After a long week of work and wedding planning, I was in dire need of some girl time. I often feel this way when I'm overworked and stressed, and it turns out that it's not uncommon. My friends over at Palm Breeze recently conducted a survey that showcases the importance of girl time- especially among millennial women. In fact, the survey found that women who unwind with their girlfriends are happier, less stressed, and more satisfied in all of their relationships- even their sex lives! If that's not an incentive to spend more time with the girls, I don't know what is!
My crew was feeling just as stressed as I was, so my good friend Molly volunteered to host a potluck brunch. Here are 3 tips to throwing the perfect "Sunday Funday" with your girlfriends:
A successful menu is composed and colorful. I suggest one appetizer, a protein-rich entrée, one starchy side, one green side, festive drinks and one dessert. Once you've created a balanced meal, you can assign specific items to each person so that you don't end up with two salads and no dessert.
Cassie volunteered to prepare the appetizer: avocado toast on sourdough bread. The toast was sprinkled with salty feta cheese and crunchy roasted pepitos. For the main event, we prepared seasoned roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts with bacon to accompany a cheesy spinach and artichoke quiche. The meal was finished with an ooey-gooey monkey bread and I brought Palm Breeze spritzes to sip. Everything was so delicious and beautifully presented. A+, ladies.
People eat with their eyes, so put a little extra effort into the presentation. You don't have to spend a lot of money; inexpensive flowers, simple garnishes, and pretty disposables are all you need to take your brunch from blah to beautiful. Remember, online retailers and the dollar store are your friends.
I brought a couple cases of Palm Breeze and used a sprig of fresh rosemary (my favorite herb), to add texture, color and an earthy aroma. I also brought pink and white paper straws and matching napkins that I found online and was delighted to find Molly had displayed yellow flower vases with white carnations. Everything matched the Palm Breeze spritzers perfectly! It's the little details that turn an average play date into something special.
Remember to bring dishes that are easy to transport, can be made ahead of time and require little-to-no assembly. When you arrive at your brunch destination, you'll want to jump right into girl time instead of worrying about food preparation.
The avocado mash was prepared at home, so all we had to do prior to the meal was toast the bread, spread the avocados, and sprinkle with feta and pepitos.
As for the beverages, Palm Breeze takes the guesswork out of preparing cocktails. There's no measuring or mixing, just three refreshing, tropical flavors: Strawberry Pineapple, Ruby Red Citrus and Pineapple Mandarin Orange.
With my squad, brunch is an all-day affair. It often starts off as an innocent mid-day get together and before you know it, the sun is setting and it's time for dinner. We can talk and laugh for hours and never get bored. In the end, we toasted to a successful potluck before inevitably getting a serious case of the giggles.
This post was brought to you by Palm Breeze. I received compensation to write this post but all opinions expressed are my own. Palm Breeze sells for $6.99 for a six-pack and $13.99 for a twelve-pack and has an ABV of 4.5%, making it a clean, crisp, refreshing drink with just the right amount of kick. To find Palm Breeze nearby, visit For deals, perks, recipes and more simply Shazam the Can:
