Girlfriend Get-Togethers Reduce Stress Around The Holidays

LENEXA, Kan., Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Your BFFs might hold the secret to a stress-free holiday season. While the holidays might be the most wonderful time of the year, for many women they also can be the most stressful. Studies show that getting together with your girlfriends may actually reduce everyday stress, which can help keep the "happy" in your holiday (UCLA School of Medicine).

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The holiday season is a natural and necessary time for women to bond with their female friends. Not only do the holidays give women an excuse to reconnect, but spending time with girlfriends causes the body to emit the "feel good" hormone oxytocin. Prioritizing friendships around the holidays may prevent common stress-related bad habits like comforting eating or drinking.

This holiday season, Silpada Designs, the world's largest jewelry home party company, and entertaining expert, designer and HGTV^® host Monica Pedersen have partnered to offer unique ideas for planning stress-free holiday girlfriend gatherings.

Pedersen, author of Make it Beautiful, a step-by-step entertaining guide, understands the importance of getting together with your girlfriends, but also recognizes that doing so during the most hectic time of the year needs to be hassle-free.

Holiday girlfriend gatherings are emerging as a fun and beneficial way to manage stress while celebrating the season with your closest pals. Below are Pedersen's top five ideas for planning a holiday-inspired girlfriend gathering:

• Ornament Exchange: Ornaments are a beautiful, festive and inexpensive gift to give to your girlfriends that can serve as a keepsake over the years. Get your girlfriends together and start trading the festive baubles for a fun night that you can re-live every time you trim the tree.
• Fireside Fete: No gifts necessary! Grab your besties, a cup of cocoa (or a glass of wine), gather around the fire and reflect on the past year and what you're looking forward to in the year to come.
• Charms and Cheer: Celebrate life's little moments by starting a tradition of gifting meaningful charms to your girlfriends. Charms are symbolic, versatile and affordable, providing endless combinations to honor your gal pals as the years go by.
• Favorite Things Gift Exchange: Trying to find the perfect gift for someone, even a close friend, can be daunting. Take the guesswork out of girlfriend gift giving this season and give them your favorite things. Choose a favorite things theme (like candles) and also set a price limit to ensure that your besties don't break the bank.
• Holiday Home Party: Cross two tasks off your holiday "to do" list by hosting a fun holiday home shopping party. Invite your girlfriends over for a mall-free shopping spree in the comfort of your own home. The best part? As the hostess you'll get perks like free products for those on your gift list (or to keep for yourself).

"The real key to hosting a fabulous holiday girlfriend gathering is remembering that your BFFs are happy just to be invited," says Pedersen. "I love Silpada parties around the holidays because, as a hostess, you are able to focus your time and attention towards what's really important: your girlfriends and having a wonderful time."

Read more of Pedersen's tips on keeping girlfriend gatherings simple and stylish at Silpada.com/Monica (US) and Silpada.ca/Monica (CA).

About Silpada Designs
Silpada Designs is the world's largest .925 sterling silver jewelry home party company. Silpada is sold by more than 33,000 independent representatives throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, who bring the jewelry boutique to your home.

Visit Silpada.com or call 1-888-SILPADA to learn more about Silpada jewelry, to find a local representative or learn how you can join the Silpada family as an independent representative. For Canada, visit Silpada.ca or call 1-888-925-7732.

For more information contact:
Michaela Pearce
(913) 851-7757 x1034 or [email protected]

SOURCE Silpada Designs