Schedule a Girls Night In Bake Club

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There's no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

The sad truth about my life as a new mom is that 

I have yet to find that work/life balance.

Between being a mother, wife, and employee, 

I rarely find time to be a friend.  

Unless I pencil 'girl's night' into my schedule it's the first thing to get cut when things get hectic.  Aware of this I've started making a conscious effort to have a monthly girls night in - and so far it's been great.

My Girls Night In is a bake club.  

I started it with two of my local friends and we take turns hosting each month.   

(We're always free to invite other women to join us - 

because we all know a friend in need of a night off.)  

The hostess selects a recipe she's been dying to try but is intimidated by, and provides the ingredients.

The guests bring light snacks and wine to munch on while the confection is in the oven.

The twist is that even if there are five of us, we only make one dessert.  

We each try a small serving at the end of the night, and divide the rest of the dessert into each girl's Tupperware container.  She can share with her husband when she gets home or bring it for lunch the next day, but this way each girl isn't forced to eat an entire cake.  

After all, it's not about bringing food home, 

it's about getting back to yourself for an evening, 

and reconnecting with the women that bring out the relaxed side of you.

Besides, when making this much frosting, you're going to need 

a few extra set of hands to help unwrap all that butter...

So call up those friends you haven't seen in months, 

pick the yummiest recipe that you've yet to try, 

and start your own bake club.  

It's just as fun as it sounds, 

Plus it's an event that's easy to plan for - all you need is a clean kitchen and a few wine glasses.

 Set a precedent that the dishwasher is loaded 

before anyone can leave so that clean up is a breeze.

It's low stress, low cost, and ... kind of low calorie.

Perfect.

Remember to check out Duncan Hines' website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.