It’s easy to lose touch with friends whether it is due to a cross-country move, family obligations, or the demands of our job. But it is never too late to reach out to a friend!

Make a point to reach out to a friend you haven’t connected with in awhile. Don’t let guilt (or hard feelings because they haven’t called you) get in the way. Just do it.

Let her know you were thinking of her. Make an effort to reconnect. Invite her to one of our upcoming girlfriends getaways. What a perfect way to spend time reconnecting with a friend!

To make it even easier, this month we’re offering our National Women’s Friendship Month Membership Special – purchase a Premium Membership for yourself and get one to gift to a friend!

Women’s Friendship Month is also a great time to meet new friends. We’ve got that covered, too! Attend a Girlfriends EnTourAge local chapter event and meet positive, local women who love travel, arts & culture, and international cuisine.

As an added bonus, when you purchase a Premium Membership during Women’s Friendship Month you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a Fabulous New Look Gift Set for you AND your friend. The set features Mary Kay products and includes a lip color, 2 eye colors, and a cheek color – a $36 value!

Purchase your Premium Membership here to get your free membership for a friend and a chance to win a Fabulous New Look Gift Set for both of you!

Celebrate women friends – old and new – all this month. Then cherish them every single day.

Spend 4 adventurous days and 3 exciting nights enjoying the glittering lights and opulence of the always electric Las Vegas, Nevada.

Get to know fellow EnTourAge members during the official Girlfriends EnTourAge Travel Club Las Vegas Meet & Greet at Le Village at Paris New York. Later gamble at one of the many casinos on or off The Strip, visit local attractions, go see a show, or head back to your hotel room and relax. Las Vegas is a city that never sleeps. Whether or not you do is completely up to you.

Friday evening we’ll take a five and a half hour guided tour of Las Vegas via coach. Stops include the Gondolas of Venice, the dancing fountains of the Bellagio, the erupting volcanoes at the Mirage, the Eiffel Tower, dazzling views of Las Vegas high atop the Stratosphere Tower, and the neon of downtown Las Vegas at the Fremont Street Experience!

Kick off Saturday morning with a scrumptious champagne brunch. Spend the rest of the day exploring the strip, shopping, or visiting local attractions.

Get complete details and pricing for our Las Vegas Girlfriends Getaway and book your space today!

The price tag for international travel can be daunting; but the experience is worth every penny. If your dreams of travel are stalled – along with your current income – here are six tips for making your dreams of international travel a reality.

Tip #1: Create a Lifestyle Monitor

The dreaded 4-Letter word: Budget. I know that’s 6 letters, but let’s face it, some of us believe budget is a swear word.  So let’s add a touch of class; budget is so pedestrian.  We’re fabulous ladies, so we don’t have budgets, we have Lifestyle Monitors. A Lifestyle Monitor (LM) doesn’t mean don’t enjoy yourself. You don’t have to start doing home mani/pedi’s or making ball gowns out of your curtains Scarlett O’Hara style.

Lifestyle Monitors call for awareness of how much money you have coming in and how much you have going out (electricity, car note).  With this basic tool you’ll have a great idea how much mad money you’ve got.   There are plenty of free, and paid tools out there that help you create a LM. A LM require 6 things, YOU, a pencil, paper, your bills,  maybe a calculator, and some of your time.   Spend some quality time building a LM that you can live with!  Check out the following websites for tools and further information on creating your lifestyle monitor:

• Mint.com
• SparkSavings.com

Tip #2: Out of Sight. Out of Mind.

You can’t spend what you don’t have.  So keep your trip savings out of sight and out of mind. Saving is easier when the funds are in an account you cannot easily access when a new pair of shoes or handbag is calling your name! Here are a few options:

• PayPal.com – Establish a PayPal account. Fund the account with your vacation savings. Adding money to your PayPal account can be especially useful. Vacation funds will be readily available for trip deposits, trip payments, etc.
• Vacation / Christmas Clubs – Your local bank or credit union may offer a Vacation or Christmas Club to help you save toward your travel goals. Inquire at your local banking institution.
• SmartyPig.com - SmartyPig.com is an online solution for saving toward your goals. It makes saving for goals manageable, fun, and social. Here are six reasons why SmartyPig.com works.

