The Intimacy Advisor talks about romantic love most of the time, but today we’re talking about another vitally important type of relationship – the platonic love shared between close female friends. August 1st is National Girlfriends Day, and we’re ready to celebrate!
Some guys may think they’re supposed to use National Girlfriends Day to shower gifts and extra love upon their romantic girlfriend, which there’s nothing wrong with, but that’s what Sweetest Day and Valentine’s Day are for. This holiday is actually meant for all the ladies to celebrate their own besties! Your girlfriends are the ones that have been there for you through it all, and always will be. They are the ones you can turn to if your “great relationship” suddenly falls apart, and they won’t judge…just be there to lend a listening ear, and maybe a glass of wine (or 5).
In honor of this special day meant for celebrating these special ladies in our lives, here are some fun & unique ideas of ways to spend a day just for the girls…and it was crowdsourced from my very own amazing girlfriends! I asked the question, “If you had a whole day (or night, or weekend) to spend with your best girlfriend(s), what would you most like to do?” I specified that I was looking for the out-of-the-box answers, beyond the obvious brunches, movies, or spa days. In no particular order, here are some of their awesome ideas, broken down into a few vague categories:
Vacays, Staycays, and Sleepovers
There are lots of ways to have fun with your friends, without going too far from home:
“Get a few adjoining rooms at a hotel not too far from home. Enjoy the amenities like the pool, hot tub, and bar together, order dinner to your rooms, and just talk and hang out until you crash.” ~ Laura
“Take the entire squad to a Bed & Breakfast for the weekend. Everyone gets their own room with a king sized bed, great views, breakfast in the AM, and a massive bathtub. If you want to be by yourself, cool! If you want to hang out on the beach or dine with friends, everyone is right there. I’m old AF and don’t want to sleep anywhere uncomfortable anymore.” ~ Claire
“Lake cottage getaway!” ~ Kathryn (no worries if no one in your circle actually owns one of these; there are tons of fun options on sites like AirBNB and Vrbo.)
“Road trip!! You can even stay in your own state, but check out wineries, breweries, or sights you’ve never seen before” ~ Diane
“Sleepover! Like, middle school nostalgia style. Wear fun PJs, stay up late, braid each other’s hair or paint nails, play a silly game like Truth or Dare or Never have I ever! I was just talking to a girlfriend about how we want to do this!” ~ Elise (OMG me too!!! Wait…do you remember how to play MASH?)
Action & Adventure
For the ladies looking for something a little more exciting than mani-pedis, there are tons of fun athletic and adventurous outings you can enjoy with all your brave & badass babes!:
“Axe throwing? One of those places where you break stuff?” ~ Debbie (for the uninitiated, they’re called Rage Rooms, and they are AWESOME…especially with coworkers!)
“Play darts or pool, or take over an arcade.” ~ Allison
“An Escape Room…sometimes the best out-of-the-box idea is to actually have to get out of the box!” ~ Bobbie (I see what you did there!)
“Ghost hunting!” ~ Jackie
“All the stuff you liked doing for parties or special occasions as a kid…go-karting, bowling, laser tag, mini golf…or just going to your favorite pizza place.” ~ Katie (I see no reason why grown-ass women shouldn’t rent bouncy houses for their own parties!)
Spill the Tea
There’s nothing wrong with good old-fashioned girly gossip in a comfortable or cutesy setting, with your favorite beverage. Fantastic fashion, accessories, activities, and great company make these events a classic.:
“Have an Unbirthday Tea Party like in Alice in Wonderland.” ~ Courtney
“Gossiping about what shows have the sexiest men! BTW: I vote Sex Life and Bridgerton” ~ Alli (Hmm, ok…I vote Lucifer)
“A Thrifted Fashion Show party. Think the MET ball, only everyone’s wearing the most ridiculous getup they could find at a secondhand shop.” ~ Anna
“Host a clothing swap or have a lingerie photo shoot!” ~ Amber (I would be all for that one…think of how confident & sexy you would feel with all your awesome ladies there to cheer you on!)
“A tea party with fancy hats and gloves, with a concert at the end of the night where we hang out on the lawn on blankets and listen to good tunes” ~ Lauren
“Game night – have everyone bring a few games from home so you have a good selection and can try new ones!” ~ Andrea
The Great Outdoors
“Outdoor stuff on the water – canoeing, kayaking, paddle boating, or tubing” ~ Ellen
“Scavenger Hunt!” ~ Megan (Scavenger hunts or road rallies may take a little pre-planning to make them successful, but they can be tons of fun that you will be talking about for years to come…especially if someone breaks a finger in the heat of competition…right, Brittni?” 😛 )
“A weekend camping trip. Or glamping, if you’re like me and require flush toilets and real bed” ~ Angela
“Beach day! It can be as active or as chill as you want.” ~ Samantha (When do we leave??)
“One of those cool ropes courses in a forest, or ziplining!” ~ Janna
Keeping in touch regularly and making plans can be challenging, as we’re all very busy adults with many important things to do…but keeping your girlfriends close is important, too! Our girlfriends are a huge part of our life, and these platonic social bonds contribute to our overall happiness, just as much or more than romantic relationships. At every age and stage of your life, make sure to make time to enjoy each other’s company with some of these fun ideas, or some of your own. After all, girls just wanna have fun!
Thank you to all my amazing girlfriends who contributed ideas to this post! You’re the best!
