Well, it’s official. We love Texas! We’ve been traveling around the country this year, speaking with a wonderful women’s organization and each stop just keeps getting better and better. We get so many questions from readers about what it’s like being a part of Time Out for Women, so I thought I’d give you a little behind-the-scenes peek at a typical travel weekend.
Kate and I travel to cities all over the US. Besides getting to meet amazing women and reconnect with our TOFW friends, the best part is actually getting to hang out with each other. Many people don’t realize that we live on opposite sides of the country, and speaking events and book tours are the only times we actually get to hang out in person, so that’s one of the highlights for us! Our husbands are amazing and completely take over at home, holding down our respective forts while we’re gone. I headed off at the crack of dawn Friday morning. Actually, who am I kidding, it was well before the crack of dawn. Want to know my favorite part about plane rides?
Some people have to make sure they have their laptop and neck pillow. For me, it’s all about magazines and M&M’s. Every flight, every time. By the way, in one of my magazines, I found the perfect workout for Kate. Not that she needs a workout, pregnant women really shouldn’t be exercising, they should be eating ice cream. But if she were to want to work out, she should try this:
Yes, my friends. That is a Hunger Games Workout. Perfect for those of you who ate one too many District 11 rolls. Sure it must be performed in a forest, while wearing lace-up leather boots. But just think of all of the wonderful things it will prepare you for, like shooting long distance bow and arrow targets and being able to scale trees to cut down hacker-jacker nests. That’s why it’s important to have magazines on plane rides.
I arrived in Dallas late afternoon and was happy to be greeted with warm, spring weather. Thank you Dallas! I’ll skip the part about how I took the wrong shuttle, which took me to the wrong hotel, in the wrong part of town and pretend I didn’t have to waste 3 hours and a $50 cab ride to end up in the right spot. Apparently I need a babysitter. I finally did find the right hotel, in which my room had a view of Six Flags out one window and Cowboy and Ranger’s Stadiums out the other. Not gonna lie, I was a little tempted to skip out on the day’s events and head to Six Flags; I’m a sucker for roller coasters!
By this point, Kate and I were starving so I used the Local Scout feature on my Nokia Lumia 900 to find a place to eat. I use this feature a lot when I’m at home around town and need to find something quick (a craft store, a grocery store, an I-need-a-cupcake-NOW-or-I-might-die store) but it’s seriously my favorite feature when traveling. It immediately picks up everything around you from restaurants to things to see and do, and gives you reviews, ratings, directions, and more. We picked a place to eat judging entirely on distance from where we were standing at that very moment. For the love of GPS. If you could see Kate’s poor swollen, puffy, preggo feet, you would know exactly why! Lucky for us, we were practically right in front of a great restaurant, and the fact that the maître d’ spoke with a thick French accent made me think that everything in the place was instantly delicious. And it was.
Time out for Women is a weekend event, which starts with a Friday night program and then goes on for most of the day on Saturday. We don’t speak until Saturday, so we get to just to watch on Friday night. There are both musical guests and speakers on both days. So after our dinner, we headed over to the event center. I was so happy to get to run into one of my dear friends, Amber from Her Notebook {aka Be Sassy Classy}. Amber and I met in college and I can’t believe it’s been over ten years since we’ve seen each other in person! Honestly, with Facebook and blogging, it’s like we haven’t missed a day!
The Friday night program was great, and afterwards, Kate and I headed back to our rooms.
Saturday morning starts early. We have to be dressed and ready, and in the event center at 7:30 am for sound checks. It takes a massive audio-visual team to pull off an event like this. There are anywhere from 2000-3000 people attending each event. Here’s just a portion of the seating in this venue (before doors were open!) Once those doors open, it’s like Target on Black Friday. We actually saw women scaling over chairs like ninjas trying to get as close to the front as possible. That’s when we hide.
There’s a stage up front with two huge jumbo-tron screens on each side. This is Tyler, working all the details from backstage.
And this is Rod, who got us all hooked up to our microphones. This man works wonders, because I broke a cardinal rule and attempted to wear giant dangly earrings (they’re peacocks! And they match my owl!) and instead of promptly telling me to take them off, he worked magic and made the over-the-ear microphone work while letting me stay fashionable. I love you, Rod.
Kate told me I wasn’t allowed to post any photos of her, but how CUTE is that tummy?!Our presentation is about 35 minutes long. We laugh, we joke, we cry, we tell funny stories about how ridiculous we are. It’s a blast. (Look, see the owl ring? I told you
it was awesome.)
(above photo by Macy Robison Photograpy)
And the moment we get off stage, my heels come off. Oh, the things we do for fashion.
Each event has a different line-up of speakers and musical guests and this was our first event with this little lady. Doesn’t she look so unassuming? Just a sweet southern belle?
