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Long hours at work means sacrificing precious nights out with your friends (and forget about weekends – that’s when you make up for lost sleep!). Maintaining your friendships is important, so how do you prevent them from taking a backseat and still find the time to get other stuff done? Easy – include your gal pals in whatever activities you’ve already planned for yourself, or get everyone together and do fun things as a group (this will save you from having to meet each friend individually). Here are just several ideas to get you started.
1. Breakfast before work
This is a convenient way to spend time with your gal pals who work in the same vicinity as you. Arrange to meet at a cafe that’s easy for everyone to get to, about an hour or so before you’re all supposed to start work. You can pretend you’re having Saturday brunch while you feast on bacon and eggs and exchange news with one another. If an early breakfast is not possible, plan to meet for lunch instead.
2. TV or movie nights in
Do you usually spend Friday nights catching up on all the shows you missed during the week? Don’t do it alone – invite a couple of your buddies over, order pizza and watch those saved episodes together. You can even turn it into a regular event, like a themed movie night, complete with themed snacks and drinks.
3. Workout dates
Schedule a group hike on a Saturday morning or a group yoga session after work, and bond with your besties while you sweat it out together. With your girls around the time will go by a lot faster, and who can resist a little friendly competition? (It might motivate you to work a little harder!).
4. Be spa sisters
Invite your gal pals over to your place for facials, hair treatments, mani-pedis and… gossip! Just ask everyone to bring their favourite beauty products; provide the towels and some refreshments, and there you have it – a fun and inexpensive group spa session at home. If you don’t have the space to host your pals, take the party to a nail salon and have your mani-pedis there.
5. Fashion swap meets
This is a great opportunity to empty your wardrobe of clothes you want to get rid of, “shop”, and spend some quality time with your mates. Arrange to meet at someone’s house; get everyone to bring clothes and accessories they no longer want, and swap away. Hopefully, everyone will leave with some fab new threads and fashion tips.
6. Cocktails and dinner
Plan a cooking night to catch up on all your friends’ news and gossip, and then sit down and enjoy the meal you prepared together. Don’t forget the drinks – display the alcohol on a small table and assign someone to be the bartender. Can’t cook or don’t want to mess up your kitchen? Make it a potluck event where each guest brings her own takeaway dish.
7. Volunteer together
Have you always wanted to volunteer but just never found the time? Set aside a couple of hours a week for it and involve your friends – you could read to kids at a foster home, help out at a soup kitchen, or assist with a neighbourhood clean-up. You’ll get to tick two things off your To-do list: Give back to the community and catch up with your girls.
Want to volunteer? Check out these 20 ways to volunteer in Singapore!
