Girls' Night In

I've never been a girl's night out kind of person. My husband and I started dating when we were teenagers and my parents were on the strict side. I lived at home while in college, was married at 22, and a year later I was pregnant with my son. 

While many of my girlfriends where out dancing in Ybor City or flying to Vegas for bachelorette parties, I was already a stay-at-home mom. Fast forward 11 years, and here I am, in my mid (gasp!) 30s and I crave the company of my female friends more than ever. I still have no desire to hit up bars or clubs without my husband, but occasionally my girlfriends and I will meet up at a or Grille 54 for some girl talk and a glass of wine. 

For practical and economic reasons, our girlfriend dinners were few and far between. However, there was a consensus that after spending this time together, we felt a sense of renewal and had a more positive outlook on the rest of the week.

My friend and across-the-street neighbor, Marcy, decided that since most of  the ladies we spend time with live in and around our neighborhood, she would host a girl's night in. She was generous enough to allow us to extend invitations to any of our other friends who may be in need of some girl-time.  Marcy recruited her husband to grill some kabobs, baked a delicious mac 'n cheese and we each brought wine to share. 

The end result was good food, good friends, a few new friends and the ability for many of us to walk home safely at the end of a great night. The best part of all was that there were no requirements for our get-together. We had no books to read, no projects to complete and no games to play. We were just a few ladies enjoying each others' company and appreciating the lives we live.