing Netflix for a new show to binge watch! We decided to try White Collar, and one week later we are on Season 3! It's such a fun show, and we love the witty banter between Peter and Neal. For the record, my love for this show has absolutely nothing to do with Matt Bomer, and his dreamy blue eyes, and fabulous swishy hair. Nothing! ;)

What We've Been Up to:

This past weekend some of us ladies hosted a couple's shower for Amy, Greg, and Baby Spock! It was a Tacos and Tequila theme, and it was so much fun! I will blog all the pics from the shower later on this week, but just know it was lots of fun, and we can't wait for Baby Spock to get here in November!

What I'm Dreading:

Hadley has her 6 month well check August 1st which means....VACCINES!!! You would think as a pediatric nurse I would be a pro at handling this, but seeing your baby scream her head off isn't fun for anybody! I've also heard the 6 month vaccines are the worst, so say a prayer this visit isn't too bad!!

What I'm Working On:

Besides blogging more regularly...I'm not sure this counts as work, but I have been a home shopping machine! We don't have a set return date yet, but as we start talking more and more about when we want to head back to Texas I get more and more excited about finding us the perfect house! We were newlyweds who rented before we moved out to Kwaj so this will make us first time home owners whenever we move back! This is a very exciting and simultaneously terrifying step for us! However, I think in another life I could've been an awesome real estate agent...I stalk zillow pretty much every day even though we won't be purchasing a home anytime THAT soon. I just like to email my top finds to Johnathon on a daily basis telling him that we HAVE TO BUY THIS ONE!!! Which I'm sure is not annoying or pressure filled in the least! :)

What We're Excited About:

 

     

FALL IN MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!!!! We are going to visit Johnathon's family in October, and this will be my first time to spend Fall in Michigan!!! I am desperate for some good Fall weather, pretty leaves, and apple cider!! My family is going to come up for a week, and I have all kinds of plans for us...mostly involving apple orchards and visiting Frankenmuth for their famous Zender's chicken dinner and Bronner's Christmas Shop!

What I'm Listening To:

Sadly...my Pandora station is pretty much permanently stationed to the Disney station for Hadley's listening pleasure! 

What I'm Wearing:

Nordstroms is having their Anniversary sale, and I may have gotten a little too excited!! I'm finally back to a postpartum size that I deem acceptable, so I feel like I can finally spend some money on clothes that I know I will be wearing for longer than just the next couple of months! With that said, Sheaffer, over at Pinterest Told Me To, has RAVED about this Blardigan, and when I saw it on sale I scooped it up! It hasn't come in the mail yet, but I am like a kid on Christmas morning waiting for this puppy to get here!

Doing This Weekend:

Nothing. Seriously...all the baby shower festivities last weekend took it out of me, so I'm hoping to just have a low key day!

 

Looking Forward to Next Month:

Summers on Kwaj are kind of slow because everyone leaves island for vacation and trips back to the states to see family. This is the second summer that we have stayed on island, and life slows waaaayyyy down, if that is even possible! I am ready to have all our friends back on island! 

What Else is New:  

Hadley is trying REALLY hard to crawl and sit up! I am all for her sitting up by herself, but the crawling I am NOT ready for! We haven't baby proofed a thing, so here's hoping she can hold off crawling for a few more weeks!  

What I'll Miss About Summer:

Well, we are pretty much living an endless summer out here on Kwaj, so there really isn't a whole lot I'm gonna miss...mostly just ready for Fall weather when we go to Michigan in October!! Summer out here does lead to some truly spectacular sunsets though, so those will definitely be missed! 

  

And that's what we've been up to lately! 

July Book Review

I have always been a big reader. When I was younger, it was all the Mary Downing Hahn books...Wait 'Till Helen Comes, anyone? That book scared the pants off of me in the 3rd grade. Then it was all the Harry Potter books, and once I got to college I really started to read anything and everything I could get my hands on, and never really stopped. Like most parents will probably admit, once the baby came along, finding time to read was difficult, and truthfully it wasn't really high on my priority list. But now that Hadley is out of her newborn stage and we have a good flow to our day, I decided I needed to get back into my reading rhythm!

