Give Mom the Gift of a Night Out

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and one Newtown mom has been hard at work on the perfect gift for her comrades: a night out at Rose Bank Winery complete with food, wine, shopping, and entertainment. The event, called MomMe Time, will be held Thursday, May 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. and is open to all.

“This is going to be a fun night of networking, shopping, eating, drinking, and laughing,” said event planner Lori Allison, organizer of MomMe Time.  “I just want moms to have a great time and celebrate being a mom.”

With the goal of bringing fellow moms together and putting “the fun back into dysfunction,” the night kicks off with a reception and shopping with vendors like Pampered Chef, Heigh Ho Silver, Tastefully Simple, and Tomboy Tools, among many others.

Next, Allison will present a comedy routine about motherhood, followed by advice from Tobey Schilling, therapist and nutritionist. “I thought it would be funny to have therapy follow comedy and shopping,” Allison said.

The night will end with door prizes from sponsors. “Everybody will go home with something,” Allison said. “I like people to be happy with the prize they got, so what's different about this giveaway is that everyone will get 10 tickets, and they can put them toward something specific they want.”

Allison, a single mother of 10-year-old triplets, has been an event planner and keynote speaker for 20 years. But MomMe Time marks the start of her own entrepreneurial endeavor. So far, she has two other events on the docket:  a moms weekend at Camp Nock-a-Mixon in August and family square dancing in a local barn this fall.

“When I turned 40 last year, I decided it’s never too late to do what you want, so I formed a business doing what I love -- comedy, event planning, and fundraising,” said Allison.

The evening also marks the debut of Allison’s comedy act.

“For a long time I’ve been telling people I would do momedy, and now I’m really doing it. I'm so excited for people to hear it and know that they're not alone. I think of it as comic therapy,” Allison said.

Tickets are $35, and Allison will donate a portion of the proceeds to Newtown Elementary School, where her children attend fourth grade. She hopes the money will be used to help beautify the cafeteria or an outdoor area.

“Whenever I plan an event, I make a donation and this time I wanted to do something for my kids, to thank them for all their help and to teach them to give back,” Allison said.

To register, visit www.loriallison.com or call Lori at 267-718-8678.