The Girlfriends-in-Chief recently attended BlogHer, the world’s largest conference for women bloggers, right here in our hometown of Chicago. We had a fabulous time meeting SO MANY smart, articulate women, and learning more about the business of blogging. Best of all, we’ve brought you a souvenir, dear girlfriends: well, 10 souvenirs to be exact. We’ve brought you the links to 10 entertaining, well-written, and/or useful blogs that we think you should check out.

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Hey, girlfriends! This Sunday, August 2 is Friendship Day. (Women’s Friendship

Day is in a couple of weeks.) We just got an email from 1-800-FLOWERS that they are offering free shipping or no service charge on certain flower arrangements in celebration of Friendship Day. Click here to see what they have to offer. Even if you can’t send flowers this year, Friendship Day is a great excuse to call or email your best girlfriends. Let them know you care!

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CONGRATULATIONS TO CALISTA MYERS! THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED! Hello girlfriends! If you are reading this, you probably met one of the Girlfriends-in-Chief at BlogHer (for those who don’t know, BlogHer is the world’s largest conference of women bloggers. We’ll be attending it this weekend in Chicago). Or, you found out about our Blogher contest on twitter. Welcome! We’re so excited about meeting new girlfriends at Blogher that we’re having a fabulous giveaway just for you, thanks to the generosity of Liz Claiborne New York. You can be the proud owner of this beautiful Heritage Plaid large tote, which was created as part of the LCNY line, designed by Isaac Mizrahi. This bag makes a fabulous carryon or weekend bag, has a pink interior that just makes us happy, and it’s is HARD TO FIND! It was never actually sold in stores, and only a small quantity were made. It’s gorgeous! A real traffic-stopper, and there are goodies inside. You might see Dawn carrying one in the hotel at Blogher but that one is HERS and this one will be YOURS! Here is a another photo from an in-store event which might give you a better idea of the size of the bag. And guess what you will find inside?

• A gray-and-white, silk LCNY logo scarf,
• a “Liz Rahi Miz Claiborne” t-shirt (one size fits all)
• a copy of Isaac Mizrahi’s book How to Have Style,
• LCNY blank book, mouse pad, and more.

All courtesy of Liz Claiborne New York. WOW! Here’s all you have to do to enter:

1. Sign up for our weekly email by clicking . All new signups by midnight on Weds., July  29, 2009 will be automatically be entered. You must sign up for emails to be entered. Now, if you want extra entries:

2. Tweet this contest AND leave a comment saying you did so.

3. Blog about this contest AND leave a comment saying you did so.

4. Add our button to your site (grab code from the right-hand column) AND leave a comment saying you did so.

5. Leave a comment telling us your favorite thing to do with your girlfriends.

If you do them all, you can have up to 5 entries. w00t!  U.S. shipping addresses only, please. Winner will be drawn at random from all eligible entries received by 11:59 PM on Weds., July 29, 2009. Tell your girlfriend–you don’t have to be attending BlogHer to enter. Good luck ladies! Read the rest of this entry »

Swimsuit season not going the way you planned? Enlist the partnership of a girlfriend to help you eat right and get to the size you want! Kami Gray, author of The Denim Diet: Sixteen Simple Habits to Get You into Your Dream Pair of Jeans, wrote this post just for Girlfriend Celebrations, revealing the healthy eating secrets she shares with her best friend. As we know, everything’s better with a girlfriend, and eating right is no exception. Enjoy!

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We came, we saw, we shopped: GirlfriendCelebrations recently partnered with Liz Claiborne New York and Carson Pirie Scott for a Personal Style Event for some of our fashion-forward girlfriends! This early morning event was a great way to squeeze in a little girlfriend time before the Saturday rush. Here’s how it turned out:

The invitation-only event was scheduled before store opening, so our girlfriends had to get up early. But, they were greeted at the door with festive pink punch in champagne glasses, and had the chance to explore the new Liz fashions and chat over coffee and a light breakfast. (Besides, the colors of the Liz Claiborne New York summer line will wake anyone up!) We heard from many girlfriends how excited they were to be out of the house and doing something girl-friendly on a Saturday morning! Gift bags were waiting on each chair along an informal runway. In the bag: A silk Liz Claiborne New York logo scarf, “Miz Claiborne LizRahi” t-shirt, LCNY mouse pad, chocolate, bottled water, Carson’s coupons, a pen, and a program for the fashion show. Carson’s associates modeled the summer fashions, with Liz Claiborne’s Joanie Ackerman as the enthusiastic emcee offering styling tips. The “real” models did a fabulous job, and our girlfriends must have liked what they saw, because the shopping quickly ensued. This black crochet dress, in particular, flew off the racks. So many of our girlfriends bought that dress, we are going to have to make a schedule of who gets to wear it where and when! In addition, our girlfriends received beautiful gifts with purchases of a certain amount, as well as “keeper” garment bags to take their clothes home. Bonus!

