ladies only: five reasons why every woman deserves girl time

in the past year my friends and I have shared many good times – most of them with our guys.  this past Saturday however, it was just us and it was one of my favorites. three of my very best friends and I had a seriously good time… just being girls.  it wasn’t your conventional GNO type feat –dressing scandalous, hitting the bars and going all crazy for a few hours, etc. (we’ll save that for later).  it was far more chill – a winery, chocolate tasting and shopping.  

after such a great day I’ve decided that every woman: married, a mom, single or otherwise attached needs a day to herself every once in awhile and here’s why: 

1) we value our friendship… enough to make the time.  when you make a point of dedicating time to be with your girls your making a statement about what’s important. sure I could come up with a thousand reasons why I can’t make a girl date work but by making it a priority I’m sending a message that our time together matters.  if your kids wear mismatched outfits, your husband has to sustain himself on Spaghettios, an errand isn’t run or the dog doesn’t get a walk oh well!  it’s one day; just a few hours every now and again.

2) we rely on our friends…to tell us things.  usually it’s the same things our parents, significant others or colleagues tell us but it’s just different when it’s a girlfriend.  I have a bestie who has no problem telling me I look ridiculous in something without offending me but, if my husband or mom would say the same thing I’d be stunned.  we just have a way with each other and thank goodness because that same gal has saved me from many a fashion faux pas! (if only I had a picture of that hideous white lace romper I nearly bought.) 

3) science says…it’s good for us!  it has been scientifically proven that our physical health and well-being benefit from having solid friendships.   they are the support system we need to relieve stress and share laughs and women just get other women.  our girlfriends understand when you want to vent and can empathize with what’s going on.  when you’re with your close friends your guard is down; you can speak your mind, dish about drama and know that it’s a safe place to spill it all or get ridiculously silly without judgment.  i mean who doesn’t love a good bitch session or a vulgar conversation every once in awhile?    

read on for more benefits here:

http://www.nextavenue.org/blog/why-girlfriends-are-good-woman%e2%80%99s-health?utm_source=more&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=more

4) we like to feel….pretty, confident and desirable.  alive!  you know that dress that you bought last season that you still haven’t worn; the one that hugs you all the right places?  or those shoes that just seem too dressy for most events in your life but you just had to have?  get ‘em out, put ‘em on and let your girls boost your confidence because let’s face it you probably look phenomenal, even if it’s completely over the top!   I’m a total diva when it comes to going out.  I want to look as good as possible since most days you can find me at home in shorts and a tee.  when I have a reason (like a girl's night/day out), I dress up.  and when I dress up I feel good, I feel hot, I feel confident.  and those feelings translate to other areas of my life; benefiting those closest to me, especially Cody! ;o)

5) we love the way it feels…when it’s over.  a girl date really does enhance other relationships.  I always come back feeling refreshed and grateful.  I love and appreciate my husband more and I’m more willing to do things for and with him that I wouldn’t have otherwise.  time with my girlfriends reminds me that I’m still the fun-loving girl my husband fell in love with.  my friends, their stories, their rants and our conversations remind me that I have a pretty good life!! 

get out there!

marathon rook': seriously?!?

well it’s official!  I’ll be running my first marathon on October 19^th, assuming I don’t die or pass out on a trail, road or treadmill before then.  it’s anticipated to be one of the most mentally and physically challenging days of my life.  (let’s be honest I doubt I walk away wanting to run another!) so if you’re free come on out, I could use any and all support.  

that aside, i’ve actually started training…and by that I mean I went for 1 long run last week: 8 miles.  the good news is I felt like I could keep going and wasn’t even worn out.  it wasn’t until I walked into the house and started sweating profusely that I realized how hard I had actually worked.  that gives me some kind of promise.

it’s not going to be easy psyching myself up for long runs and there’s a lot of time to think about stuff – like about how long the run is going to be, how winded you are and you’re 1 mile in or where your next drink is coming from.  I think I’ll need to create a killer playlist to keep the momentum up.  I’m not a novice runner by any means but I’m certainly not a veteran marathoner.  this could get interesting.  and by interesting I mean it could cause the dreaded train gain, peturnal strife (Allie's already annoyed that she doesn't come along), dehydration, depression, anxiety, etc.  yep the next few months could be real interesting!

here’s to several hours quality hours with my ipod, my garmin and the open (insert running surface)!  damn bucklist anyway!

remembered: a sweet love story is shared

in the past week I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to share a few final moments with my grandfather.  he passed away only yesterday.  

had it not been for a heart attack I may not have been able to tell him I loved him one last time.  I suppose it depends on your perspective but for this particular event I am thankful. most people don’t have that opportunity.   over the years I had developed a much deeper connection with my grandma so when I found out it was grandpa who was ill I wanted to be there, in some way for even the shortest amount of time. a quick evening trip is all it amounted to but it’s a decision I’ll never regret making.  

as a girl I was always closer with Grandma Annie simply because she was a girl and we did ‘girl stuff.’  grandpa Richard on the other hand had always been a guy’s guy; he worked on cars, operated heavy equipment, drove fast, drank beer, smoked cigarettes, played cards and did other burly man things.   to be honest I was slightly intimidated by him.  he could lay down the law and I knew it!  

I love this picture of my grandpa! 

grandpa never seemed to spend a lot of time chit chatting with the ladies in the kitchen which is where I usually was when the family was together but he was always easy going and seemed to know who was coming and going.  since my grandma’s passing I noticed a change in his demeanor; he seemed gentler.  it’s possible this quality always existed however it was more pronounced without her presence.  he simply wasn’t that same intimidating and burly man I remembered as a kid. he asked questions and made conversation easy; he was truly a great listener.  

this side of grandpa reminded me a sweet story he told me once about how he and my grandmother met.  when I was younger I spent many nights at my grandparents and the best nights were the ones when it was just the three of us.  on one of those occasions I asked grandpa how he met grandma.  (I was a very inquisitive child.) he told me that he met her at a truck stop diner, she was a waitress.  he said he just looked at her and said ‘that’s the girl I’m going to marry.’  naturally I didn’t believe him.  I mean, in my mind he was not this type of guy so I asked Grandma.  she confirmed his story.  according to her, he was so convinced that she was ‘the one’ that he visited that stop several times before she agreed to a date.  they were young and in love and on June 26, 1961 they were married.  they were married 48 years before my grandma passed in 2009.  it’s still one of my favorite love stories.

Such a handsome guy and a beautiful gal!  A picture from their wedding night.

if this week has reaffirmed one thing it's that this life is a fleeting thing so be sure to spend it with those you love.

p.s. a big THANK YOU to my aunt Shelly for preserving all of grandma's photographs.