11 Playdates Just for Moms
Mama, you work hard! Kick off the summer by taking time to revitalize and reconnect with a moms night out! Spending time with a few friends to vent, laugh and reenergize in a kid-free zone is healthy and necessary.
If you are like most moms, you stay busy juggling everyone else’s schedules. “But when it comes to us, we forget that we need the same recharging,” says Maria Bailey, host of Mom Talk Radio, author and founder of National Mom’s Nite Out.
Whether you have a gaggle of friends or just a few you’d like to know better, here are 11 ideas to fire up some much-deserved fun.
Tap your inner Matisse. Art studios have popped up across the metro, featuring BYOB paint events like “Drinks with the Masters” at Silver Tree Visual Arts in Olathe, Thirsty Palette in Leawood, and Grapes & Paints in Overland Park. The events offer artist-led one-time classes created specifically for ladies nights out. Feel a pleasant drop in your blood pressure while painting and sipping wine in the company of friends. No cleanup required!
Channel Annie Oakley. Members of Johnson County Mothers & More tested their marksmanship skills at the OMB Guns & Indoor Range in Olathe during their monthly night out. After some initial training, each mom practiced firing her weapon at a target. “By the end of the night, we were feeling like a mix of Charlie's Angels and Full Metal Jacket,” Jen Mann, Overland Park, says. “It was a high, and we were a bit amped up by our success.”
Pamper and primp. Capture that summer glow with fresh manicures and pedicures for you and your friends. Depending on the size of your group, some spas will book an evening just for your party. Or, call a mom friend who is in the beauty biz. Renee Katzer, an independent consultant for Jamberry Nails, Paola, says her Margaritas and Manicures and Nails and Cocktails parties are especially popular among her clients.
Swirl, sniff and sip. Head to an area winery for a relaxing wine tasting. Check out www.KCWineries.com for ideas of where to go. If you’d like to host your own, choose a group of wines from a specific region, ranging from dry to sweet, and hide the names behind a large bow or decorative material. Place a placard with a number in front of each bottle. Give each guest a glass with her own wine charm. Provide scoring sheets for each wine they taste. Serve light appetizers, including cheese and crackers, chocolates and palate-cleansing fruits.
Coordinate a book swap. Invite your bookworm friends to bring gently used books and cookbooks they no longer want. Guests can choose as many books to take as they bring to give away.
Get pinning! Jen Conrad, Olathe, hosted a Pinterest Party in which everyone brought a snack that they found on the site. Then, the group made a scented sugar scrub together. “Everything we ate, drank and did was a Pinterest idea,” Conrad says.
Explore local cuisine. Kansas City is a foodie’s paradise. Gather your friends and take turns choosing one restaurant per month. One favorite for lunch or dinner is Webster House, just steps from the Kauffman Center. To build continuity, make the event a standing occasion on the same night each month.
Host a “My Favorite Things” party. What’s one kitchen gadget, makeup or cleaning product that you can’t live without? Hide your item in a gift bag and exchange with friends. Once everyone has opened her bag, each participant explains why she loves the product she brought to give away. “We all took notes so we could run out and try the fun stuff,” says Amber Shepard, Olathe. Provide each guest with a complimentary notepad and pen to keep track of ideas or clever tips.
Catch the latest flick. Gather your friends for an evening of laughs or cathartic drama at the movies. After the show, review the film together over dinner or dessert.
Form a culture club. Kansas City is a cultural mecca. Visit the symphony, ballet or opera at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Explore the jazz scene that made Kansas City famous at the American Jazz Museum’s Blue Room. Attend different events every four to six weeks from live theater at the historic Folly Theater or the latest art exhibit at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Head to www.VisitKC.com for a complete listing of local performing arts venues and upcoming events.
Be spontaneous! Gather your lawn chairs, light lanterns and invite a few friends over for a last minute glass of wine, margaritas or iced tea paired with chips and queso. By simply creating time for you and your friends to chat, you will deepen your friendships and nurture your spirit, too.
Freelance journalist Christa Melnyk Hines looks forward to a moms night out at least once every six weeks. She is the author of Confidently Connected: A Mom’s Guide to a Satisfying Social Life.