When’s the last time you took off for a weekend with girl friends? If you can’t remember, it’s time to plan it! Talk about fun and rejuvenating.
Last weekend I got together with some Startup Princesses (here’s Rachael Herrscher of Todays Mama, Jenny Johnson of Cheeky and Swank and I after the finish line) and friends (not pictured- Pam Baumeister Editor of Wasatch Woman magazine, Bonnie and Erin) to participate in well-organized and fun-Hawaiian themed Little Red Riding Hood Bike Ride sponsored by Wasatch Woman magazine.
We all rode as guests of Wasatch Woman magazine and had a wonderful time together! The ride featured varying mile levels (15, 37, 45, 60, 80, 100!) Since I’m still a beginner in bike rides, I chose the 15 and was happy Rachael, Jenny joined me for that level. Pam, Miss Fit and 4 months pregnant did the 45 with Bonnie and Erin! (Next year we’ll join them after some serious spin classes at the gym to prep!) We all had such a great time biking, visiting until the wee hours of the morning, eating yummy Mexican at my fav new place in Logan-Cafe Sabor.
I realize that this might not be everyone’s idea of “Girls’ Weekend” but for us, it was perfect. When you’re busy mom entrepreneurs biking is a great way to let go of a lot of energy and stress, I highly recommend it. But you might like a spa weekend or a scrapbook weekend or… you decide what fits, just plan something.
Here’s 7 Key Points that made our Girls’ Weekend PERFECT.
1. GET OUT OF TOWN. This is essential. A true girls’ weekend isn’t in your hometown (although we’re glad that Jenny didn’t leave because we stayed at her gorgeous house!)
2. NO KIDS. You gotta leave the little ones once and awhile and this is all part of the rejuvenating, de-stressing aspect. If someone is nursing, I could see bending this rule though if everyone in the group is ok with it.
3. YUMMY FOOD. Do I need to say more? Essential. We hit a famous Mexican restaurant in Logan that had a great vibe, beautiful architecture, and the most delicious GUAC and Pork salad on the planet. Jenny also had wonderful fruit, oatmeal, and eggs for us pre-race in the morning, so nice!
4. LATE NIGHT CHATS. It would have been lame if after dinner we just went to sleep because of the ride the next day, of course we wanted to do well, but honestly, the real reason for our weekend wasn’t to come in first place or show each other how fit we are, it was all about bonding, sharing, having fun celebrating health and enjoying the scenic ride together.
5. PAMPERING. There’s got to be some element of “SPA” to the weekend for it to be a truly girls’ weekend. At the end of our races we were completely pampered-tropical drinks, massages, yummy lunch, chocolate fountain, gift bags…all fun, all girly, all essential parts of rejuvenating. Loved it. I don’t care if you sit around with friends and do manicures, but there needs to be some sort of selfcare and nurturing to complete the weekend, everyone loves it and needs it!
6. STRETCH YOURSELVES. I think one of the reasons our weekend was so fabulous was that we all did something that wasn’t part of our daily routine, we rode bikes in an inspiring valley. For me, riding 15 miles isn’t what I do everyday so I stretched myself. All of us had to deal with the wind which was part of the fun, there was a little challenge to the ride and we felt victorious at the end. If your idea of stretching yourself is literal- you might want to do a yoga class together or learn how to cook some exotic meal together. I think it’s good to add an element of learning and growth to the weekend, it encourages everyone to reach higher and support each other in the process, thus adding to the bonding element. I was so grateful when Rachael and Jenny waited for me every few miles on the ride, they said nice things like, “we’re taller than you are, so we go faster, plus you’re on a mountain bike (never mind that Jenny was too and her bike was heavier than mine!)” They cheered for me and I really love them for it. We all cheered for Pam, Bonnie, and Erin when they decided to do the 45 and wow, what a triumph that was!
7. MAKE IT A TRADITION. We’re already planning to do our weekend again next year!
And above all, have FUN!