Tip #3: Take it One Step at a Time

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time. Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed by a large number. Stay aware of your overall goal. But break your goal down into smaller, more attainable goals. Start with a simple goal of setting a small portion of each paycheck aside.

Tip #4: Get a Buddy

Saving for a goal requires accountability. It is easier to be accountable when we share our goals with others. Tell a friend about your savings goal. Encourage one another. Celebrate your successes.

Tip #5: Make Good Use of That Bonus Paycheck

Know that excitement you feel when you discover that you’ll be getting an “extra” paycheck this month? Perhaps visions of unexpected shopping spree or an expensive night out dance through your head. If your goal is to save for your dream trip use your bonus paycheck to take a chunk out of your travel expenses instead.

Tip #6: Use Your Tax Refund

Your annual tax refund check can give your vacation savings a real boost. Commit to using your tax refund toward your vacation savings before you receive it.  Once the cash is in hand it becomes more difficult to remain committed to your vacation savings goal. Make saving even easier by requesting that your tax refund be deposited directly to your vacation savings account.

Your dream vacation – be it domestic or international – may require a substantial investment. Use the tips above to set and achieve a vacation savings goal. You’ll have an unforgettable travel experience and memories that will last a lifetime.

About The Summer We Fell Apart

The Summer We Fell Apart by newcomer Robin Antalek is a poignant, funny, and totally engrossing novel of family disasters and sibling rivalry—and it marks the debut of a pitch-perfect new voice in contemporary American fiction.

In The Summer We Fell Apart we meet the dysfunctional Haas Family. The children of a once-brilliant playwright and a struggling actress, the four Haas siblings grew up in chaos—raised in an environment composed of neglect and glamour in equal measure. When their father dies, they must depend on their intense but fragile bond to remember what it means to be family despite years of anger and hurt. These brothers and sisters are painfully human, sometimes selfish, and almost always making the wrong decisions, but their endearing struggles provide laughter through tears—something anyone who’s ever had a sibling can relate to.

Purchase a copy of the book on Amazon here.

To join us for this event simply register below or on your Local Chapter website and the instructions will be sent to you prior to the event date.

Listen below as Robin Antalek discusses her debut novel with Book Club Girl.

You’ll always feel welcome at a Girlfriends EnTourAge event – whether you’re a regular or this is your very first event. This is a group of smart, savvy, friendly women. Meet new girlfriends. Share your favorite girlfriend memories and make new ones over a delicious meal. What more could a girl want?

Attend solo to meet these fabulous local women or bring your girlfriend, sister, mother, daughter, or co-worker to share in this celebration of the important role that women friendships play in our lives.

Lockkeepers, a Cleveland tradition, featuring Italian cuisine in a comfortable, yet sophisticated setting. Choose a delicious entree from our own private menu:

• Sautéed 4 oz. Beef Tenderloin, Red Wine Sauce, Potato and Seasonal Vegetable
• Atlantic Salmon, Oven Roasted with Salsa Verde, Polenta Cake, Seasonal Vegetable
• Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast, with Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetable
• Entrée Salad, with Grilled Marinated Chicken
• Cavatelli Arrabiata, Spicy Marinara, Roasted Eggplant and Mushrooms, Capers, Olives, Ricotta Salata

For dessert we’ll indulge in the latest trend, a bit of deliciousness provided by Main Street Cupcakes! Enjoy unlimited non-alcoholic beverages (coffee, tea, soda). Tax and gratuity are included in price. Alcoholic beverages are not.

This is an exclusive event. Reserve your space today!