Her name is Mary Ellen Edmunds; she’s an author and public speaker, and I am not exaggerating or being overly dramatic when I say she is quite literally one of the funniest people I’ve ever met in my life. She could win a stand-up showdown with any famous female (or male!) comedian.
We’ve also done several events now with these gorgeous girls, recording artists Mercy River. Words cannot describe how much we love these ladies. If you haven’t heard their inspiring music, check it out. They sing like angels!
(photo credit: mercyrivermusic.com)
At intermissions, our favorite part is meeting all of the great women who have attended the event that day, and signing cookbooks, too! It’s so fun for us to meet the people who are reading this blog and cooking our recipes; honestly it’s the highlight of our weekend.
Check out this gift- she had a great idea that I should start collecting potholders from every city we visit. I love it!
It was such an amazing event full of inspiring messages. As a parting gift to our beloved Texas, we joined with some of the other presenters to leave you with this masterpiece of musical composition.
I know. Don’t say it. I should definitely record a CD.
After all was said and done, the flip-flops went back on and we headed out for some authentic Texas BBQ (Holy YUM!) To top it off, we stopped at the store so we could all try the famed southern Blue Bell Ice Cream. Kate has been talking non-stop for years about Blue Bell so I was excited to finally see for myself what all of the fuss was about. We bought just a few. Ya know, to sample.
I’m not that big of a pig. Okay, I kind of am. But I shared. We made a ridiculous mess and people stared. And the ice cream was just as amazing as everyone says it is.
After one more good-night phone call to my kiddos and an ice-cream induced sleep, I woke up once more well before any normal human should wake up, to catch my flight home. More magazines and M&M’s got me through layovers and hard airplane seats.
It always takes a few days to get back into the groove and schedule back at home, but that’s all we have, because we do this all over again starting this Friday, when we head to see a sold-out crowd in Harrisburg, PA! We’ll also be making stops this year in Denver CO, Phoenix AZ, and Logan UT. Hope to see some of you there!
Questions & Reviews
I just saw you at the Harrisburg TOFW. So glad you were able to make it to the event! It was a really fun weekend and it was really great hearing you both speak! Thanks for leaving for families behind and coming out to visit us women all over the country!
Just saw you all in PA. Loved! Now I have to look through your blog and see what I should attempt. Mary Ellen Edmunds is awesome. I had the priviledge of seeing her at the MTC – a highlight for us sister missionaries!
I was at TOFW in Arlington and I loved hearing ya’ll. My mom and I go every year. We really enjoyed seeing ya’ll. I feel like I have been living under a rock because I have not heard about your blog. I am so glad now that I know about it. Thank you for coming to Texas. 🙂
I LOVE Mary Ellen Edmunds! She is the most hilarious, positive, outgoing, spiritual person. I’ve had the priviledge of hearing her speak a couple times and I have read all of her books. You should read them if you haven’t–insightful and of course, hilarious. You girls look so cute and are obviously a lot of fun yourselves.
I bought yalls book at the TOFW event in Arlington last weekend and can I just say….its amazing! My husband says it was worth me going just to get that book! Its so nice to have a cookbook that doesn’t call for an array of obscure ingredients that’s NO ONE has in their pantry. Love love love!!!
I never comment, but totally “delurking” to say – Keep up the “awesome-ness”… Recipes, crafts, products you love! You guys rock and I will buy those cookbooks that the mean commenters won’t be buying! You both are wonderful!
And I hate my typos in that paragraph! 🙂 Clumsy, frustrated, fingers!
Now I want to know where you got the cute blue dress that you and the girl from mercy river have!! That was dang cute too! I love your blog! Have given your cookbook to many friends for their birthdays!! I think you guys are remarkable!!! You are honest and open. You let all of us into your lives and we love you more for it. I think toucan post about and sponser what ever you want to!!!
Thank you for working so hard do we have have yummy meals on our families dinner tables!!!
I LOVE Sister Edmunds, I could not wait for sisters meeting at the MTC because of her. Most of my memories of the MTC are of her and the talks she gave. How great you got to meet her! Just so you know…a place in Provo called the Provo Beach Resort sells Blue Bell ice cream. Logan isn’t that far away….;). Looks like an amazing time for everyone!
Hi! I was there too and I am SICK that I didn’t get to meet y’all! It was my first TOFW and I loved it! Y’all were my main attraction, I have to say!! Wonderful job, so funny!! I absolutely love you girls!
I love that you enjoyed Bluebell icecream, it is pretty much a staple in all of my relatives homes. I am Texan born and breed and grew up on it’s creamy goodness.. My sister lives in California now and every year we send her 4 half gallons of Bluebell (they ship overnight from Dannon, TX)…. When I lived out there, I craved the stuff. I was able to get home more often than she because I don’t have kiddos. So I would text her a picture of myself eating Bluebell… I had to be a nice sister!!!
