Fab-YOU-lous Fun with Fab-YOU-lous Friends

They wipe our tears when our hearts are breaking and they make us laugh without even trying. There are many kinds of relationships in this world but few that are as therapeutic, enjoyable and FabYOUlous as the relationships that we have with our girlfriends.

When was the last time that you spent some quality time bonding with your besties? If it has been a while, here is a list of some FabYOUlous, girlfriend get-together ideas that you’ll want to get on your calendar PRONTO so that you can celebrate the gift of FabYOUlous friendships!

—Take a Hike…Literally: This is one of my favorite ways to bond with my girlfriends because I happen to live in beautiful Colorado and have the spectacular Rocky Mountains right in my backyard. There is beauty everywhere however; so whether your hike is through your metropolitan city park or along a babbling country creek, grab some friends, pack a lunch, fill your water bottle and head outdoors to discover some of the natural beauty that your region has to offer. This activity is FabYOUlous on many different levels because it not only helps to connect you to your friends, it also provides a great physical workout and refreshes the spirit in a way that only fresh air and sunlight can.

No matter how you choose to spend your time with your gal pals–the important thing is to remember that these relationships are vital to our overall well being. Don’t fall into the trap of letting these ties fall by the wayside when life gets hectic or difficult–that is often when we need the support of our friends the most. Try to commit to spending one night a month with your friends and vary the activities to help keep everyone engaged. The more we nurture and celebrate our female friendships…the more FabYOUlous life will be.

—Strike a Pose: A picture is worth a thousand words right? Then what could lift the spirits more than a few fun photos of you and your “broad squad” hamming it up? Split the cost to hire a photographer for a couple of hours (or invite a friend who is a budding photog to join you), pick a fun location for your shots, dress in bright, happy colors and say CHEESE! Not only will you have a great time and lots of laughs–you’ll end up with a frame worthy souvenir that will have you smiling every time you look at it.

—Start Your Own Diner’s Club: Make plans to get together with your girls once a month to explore a different restaurant in your town. Take turns choosing the place and agree ahead of time that everyone will enthusiastically give the restaurant and cuisine a chance. If it weren’t for my girlfriends I never would have tried sushi and guess what…because of my girlfriends, I now know that I really, really do not like sushi. That’s okay though because I had so much fun trying something new and laughing as I tried to gag down that raw fish that I barely remember the taste (well, that’s a lie–I actually do remember the taste quite well–BLECH!) What I really remember from that night however, is the laughter (mostly at my expense but all in good fun) and the stories that were shared over those California Rolls (the only kind of sushi that I was actually able to stomach). Japanese, Thai, Italian (now you’re talking–LOVE me some pasta!), vegan, seafood etc.–the possibilities are endless and not only will this type of girl’s night expand your palate; it’ll also help you catch up with friends while breaking bread.

—Book It: Book clubs are all the rage these days and for good reason–they bring together groups of women with a common interest to exchange thoughts, drink wine and socialize. Well, you don’t have to have a group of women to enjoy these same benefits; you can do the exact same thing with just one or two other friends. Just take turns picking books from a variety of genres and then schedule a time to get together for coffee or wine to chat about what your’re reading. The books don’t have to be anything deep or profound–just enjoyable. Heck…right now, my friends and I are reading The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward. This is a series of books written about super sexy, bad ass vampires (none of whom “sparkle”–sorry Edward Cullen…) We are definitely not talking Oprah book club material here, but we are LOVING the books and even more importantly, we are loving the time that we spend together chatting about the books.

—Get Cookin’: Okay–I’ll confess, this one is a stretch for me because I do not generally enjoy cooking. I have maybe seven meals that I can fix decently (not well, just decently). Fortunately, I do not necessarily need to be a great cook because I have teenage sons who will literally eat anything you put in front of them. This however; does not mean that I wouldn’t like to expand my meal repertoire a bit. One fun way of doing this is to form a food co-op with some friends where you all make multiple batches of one particular meal that you enjoy and then swap your meals with each other so that you end up with a week’s worth of meals for your family. To make this extra fun–include the recipes on fun, printed recipe cards so that your friends will be able to replicate your dish in the future.

