If you haven’t heard by now, we have been doing monthly Mom’s Night Out events around the East Valley. The purpose: to connect local moms with each other.
September’s event was unique in that we offered an activity for the moms to do instead of the typical happy hour event. We met at The Cottage in Queen Creek and connected over floral arrangements, shopping and wine.
If you’re like me and not super familiar with Queen Creek, you probably don’t know about The Cottage. It is a hidden gem located at the very south end of what we consider ‘east valley’ but it was worth the trip down there for sure. Susan Johnson, the owner, has an eye for breathtaking bouquets and has stocked her shop with unique gifts for every occasion. Her shop is staffed by her kids and husband, making it a family business and you can feel the love they our into the shop when you walk in the door.
When you walk into The Cottage you’re immediately taken by the amount of merchandise Susan has. Plants, flowers, candles, serving wear, baby gifts…literally anything you need for a shower, birthday, Christmas or even a wedding, you’ll find it here. Our tickets included a shopping credit and I walked away with a new plant in the most unique pot, some Volcano scented linen spray from my fave Capri Blue and an adorable pair of leopard print earrings. I could have kept going, but my budget told me to stop. 
Once we all arrived and were done shopping around, Susan brought us to the back of the shop where she does the floral designs. She set up tables and had out everything we needed to make our own bouquets. Not only did we have the most beautiful blooms to choose from, Susan included a cute vase and taught us step by step how to arrange the flowers. Her class was so informative and I don’t think any of us knew how much time and thought goes into assembling floral arrangements. It is WAY more than just throwing some flowers in a vase. She said she wanted us to leave with the ability to arrange a store bought bouquet to look professional. I know I took home some tips and have put them to good use already with some birthday flowers I received.
While we were learning and constructing our fall-inspired bouquets we chatted about our kids (of course), but also heard stories from moms that had just moved here and were still getting to know the lay of the land (like our grid-system streets). Others, like me and our contributor Jessica, had lived her our whole lives and connected over how much the whole valley has changed over the years. We laughed and found the connected we’re all craving as women and moms.
After we were all done arranging our flowers, we were treated to a wine tasting by Tara with Scout&Cellar wines. We love Scout&Cellar and their high quality wines with their “Clean Crafted Commitment.” That means none of their wines have any added sugar, chemicals or other additives found in many of the wines you buy at the grocery store. We sampled rosé, Chardonnay, a delicious cab and even popped a bottle of bubbly!
At the end of the night by heart and arms were full. I loved having the activity to bring us all together and the wine was an added bonus as the end. If you’re looking for a unique gift for a loved one or need to send flowers, check out The Cottage. They deliver around the East Valley and Susan hinted that in the coming weeks her shop would be transformed into a winter wonderland when she pulls out all of the Christmas gifts for the shop.
