Things To Do With "Just Us Girls"

As much as we love our families, sometimes we need to cut loose and do something fun with just "the girls". I remember going to nightclubs and bars with my girlfriends to dance, play pool and meet guys. Nothing serious for the guys-just a good time. We're in our thirties now. Some have kids, some are married and still others just live a long way away. Needless to say, our nightclubbing days are over. I don't have many girlfriends nearby anymore, so I sometimes miss a good “girl's night”. This might not be the case for you, but it's still good to have things to do with the other women in your life. This can be your sister, your mom, your daughter; it doesn't matter. Here are some ideas.


Have a "girls' night in." Either send the guys out or get together at a single friend's house and watch movies, gossip, eat obscene amounts of ice cream etc. Even better, make it a "slumber party" theme and watch in your "jammies". The movies can be anything you want but don't normally get to watch with the husband and kids around. Bonus points if the movies have a lot of hot men in them. Magic Mike, anyone?


On the same tip as above, have a "viewing party" for a TV series. It doesn't necessarily have to be a "girly" show, either; it can be any show your friends like but you don't get to watch at home. Trashy reality shows or even dramas with good-looking men are also good choices.


If you're into nails, you can get manicures and pedicures. If you don't want to go to a salon, there are several fun design kits that can give the same effect.


When I lived in North Carolina, my friends and I used to go to the local mall and just walk around. We would find the bookstore, plop ourselves down in our favorite section and pass books back and forth. Sometimes we would take a humor book into the coffee area and laugh over it while sipping our cappuccino. You can do the same thing with other types of stores; just go and look around, try things on, laugh over the obscene prices of shoes and just have fun!


Have an adult board game night. This could be with the men or just with the women; whichever way you want, as long as it is a "grown-up" game. You've played enough games of Candyland!


Make cocktails or "mocktails" to go along with everything else. Sure, you can do this anytime, but drinks make everything *that* much more festive!

Now you have ideas for what to do on your next “girl's day”. It doesn't really matter what you do or who you do it with; just as long as you do something just for yourself. You deserve it!

Must-have movies for a 'chick-flick' party

However much we love the men in our lives, sometimes we just need to hang out with the girls. After all, guys don't usually consider shoe shopping and drooling over Ryan Reynolds when he takes of his shirt in National Lampoon's Van Wilder to be a good time. There are some things you just can't do with the 'menfolk' around.

When I had a particularly difficult breakup, some of my friends got together and threw me a 'chick flick' party. We ate ice cream, watched The First Wives Club and, to quote one friend, 'bitched about men'. It wasn't that my friends were man-haters so much as that they were trying to give me a way to get vent some of my frustration with the breakup. However, 'chick-flicks' don't always have to be 'angry'. Many have stories that are simply more appealing to women. Here are some of my favorite 'chick flicks'.

• Dirty Dancing. Jennifer Grey-before the nose job-makes beautiful music with a young and gorgeous Patrick Swayze on a 1960s family vacation to the Catskills. It's mostly a story about a shy young girl finding herself and her first love, but the soundtrack and wonderful dance scenes make this a slumber-party staple. Plus, he takes off his shirt.
• The Princess Bride. Here, a young woman loses the love of her life, only to find that he isn't dead after all. Problem is, she's engaged to a prince. She might be a fairy-tale princess, but she is no shrinking violet. Her first love enlists the help of some fairy-tale friends to rescue the princess and live happily ever after. To answer the first question of the movie...yes, it's a kissing book.
• The First Wives Club. This one isn't about 'man-bashing' so much as celebrating female friendships. The premise is that three college friends reunite after the suicide of another friend in the wake of her husband leaving her for another woman. The women get together and use their anger at their ex-spouses to build up their confidence and reinforce the friendships that they had let slide over the years. They do end up making their exes pay-literally, but the biggest theme is about how a woman doesn't need a man to be 'complete'. You can see why this was a good 'breakup-therapy' movie choice.
• Chicago. I'm only calling this one a 'chick flick' because most (straight) men I know don't like musicals. The men might like the skimpy outfits some of the women wear during the dance numbers, but the song Cell Block Tango where the women talk about how the murdered their husbands/boyfriends made the boyfriend I saw the movie with rather uncomfortable. For the record, it's not 'anti-man' so much as 'anti-bad behavior', and there were a few other songs from/about strong women. If you're upset about a breakup, hearing 'he had it coming' can be very cathartic.

These are only a few 'chick-flicks' that can make any girls' night fun. If you want, the American Movie Channel's website has a list of the most memorable 'girl movies.  Have fun!

Fun and Inexpensive Bridal Shower Games

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Anyone who has ever had to plan a wedding can agree that it can be pretty stressful. Between picking out the dresses, planning the ceremony and finding a caterer for the reception, there is just so much to do that anything that will help alleviate the stress is very welcome. Also, sometimes you want one last night out with just 'the girls'. Whether you're calling it a bridal shower or a bachelorette party, the pre-wedding celebration you throw for your best girl friend doesn't need to cost a lot of money to be fun. Here are some pretty fun bridal shower games that will be memorable without breaking your wallet.

Toilet Paper Bridal Gown. All you will need for this is a couple of rolls of tape and a lot of toilet paper! Break up into two or three teams, or more depending on how many guests there are. Each team should have one 'model' and at least one 'fashion designer'. The object of the game is to create a wedding gown out of the rolls of toilet paper. Give a period of about twenty minutes, and see what kind of 'creations' your friends will come up with. They're not going to be Project Runway-quality, but you can give a prize for the best or funniest dress. It's a lot of fun, and the only price you'll have to pay is the cost of the tape and 'dress material'!

Wedding Day Quote Game. The object of this game is to come up with the best quote for the wedding day. Give everyone a pencil and a piece of paper, and ask them to write down five things you might hear someone say on their wedding day. To make it even more fun, have everyone write down things they expect this particular bride to say on her wedding day (or wedding night!). You can aim for the funniest, strangest or most accurate quote. The only thing you have to pay for is the pen and paper, which you probably already have lying around the house.

The Bachelorette's 'To-Do' List. You've probably all seen the t-shirts with a checklist of things the bachelorette 'has to do' on her last night out. If your celebration involved going to a bar or out dancing, these are a lot of fun. My sister wore a necklace made of candy that she had to get guys to eat off of, and I had to get a guy to take off his shirt for me. They were all really silly, but it's still fun to see how many items you can check off the list! The only things you will pay for are the shirt and cover charge if the place you're going has one. Whether you have your drinks at the bar or at home beforehand, be sure to have a designated driver.

As you can see, you can make your friend's pre-wedding celebration a night to remember without having to break the bank. Have fun!