Just Drink Wine and Giggle!

How to Really Connect with Girlfriends

Look out ladies, there's a new book in town with the sole purpose of getting you together with your girlfriends and inspiring you to connect on a deeper, more fun level. In fact, this book, Drink Wine and Giggle (The Fig & The Vine), was co-authored by three longtime girlfriends who did exactly that-turned their girls' getaways into something to write about.
"We created and engaged in activities inspired by the best self-help advice available as a way to improve ourselves and our relationships with each other. Over time, we found these activities changed our lives in profound and positive ways, and we wanted to give this gift of self-discovery and inspiration to other women. So we decided to write this book with the best activities that we came up with," explained Deb Mangolt, co-author and Charleston, SC resident.

    The three authors, Lynne Everatt, Deb Mangolt, and Julie Smethhurst have had an overwhelming response to their book that hit the bookstores last October. Many women belong to Bunco, Bridge or Girls' Night Out groups, however many women are ready to take their groups to a new level, and are using this book as their guide to forming "Drink Wine and Giggle" groups. "We would love for women to get what we got from engaging in these activities. The activities in the book allow women to expand their comfort zones, try new things, have fresh insights, and new perspectives. We believe this can lead to a better, more joyful life. We also hope that women will get to know themselves better and have a deeper relationship with their friends, which is so important to their health," Deb said.

    A few "aha" moments that Deb experienced as this book unfolded between the three friends were, "That we are covering the gambit of healthy self-help topics, but we're doing this with girlfriends, so it's a 'group help' rather than a 'self-help' environment. And a lot more fun! Also, that as women, we need to take time for self-discovery, expanding our perspective and trying new adventures. We need our girlfriends! Research has shown that women having good relationships with girlfriends can reduce stress, lower risks of heart disease and a variety of other health factors. In fact, last year, the head of psychiatry at Stanford said one of the best things a woman could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends."

    Drink Wine and Giggle offers 101 fun and inspirational experiences for women to share. There are four categories: Mind, Body, Soul and Funny Bone, with twenty-five activities in each section. Mind activities increase mental fitness through learning something new, experiencing something old and familiar in a new way, or expanding the belief in what is possible to achieve. Body activities involve beauty, fashion, nutrition and exercise. The focus is on improving health and expressing personal style. Soul activities encourage awareness and nourishment of self and contribution to others. Funny Bone activities are whimsical playtimes with the inner child, where silliness rules and self-consciousness is abandoned.

So get ready to be the best you can be in mind, body and soul, including lots of giggles! This book will take you on a enjoyable, often hilarious, journey and give you the ability to laugh at yourself and keep a childlike a sense of humor and wonder. But on a deeper level you will begin to find that you can have the life you want. Following are two examples of activities you will find in the book to get you started. So what are you waiting for? Go buy the book and gather your girlfriends' group.it's time to Drink Wine and Giggle!

Take Your Cue

Advance Prep: Bring index or cue cards
Time to Complete: An hour or more

"I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive."
-Joseph Campbell


To feel alive we need to be ourselves, to align our lives with the things we love. Take Your Cue is about letting go and finding the place inside you where there is joy. To Take Your Cue, simply take a stack of cue cards (Also known as recipe or index ads) and write "I LOVE." at the top in big bold capital letters. Fill in the rest of the card with whatever comes to mind, one idea per card. Filling out the rest of the card with whatever comes to mind, one idea per card. Filling out the first few cards may feel wobbly yet strangely exhilarating and familiar, like riding a bicycle for the first time in many years, but keep at it. Eventually the inner voice that keeps repeating that you don't know what you love will get tired, allowing your true self to move your hand. It usually takes the inner voice ten minutes or so to become hoarse, so be sure to Take Your Cue for at least thirty minutes.

After thirty minutes take a breather. Have a glass of wine with your girlfriends and talk about a few of your favorite things. When you're refreshed and ready, go back to your cue cards and put them into piles that seem to go together. There are no right or wrong ways to categorize your cue cards. Themes in your life will begin to emerge, and there may be an "ah-ha" moment for you.

