cheers to mom

Blogger Event Recap| #ScentandSipEvent Part II Cheers To Mom|Hosted by SobeSavvy.com

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Back in March, in honor of International Women’s Day/Women’s History Month, SobeSavvy.com hosted an invite only event in Raleigh, NC called #ScentandSipEvent [in case you missed it, catch the recap >>here]. This time for Mother’s Day, I wanted to host a few Mom friends, Bloggers, Influencers in the Triangle and beyond [Raleigh, Durham, Wake Forest, Fayetteville, NC] and celebrate  our motherhood journey. It was a great opportunity to network and toast to us Moms!

We are Blessed to be Moms! |         Photo Credit: Photography by Write Productions @write_productions

 

INVITE + SWAG BAGS



The “ScentandSip” idea came after receiving an exclusive Galentine’s Day invite to an event being held in Miami,FL. I notified the event organizers/PR my desire to collaborate/host an intimate event in my home. I was able to include the diptyque “Scent“ and Chambord “Sip“ in the SWAG BAGS for my guests.Meka H. of @hwthblog shows off her swag | Photo Credit: Write Productions, @write_productions


WELCOME COCKTAIL



This event was held in the comfort of my home, where guests were greeted with a hug of course and a welcome cocktail The featured cocktail was the Chambord Royale [see the recipe above] and it was the perfect way to get the celebration started!

PHOTO FUN


Hostess, Leslie H. of @SobeSavvy reps being a Mom | Photo Credit: Write Productions, @write_productions


I created a photo station to give everyone a chance to take a welcome picture. All it took was some items from the Dollar Tree , a nice smile and a talented photographer [shout out to Lanette L. of Write Productions] to capture the fun.

Tiffany H. of @themrstee strikes a pose! | Photo Credit: Write Productions, @write_productions


Jovhanna T. of @thespirituallovehealer is all smiles! | Photo Credit: Write Productions, @write_productions

Carla W. of @glamourandglue is truly blessed! | Photo Credit: Write Productions, @write_productions

Marcia S. of @keechiibags is too blessed to be stressed! |

Photo Credit: Write Productions, @write_productions

My daughter, #outandaboutAva, even joined in on the fun by being the flower girl and throwing rose petals for us Queens!

Forever My Flower Girl ! Photo Credit: Write Productions, @write_productions


FOOD| CATERING BY SASSOOL



May is not only a time to celebrate Moms but did you know that is is also Women’s Health Month?! It was very important to me to serve something nutritional and delicious to my guests.

Thanks to Sassool Mediterranean Cafe, I was able to give my guests a beautiful taste of homemade lebanese and mediterranean food, which is a cuisine known for its health benefits. This family-owned restaurant has locations in Raleigh, Cary and also a third location which offers a limited menu of their most popular items at Morgan Street Food Hall in downtown Raleigh. I learned that the Sassool brand was launched on Mother’s Day, May 11, 2014 to honor the owner Mounir Saleh’s mother, Cecilia, for the authentic recipes that she brought with her when she immigrated from Lebanon with her family to Raleigh in the 1970s. The name of the restaurant, Sassool, is the nickname that Cecilia was called by her father when she was a child. What a great way to honor some Moms in the blogging community by having the opportunity to feature a brand that honors their Mom!
We enjoyed the following catering options: 

* Oven Specialties (this is an assortment of baked pita flatbreads, sliced into bitesize wedges)
* Mini Kabobs (same menu item as regular kabobs, just smaller size–you can choose Chicken, Beef or Lamb).
* Caprese Kabobs are an excellent choice too (fresh mozarella balls, grape tomatoes, fresh basil and balsamic drizzle)
* Fruit Salad … such a great variety of fresh fruit garnished with mint
* Cilantro jalapeno hummus, tatziki and pita chips 
* Sassool Corn Salad


WINE|TERLATO WINES


Ever heard the saying..”Wine taste better when shared with friends” ?
That was indeed the case with these two featured wines that were served at my event:

Terlato Vineyards 2017 Friuli Pinot Grigio | Photo Credit: Write Productions, @write_productions

2018 Côtes de Provence Mathilde Chapoutier “Grande Ferrage”| Photo Credit: Write Productions, @write_productions



My husband served as our informal CSW and shared some of the wine facts with us! We learned the Terlato Vineyards 2017 Fruili Pinot Grigio is from NE Italy and tastes of peach pear with some mineral.It is America’s highest rated and fastest growing Pinot Grigio! It is superb with oysters or shellfish.The 2018 Cotes de Provence Mathilde Chapoutier Rosé is made from 4 grapes: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Rolle. It tastes of strawberry, grapefruit and apricot. Aged for 5 months, we tasted the quality the rosé in every sip.Both of these Terlato Wines were enjoyed but the ladies loved the rosé!  Check out my photos to see why you should serve these wines at your next gathering. Mark your calenders, National Wine Day is May 25. These two wines would be a great way to celebrate! Cheers!

