Girls Gift Exchange 2010 (otherwise known as GGE)

For teh past 7 years, my girlfriends in Chicago ( mostly from college and a few who have joined "the group" along the way) have gathered at the holidays for a Girls Gift Exchange. What started as just an opportunity to get together, drink, gossip, EAT, and exchange a few gifts has turned into THE EVENT of the year that is NOT to be missed. The reason? There is nothing ellaborate about it...we wear PJ's or sweatpants, the drinking still happens but since many have kids or are pregnant it's not necessary. It's just the one event all year that we all can be US and we just can be best friends and have a blast, laugh endlessly til our bellies ache, talk about our hopes and dreams, and get some pretty awesome gifts. The event is such a big deal that daily e-mails start about the event to the whole group weeks in advance, deep depression sets in if you can't make it, and people even fly in for this event!Everyone brings a gift to exchange, a food item and a beverage.

This year was hosted by Monica and she made huge efforts to add lots of little details...

The glasses
The candles...

The centerpieces...

The appetizers....

Our amazing host!

No boys and no kids allowed...except babies!!! WE LOVE BABIES!!!! And Erin just had sweet Molly two months ago so she got to attend her first GGE and her mommy hardly had the chance to hold her because the rest of us were fighting over her.

Me and JennyJenny and Mira by the mistletoe

Food

and more food!

Lots of friends!

So we play the gift exchange by drawing numbers. You pick your gift in order and you can steal someone else's gift two times before it's "dead" and unable to be stolen. It's all about the number drawn. Jenny was super crabby when she picked a low number!One last picture before the stealing begins!

Rita sees a gift Erin opens and WANTS!!!! ( she ended up stealing it)Jenny picked the perfect gift for her and loved it. Monica ( her oldest friend) stole it from her and Jenny was pissed. Monica, as a way to try to make peace, went into her bedroom and got a picture of her and Jenny. Jenny held the picture but kept the pissed attitude...for a few seconds!

17 of us this year!

After the gift exchange and more eating and drinking, we turned off the lights and did a group tradition of a candlelighting....pass a candle and talk about a specific topic- this year it was what we were thankful for and what our hopes were for 2011! What a wonderful tradition that allows us to really connect as a group and share our lives! I didn't leave until 2:20AM!!!!WHAT A WONDERFUL NIGHT AND A TRULY INCREDIBLE GROUP OF WOMEN I'M SO HONORED TO KNOW AND LOVE!!!!