The Do’s and Don’ts of a Great Night Out
It’s a scene repeated by millions of women every weekend night throughout the world. Clothes spread from one side of the room to another, makeup lining the bathroom counter, eyelash glue sticking to everything but your lashes – and you were supposed to be out the door fifteen minutes ago! You can have a great night out and keep your sanity and safety in check. Here’s your guide to the do’s and do nots of a great night out!
Slow Down
It is easy to forget things when you’re in a rush to get out of the door, and forgetting something important can easily ruin your night. Relax. Take a deep breath and picture how you want to look when you walk through the doors of your destination. Got that image? Now, make it happen!
Don’t forget certain essentials such as your cell phone, charger, ID card and/or driver’s license and money.
Use the facilities before you leave your house so you won’t be stuck somewhere without a restroom. Having to find a bathroom isn’t the way to start your perfect night out!
Find Your Own Style
Have fun with it! Have you wanted to try winged eyeliner or a hot new red mini dress? Maybe you’ve been thinking about bringing out your platform shoes. Go for it! This is your night, and you should own it. Although, if you’re serious about the platform shoes you might want to plan your transportation for the evening accordingly!
Call A Few Friends
Friends always make a great night even better. Everyone should have their entourage with them for both fun (and safety). Give a few friends a call earlier in the week and let them know it is time for an epic night on the town. Make sure everyone knows when and where to meet and that everyone will be able to get home – having the rideshare app on your phone and credit card information entered ahead of time is key to avoiding drinking and driving. Planning your meetup time and location makes for less chaos.
Play It Safe
Your cell phone should be one of the things you bring with you, and make sure it is fully charged. You can keep it on silent if your plans include a nice dinner out, but it is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. If you separate from your friends for a while, make sure everyone knows to call one another at a prearranged time to make sure everyone is safe and accounted for. Go over what to do if someone does not check in at that time and have a plan of action. Everyone will be more able to enjoy themselves if they know the ones they care about are safe.
Know Your Limits
Yes, drinking can be fun, especially while out with friends. However, no one enjoys having to babysit their supposedly adult friend when they are trying to have fun themselves! Laughing while you’re sprawled out across the floor is not attractive, and probably stopped being funny seconds after it happened. With smartphones in everyone’s hands these days you could also be setting yourself up for embarrassing photos to pop up somewhere down the road. Do yourself a favor and know when to call it quits on the alcohol. There’s something to be said for having a little dignity. It never goes out of style.
See That Guy? Ask Him to Dance!
Eventually, we will all look back at a certain event and think, “Ugh! I so should have done that!”. We always regret the things we didn’t do rather than the things we did. So, go ahead and take that chance. You never know where it might lead to, and if he says no? It is truly not the end of the world. Shrug it off and move on.
Go with the Flow
When you try to force something, it never turns out the way you want it to. The same goes for the perfect night out. Stop trying to force a certain situation or a certain feeling and just let things happen! Fun and adventure happen when you are least expecting it. The new restaurant you’ve been dying to try closed early? Don’t freak out. Check with your friends and find somewhere else to eat. You could have just avoided a bad case of food poisoning – everything happens for a reason. Try that pizza place down the road with the pool tables in the back or the arcade you used to go to that served the humongous plate of nachos. You would be surprised how many times so-called “ruined plans” are just setting you up for something even better!