DESSERT | HEAVENLY CAKES BY TANYA

Chambord, is a mainstay at top shelf bars and is made in the Loire Valley of France. This liqueur uses red and black raspberries with Madagascar vanilla, citrus peel, honey and cognac. This combination can be traced back to the 1600’s when Louis XIV drank Cognac with dinner. This versatile liqueur is used to make cocktails from many different spirits. The liquer was featured in the welcome cocktail, given to guests, a mini bottle was gifted in their swag bags but the Chambord was also infused into these amazing chocolate cupcakes made by Raleigh-based premier bakery, Heavenly Cakes by Tanya. 

From cupcakes, to special occasion cakes and keto friendly sweets, Tanya is someone I trust and recommend for delicious desserts. Not only are her creations visually appealing but it tastes as good as it looks!

PARTY GAME


Everyone loves games at a party right?! I picked up one from Target Dollar spot. For just $3, for 10 in a pack, the “This or That” game was the perfect icebreaker. Each guest received a card to fill out and we compared/shared the categories that we have in common. We had to think and reflect on how we are now as mothers because it defintely played a part in how questions were answered. All in all, everyone had fun with the “This or That” game!




I am very thankful to these Moms who came out to join me in celebrating Mother’s Day weekend. I think we all appreciated the Mommy Break and I learned so much more about these women who are amazing Mompreneurs as well. Be sure to follow them to see what awesome things they are doing. I am so grateful for partnerships with brands and businesses who participated in my event. Many thanks to Write Productions for doing such a wonderful and professional job capturing the event!


WATCH my YouTube Video recap of the #ScentandSipEvent Part II ‘Cheers To Mom’ moms mixer.

https://youtu.be/JLbb2sv4zYM

Cheers!

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#CheerstoMom Cocktail Recipe with @TOPOdistillery Organic Spiced Rum🍍Inspired by #DisneyDoleWhip

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In celebration of warmer temps in NC and Mother’s Day weekend, I plan to host some Mom friends on my outdoor patio for a fun, ‘Cheers to Mom‘ celebration! I like to create speciality drinks when I entertain and to me, nothing says summer is near more that a good rum cocktail. I have been seeing all these Disney Dole Whip recipes and decided to try one of my own using NC’s own award winning organic spirits: TOPO Carolina Spiced Rum!

The Spirit

Admit it, the words “organic” and “liquor” do not usually exist in the same sentence. Not anymore. After being a fan and consumer of TOPO Organic Spirits [they offer a whiskey, vodka, gin and moonshine], I was excited when my friends at TOPO sent a sample of their new release, TOPO Organic Spiced Rum. After living in Miami for almost 20 years and attending several Rum festivals [like the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival], I became somewhat of a rum expert. dark rum, light rum, Haitian Rum, Jamaican rum, Puerto Rican rum. I have had them all at one time or the other. What I was not familiar with however was rum from North Carolina!

TOPO has the distinction as the only Green + Certified distillery in the country. Environmentally friendly and 100 % organic ingredients go into their lines of spirits. I didn’t quite know what to expect. But after the initial smell and sip, I was in love!

Per their website, the rum… “has flavors of the coastline: allspice, vanilla, orange peel, peppercorns, cinnamon and clove. It’s a marriage of the finest organic botanicals with an incredibly smooth rum. We make a tasty white rum and then use a mortar and pestle to grind spices to add more flavor. You can smell and taste the difference. “

The Cocktail

More than one of my Disney Social Media Mom friends [that I recently got to connect with at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference On The Road Celebration in Miami] has made me aware over the years of a special concoction they had enjoyed at one of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks called “Dole Whip”. It is sometimes in the form of a soft serve ice cream or as a non alcoholic beverage. However there are some places in the park that will serve this as a rum infused tropical cocktail, sort of like a grown up smoothie! I have not had one yet, but I am on a mission to get there soon to enjoy one or two for myself. Until then, I thought I would DIY my own Disney Dole Whip Rum drink and call it a ‘Cheers To Mom’ Cocktail.

The Recipe

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Dole Frozen Pineapple Chunks
Vanilla Coconut Milk
Topo Organic Spiced Rum 2 TBLS of White Granulated Sugar
Ice Cubes

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Blend the above in a blender at high speed for 30 seconds and sample. Adjust any ingredients to taste. I added a little more rum because well, more rum equals more fun! Top of with Whip Cream [optional] and enjoy!

SobeSavvy Tip: Give the gift of TOPO for Mother’s Day!

Known far and wide as one of the nations premier local breweries, plan a date and take Mom on a TOPO Distillery Tour at their Chapel Hill complex. When you are done, go upstairs to dine at their restaurant and patio bar, The Top Of The Hill, which offers great sunset views of Chapel Hill! You can also give your Mom a TOPO Gift Card or simply go to your local ABC, purchase her favorite TOPO Organic Spirits and box it up with love!

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED ANY OF THE TOPO ORGANIC SPIRITS? HOW ABOUT A DISNEY DOLE WHIP? If not, here is your chance to enjoy the two together on your very own with the above Cheers to Mom cocktail recipe!

Enjoy and Cheers to Moms everywhere! 🍍🍹🍍🍹🍍🍹🍍