| Written by Regan Coomer, on 03-07-2007 06:00 |
Make the Most of Your Gal Pal Time
Gather up a group of your best girlfriends and visit these local stress-melting spots. Your physical and mental health - not to mention your chocolate craving - depends on it!
Next time you cancel a girls' night out because of a crammed schedule,
reconsider. Your physical and mental health could suffer for it.
A 2000 UCLA study found spending time with your ladies releases the
hormone oxytocin, which relieves stress, and found that animals with a
high content of the hormone tended to be calmer and more relaxed than
those without it.
Apply the findings of this study to your life by not feeling so guilty
about taking the occasional "ladies' night out" (Like Cincy Chic's
upcoming ladies night July 12, 6-9pm, at the Wine Cellar in Hyde Park).
Instead of coming home after work for a solo bowl of ice cream and an
episode of "Desperate Housewives," make a night of it with a special
friend or two.
Feel Like Dancin'?
A great way to spend time with your girlfriends is taking a dance
class. CocoCabbana Dance Studios in Cincinnati Mills offers ballroom,
line and salsa dancing, to name a few. Owner Rhea says not to worry
about coming sans partner if ballroom dancing is your thing. Partners
switch every so often to cultivate camaraderie among dancers, so you
and your friends will have no trouble finding a hip-swinging Romeo.
But if dancing with strangers doesn't appeal, Rhea says it's no problem
to set up a special hour lesson just with you and your friends, and
your dance instructor of choice.
Whatever your dance preference, the activity is a good one: you relieve
stress by hanging with your friends, and, as Rhea points out, "Dancing
is great exercise because it releases endorphins, which gets you up and
gets you moving," she says. "Anytime you move to the music, you have a
good time."
For the babe on a budget, get the same effect by renting a copy of
"Flashdance" or "Footloose" and mixing up a jug of margaritas.
(Warning: hilarious photos ensuing from said suggestion may end up on
the Internet.)
Spend Time with Your First Love
Who is this fabled love? It's a thing, for starters. Chocolate, of
course! Cultivate your first love for chocolate and you and your
friends' affection for one another by participating in a tasting. Haute
Chocolate of Montgomery Road can arrange a tasting event for ladies'
night out.
"It's a great way to spend a hot summer night here in Cincinnati," says Lisa Cooper Holmes, owner of Haute.
Haute's evening of chocolate would begin with an introduction to
chocolate, as well as a sampling of the three most common varieties:
milk, white and dark. You can also watch employees make chocolate in
the kitchen, and help out in the process yourself.
Cooper Holmes says what happens at the event is up to you. Haute offers
a full menu and confections for dessert. The event begins at 6:30 p.m.
and lasts until 9 p.m., and costs $49.95 per person.
Looking to cut costs but not your chocolate intake? You and your gal
pals can try your hands at chocolate at home pretty simply: buy some
strawberries, a couple of different types of chocolate and drizzle your
hearts out. Champagne optional, of course. Meier's Winery in Silverton
offers great champagne at a great price, and you can taste before you
buy unlike the grocery store brands.
Beads, Please
Another way to make your social life memorable is to commemorate one
another's friendship by making each other jewelry. Crafty vixens can
visit a bead store and take classes in making all kinds of jewelry, or
just use a store's space, like many do at Beads N Things, a shop on
Eastgate Boulevard in Cincinnati.
"Groups can come in and do beading if they want to have a ladies' night
out," says Carol Lanter, owner of Beads N Things. "They can bring their
beads, or buy them, and we'll help if they get stumped."
The store is spacious, and has tables set aside for those just wanting
to bead in peace, Lanter says. Doing so usually results in relaxation,
Lanter adds, especially when a group of friends is involved.
"The girls get together and they just love it," Lanter says. "It is so
relaxing because your mind is totally free of everything else."
Classes last two hours, and cost $25-$35 depending on the jewelry kit
you choose to make. The store offers semiprecious stones as well as
high quality beads.
If you're not in need of professional beading help, visit your local
department or craft store for do-it-yourself kits, and throw a summer
BeadBQ. ArtBeads.com has an excellent selection of charms and Swarovski
Crystal Beads. And, we hate to admit it, but Wal-Mart has a great bead
selection, too.
Wine and Dine
Just like wine, friends get better with age. And why not have both? A wine tasting is another option for your girlfriend time.
Henke's Winery on Harrison Ave. offers tastings of seven wines such as
locally grown Vin de Rouge and Vidal Blanc at $5 per person. Additional
tastings are only $1 per wine.
Visitors can also tour the cellars (reservations should be made a few
days before), listen to live bands Friday and Saturday nights and enjoy
appetizers or dinner with the winery's usual offerings. Joe Henke,
owner and winemaker, says his winery is perfect for group outings. "One
of the compliments of groups is they feel like it's a Mom and Pop's
type place, with a Cheers-like atmosphere," he says. "Gather together,
share a bottle of wine."
If you're a wine devotee but prefer the comfort of your own home,
invite a select group of your wine sophisticate friends over for some
of your personal wine and cheese selections.
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