Premium Member Price: $28

Basic / Non-members: $35

Related Event

• Host Chapter: Cleveland
• Date: Sunday, August 1st 2010
• Time: 3:00pm
• City: Cleveland in Valley View, OH
• Venue: LockKeepers
• Address: 8001 Rockside Road
• Venue phone: (216) 524-9404
• Country: United States
• Admission: 35.00
• Age restrictions: All Ages
• Box office: 888.210.4462
• Notes: No pay at the door option available. Payment must be made in advance by Friday, July 30th.
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

Atlanta Women Connect and Celebrate National Girlfriends Day

Atlanta, GA – July 15, 2010 – Women find their girlfriends invaluable. Recent scientific studies may reveal why this is true. A University of Michigan study confirms that feeling emotionally close to a friend helps boost well-being and reduce stress and anxiety levels. Harvard Medical School researchers determined the absence of close friends or confidants is as detrimental to our health as smoking or carrying extra weight. Yet, according to a study by sociologists at Duke University and the University of Arizona, female friendships have decreased in recent years. This leaves women feeling isolated and their well-being at risk.

Girlfriends EnTourAge Travel Club LLC (GirlfriendsEnTourAge.com) – a travel and social club for women– was established to help reverse this negative trend. Girlfriends EnTourAge Travel Club promotes women friendships and celebrates the girlfriend experience through women-only local events and travel experiences. The club plans a variety of local events and activities that showcase the local arts, culture, and dining scene. On Sunday, August 1st at 3PM the group will celebrate National Girlfriends Day at Après Diem on Monroe Dr NE in Atlanta.

“No matter what is going on in your life right now, a night out or a weekend away with girlfriends can quickly raise your spirits and improve your state of mind. That’s the power of girlfriends,” Roxanne Ravenel, Girlfriends EnTourAge Founder & Director says. “After a memorable girlfriends’ getaway with my best friend in 2003 I realized girls’ nights out and girlfriends’ getaways are not a luxury. They are a necessity for healthy, happy women. I wanted to expand on that experience and share it with other women.”

“Women are so busy with career and family. It’s easy to neglect our relationships with other women,” Girlfriends EnTourAge Travel Club Atlanta Chapter Director, Denise Brooks says. Brooks – who was recently appointed as the Atlanta Chapter Director – is excited about the prospect of helping local women connect and find activity partners. “Girlfriends EnTourAge events provide an opportunity for positive women with shared interests – a love of travel, arts & culture, and dining out – to build lasting friendships.”

“What impressed me most about my first Girlfriends EnTourAge event was the diversity of its members. There were women of varying ages, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds who might not normally meet,” says Brooks. “We got to know each other over brunch. It was such an amazing experience. I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”

The first Girlfriends EnTourAge Travel Club chapter was established in November 2008 by Ravenel. The club is quickly expanding with local chapters in Atlanta, GA; Raleigh, NC and two new chapters coming soon in New York and Mississippi.

To learn more about Girlfriends EnTourAge Travel Club or to attend the National Girlfriends Day Luncheon on Sunday, August 1st at Après Diem at 3PM visit Atlanta.GirlfriendsEnTourAge.com.

Find out what happens after:

• Carrie and Big finally said, “I do”
• Miranda and Steve decided to give their marriage another try
• Charlotte and Harry welcomed a new baby into the family
• Samantha and Smith parted ways

Plus Carrie crosses paths with a familiar face from her past!

Girlfriends EnTourAge hosts a bi-monthly Dinner & a Movie event. This month we’re getting together with local girlfriends on Saturday, May 29th at 3PM Eastern in Cleveland and Raleigh/Cary to go and see the ultimate girlfriend movie – Sex and the City 2.

Want to play hostess to the event in Atlanta, GA? Contact me about being a Girlfriends EnTourAge Event Organizer or Event Hostess today.

Check out the details for each city and watch the movie trailer below.

• Cleveland, OH – Saturday, May 29th at 3PM Cinemark Valleyview Theater & Dinner at Quaker Steak and Lube. RSVP here.
• Raleigh/Cary, NC – Saturday, May 29th at 3PM Regal North Hills & Dinner at Mura at North Hills. RSVP here.

Interested in bringing a Girlfriends EnTourAge Chapter to your area? Apply for a Group Leader position here.