By Kathy Rau 
Nurturing our female friendships is so important. Setting time aside can be difficult. Every new year I write on my resolution list “spend more time each month with friends.” Every year life gets in the way of that goal. I recently sat down with my friend Dawn from Gypsy Cargo for brunch. Dawn is a superb ‘informal’ party planner and creative soul. We surveyed our friends and put together an idea list for the perfect girls night in.
1. Tuesday is the perfect night for a girls night out. Weekends can be tricky. Everyone is spending time running kids to different activities or events. Dawn recently had 2 parties in one week to break in her new loft. One was on a Tuesday and the other a Saturday. Tuesday was a HUGE hit. Moms were so excited to have a random break in their week!
2. Pick a theme. Themes can be a ton of fun. It can be as simple as game night, pajama party, lip sync battle, craft night or wine/beer tasting. Dawns party was ‘game night with chocolate.’ She had game stations set up at different tables and all things chocolate (covered strawberries, martinis and more). Some game ideas include: spoons, poker, 31, chutes and ladders or whatever! Anything that creates excitement and fun! We played for dollars. I’ve never seen so many women excited to win a dollar! Last summer I hosted a ‘crabs and kabobs’ party by the pool. This was a fun event because everyone put on their creative hats and came up with some really great kabob ideas! The possibilities for party themes are endless.
3. Signature Drinks are a must. Find a drink that goes with your party theme. Pinterest is a great tool for finding the perfect cocktail for your guests. Take the stress out of hosting by making drinks ahead of time. Make extra without alcohol for your non drinking friends so they can join in on the fun. Be sure to plan ahead- UBER if necessary!
4. Don’t get stuck in the kitchen! Have friends bring a dish to share. Most people don’t mind helping out for these types of events. Assigning a category (main, appetizer, dessert) can help you have a diverse selection. Encourage friends to bring the recipe on index cards to share with others.
5. Polaroid Camera! Have one available to take silly pics. Set up a homemade Photo Booth with props. Take a group photo and send them home with your guests as a ‘Thank You’. Dawn had a guest record a game of spoons using her phones’ time lapse feature. It was so much fun to watch the craziness after a game of spoons!
6. No kids or spouses. Sorry guys! This way you can really cherish your girl time. It’s a great time for moral support!
7. MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC! Know your crowd. Download a playlist and have it as background music. Pick fun genres like Big Band, Classic Rock, 80’s, Alternative or Pop. Next, set a time to STOP what everyone is doing and TEACH the group a dance. You can try and learn the chicken dance for the millionth time or go out on a limb and teach something fun like ‘Watch Me (whip/nae-nae)’. YouTube is a good resource for this! It will help get your crowd moving and having fun.
8. Set up a LIFE HACK lesson. Moms love life hacks! You could learn the fine art of folding sheets and have a demonstration set up during your party. You could even have a ‘fold off’ after the lesson!
9. Set up a Facebook invite page. Get your guests excited about the event by posting your menu or speciality drinks! This is also a great way to communicate with one another. (etiquette tip: don’t forget to RSVP when you are invited to an event).
10. Prizes! We love prizes. It could be something as small as a candy bar! First to arrive, best dancer, game or dance off winner. You can even put a bunch of pennies/candy in a jar and whoever guesses the number keeps the jar!
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