Welcome to my Series…Parties Two Ways! In this series I will explore one party theme done two ways….Budget vs. Splurge. First theme up…Girls Night
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Our relationships beyond our immediate family are super important. Carving out time to spend with our girlfriends is EXTRA important. Hopefully your significant other is your best friend. Hopefully you are in a relationship where you can have deep conversations, laugh and be your best self. However!…as much as our everyday family relationships are important, I feel that time spent with your girlfriends is vitally important for our mental well-being.
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Anytime you spend with your besties is going to be awesome…but here are two different ways of planning an awesome Girls Night!
GIRLS NIGHT IN! (BUDGET)
Give everyone atleast a weeks notice (preferably two as everyone is so busy these days!). Text all the pertinent info…day and time and a means to RSVP.
Gather the following…
- Find the “Girl Power” station on Pandora
- Stemless wine glasses
- Instead of multiple bottles of wine (which can add up!), instead choose one of these big batch cocktails
- Don’t cook anything!! Seriously, you have to cook for the family every stinkin’ night…give yourself a break! Instead here’s how to put together the simplest cheese board. It’s easy and it looks like you dedicated hours putting it together, when in fact it took you 15 minutes.
-Pick up 3 different kinds of cheese (like gouda, cheddar, pepper jack or asiago)
-Salami
-1 can of almonds (any flavor)
-A bunch of grapes
-Any kind of olives
-2 kinds of “fancy” crackers (fancy being defined as anything other than a Ritz or Saltine cracker)
-And if you are feeling really ambitious…throw one of those cheese ball things in your cart! 😉
- Slice up the cheeses (unless you are a genius and bought PRE-SLICED cheese!)
- Find a platter…any platter, yes, even the one with Santa on it. Cover it with foil or plastic wrap if you don’t mind the design showing through.
- Arrange your meats, cheeses, crackers and nuts in a casual way (not lined up like soldiers).
- Add small bunches of grapes in 2-3 spots. DONE!
- Put out a tray of cookies (either store bought or homemade!)
I prefer to just chat, eat and drink with my friends, but if you are the kind that MUST offer an activity…try a plant party! Typically these are put on at a local bar, but the main ideas translates easily to an at home party. Let your gal pals know ahead of time what the cost will be (roughly $20-30 each). This way you can purchase all the necessary supplies and they can pay you back at your party. Check out this link to get some basic ideas of what supplies you will want to offer.
Budget Girls Night In Party:
Food- $50
Booze- $30
Approximate Total cost- $80 (after everyone has repaid you for the plant supplies)
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GIRLS NIGHT OUT!! (SPLURGE!)
Now, having a quiet girlfriend get together at your house is awesome, but sometimes you want to go bigger. Maybe for a bridal shower, a milestone birthday or just to celebrate your friendship in a big way. Here’s how to glam up your Girls Night!
yup….rent one of these! A limo can be surprisingly affordable if you can be somewhat flexible with your timing. For example…can you go out on a Monday or Tuesday night instead of a Friday or Saturday? If so you are likely to find yourself a great deal. But if you’ve decided to splurge a limo is the way to go! A quick google search with your zip code will show you all the local companies, but don’t forget to check Craigs list as well as Groupon. Of course if your get together involves a decent amount of drinking, a limo is the perfect choice…no one has to be the designated driver!
- Once you’ve decided on the date and have the limo booked, it’s time for the invites to go out…Check out a few of the examples above on Etsy or go with an Evite.. Make sure to include date, time and meeting location but also an idea of what to expect (bar hopping, fancy dinner, etc.) so that your guests have some idea of what to wear.
- Make restaurant reservations. Choose a place that you’ve heard great things about and is most certainly NOT a place you would ever take your kids! LOL! Try using Yelp and Open Table to narrow down your choices and make easy online reservations
- An awesome (and unexpected) way to get your girls night out started…get manicures! Hop in that limo, pour that wine (from the bottles you’ve brought with you, if the limo doesn’t include a stocked bar), and head to a local nail salon. After everyone has had a chance to pretty up their nails (make sure and get gel manicures…NO drying time!), head to your restaurant of choice (having made your reservations for roughly an hour and a half after your nail appointments, more if you have to share nail techs, and of course allow for transportation time!) As you are leisurely making your way to dinner in your luxury limo…try one of these games!
- “what’s on your phone? game” or “what’s in your purse? game”. Winner gets a prize…something easy like a nail polish or hand lotion
- After dinner, finish up your evening……hit up a bar for an after dinner drink or if bars aren’t your thing try a fun dessert-y place for cake and coffee.
Final thing! As the evening comes to a close pass out SWAG BAGS for all your BFF’s!! If this is a new concept to you, here is the official definition…
Swag-Bag: (noun)-A goodie bag that contains various items (typically useless but fun!) given by the party hostess or sponsor of the event
Yes, they are goodie bags for grown-ups! Who says kids get to have all the fun! Of course you could do much cheaper items in your swag bags, but I love supporting Etsy shops! Here are my personal favorites to load up your swag bags…
Personalized Swag Bag, Organic Lip Balm, Whipped Body Butter, Citron Soy Candle, Sarcastic Mug, Personalized Make-Up Bag
Splurge Girls Night Out Break Down: (based on 8 guests)
Limo- $500
Wine for the Limo- $30
Manicures- $240
Dinner- $350
After Dinner Drinks OR Cake and Cofee- $80-$100
Swag Bags- $350
Approximate Total- $1,570
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No matter whether you have a quiet evening at home or a glamorous night out on the town…Make time to connect with your girlfriends…they really do make life sweeter!
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Keep an eye out for more in the series…PARTIES TWO WAYS!
Looking for more party ideas? Try these…
The What’s in your purse game was hilarious, I actually have most everything in mi e.
Another great blog, keep them coming.