Dance the night away

If you and your girlfriends usually hit the clubs for a good boogie, here's something different. Get the girls over, crank the stereo and learn how to dance. There are plenty of dance styles that don't require partners - hip hop, belly dancing, or even pole dancing. Phone a local dance studio to see if someone will come to your home to teach you. Chances are, you'll have a lot of fun, while you're learning some sweet new moves to show off on the dance floor the following weekend. You could even organise some dancing competitions after the lesson is over with cute prizes. And, if you really want to put Madonna and Kylie to shame, organise Playstation Singstar for later in the evening...

Serving suggestions:

Drinks: Sparkling wine supplemented with lots of iced water to cool down.

Nibbles: Enjoy the carbs - you'll need them for energy. Steamed warm gourmet potatoes garnished with sour cream and chives, rice crackers with feta and sundried tomato, fresh bread with olive oil and dukkah dip, chocolate coated nuts.

Video night in

Relish the opportunity to watch all the chick flicks you would usually have to fight tooth and nail to watch when your boy's got the remote... Be it reruns of Sex and The City, or tear-jerker films such as The Notebook, Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember, watching your favourites with your girlfriends will be a fun night for all.

Serving suggestions:

Drinks: A good drop of red wine or for non-alcoholic choose ice cold fizzy drinks or steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

Nibbles: Freshly popped corn, big bowls of mixed lollies and squares of chocolate and for a night like this, you can't go wrong with pizza delivery...

At-home spa

Pampering and treats are always fun to have with the girls, so why not organise an in-home spa. Set the essential oils burning, light some scented candles and some mood lighting and pop on some relaxing music. Organise a pamper crew and you're set. You might decide to get a facialist, a massage therapist or a manicurist in and take turns getting the royal treatment. It's the perfect solution to a rainy weekend or after a hard week of work. The Beauty On Demand (b.o.d) crew organise 'sparties' and can pamper you and the girls with a multitude of treatments with prices starting at $32.50 per person - cheaper than a couple of designer cocktails and a cab fare home and much better for you. If a tight budget is order of the day, choose some natural beauty recipes and get your girls to bring in a few products and you can whip up fruity face masks and hair masks at home.

Serving suggestions:

Drinks: Sparkling wine, pinot gris, rose or keep it pure with freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices or sparkling water with lemon quarters and herbal teas.

Nibbles: Fresh fruit alternated with marshmallows on skewers, dish of grilled vegetables, cheese and crackers platter, berry sorbets.

Zen

Feeling all partied out? Perhaps you and the girls' need a quiet night in... but make it a fun one. Ask around your local fitness centre for someone to come in to your home and take you and your friends through a beginner's yoga lesson. Or maybe you could get a workout DVD to try out together? Tell everyone to dress in comfy workout clothes, for some heavy-duty relaxation. Prep the scene with some soothing music - dolphin sounds anyone? Don't forget to prepare the lounge with loads of comfortable cushions so that post workout you can lie back, chill and enjoy each other's company.

Serving suggestions:

Drinks: Water, water, water. At least to start off the night and to re-hydrate.

Nibbles: Platters of fresh sushi, bite-sized raw or steamed vegetables with tzatziki and hummus dip, steamed mussels.

Idol Party

Shhh - while we may be ashamed to admit it, there's something addictive about the tragedy of watching people make fools of themselves on television - and of course, there are the glorious moments when someone surprises us with brilliance. We're talking of course, about Idol shows, America's Got Talent etc etc. SO much more fun to watch with a crew of friends. Send out the invites, gather the 'judges' and indulge in a night in front of the shows. You could even take it a step further and organise a talent contest for your guests with prizes, a karaoke contest and a 'guess who goes through to the final' game.

Serving suggestions:

Drinks: Basic alcoholic mixers or bottles of beer would do the trick.

Nibbles: Spaghetti bolognaise, hot wedges and sour cream, nachos with guacamole and melted cheese, and chocolate cake for dessert.

If you had a fun girls' night in (or out!) feel free to share your party ideas by submitting a comment below.

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