Friday 26 October 2012

Tips On Having The Perfect Girls' Night In! (Published in Anokhi Magazine)

 Here is the link - http://www.anokhimagazine.com/online-exclusives/tips-having-perfect-girls-night

Warm weather, great food and good friends. So what are you waiting for?                       Start planning! 
Want to gather the girls together for some summer revelry? Fret not! We've got exactly what you need to make your evening perfect!
Everyone loves to party but there are times when the girls just want to hang out.  It could be to catch up with friends, unwind, or even share their best secrets. While we agree that a girls' night out is always fun, once in a while it makes sense for the girls to hang out together at home. In these tougher economic times, a girls' night in can be a fabulous option and will not even cost a fortune. So, here are some tips to make that wonderful girls get together a night to remember.

Where's the party tonight?

It's important to select a venue where everyone feels comfortable. It's quite likely that some of your friends will spend the night over. Hence, choose your place or a friend's place based on how many individuals you plan to invite. The party could either be planned indoors or outdoors — like patio or poolside. For outdoor parties, make sure to let your guests know to bring their summer hats and sunscreen lotions. And for hanging in, pajamas or comfortable clothes make the perfect night. Remember, planning the right venue in advance saves time and allows others to come prepared.

Send out the invites early

You want this to make it an evening to remember. Hence, decide on the number of guests. Plan the date few weeks in advance allowing for everyone and their busy work/life schedules. You could call your friends whom you haven't met for a long time or even mix old and new friends so that different people can get to know each other. For the invites, if you have time, you can have customized cards sent to all friends or just send them an evite.

A cute theme and decor for the party

A theme party always excites the guests. Ask the girls to dress up to a theme. Some exciting themes for the party could be "Dress like a diva", "Be your favorite Bollywood or Hollywood star". Other themes and decor for the party include color themes (pink is very popular) and themes like Mediterranean, Greek or Italian. A theme party needs some décor and one does not have to invest a lot. You can get simple, cost effective decors from the nearby Dollar Store. Sometimes, having a banner can make the atmosphere festive. Experiment by dimming the lights or putting some scented candles. Do not hesitate to ask your friends to bring with them if they have something at their place that goes well with the theme for that evening.

Plan the food

It could be pot-luck, ordering takeout or just preparing food yourself. The food could either be some heavy snacks or as much as whole dinner. If you love to cook, then this is a great opportunity to prepare something special and showcase your talent. If you don't have the time to cook, pick up some wonderful frozen appetizers from the nearby grocery store. Snacks like cupcakes, chips, potato wedges could be fun to eat. South Asian snacks like bhelpuri, panipuri, dahivada, samosa are relatively easy to prepare, tangy and extremely popular. Adding popcorn to the snacks menu is a must if you plan to watch a movie. For those who love something sweet, consider little bowls of candy or jellybeans, chocolate covered pretzels or mini cookies. It's often observed that girls never eat as much as you think they will. So, plan accordingly.

Raise a toast

The girls might just want to let themselves loose and drinks certainly help build up the mood. Vodka, rum, and wines are usually the easy and popular choice. For those who love cocktails, GoCocktails is a good place to get some ideas. The site offers some portable, single-serve sugar-free, powdered cocktail mixers that come in a packet and could be served to those who are watching their health yet still want a high quality cocktail that tastes great, without guilt! Popular flavors are Appletini, Lemon Drop, Margarita and Cosmo. For those that prefer wine, have a couple of bottles of white and red wine. For those who love to experiment, print out some interesting drink recipes. Encourage guests to try out the cocktail recipes from the printed list. 

Music, movies and masti

There is no life without music. So make sure to have some latest hits and old classics or ask friends to bring some party music. You can also download some popular numbers or even build a CD of some of the music that'll go well with the theme of party. If you plan on watching a movie, set up a poll and ask for suggestions on a romantic comedy movie that will be liked by the guests. This would make the environment more lively and fun-filled.Watching a good movie, laughing and crying with friends is all a part of the girls bonding exercise!

Let's play

Be it 'Truth or Dare', UNO, Antakshari or Dumb Charades, we all have a child hidden inside us when it comes to playing games. The games should be about having fun. There will be guests who might be reluctant to start; hence an icebreaker will open everyone up. The main purpose of a girls' night in should be to allow all to enjoy themselves and become kids again by forgetting all worries of life.

Cheers to all night halters

Some friends might want to return home late night. But for friends staying over at night, make sure there are enough blankets and pillows. Do ask a few of your friends to come prepared with blankets and pillows. No one will mind and it will make things easy for all. Also make sure to have coffee and some light refreshments like cookies, cereal, fruit  or bread and eggs for the next morning.

Ask for help

The goal of the girls' night in is to have some fun. So, make sure that you reach out to your friends if you need a hand — whether you are cooking, buying or setting up the place. People love to be a part of the program. Don't forget about the guys. Your man can be of great help too — especially if you need to get the kids into bed.
A girls' in  party is essential to rejuvenate your souls and to relax from all the day-to-day chores of life. At the end of the event, do not forget to share the pictures with the entire gang so that every time they look at them, it inspires them to start planning the next soiree! 

BY SMRUTI DAS / POSTED JULY 12, 2012
PHOTOGRAPHY BY FOTOLIA.COM

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