Disclosure: I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Kenwood Vineyards. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Last weekend for the first time in a very long time I was able to get out with a girlfriend, we went to a bar,  I had drinks and most of all I had a BLAST. It was amazing to step outside of my Mommy role for a couple of hours and just be. We’ve been talking about making this a monthly thing. It’s something that we all need. It helps us all to step back, reflect and be grateful for what we have.  A little over a year ago I didn’t have this. A group of friends that I could have a Moms Night Out or a Moms Night in with. I was Mom 24/7 and it seemed like that was all I was some days.

Sometimes when you’re a Mom when you’re giving of yourself 24/7 it can be hard to remember not only who you are but  how blessed we truly are. YES, we give, give, give all day long but we also have the ability to give. We get to hug our kids. We get to clothe them and feed them. We get to go out once a month on a Saturday or have a Girls Night In. These things are PRIVILEGES. With that being said,  we not only deserve but we need a night in OR out!

Must Haves for a Successful Moms Night In

A Good Babysitter

I only just recently got one of these and it wasn’t until I got one that I realized just how vital they really are! They allow you to get out and do what you need to do FOR YOU! We have a college local to us so I posted on our local boards to find my babysitter. If you don’t have a college to tap into you can try craigslist or contacting your local high school to see if they can get you in touch with local teens who are responsible and looking for work!

Great Friends

It wasn’t too long ago that I could honestly say I didn’t have many friends in the area. I was semi new and a lot of it felt very exclusive. But then I started getting involved in the birth world and helped jump start a playgroup and now I have friends GREAT friends. If you want great friends too put yourself out there, do new things, meet new people, get involved in your community, be genuine and open!

Great Drinks

Maybe this isn’t a must have for everyone but I will say that it’s one of my must haves for a girls night in! It helps everyone unwind and get comfortable! Kenwood wines is the feature event at Moms Night In. They’re located in the heart of Sonoma Valley and are dedicated to producing premium wines. They source grapes from dozens of vineyard many farmed sustainably using natural soil amendments and using natural pest controls whenever they can instead of chemicals! That’s super important to myself and my friends!

Kenwood wines brought such a nice touch to our get together. Being a white wine girl I poured myself a heavy glass of Sauvignon Blanc. It was delicious and paired so well with our goat cheese and crackers we had as a snack. The other girls were Red Wine fans and reported that it was delicious with the Red Velvet cookies we had for dessert. Speaking of food….

Good Food

When it comes to pairing your favorite wine with food Kenwood Vineyards makes it easy! Pick your wines then pick your foods or vice versa!

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Just make sure you have enough of both! I love pairing Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc with this asparagus goat cheese tart.

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Good Conversation

Keep it light aka no politics or religion but make sure you get real. That’s where the true bonds are formed. Make as many mommy confessions as you need too. Support one another. Let go and connect with one another!

One thing that doesn’t need to be off the table?

Discussing ways that you can give back to your local community! It’s just another way to bond and connect!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving and the holiday season now is the time to give back and to make plans for giving back all year long. Looking for ways to give back? There are a ton of great organizations that give back during the holiday season and all year long. One of my new favorites is WhyHunger.  Kenwood Vineyards introduced me to them when I found out they were donating $25,000 to WhyHunger in support of ending hunger and giving back during the holiday season.

Kenwood Vineyards & WhyHunger

WhyHunger is a leader in building the movement to end hunger and poverty by connecting people to nutritious, affordable food and by supporting grassroots solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment. For the fourth consecutive year WhyHunger received the highest rating of four stars for excellence in fiscal management, accountability and transparency from America’s leading independent charity evaluator, Charity Navigator.

One of the reasons I love WhyHunger is because they support grassroots movements. They recognize the need to get communities in need involved with the efforts to create food equality. They provide building services, technical support, and access to information and financial resources to community organizations looking to transform their communities and become self sustainable when it comes to nutritious foods!

Kenwood Vineyards is donating $25,000 to WhyHunger and you can help too by donating to their crowdrise fund.