**OOOPS! I mean Branom Texas… not Dannon
Sounds like so much fun, and I love Mary Ellen Edmunds!
REALLY enjoyed what you two talked about at the TOFW! I have to say that I LOVE the ranch and chicken nuggets and whatever else you can serve with ranch. I know how that is… my little guy only eats to live. He is super picky! I have made several of your recipes for my little family and for other friends and family! You are lifesavers! It was great to see the pictures of your kids and fun times in your households. Makes me feel like I am not the only one. 🙂 Thanks again for coming to Texas!
So glad you got to try (and enjoy) Blue Bell. That was one of the first things my husband introduced me to when we moved to Texas! I just wish I lived a little closer to Arlington and had been able to come to TOFW!
I was there and have to say that you two were so, SO great! Lots of what you both said really registered with me. I’m a long time fan of your blog and my friends and I are always trying out your recipes. Thanks so much for coming down here to Texas, and for all your inspired words and preparation!
Please forgive me if this question has already been asked… I skimmed the comments but didn’t see anything… Sara, where did you get that beautiful blue shirt?! I love it!
BTW, I have been a reader for years and I find it sad that people feel like they have to comment on what you choose to post on YOUR blog for FREE. I know I’m not the only one that appreciates that effort you wonderful ladies put into the awesome food you post (and crafts, etc!). Thank you for all you do! 🙂
Oh you are right. We are definitely not a “mormon mommy blog!” Olivia, you are more than welcome to your opinions- obviously we don’t delete comments that don’t agree with our own. If you are referring to your previous comment that said, “I agree” I sincerely apologize for deleting it. You wrote that in reply to a comment you yourself had written so I assumed it was a mistake. If you intentionally wanted to agree with your own comment, go right ahead, I promise I won’t delete it! Or if you meant to agree with someone else’s comment, feel free to write it again in the correct spot. It sounds like we actually agree on most things. As I said in my previous comment, we most certainly don’t produce this blog for nothing. It takes a great deal of sponsorship and advertising to keep it running and that’s not something we ever attempt to hide. This is our full time job and we support our families off of the income we earn from it. It’s a business that we’re very proud of and we work hard to keep it running! So yep- there will always be some commercials. It’s cool if you don’t like them though, we can still be friends because we cook darn good food, too 😉 Have a good night!
Actually I was referring to a comment I left on a post about crafts or your house decor a while back, where I simply said I thought that the crafts were nice, but I’d like to see more recipes. At the time I didn’t realize you were trying to do this whole Martha Steward branding “recipes, home, crafts” stuff, I just thought it was a recipe blog. Anyway, that innocent and non-rude comment was promptly deleted and followed by a very rude email sent to me from Kate, about how she would never in a million years tell someone about something she didn’t like on their blog. (Good for her. I like to speak my mind when I’d like to see more or less of something, and I had no idea it would upset you so badly to see that I wanted to see more recipes and less craft stuff.) I responded to the email, explained myself, and said my goodbyes, expecting not to hear from you ladies ever again, and was met with another holier-than-thou email, demonstrating how important it is for you to have the last word and respond to “idiots” like me. (Thanks Jessica. It’s much easier to ignore potentially valid points being made and call people names than to actually have a conversation, isn’t it?) So, that’s the deleted comment I was referring to, and by my “I agree” comment, I was actually trying to reply to the previous poster who basically said she didn’t enjoy seeing the way you handle your sponsorships. But your website didn’t allow for directly replying to her comment, so it looked like I was agreeing to my own comment. Anyway, goodbye. I’m happy to have made you happy that I won’t be reading this blog or commenting anymore, or buying your cookbooks. You’re welcome, and congrats on doing what you probably set out to do with that first email you sent me anyway.
I have NEVER told ANYONE they were an idiot, let alone a blog reader. The end.
I think when people are saying ‘free’ they are referring to the fact that the recipes are free to us as readers. I certainly don’t pay for them but I use a ton of them! Loved just about every one! And I noticed more links in the post for other things than for the phone. For me personally it is not bothersome, even though I am a die hard iPhone user. ;). I don’t expect them to work for free and I love that even though this post was sponsored by the phone, it still had enjoyable content, tons of pictures, and fun stories. Maybe there were a lot of links to the phone, but I didn’t notice and I don’t know what an acceptable number of links is anyway!
I am curious about the gorgeous owl ring too. I’d be up for a sponsored post from that company 🙂
Haha, Pier 1 Imports! We’ll be sure to let you know if we have a sponsorship opportunity with them 😉
I LOVE your blog and am very thankful for all the things you are willing to/ want to share with us.
My question – Sara, where did you get your owl ring ?? I think it is adorable and looks fantastic with the blue blouse.
Thanks.
Thanks! I found it at Pier One.
Sounds like yall had lots of fun. Sara, where did you get YOUR shirt from? I am in love with it!
