If you’re anything like me, after the new year rolls around, I always have a more reflective and determined attitude to plan more outings with my girlfriends. But it often gets a little old just going out to dinner or brunch. This past year, thanks to a fun collection of creative friends, I learned to elevate my Girl’s Night Out.
Coffee-Fueled Bucket Lists
One of my closest friends and I used to work together, so we were used to sharing our morning caffeine together regularly. Now that we no longer work together, we love meeting up for coffee dates. To elevate our coffee dates, we have now created a bucket list of coffee spots around Indianapolis to visit. Each time we get together, we try a new place. It has been fun to experience something new with a friend with a shared interest. They even have books you can buy online to make notes, check off locations, etc.
Thematic Dinners In/Out
I am sure you have seen the craze on social media platforms where people bring themed items to your house for a gathering. Themed nights could be assigning guests different colors, where they can only bring items that are the same color they were assigned. Other Girl’s Night Out themes have been “dip nights,” where everyone brings their favorite appetizers (salty or sweet), and you hang out together enjoying junk food. Another themed night might be based on your book club choice of the month. Read historical fiction? Dress up in that decade and bring matching foods in that time period. And don’t forget to pick a silly theme when you’re feeling sassy to go out on the town. The crazier the theme, the more fun you’ll have!
Wrapping Parties
The winter holidays always tend to bring the most stress. Why not gather your favorite girlfriends, get a hotel for the night, and wrap all of your presents in the company of your closest gal pals? Stay in your pajamas, throw on the best Hallmark Christmas movie, pop the champagne, and wrap those presents for the holiday season.
PJs & Trash TV
A few friends and I have done this a few times over the last couple of months, and it always turns out to be a great night. We all wear our comfy outfits, make a new fun appetizer dish to share, and make a specialty drink to share with the group. We then put on our favorite trash TV show and just veg out together. It often ends with us ignoring the show and sharing stories instead.
Girl Dinner
If you’re unfamiliar with “girl dinner,” you invite all your closest friends over with their guilty pleasure meals they may be cooking if they aren’t eating with the entire family. I’d eat an entire container of salsa and tortilla chips or queso if my family weren’t watching. The last time I went to one of these parties, it was a blast and hilarious to see the random assortment of foods the women brought.
Other options could include spa nights, painting, cooking or baking afternoons, and, of course, your typical shopping outings. Mix it up and make it a thrifting shopping date! Turn your book clubs into seeing the movie when it comes out in theaters!
Wanting more than a night out? A couple of these Girl’s Night Outs have turned into us looking for future stays for a weekend away. Having these nights to just sit around to look at locations, rentals, etc., gives you the time to make those weekend trips a reality! No time for a weekend? That’s okay! But you deserve more nights away than you realize. It is good for your soul, stress, and mindset to just get out for a bit every once in a while.