Here's the thing...it's a little truth that nobody tells you before you have kids: Kids make you soft. In college and immediately after, I was all about reading books that made me think, question,or probe into some pretty heavy topics, and truthfully...I became a bit of a book snob. If you met me between the ages of 19-25 and told me you were reading anything by Sophie Kinsella...I judged...just a little. Devil Wears Prada-judgement. Eat, Pray, Love-judged. (Although, in the interest of full disclosure, I did read Eat, Pray, Love after a breakup and thought Elizabeth Gilbert was speaking directly to me. I mean, I truly thought this book was the most emotionally insightful thing I'd ever read. Second time reading it, I was in a healthy relationship with my now husband, and found the author to be extremely whiny and self-centered.) I guess timing and emotional stability are everything. 

This literary judgement streak continued on until one day halfway through my pregnancy I decided to read The Book Thief. I'd heard wonderful things about The Book Thief so I thought I would give it a try. To those of you who haven't read it, the book is narrated by death and takes place during WWII, so...not exactly an upper. I was so hormonal and ridiculously pregnant that couldn't finish it. I thought this was a temporary setback, and that once my postpartem mood swings were in my rearview, I could once again merrily resume my binge reading of Where the Red Fern Grows with nary a tear to be seen. Lies. I can't read anything anymore that involves death, families being separated, terminal illness, divorce or dead animals-I'm looking at you Marley and Me!!! So for all you high brow literary folks out there looking for a deep, philisophical reading list...this ain't it. You want something fluffy, and fun with a fast moving plot...pull up a seat, because I got books to review!

1)The Traitor's Wife- Allison Pataki

I'm usually not one for historical fiction, but this one sucked me in from the very beginning! It's about Benedict Arnold and his wife Peggy Shippen, and her role in his betrayal of America-as told by Peggy's maid. I usually lose steam with historical books because I feel like their descriptive parts can be kind of long for this ADD girl, and I don't like books that take 100 pages to "set the scene." This one jumps into the plot right away, and even though I knew how it was going to end (SPOILER: HE'S A TRAITOR!!) I was still speed reading all the way to the end. Johnathon and I have been watching Turn on AMC, and this book coincides with the plot of the show nicely. If you like Philippa Gregory books (The Other Boleyn Girl, etc) then this book is for you!

2) Washington's Spies-Alexander Rose

Can you tell I'm a fan of Turn? When we first started watching the show, I had no idea it was even based on a true story!!! (Sorry to all my history teachers...I was listening I PROMISE!!) I've always liked Revolutionary War history, but I was really not familiar with the Culper Ring, and how in depth the spy network was during the Revolution. A lot of what is in the book is touched on in the show, so I felt like there was a lot of repeat information, but if that time period and specific topic interest you, then this book is right up your alley!

3) The Girl on the Train- Paula Hawkins

I mentioned this book when I blogged about our Book Club, but this was the last book our club read. As you can tell from the picture I chose...I found this book suspiciously similar to Gone Girl. Think mysterious disappearance of a girl, some seriously evil/unlikeable characters, psychological thriller type book. It was pretty good, and a quick read, but I personally thought Gone Girl was better. I give it a solid B. 

4) The Rumor- Elin Hillderbrand

This book is the definition of fluff, and I couldn't put it down! I felt my judgmental side creeping in at the introduction of several characters ( I kid you not, some of the character names are Sultan Nash, Calgary, and Allegra). However, as previously mentioned...softie over here! I'm looking for happy, easy reading and this book made me want to throw on my finest cable knit sweater and Sperry's and go pay $50.00 for a lobster roll sandwich on Nantucket. All of her books apparently take place on Nantucket, so it is the perfect escape book. I'm already on to another one of her books, and I can tell already I'm going to like it just as much as this one! 

What are you reading these days? I need suggestions!  Our book club hasn't picked out our next book yet, so I'd love some good titles to throw out there!