It’s just from Maurice’s! Super comfy too 🙂
I just wanted to let you know my mom has been collecting pot holders from every state she visits for 30 years! Her plan is to make a quilt with them when she gets all 50. Since she only travels for fun, she only has about 40 of the states… She is so close!
Oh, I love that idea! How fun!
How excited was I when I read this post and saw the picture we took together?!!! So surprising! I had so much fun at TOFW. Y’all were hilarious, too. I laughed so hard at the “decorate your whole house in owls”. It was my first time going and I was truly inspired. I converted in 2005 when I was 24 and I’m the only Latter-Day Saint in my family. My mom came with me to TOFW and I was really nervous but she said she really liked it! So much so that she mentioned to me we should invite my Nana, her mom, to the next one!!! Pretty stinkin’ cool!!! Thanks girls for an awesome weekend! My sisters-in-law and mama had a killer time! Y’all are the best!!
Surprise! You just never know what can happen when you take a picture with the Best Bites girls 😉 I’m so glad you had a great weekend, and especially happy your Mom enjoyed it too! That’s wonderful!
Wondering where Kate got her cute Maternity ( or maybe not Maternity) shirt? Love it!
Mands
I’m pretty sure it was from Motherhood Maternity- she can correct me if I’m wrong!
Oh my, that was funny funny. I was laughing till tears came out at TOFW. Great job.
Travel protip:
When arriving at the airport, put your phone, watch, keys, belt, and extra jewelry in your carry on bag. Wear slip on shoes. Once you pass through the check point, quickly pick up your bag and head to your gate. Once at your gate, feel free to accessorize.
PS: For this next book tour, you should stop in Twin Falls, Idaho. Just a suggestion.
I actually do this one!
So fun! Mary Ellen is in my stake and teaches the most amazing religion class, she is a hoot!
Ok, maybe its my hormones but I’m seriously in tears right now that I missed this event! I had tickets and everything, but my family needed me to stay home. 🙁 I wasn’t even planning to go until I found out you two were presenting… So glad you had a good time, though. Thanks for this fun look behind the scenes! Good luck with all the travel!
Awe, I’m SO sorry you had to miss it! I hope you can join us again some time!
It was such a treat to see you again Sara and to meet Kate as well! My mother and I agreed you were our favorite presenters. I laughed and cried right there with you. It was a joy to hear the message you shared. It was so from the heart and relatable to what we as women and mothers put ourselves through. It is comforting to know that two amazing women as Sara and Kate experience the same ups and downs. Very inspiring. You both spoke so eloquently and honestly, it made us love *y’all* even more! P.S. Thanks for the shout out 😉
I have a tip: take me with you! I’ll be your “babysitter!” Really, if it means hanging out with people such as yourself and Mary Ellen Edmunds (got to listen to her every week in the MTC ions ago) then I am IN!
Ohhh, be careful what you wish for! haha I might take you up on the babysitting! 😉
You asked for TRAVELING TIPS!!! One of my tips that I do all of the time whether I am going camping or on vacation. I buy multiples of everything. All of my daily products that I use, I buy for my camping/vacation bag and my bathroom, except for my Sonicare toothbrush, that goes with me no matter where I go and they are too expensive to have 2 of them just sitting around. Deodorant, toothpaste, hairbrushes, makeup, lotion, perfume, hair products, tweezers, shaving cream, razor, Q-tips, cottonballs, ibuprofen and cold meds, tummy meds, etc. I may be a walking pharmacy, but I am prepared no matter when or where. I try to buy all of my liquids in small bottles, for two reasons, one, if you have carry on’s you of course have restrictions, but most importantly, small sizes means more room for other things and unless you are going somewhere there isn’t a store, you could always go get more if you run out. I got a nice medium sized CLEAR (each to find things) toiletry (makeup) bag at Walmart for each of one in my family. My toiletry bag is always packed and ready to go. It is a great way to have things ready for grabbing. Just remember to replenish after each trip as needed so you are ready for the next time. Also great to have on hand in an emergency.
Another tip, if you are short on room, buy those compression bags that you can put your clothes in and then press all of the air out. I roll mine to get the air out and then flatten out. We went on a month long vacation a few years ago, so I bought everyone in my family a few bags each and we were able to pack enough clothes for at least 2 weeks each. Be sure to get the ones that you don’t need a vacuum cleaner to suck out the air. Not convenient at a hotel or camping.
Hope this helps! Happy traveling!
I’m typing this on my brand new Nokia Lumia 900 as well! I’m in the car for a zillion hour car ride up to Utah for my daughter’s college graduation! I love my phone, too! More importantly, I have followed your blog almost since its inception and I love it! I own your cookbook and use it often. I bought one for my daughter and look forward to your next one. Thank you for sharing so many fun ideas. I actually enjoy the sponsored posts because I learn what products are useful particularly in the kitchen.