OneHundredTwenty

That's how many seniors will now enjoy a warm Thanksgiving meal this holiday season, all thanks to senior living professionals joining forces to MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Last night was the kickoff cocktail party, and can I just say, I had to fight back tears when people started flooding in the door! 

We went into the party with about 65 meals ordered, my goal being 100.

Needless to say, about 15 minutes in, we broke 100!!!

I have to give a TON of credit to the awesome lady on the right. She hit the pavement a month ago helping promote the event. She's slso the one to credit for landing us on the news!! After the past 48 hours, this photo sums up how we felt.

I also have to give mad props to our Dining Services Director for making fantastic appetizers & even more fantastic pumpkin martinis. Without Dan, this event would not happen. More importantly, those 120 meals would not happen.

Most of my day yesterday was spent "beautifying" the space.

I wanted everything to have a touch of "Thanksgiving" so I went with oranges & browns everywhereeeeee. I then used the packaging that the meals will be delivered in as decor. We bought out ALL of the orange tissue paper in Kansas City.

A party wouldn't be complete without a few celebratory drinks afterward!! I feel so blessed to work with such AMAZING people!! They are not only co workers but more importantly, just plain damn amazing.

And that's a wrap!! Now Jon & I are off to Lincoln, Nebraska to see Justin Moore. 

Can't. Wait.

Giving Back.

If you follow me on IG (@annexenos) or Facebook, you've probably seen a few pics I've posted today about an event I'm hosting tomorrow at the 'ol workplace.

If you're new around here, you may be in the dark about what I do for a living. I'm a Sales & Marketing Director for a Senior Living Solutions Company called Brookdale (www.brookdale.com). 

We have over 600 communities nation wide & 9 communities in Kansas City. I currently work at the community pictured above. I've been with the company for over 5 years & I have to say, it's been an amazing 5 years! 

Some people dream about going to work everyday & making an actual difference in someone's life. I get to do just that.

A few years ago I moved a lady into my community only to realize that she had no one there on move in day. She didn't have a daughter following her in the front door with a wreath for her apartment door or even toiletries she'd need to get thru the night. It was in that moment that I realized, how many older adults are there that truly have no one left? That will celebrate the holidays all alone?

It was around Thanksgiving at the time...and so it was born, "Bring Thanksgiving to a Senior." 

It's my third year hosting & ever year it warms my heart to see so many people in our community come together to ensure all of these Thanksgiving meals get to delivered to those in need.

I market to anyone who may know an older adult who may be home bound. These people attend a kickoff party at my community. At the party, they then order the amount of meals they need. The following week, they come back to the community to pick up the boxed Thanksgiving meal we've prepared & deliver it to their senior in need! If they can't deliver, my team delivers. 

The local news station caught wind & wanted to bring us in for a live interview this morning!! It was such a fun experience!! 

You can view the interview here: http://www.kshb.com/dpp/about_us/as_seen_on/senior-living-facility-to-help-seniors-celebrate-thanksgiving

I feel like I look like an enormous huge black whale. I'm blaming it on the camera angle. Bahaha. Good LORD, I could never be a news anchor. I'd hyperventilate getting dressed everyday. And so would my husband. 

"Honey, do I look fat in this?" 

"No, babe."

"Uggh. Whatever, I'm changing. And after work, I'm going shopping. I have nothing to wear!"

Coming from the girl who turned an extra bedroom into a closet.

Thanks for all your kind words on Instagram & Facebook, though!! You sure know how to make a girl feel good. 

Hope everyone's having a great week! On another note, I've only got two days left of mine. Jon & I are heading to Lincoln, Nebraska on Thursday to see one of our faves, Justin Moore, live in concert. FRONT ROW BABYYYY!! Prepare for IG overload. No apologies, I gave you a warning.