THE GIRLY SLEEPOVER

It's time to give up the cosmos and brie and get back to the fun. Just cause you pay your own rent doesn't mean you can't throw a slumber party for you and some of your best pals. In fact, sometimes when your life becomes too much of a reality trip it's not a bad idea to step back into La-La Land. Here are some tips on how to make a girly sleepover a smash success.

Invitations: Unless you have a giant house it's best to keep the guest list to your closest friends. In true childhood tradition my girly sleepovers are for girls only, but since your parents aren't home you make up your mind for yourself. This day in age the evite is the way to go, it's free and easy and you can check the status of your guest's responses anytime. Want to go a more traditional route? Get out the construction paper and doilies and make some handmade invitations to be mailed.

Preparation: As with any gathering, the better you prepare the smoother it will go. If you don't have the time for everything, don't be bashful about asking your friends to help out. Create a list of food and things for them to bring. Make sure that all the sleeping arrangements are made in advance - ask the girls to bring blankets and pillows so no one is left in the cold. If you don't have a pull out couch or extra bed think about investing in an air-mattress (or ask others if they have one). In case of any snore-ers you might want to have a fan or other "noise machine" (I swear by mine) on hand. Another important factor is breakfast. A good host doesn't kick out their guests the next morning. You can either add on bagels and OJ to the list of things to bring, or turn back into grown ups and go out for brunch.

Food: Comfort food is key when you think back to being a kid. It's a great idea to ask each guest to bring a favorite dish or treat from their childhood, but make sure you don't end up with five boxes of twinkies and three bags of potato chips. How about a variation on s'mores by making Easy S'mores, or melting down some chocolate for fondue dipping. You can also update any old recipes as needed - Pigs In A Blanket can be done with veggie dogs as easily as it can with real wieners. If you want to involve the girls even more why not have a Create-A-Cookie contest, where you take a basic dough and add things other than chocolate chips to it (things like candy bar bits or gummy bears).

Decorations/Party Favors: How elaborate you want to go is up to you. If you really want to set the scene see if you can get your hands on some old teen heartthrob magazine spreads or movie posters from your youth. Obviously don't spend a fortune on something you'll just toss the next day, but take a peek into your local thrift store or Goodwill. They often have old vinyl records for pennies. Use the covers for wall decorations and the records (if they are unplayable) for placemats. Buy a bunch of fun party favors (candy necklaces, plastic rings, fake tattoos) and make goodie bags for your guests.

Activities: Girl talk is of course the number one activity to be done at this occasion, but it's good to plan some other fun things for your guests to do. Board games can be a blast, depending on the game and the crowd. Bust out a Ouji Board for some freaky fun or play friendly game of Truth or Dare, a staple of the girly get-together. Then, of course, there's the old stand-bys: facial masks and nail painting while watching a chick flick movie marathon. If you want to get really crazy, get a few guy friends to organize a panty raid some time during the evening. Knock knock…"Who could that be?" Just make sure the boys know they will be kicked out before bedtime.

The Morning After: Whatever you decide to do about breakfast, make sure your friends don't leave before you've reinforced how wonderful it was to spend this quality time with them. Don't be shy about taking clean-up help either, any good guest won't leave you with a mess. Most important of all, keep the girl plans going by seeing who wants to host the next girly get-together.