{Re-Cap} Dinner with Mom

Last weekend was Mother’s Day.  That one day of the year where we are *supposed* to enjoy a day of relaxation, pampering, and all-around feel appreciated for the things we do the other 364 days of the year.  We realize that this doesn’t always happen; especially if you have kiddos under the age of 5. Or 10. Or 15…

So this year, we decided to try and help you out.  We planned a Dinner with Mom for Mother’s Day weekend.  And we took it a step further by centering the event around you and YOUR mom (or your mother in law, or your aunt, or your grandma, or any other mom-like figure in your life), because we all know that maintaining that relationship with our own moms and other women in our life can be so hard in our busy schedules.  You all deserve a night out, and we wanted to give it to you this year!!

The Venue

Cue Little Lights Events.  The absolute PERFECT spot to host a dinner for all of you lovely ladies.  We’ve said it before and we will say it again and again, if you are looking for a place to host a small to medium-sized event for your family, your friends, your coworkers, or even your place of business, check this place out!! It is gorgeous, it is super close to Iowa City, and the best part? It is a mom-owned business!! It’s a win-win, for sure!!  As always, they had the place looking absolutely beautiful when we walked in the door, eliminating the need for any decorating or rearranging on our part. The space was primed and ready to host an amazing group of women!

The Food

What’s a night out without good food? Not worth it, that’s for sure!  Luckily, we brought in the best.  Another locally-owned favorite of ours, Kalona Kountry Katering did NOT disappoint with their spread.  If you are looking for a caterer for any upcoming family events, baby showers, weddings, or more, be sure to check out their website and tell them ICMB sent you!  We sat around table, watching the moms and their guests smile and laugh, and served the delicious dinner family style.  Gourmet salad, almond-crusted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, and green beans with almonds…mouth watering yet?  Just wait for dessert!!

The Dessert

As always, our pal Michele from Vanilla Beans & Daydreams treated us to the most delicious desserts you can possibly imagine.  Homemade waffle cones filled with cake, mousse, and sweet little toppings dipped in gold.  Yes, edible gold. We truly were treated like queens (no pun intended!).  Thank you so much!  You can find Vanilla Beans and Daydreams on Facebook and Instagram, too.

Pampering & Shopping!

It’s not a Mother’s Day event without these two important ingredients!! Special thanks to all of these local businesses for providing your goods and services for the evening.

{Adeva Salon & Spa}

New to the Iowa River Landing, the Adeva Salon & Spa is a beautiful location and they do a beautiful job!!  We were lucky enough to have two of their stylists join us for the evening to do a little “braid bar”, giving the guests a fun little twist in their hair. We had so many moms tell us how much it meant to them to have a little pampering!!

{Younique makeup & skincare}

Another great way to pamper some deserving mamas? Touch up their makeup! Special thanks to Tristan, our Younique presenter for the evening.  She was on-hand to show all of the makeup and skin care products, as well as let the moms play in all of the beautiful colors and shades. So much fun!

{Noon to Midnight Style Co.}

One of our very favorite local, mom-owned boutiques! Special thanks to Theresa for joining us and bringing some of her best goodies to share.  If you’re looking for a cute graphic tee, the perfect dress or romper for the summer, or just overall CUTE clothes, check out Noon to Midnight ! You can find her on Facebook, too!

{Lularoe}

What’s a mom party without leggings?! Thank you to Nichole and her team for bringing their inventory for everyone to shop.  As you probably know, each Lularoe consultant has their own unique items, making it super fun to shop at all the different events!  Click here to check out Nichole’s collection!

{Paparazzi Jewelry}

Another super fun mom-run business to shop from!  Paparazzi accessories are not only super cute, but they are FIVE DOLLARS!! It’s always fun to shop around for new accessories to put with our outfits, especially when things are so affordable! You can find their Facebook shopping group by clicking here.

Photographer

Special thank you to Jen Madigan for taking these GORGEOUS photos from the event!  It’s so special to have these professional photos of us with our moms and other family members.  Be sure to check our Facebook page for even more photos, and if you are interested in ordering any of the prints, you can contact Jen at [email protected] to do that!

Giveaways

We finished off the evening with a ton of awesome giveaways, courtesy of our vendors at the event as well as some of our favorite partners in the community. Special thanks to all of the following businesses for contributing a fun giveaway for the moms to take home:

The Family Dental Center

The Old Creamery Theater

Adeva Salon & Spa

Younique

Paparazzi Accessories

Noon to Midnight Style Co.

Lularoe Nichole Nidey

 

And above all, Our Guests!!

There wouldn’t be any events without all of YOU mamas who continue to come and support the mission of Iowa City Moms Blog: to connect women and families in our community.  Thank you so much for coming, and we can’t wait to see you at more of our upcoming events! Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!  (PS…if you don’t see your picture here, don’t forget to check out the Facebook album for all of the images!)

 

Sara
Sara and her husband Matt (sweethearts since they were just 16) got married in 2007, and since then have welcomed four beautiful children (Sam in 2008, Cooper in 2010, Nora in 2012, and Adam James in December 2015). A born-and-raised Iowan, Sara received both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees (in Spanish Literature) from the University of Iowa. She's still teaching Spanish wherever and whenever she can, but her true passion is owning Iowa City Moms and building this community alongside her amazing team. Sara is also the Community Engagement Coordinator for City Mom Collective, and the owner of Cowork Collective downtown Iowa City. Common denominator in all of these jobs: community, community, community.

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