Girls Weekend Refreshes, Re-energizes

Girls-Weekend-mall-ratsI just got back from an awesome weekend with friends. I had so much fun, I want everyone to be able to experience it! I want to share why it happened, how it can happen for you, and what happened!

I believe it is important for women of all ages to "get away" for a couple of days with other women, just as I believe it is important for the men to do the same. My husband goes on a ski trip each year for a few days and I hang with my girlfriends for a couple of days once a year.

I know it is important, if you are married or in a committed relationship that the spouse or significant other feel comfortable with those you are traveling with. I also think you should be sure that your friends for the weekend are going to be positive people that can help lift your spirits, speak truth to you, and laugh with you. It shouldn't be a time to gripe about your spouse, kids, or your boss. The time away should revive you, ready you to hit the ground running when you return home to be the best wife, mom, or employee (or maybe even boss) that you can be!

Girls-Weekend-cheesecakeFor the past four years I have gone on girls weekends with some great women. We've done the gambit of activities, from Christian conferences to hanging at Game Works (a giant arcade.) This year, I was fortunate enough to have four friends join me in Schaumburg for 2 days. In speaking to others, as to why they don't do this type of activity, it generally boils down to money and time (not enough of either!)

Let me help with the financial part first. We drove up together, sharing the cost of gas and tolls. We were then able to get a great deal on two mini-suites at a hotel with a pool and jacuzzi and a free hot breakfast, we split the two rooms five ways.(Groupon, and Living Social offer last minute deals, as does hotels.com, suburbs have a lot of activities, shopping and restaurants and are a fraction of the cost of staying in the city!) For dinner the first night, we all brought food and drinks to share, so we wouldn't have to dine out. In the morning we enjoyed our free breakfast, then went for a huge late lunch. (Lunch prices are generally a bit less, and lines are a bit shorter.) We grabbed a snack later in the day to tide us over until we arrived home late that night. Girl talk, hot tubs, silly games, laughing, sleeping in, and window shopping are all FREE!

When we arrived in Schaumburg, we checked in, started the food in crock pots and refrigerated what needed to be refrigerated, then we headed out to shop at a couple of stores. Later we headed back to the room for dinner then off to the hot tub to kick back and relax with a glass of wine (in plastic cups of course as to follow the pool rules.) After every muscle was completely relaxed it was back upstairs for comfy clothes, more food and drinks, chit chat, and some hilarious games. One of our friends taught us a game that caused us all to laugh so hard we couldn't breathe, we cried, and our stomachs felt like we just did a 30 minute ab work out! The game was a silly form of "Chinese Telephone." You sit in a circle with as many sheets of paper as there are people. Each person has a pencil and the pile of papers. At the same time everyone writes down a short phrase, common or completely made up. They then pass it to the person to their right. Everyone then looks at the phrase that was handed to them and slides that sheet to the bottom of the pile. They then draw a picture that depicts that phrase. Again the pile is passed to the right. Everyone then looks at the picture they have then they put it on the bottom of the pile and they write a phrase they believe the photo depicts. This continues back and forth until your pile comes back to you. Each person then shares from beginning to end the progression of the phrase and drawings. One of my favorites started off as "I smile, I wave" but progressed to "Wave at the stars until the earth falls apart, then wave again." Another, that I can't even remember how it started ended up being "Candy teeth divided by perfume down wind," all I know, is that wasn't even close to the beginning phrase!

Girls-Weekend-gameShopping at Ikea and Woodfield Mall, dining at The Cheesecake Factory, trying new foods at the Japanese grocery store were all a lot of fun, but the best was naturally floating around to different friends, and different conversations. My friends for the weekend were handpicked. We were all God fearing women, in faithful marriages, with kids at different stages of life. We listened to each other, gave advice, and encouraged each other. We laughed together, shed a couple of tears and prayed for each other in our own quiet time. I got to know my friends a little better, and my friends got to know each other a little better, and we are all a little better off because of it.

Earlier, I mentioned time, many of my friends say they don't have time for such an activity. We were gone about 30 hours. Our kids were fed (maybe cereal and popcorn all weekend,) but really, the Surgeon General has no warnings about eating junk food for 30 hours straight) our homes were still standing, and those who work still had jobs. On top of that, now that I'm energized, and refreshed, my "To Do" pile might get done a little quicker than if I hadn't gone, making up for "lost" time. Finally, I might just be a little bit nicer of a person to be around, so those I was worried about "deserting" might actually be completely okay with me being out of their hair for 30 hours and likely appreciate my new attitude.

The only other reason I can come up with that someone wouldn't do this for themselves is that they are new to the area and don't yet have friends. Well, I will lend you mine, so, if you ever run into Christian Hanna, Miki Hathaway, Shelley Bryant, or Natalie Lee, tell them you want to be friends, they will grab you up, cover you with love, and take you on a journey.....and your life will never be the same again (in a very GOOD way.)