I’ve been going on girls' weekend trips for a long time. However, just in the past few years, I’ve been attending ones that were really well-planned and were so much fun! If you are planning a girls' weekend or just want to, I have a few tips for you. Ten to be exact. I’ll break it down into 3 phases: before, during and after the weekend. Let’s go…

Before:

1. Create a group chat if you don’t already have one and begin sharing ideas of where you all want to go and what activities you’re interested in doing. Appoint a lead planner if possible. It’s easiest if one person takes the lead on finding the place and booking it (after everyone’s approval, of course.) Basically, everyone pitches in on figuring out where to go and can share possible places to stay but once those things are decided, the lead takes the lead. They book the place and let’s everyone else know how much they will owe them. Our groups have always split costs equally but it could be different if one person wants their own room, then they’ll likely pay more. 
2. Once the place is booked, assign a food category or specific meals to each person. With my camping girls, we typically all are assigned a specific category. Last year, I had drinks so I brought water, soda, coffee, and creamer, etc. This year, I was assigned snacks so I took fruit, meats, cheeses and things like that. Snacky food. But with another group, we typically eat out a lot and bring just snacks and coffee. We all just pitch in and bring whatever and share everything and that’s always worked out. But I’ve also taken part in camping trips where we may be assigned specific meals so someone plans and brings everything for breakfast. Someone else is in charge of lunches. You get the idea. 
3.  Plan games and/or activities prior to the weekend. If you’re going camping, what activities will you be doing? Hiking, tubing, kayaking, games, etc. What will you all do and what days might you do them on? We typically wait until a few days before to make a solid decision on what we’ll do on which days depending on the weather. Then with another annual girl’s group I go on, we typically do things like wine tours, eating at nice restaurants, etc. Those activities are typically pretty much planned by where we’re going. This year, on our camping trip, one of my friends planned games for us which was a blast! She even had prizes which I’ll boast for a second and say, yeah, I won. Meh. What can I say? I’m awesome. LOL ;)
4. Plan where you’re sleeping before arrival. If you’re renting a cabin, how many beds are there? Will two people be sharing a bed? If so, who will share the bed? Have that figured out before the trip so things don’t get weird. For instance, my last wine tour trip, we didn’t realize until we got there that there were only two full-size beds and a not-so-comfy sofa to sleep on. So we had to decide then who slept with who and that could get weird. We were all fine with it but I can see how it would have been nice to know what to expect prior.
5. That said, also, WHO are you sleeping in a room with and does anyone snore or use C-pap machines? Yeah, I’m at the age where some of my friends have these now. Some also snore. Luckily, with my camping trips, I have slept in my vehicle for the past couple years because someone I was suppose to share a room with last year snored so bad the first night, I was like…nope. I’ll be in my car. Lol. So, kindly ask if anyone is aware of any sleep issues and plan on bringing ear plugs so you’re prepared!
6. It’s always fun to plan a theme or design a shirt to help build camaraderie and some fun into the weekend. With my wine tour friends, one is a theme-lover. She decorated the apartment we rented with a luau theme, hula skirts and all! She also made t-shirts for everyone. This year, I wore a tank that said “I’ll bring the getaway car.”
   
7. Last year, I made shirts for all my camping buds and each said what they plan on bringing…”I bring the chaos.” “I bring the coffee.” “I bring the alcohol.” You get the idea. Have fun with it. If you need help brainstorming or designing a shirt, be sure to message me. Obviously, I’m all about that and can help you out for sure!

That sums up the planning portion. Next, let’s go over some tips for during the weekend.

During:

1. Keep the drama for yo’ mama. It’s suppose to be a great weekend with friends where you can all unwind and have a good time. No one wants their spirit brought down with constant whining or just plain negativity. Stay as positive as you can and enjoy each moment because these are the moments that matter! Cliche, I know but really…they are. 
2. Be kind and courteous. Pick up after yourself. Pitch in on the activities ya’ll are partaking in. When everyone pitches in, it makes the weekend so much better and builds closer relationships. 
3. Be ready for anything and have an adventurous attitude! You never know what you may end up doing and having an open mind will allow you to step out of your comfort zone and get you into things and doing things you may never have thought possible. You will be reminded of what it’s like to be a kid again and feel much more carefree if you allow yourself to. Trust me, you can do this and you won’t regret it!

Okay, so now that we’ve had the amazing, adventurous weekend, now what do we do? 

After:

1. If you decide to take an annual trip with the same group, consider booking at the same place next year. There will always be more to explore and it makes it nice knowing at least some of the things to expect. It almost makes it a bit more comfortable and something to really look forward to. Appoint one person to book the place as soon as they can. And let them know you’re relying on them to book it so ya’ll can have another wonderful experience together. 
2. Bonus tip! Share your images and videos from the weekend in your group chat. Sharing is caring and everyone loves seeing and having all of the wonderful memories so they can look back on it at anytime. 

I truly feel girls weekends are an amazing, important part of my life and can be in yours. Get your friends together in a group chat and get planning. You will not regret it!

Jodi

Ps. Thanks to all my girls for helping me put this article together and for giving me some of the best memories of my life. Love you all! <3