Carson’s also raffled off some beautiful LCNY bags, an Estee Lauder gift set, and a Carson’s gift card. Congratulations to the lucky winners!! Thank you to the team at Carson’s Yorktown and Liz Claiborne New York for making our girlfriends feel welcome. They clearly share our philosophy that Girlfriends Make Life Better!™ This email from our girlfriend Jill, after the event, says it all:

“I just wanted to say thanks for a great Saturday morning at the 7/18 fashion event. It was so nice to get some fashion ideas that were both fun and realistic! A small step for a decidedly non-fashionista…but it made me remember how much fun it is to shop with girlfriends.  I actually feel inspired to go through my closet, and try a little harder…”

Fun, food, fashion, inspiration, girlfriends (and shopping) – what a great way to start your Saturday. Thanks to all who joined us! Read the rest of this entry »

Self-confidence is essential for a happy life (just like spending time with your girlfriends!). But having confidence can be a challenge for many women and girls. If you have it, you’re lucky—and you probably had a great role model, mentor, or girlfriend who empowered you to develop that confidence in yourself. Here’s your chance to recognize that special person and “pay it forward”: The Tupperware Chain of Confidence Challenge. We’re proud to bring you the details about this great contest. If you win, the prizes are really fabulous – $5,000 to the charity of your friend’s choice and $1,000 in Tupperware for each of you! And here’s a bonus! GirlfriendCelebrations.com readers get the chance to win a special prize of $150 in Tupperware products, just by entering the Tupperware Chain of Confidence Challenge. Win, win, win! So, read on for how to enter and to hear more about how Chain of Confidence helps women. READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END FOR SPECIAL GIRLFRIENDCELEBRATIONS BONUS PRIZE:

About the contest

“Tupperware wants to hear your unique story about a special person who has made a significant difference in your life; perhaps a mentor, a teacher, your sister or your best friend. What did you learn from them and how were you encouraged and inspired to become an even stronger person?”

The Tupperware Chain of Confidence Challenge is a ‘pay-it-forward’ contest which invites everyone to share their personal stories of inspiration on ChainofConfidence.com by nominating a friend, relative, or member of the Tupperware community, who has empowered them through an act of kindness. This challenge is committed to reinforcing strong bonds between all women, young and old, by giving thanks and attention to those special women in our support networks.  At challenge end, three nominees will receive $5,000 to donate to the charity of their choice. In addition, winning nominees and their nominators will receive a $1,000 Tupperware gift certificate.

Good work

The Chain of Confidence challenge is part of a larger global campaign celebrating the powerful bonds of female friendships and the rewards that come with self-confidence. Through Chain of Confidence and partnerships with like-minded organizations around the world, Tupperware continues to build on its 60-year commitment to enlighten, educate and empower women.

As part of Chain of Confidence, Tupperware re-established the SMART Girls program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with a donation of over $1.5 million dollars. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America′s SMART Girls program has programming directed for girls ages 8-12 and 13-17, critical age periods for girls when they experience profound physical and emotional changes, often accompanied by a drop in self-esteem and self-confidence. The program has reached thousands of young girls helping to stem the tide of high school dropouts, teen pregnancy, and the rising rates of alcohol, cigarette, and drug abuse.

How to enter

To enter the Chain of Confidence Challenge, just go to the Chain of Confidence website and register to win. You will be prompted to write a short essay on the person you’re nominating. This is a great opportunity to give back to the special women in your life! But wait, there’s more:

And now for the bonus giveaway

Exclusive to GirlfriendCelebrations readers! We’re offering a giveaway of Tupperware products valued at $150. These goodies include the Impressions Tumblers, Ideal Bowl Set, Rectangular Modular Mates and TupperLiving microfiber dishcloth set and the kitchen towel set. You can check out the products at Tupperware.com. But please note, they may not be exactly as pictured.

To be eligible for the Girlfriend Celebrations bonus, here’s what you have to do:

1. Include the phrase “Girlfriends Make Life Better!” at the beginning or end of your essay on ChainofConfidence.com. (You don’t have to be clever or work it into your story…just include the words so we know you’re part of our contest.)

2. Leave a comment here letting us know you entered.

3. Enter by 11:59 PM on Friday, July 24, 2009. We will pick a winner at random from qualifying entries.

Good luck, ladies! Any questions, let us know. We’re so excited to be involved with this fabulous promotion and can’t wait to read your inspiring stories. Celebrating girlfriends is definitely a link in the Chain of Confidence!

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Bonjour, girlfriends! Food and Wine this month has a great party idea to celebrate the upcoming movie Julie and Julia...it’s a We Heart Julia party, complete with Julia Child – themed t-shirts and quintessentially Julia recipes. Click here for the details. This fabulous idea got us thinking about other ways to combine girlfriends and food in the summer. (Photo via flickr)

Master the Flames

How about a Learn to Grill party? The grill tends to be the domain of men, but it’s such a versatile cooking tool that we girlfriends should learn to master it, too. The Weber Grill company offers free video podcasts you can use as tutorials. All you have to do is register for Weber Nation, their online community. Or, recruit your favorite grillmaster to teach the girlfriends the grilling basics. He’ll be flattered, and you can thank him with a six-pack. Single gals, use this opportunity to grill batches of chicken breasts, pork tenderloins, etc. to freeze and eat later. Once again, you’re getting your chores done while having fun with your girlfriends!

Melt Some Treats

And speaking of open flames…how about some s’mores? There is hardly a more summery treat than this concoction of roasted marshmallow and chocolate sandwiched between graham crackers. For a more grown-up twist, our girlfriends at celebrations.com have five delicious variations on the classic s’more that will help you set up a Make Your Own S’mores Bar for your girlfriends. Set up the fire pit, and let them choose the ingredients for their own yummy little campfire treats.

Cultivate Taste

And by the way, what wine pairs well with s’mores—anyone know? Having a Wine Among Friends party is another way to explore taste with your girlfriends in the summer. We still have fond memories of Tina’s last wine-tasting party on the patio. Get the detailed how-to for throwing your own right here.

Share the Bounty

And finally, how does your garden grow? If you are lucky enough to have too many tomatoes, zucchni, or fresh basil, have a Produce Swap Party, and invite each of your gardening girlfriends to bring her bounty. With luck, you’ll all leave with a varied market basket of summer goodness. If you plan ahead, you can cook up some simple, garden-fresh recipes together. Once again, Food and Wine comes to the rescue with their Summer Produce Guide, filled with recipes for using your summer bounty. And, remember to donate any excess produce to your local food pantry.

Have any delicious girlfriend party ideas you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments!
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