Girls night out or in ideas

Ideas for 'Girls' Night Out' or In
By Robin Dalmas

"Sisterhood is Powerful" proclaims a feminist book from the 1970s. If that's true, just think what would happen if every woman threw a party for all her girlfriends. Along with the obvious conversation, laughter and empathy, who knows what great new friendships might be forged — and what productive networking might be accomplished.

When it comes to all-women soirees, the sky's the limit. You can throw a traditional party with food and libation or engineer a more focused event. One woman threw a "Remember When You Were 10?" party and invited 50 women over to wear pajamas, eat s'mores and do crafts. More sophisticated parties can give women the opportunity to network for their careers, gain knowledge of accounting, finance and investing, or just relax with some pampering spa treatments in the home.

Traditional party. Want to throw a great dinner party? Learn some tips for creating dinner-party ambience. If you'd like to throw a huge party for up to 75 of your closest gal pals, the book "Do It for Less! Parties" by Denise Vivaldo has nine complete menus, shows you how to do quantities of 12, 25, 50 and 75 for each recipe, and 21 charts for estimating quantities needed for everything from dining tables to alcohol.

If you'd prefer to keep things small and simple, consider a visit to an upscale grocer for ready-made appetizers. Whole Foods Market, for example, has a private-label line of frozen appetizers that includes chicken wings, crab Rangoon, a dim sum collection, salmon puffs and vegetable spring rolls.

Getting to know you. Do you have friends who hog the conversation? Find ways to spread the chat around. The book "4,000 Questions for Getting to Know Anyone and Everyone" contains queries that will keep the dialogue going into the wee hours. Consider these questions: "What, more than anything, makes you angry?" "Who were your childhood idols?" "What kind of leader are you most inclined to follow?"

Here's another conversation starter:

"Each woman should write down, anonymously, something no one else could possibly know about her," says Nancy B. Irwin, therapeutic hypnotist, columnist and speaker. "Put them in a pot, draw one at a time, and try to guess who did what. Have prizes for the winners."

How about dessert and some "dish"?

"Have each woman bring her most decadent dessert and favorite photo and be prepared to tell all the details about it," suggests Irwin.

Games night. Board games can be educational. Author and tax expert Eva Rosenberg recommends "Rich Dad Poor Dad's Cashflow 101," a board game that teaches accounting, finance and investing. "It's an interesting way to learn about money and about yourself," Rosenberg says. "It will create all kinds of great conversations."

Board games can also be just plain fun. Plan a round of "Sex and the City" Trivia Game. "Every girl is sure to know most of the answers, and it will bring back fond memories of Carrie and Big's love affair," says Diann Valentine, owner of an events and wedding firm in Pasadena, Calif.

Sushi-loving women in sushi heaven. A group of women I know gathers once a month at a different sushi-buffet restaurant in the Seattle area to indulge in rows and rows of raw seafood and conversation. If your taste doesn't run to eating spicy octopus, fish cake soup and baby clam salad, take a vote to determine what kind of food would be acceptable. Steak night? Mexican night? Thai night? Let your taste buds be your guide.

Spa night. Hire a spa-party service to create a spa night in your home. Spa-addicts.com lists mobile spas from New York to Los Angeles. These companies provide drinks, gourmet food, spa treatments and products. For example, Spa Chicks On-The-Go, a mobile-spa event company in New York, provide treatments such as massages, facials, manicures and pedicures — including spa robes, slippers and spa goodie bags.

Surprise night. Rosenberg once made a deal with two of her girlfriends. "We'd get together one night a month for a special ‘girls' night out.' Each month, one of us would be responsible for planning the evening." They agreed in advance to stay within a certain budget. "And we wouldn't tell anyone what it was, just pick them up and do it."

Her group of gal pals enjoyed dining at restaurants and attending magic clubs. The piece de resistance? An evening at Chippendales.