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Have a “Girls’ Night In” this October

Carene Chong

Fri Oct 12 2012

girls_night_in_by_calleecakes

PUT those heels away and get into your jammies for a Girls’ Night In this October, in conjunction with International Breast Cancer Awareness month. Carene Chong gives you some ideas for a low-key, fun night with the ladies that won’t break the bank.

Let’s think for a minute how much we spend per night out. $25 for a decent meal? $50 or more for a night at the club? That amount could have fed some of us for a whole week, or it could have helped save a life.

This month, Cancer Council Australia encourages the ladies to host a girls’ night in and donate the money you would spend on a night out to help those affected by breast or gynecological cancer. It’s simple, just hop onto the dedicated PinkRibbonDay webpage, register and start organising your little house party.

If you’re keen – but a little stuck on where to start – here are 10 ideas to get you going.

DIY beauty spa

Turn your abode into a beauty parlor and give the face, digits and toes a little TLC. Help each other out and be each other’s beauty therapist. Dive in and create easy homemade facial masks from everyday foodstuff such as eggs and avocados. Need help? Try this moisturising mask recipe (courtesy of Natural Home Remedies For Life)

  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 1 ripe Avocado
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin Olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dark organic Honey (the darker the better)

If necessary, warm up the honey until it becomes runny (not too hot!) by putting it in a small glass or metal bowl which is immersed in hot water (or a few seconds in the microwave).

Peel the avocado and cut it in pieces. Mash these together with the honey and rest of the ingredients until you have a smooth and creamy paste

Smooth the paste gently and evenly on your clean face and neck with your fingertips; keep the eye area clear.

Now lie down, relax and leave the mask on for 20-25 minutes.

Then wash it off by alternating between cold and warm water, ending with a cold splash. Pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Finally, tone and apply moisturizer.

Chick flick night

Skip the movies and lengthy queues. Dig out all those DVDs that made the boyfriend cringe and watch it with your girlfriends at home. Try funny flicks such as Bridesmaids, Sex and the City or sob movies like P.S I Love You and The Notebook. And don’t forget the ice cream, popcorn and tissues!

Pot luck party

Whiles parties are great fun, preparing food for a houseful of guests can be a nightmare. But, this needn’t be the case. Instead of stressing yourself out, just ask each guest to bring a dish to share. That way, there will be a variety of eats to suit everyone’s tastes and you don’t have to go through a mood slump even before the party starts.

Bake away

Instead of buying sweets from your local bakery for an after dinner treat, why not make them with your gal pals? Brownies, cheesecakes, or even good old chocolate chip cookies are great, easy ideas. What’s more, you get to bond while you bake so start mixing and get the oven running. Just don’t eat all the batter before you bake them!

Chocolate party

Because who on earth does not like chocolates? If baking and heavy desserts are not down your alley, then get boxes of delectable choccies from the supermarket that everyone can share as after dinner nibbles. Your pals will thank you dearly for this.

Mini garage sale

If you have that little tea set you never really use or a lace lamp that’s still sitting in its box, why not bring them over to a Girls’ Night In party and and sell it to a girl friend who might find a use for them? As they say, one man’s trash is another one’s treasure. Even better, you can donate the extra cash you collected towards the fight against cancer.

Swap till you drop

Get the girls to bring in some clothes they don’t wear anymore and do a clothes swap. Before you know it, you will be leaving the party with a new wardrobe without putting a dent in your bank account. What’s more, you will be doing so while helping cancer sufferers gain a new lease of life. Triple win!

Bust a move

Wii sports or Just Dance anyone? If the consoles at home have been sitting there collecting dust, now is the time to dig them out and start sweating. Even better, make it a competition. Best player or dancer wins a gift. Sneak some exercise in while you laugh and dance the night away with the besties.

Game on

So sweating is not an option for you but a good laugh and mind exercise is. How about a game night the old school way with Monopoly, Taboo, Pictionary, or Scrabble? That way, you get to be snug in your jammies the whole night without missing out on fun. Don’t forget to fit in a good old game of charades.

Cocktail DIY

Instead of spending $15 per cocktail at your favorite bar, make them yourselves at home and have it with the girls. Splitting the cost will make it dirt cheap for everyone and the plus side is, you get to have seconds without spending any extra. There are heaps of cocktail recipes available online for you to try, but why not a pink one in conjunction with pink ribbon month like this one (courtesy of Drinklab):

Pink Lady (Serves 1)

  • 1 1/2 shots of Gin
  • 1 tsp Grenadine syrup
  • 1 tsp Light Cream
  • 1  Egg

Shake ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and serve.

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So now that you’ve got all you need for a great night in with girls,  don’t forget to jump onto your own Girls’ Night In account or a friends’ page after the party to do your part for the greater good of women.

Do you have any “Girls’ Night In” ideas of your own you would like to share? Tell us below!

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