The benefits of Take Your Cue are two-fold:
first, you will be filled with gratitude for all of the things you LOVE in your life and second, you will see what you LOVE that you don't have in your life or don't have in sufficient quantities.

Co-Author Julie's Giggles: The most difficult part of Take Your Cue for me was waiting for the thoughts and feelings of what I LOVE to start to flow. The obvious ones came quickly, such as family, friends and health. But I waited, was patient, and the rest flowed like the tears of a good cry. I discovered I really like to do things with my hands, like when I made curtains for my daughter's room or fixed things around the house. Learning is very important to me, as is adding value though my work. I left the activity feeling refreshed and in touch with myself.

Paper Dolls

Advanced Prep: Have magazines on hand,
especially fashion magazines
Time to complete: An hour or more

"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn."-Gore Vidal

Whether you feel like you're in a fashion rut or would just like to refine your style, Paper Dolls is about expanding your fashion horizons with a little help from your girlfriends. Rather than a full frontal attack on Saks where everybody tries on clothes willy-nilly, Paper Dolls uses a tried and proven formula for finding the look that will make you feel fabulous.

First, buy or permanently borrow an assortment of fashion magazines and flip through their glossy pages, cutting out the styles that appeal to you. Don't think about what's in your closet as much as the look that resonates with you for reasons you may or may not understand. The idea is to find the style and the look that you want for yourself. These are your Paper Dolls. Keep building your Paper Dolls portfolio until fashion fatigue sets in.

Once you have a pile of Paper Dolls that you're happy with, put them into a large unsealed envelope and mark it in an anonymous way so that only you know that it's yours. Put everybody's envelopes into a pile, mix them up and pass them out. If you get your envelope back, don't worry about it. Just review its contents and characterize your preferred style-give it a catchy name such as Glamazon, Rockery Chick, Lady Plushbottom or Sportique. The labeling possibilities are endless, but should create a clear mental image.

If you're feeling ambitious, add a description of the type of woman who fits the fashion label. Where does she shop? What does the enjoy doing in her spare time? What kind of job does she have? Write out your impressions on the envelope. Now pass the envelope along to the girlfriend on your right and repeat the process of labeling until everybody has commented on all of the envelopes.

Next, find your envelope and review the comments. Select a favorite style from among the suggestions and think about a fashion muse. Who best epitomizes the style you aspire to? Audrey Hepburn? Marilyn Monroe? Gweneth Paltrow? Michelle Obama? Lady Gaga? If the technology is handy, do an Internet search on your fashion muse and pick a few favorite looks.

With a clear sense of your preferred style, you're ready to set a goal or goals for your Paper Dolls shopping expedition. Changing your style can be done piecemeal-it doesn't have to be dramatic-and you can begin on a shopping excursion with your girlfriends. Select low-rick items such as a pair of vintage sunglasses, a clunky bracelet and a pair of black, satin gloves in the Holly-Go-lightly-Breakfast-at-Tiffany's style to being building your new Audrey Hepburn classic chic look. Review your fashion style with your girlfriends, share your Paper Dolls shopping goals and ask for feedback and suggestions. With a list in hand and a clear image in your mind, you're ready to shop 'til you drop.

Whether your shopping expedition is successful or not, it doesn't matter. You will still have your Paper Dolls envelope, girlfriend style comments and a fashion muse that you can use to create a fashion vision board. With a clear, stylistic vision to gravitate toward as you make your unique fashion choices and your charisma to bring it all to life, it will just be a matter of time before you become a fashion muse.
You may think you know what your style is, but seeing paper doll evidence and having someone else characterize it was a revelation to me. I never realized how solid and tailored my preferences are. Since we did Paper Dolls, I have become much more disciplined in my purchasing habits.

Author Lynne Everatt's Giggles:
I naturally gravitate to outlandish patterns and colors that would look nice in a frame on a wall, but scream "Crazy Aunt" on my body. 'Put that Crazy Aunt back on the rack' has become my shopping mantra."

Drink Wine and Giggle can be purchased at your favorite bookstore or online at www. Drinkwineandgiggle.com. Also, look for it on Facebook and Twitter.

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