Before I get in to the nitty gritty of planning Women Parties, I first want to explain my inspiration for wanting to do such a page. I have been lucky enough to have always had quality women in my life.
It started when I was young with my Mom and Grandma (shown below with me). Although I did not realize it when I was growing up, these two were not your average women.
Looking back on it, I now get the fact that they were truly superstars, able to keep all the balls in the air and still have time to make me feel ultra special. It is amazing what these women were able to accomplish.
I have also been lucky enough to have had two sisters in my life; one older and one younger. Each provided different experiences along the way and they have become even more special to me as an adult.
As I got older, I remember my girlfriends becoming a very important part of my life, beginning with Barbies, birthday parties and sleep overs. In my teens, going to girl parties and sharing secrets about boys. And then in college, sharing our first dorm room and apartment together.
There was a whole cast of women helping me through my bachelorette party, my showers and my wedding. From in-laws to sisters, nieces, great aunts and cousins, these spectacular women were always there for me.
Then, along comes my daughter. There are no words that can describe how I feel about this special young lady. She is bright and supportive and a mother could not ask for a more dedicated daughter.
And as my children grew and I worked at various jobs, I made some of the best girlfriends of my life. They have shared the ups and downs with me, laughed and cried with me and generally supported me all along the way.
It is to all of these special ladies that I now dedicate this page about Women Parties. We all have special women in our lives so let's remember to celebrate our special bond.
Bunco Theme Party
Find everything you need here to host a Bunco Theme Party, including How to Play Bunco, Setting up Your Home, Free Bunco Score Cards and more.
Easy Fondue Party
Want to learn how to host an easy Fondue Party at your home? Find useful tips on party attire, choosing fondue pots and fountains and selecting the perfect fondue recipes and dipping sauces.
Wine Tasting Party
Find Wine Tasting Party Planning Tips, including types of wine tasting parties, how to set up your home, how much wine to buy and Wine-Cheese pairing ideas.
Some of my girlfriends and I had been talking about wanting to get away for a girls-only weekend. Next thing I knew, one of them had received an email alert from Travelzoo.com and noticed that a certain Chicago hotel, just an hour from home, was offering a great deal on room rates.
So in April 2008, 13 of us loaded up some coolers with appetizers and drinks and headed downtown for our big getaway.
We ate and we drank and we shopped. We gossipped and we giggled and ate and drank some more.
We dressed up in hotel bathrobes and hung around in one of the rooms. This picture shows just a few of us.
On one day, the group split up and some of us took the El train to Wrigleyville (the area surrounding the Cubs Baseball Stadium) because the Cubs were playing that day.
We did a little Pub Crawl where we visited several of the bars close to the stadium then caught a cab back to the hotel and met up with everybody else for dinner.
This picture was taken at the beginning of the Pub Crawl. You can't beat a weekend away with your girlfriends. No worries man!
Train Crawl
My girlfriends and I are currently planning a "Staycation" in our home town. What is a Staycation you might ask?
With the high cost of vacations these days, many folks are opting to stay in their home towns as opposed to paying for plane fare and expensive hotels. It might sound silly to some people but we have reserved a few hotel rooms in our home town and are planning a big night away from home. Well, kind of away from home.
We happen to live on a train line that goes into the city of Chicago. Between our home town and downtown Chicago, there are several really cool little towns, right on the train line.
Our plan is to meet in the afternoon at the hotel, have a cocktail and some appetizers and then catch the hotel shuttle over to the train station. After a half hour train ride, we'll jump off and walk to a really cool Mexican restaurant.
When we're finished with dinner, we'll get back on the train and start making our way back to our home town, stopping at several establishments on the way back, thus the name "Train Crawl."
One of the things we have planned is to get matching Train Crawl Shirts that list all of the establishments that we will visit. Check them out. I have a funny feeling that train crawling with my girlfriends will become an annual event.
UPDATE: Our Train Crawl was a huge success! We wore our matching shirts, visited 6 different establishments along the train line and ended our evening at the Holiday Inn, just a mile from home, where we stayed overnight.
It is definitely not important how far away from home you go. What's important is that you bring along your favorite girlfriends and cherish the moments that you have together.
I created a song list of my Top 10 Women Songs. Click the arrow to begin playing song samples and if you choose to buy any, you can do so at Amazon.com.
NOTE: If you are using Internet Explorer, you may not be able to view this unless you allow scripts to be run (see toolbar above for options -- mine is pale yellow)
The quality of my life is truly enriched because of my female friends and relatives. Whether you choose to take the Party on the Road or host a Bunco Theme Party, or Wine Tasting Party, celebrate the relationships you have with the wonderful women in your life every chance you get.
I have also been lucky enough to have had two sisters in my life; one older and one younger. Each provided different experiences along the way and they have become even more special to me as an adult.
