Perfect Girls’ Night In: A Sophisticated Sleepover

You remember those days – your parents dropped you off at a friend’s house and before long, there were 5 to 10 (or however many their delusional parents would allow!) giggling girls with sleeping bags and the latest issues of J14! ready to party all night.  You had “makeovers,” talked about your latest crush, played “Bloody Mary” in the bathroom till you were all too scared to sleep and no one would go to the bathroom alone, and ate absurd amounts of junk food.  Finally, at about 3 AM, after your hostess’s parent came charging up the stairs after hearing a loud crash and told everyone to go to sleep, you all gave up only to be awakened by the smell of pancakes in the kitchen way too early.  Now THOSE were the good ol’ days!  But who said you can’t have them now that you are “all grown up”?
 
Now that the weather is getting colder and the work load is piling on, I’m sure there are those nights when you just don’t feel like getting dressed up in your heels and heading out to the bars, parties or clubs in the city or on campus.  Sometimes you just want to have a night in with the girls.  And why not?!  Don’t feel guilty about going back to your girly days, because a sophisticated sleepover is the perfect Girls’ Night In!

Here are some helpful tips on how to make your slumber party more sophisticated and how to translate those cute kiddy days to the cool college campus:
 
1. Invite the girls
Pick your date and invite all your girlfriends (or as many as you can fit in your dorm or suite) with a personalized invitation.  If you want a theme, you can chose from several – like Hollywood, Spa, Wine Night, any movie or show or just a classic sleepover.  A handmade invitation is so much better than a text or email; just remember how excited you used to be and how cool you felt when you were handed an invitation to a slumber party back in junior high!
 
2. Feng Shui
Rearrange your living space to make sure you can accommodate for everyone.  If you have air mattresses, those work well.  But if not, plenty of pillows and blankets will do the trick.  Another idea, from HC BC member Remy Hassett, is to make a “megabed” that all of your friends can sleep on together.  If a pillow fight ensues… take cover!

3. Food!
As a kid, I’m sure you loaded up on popcorn, chips, candy, pizza and soda at your sleepovers.  But remember, this is sophisticated sleepover, not a sugary one. Some fun ideas include:

• Cheese or chocolate fondue
• Veggie and fruit trays
• Cheese and crackers
• An ice cream sundae bar is always a favorite guilty pleasure as well
• “Grown-up Goodie” or “Mature Munchie”: Have all the guests bring an “adult” version of their favorite childhood snack.
• Bake cupcakes: buy icing and decorations so everyone can decorate their own cupcakes

 
4. Drinks!
Sometimes nothing is better than a nice glass of wine and a good movie with your girls – and who says a sleepover has to be any different?  You may be able to also come up with a custom drink for the night, with a cute name like “Pink Pajamas Punch,”  “Bloody Mary Bloody Mary,” or “Make it to Midnight Margaritas.”
 
5. Games and Activities!
This was probably my favorite past time about the sleepovers. Some ideas are:

• College Charades: Act out professors, places, and people on campus that you all know and love (…or loathe).
• Truth or Dare: A classic, but the stakes can be higher and the issues can be deeper.  This is a way for you to be silly, but also a way to really get to know your girlfriends.  You can be extreme and muster up the strength to knock on the boy’s door below you in your PJ’s or you can be more subtle and see how many marshmallows someone can stuff in their mouth.  No matter what you’ll be having fun!
• Minute to Win it!  There are plenty of fun games that you can play from the hit TV show that will keep your friends laughing.
• Top 10!  Go over the top 10 moments you’ve all had together so far on campus, as well as the top 10 things you still want to do together before you graduate.  Make it a goal to stick to them!
• Scavenger Hunt: This may break you away from the “In” aspect of Girls’ Night In, but it would be fun to split into teams and set up a scavenger hunt around campus.  Each team must have a photographer to document the night, and a finish time and meeting point can be made.

6. Dancing Divas!
You don’t have to be out on the town in your heels to show off your hottest dance moves–instead, you can be in your comfy PJs with your closest girlfriends.  Dancing is a great way to relieve stress.  Before the party, make a playlist of songs from the old days, from bands like Spice Girls and N*SYNC, mixed in with some hits from today.  If someone has a camera, how great would it be to make some music videos?!
 
7. Makeover Machine
On a college budget and schedule, I’m sure that going to the salon for some manis and pedis may not always be convenient.  Bring the salon to your sleepover!  You can also check out some easy do-it-yourself facials for some relaxation.

8. NO BOYS ALLOWED!
It’s okay girls, it’s one night apart and both sexes will survive.  You can talk about them as much as you want, but stand your ground and truly make this a girls’ night.  Bonding with your besties is sometimes a rarity, so cherish the night.  Tuck away the phones and text him the next day.
 
9. Photoshoot
Collect some of your favorite fashion magazines and save them for the night.  Then mimic some of the models within your dorm.  If your budget allows, buy some boas and beads, but you can also just pull out some shades, hats, and scarves that you have in your closet.  You can put on a runway show and feel like a celebrity as your friends snap away!  If you want, you can even make a scrapbook afterwards with your girls to remember the night.
 
10. Attire!
CLASSIC PJs should be worn.  If you have a theme, you can always have outfits that coordinate to the theme, but you could also set a “best PJ” contest.  You’re with your closest girlfriends so there should be no pressure on what to wear – make it simple and comfy!
 
11. Other things to keep in mind:

• Movies: Have a wide variety of comedy, romance, scary, and drama so that you can all chose together and everyone has a say.
• Morning After: What to serve for breakfast?  You can always simply do pastries and bagels that can be bought ahead of time.  Or if you have early-risers who want to make or pick up breakfast, that’s always an option.  If not, the dining hall is always open or a last-minute trip to a diner is fun!
• Clean-up: Sometimes a lot of fun can lead to a lot of clutter, so don’t pressure your friends, but kindly ask if anyone would mind sticking around to help you clean up.

12. When’s the next one?!
After such a great night, I’m sure this will be the question on a lot of girls’ minds!  Plan to spend more time together, whether it be a sleepover or not.  Nobody says you have to be a perpetual homebody, but your sophisticated sleepover can prove that not every weekend in college has the addition of “pajama” in your definition of “party.”

Photo Source:
Remy Hassett