Another fun cooking idea is to enroll in cooking classes with your friends. In most cities it is easy to find places to learn how to cook healthy low-fat meals, or cuisines from different parts of the world. I personally, would probably pass on a sushi making class but I would love to learn how to prepare some healthy Mediterranean style meals for my family. Not only will enrolling in a cooking class provide you with an opportunity to bond with your friends–it will also help you impress your family when you serve them something other than your “every Monday, because it’s Monday Tuna Casserole.”

—Get Sporty: To me, the only thing better than spending a day at the ballpark is spending the day at the ballpark with my favorite people. Whether you like to play or are strictly a spectator, sporting activities can provide a great avenue for “broad squad” bonding. Whether it’s cheering for your favorite driver at the car races or perfecting your drive on the golf course…if it is something that you enjoy, increase the fun factor even more by inviting your friends to join you.

—Get Crafty: Do you knit, crochet, scrapbook? Do you want to learn to knit, crochet or scrapbook? Why not schedule a craft night with your besties and knock out some projects that you’ve been meaning to complete? I recently had a get together with some of my friends who were wanting to learn to crochet. I taught them the basics of crochet and got them all started on a simple project. It was great fun and now those gals are all as hooked on crochet (pardon the pun) as I am. Whether you schedule a get together that is focused on one specific type of craft (Knitty Gritty Night sounds fun!) or just allow everyone to show up with whatever particular craft project they happen to be working on–a craft gathering can be a great way to relax, share patterns, learn new techniques and get some much needed girlfriend time.

—Educate Yourself: Is there something that you’d like to know more about? If so–there’s a good chance that a few of your friends would also like to know more about it. We’re not talking about enrolling in college level advanced trigonometry classes here (unless of course that is your idea of fun, in which case…do you even have friends??) There are however lots of fun classes our there on everything from photography to yoga to salsa dancing. There are often (depending upon what you’re wanting to learn) instructors who are willing to come to your home to offer a class to you and your friends on your own turf. Some classes that I’ve enjoyed with friends include wine appreciation, self defense, website design and wreath making. Seriously though…I’ve discovered that there are quality classes out there for almost any interest. I’ve taken beginning woodworking classes at Home Depot and writing classes through a local author’s group. Team up with your friends to multiply the fun while expanding your knowledge base.

—Sweat it Out: Let’s face it…we all need to exercise. Some people love it, others not so much. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum–burning calories can be far more enjoyable when joined by pals. I am a runner and though there are definitely times that I prefer to run alone–I also benefit from occasional group runs where we chat and laugh as we log the miles. If taking care of our physical bodies is something that we all need to do anyhow–why not join together with friends and make it a little more fun right? In my town there are numerous fitness classes available for a variety of skill levels. So whether you’re into Yoga, Zumba, Kickboxing or Pole Dancing (yes–pole dancing for fitness is a real thing…I’ve tried it–it’s fun) you are sure to find something that will appeal to you and some of your friends. If we’re going to work out–we might as well join forces with our pals and make the burn more bearable.

—Swap it up: Have you ever looked into your crammed, over stuffed closet and thought to yourself, “I have nothing to wear”? Of course you have…we all have. Well, why not remedy the situation by organizing a swap night with some of your friends? This is a great way to weed out items that you no longer wear while adding some new pieces (well, new to you anyhow…) to your wardrobe free of charge. Even if you and your friends all wear different sizes, you can still swap items like scarves, purses, jewelry, etc. My friends and I take part in a swap night twice a year–once in the spring and once in the fall. I’ve only been involved in clothing/accessory swaps but I’ve heard of other groups who organize swap nights for things like household goods and children’s toys too. Make your swap night into a seasonal event and don’t forget to donate any items that are left over to your local homeless shelter or Goodwill.

–Show Your Support: There are SO many wonderful non profit organizations out there that need our support. What better way to have fun with your friends than to do so while also helping out a local charity? What causes are important to you? Do you have a friend who is battling breast cancer? Then, sign up for (or organize) a charity walk in her honor. Do you love animals? Enlist your friends to help you clean out kennels at the local animal shelter. Buy a block of tickets to your favorite organization’s annual charity ball or spend an afternoon with your friends baking items for a fund raising bake sale. The possibilities are endless and so are the good feelings that you and your friends will have afterwards. If you need a suggestion of a good organization to support, visit www.RedCross.org.