TresSugar

A Girls' Night Out Gift Guide

Tara Sharp — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:04:26 PST

This holiday season, instead of giving your girlfriends a necklace or a sweater, mix things up and gift them an experience they'll never forget. Sometimes life's responsibilities can get in the way of spending enough quality time with your gal pals, so what better way to make time for them than to give it as a gift? And the best part of experience gifts is that the memories and photos will last a lifetime. Here are 10 out-of-the-box girls' night out ideas that you can share with your ladies, whether they are sporty, crafty, or have a sweet tooth!

Which Friends Thanksgiving Episode Is Your Favorite?

Becky Kirsch — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:05:00 PST

Friends has been off the air for awhile now, but I can't help getting a little nostalgic for the show's iconic Thanksgiving episodes this time of year. Almost every season had an amazing Turkey Day show, and I love each one in its own way. There's the time that Joey can't be with his family because he posed for a syphilis ad ("The One Where Underdog Gets Away"), and I have a soft spot for the one where the gang rehashes all of their previous holiday experiences ("The One With All the Thanksgivings"). I'm also partial to the episode where Joey banishes Chandler to a box, and how could I ever count out the year that Brad Pitt made an appearance? I'll never be able to narrow it down, but tell me - what's your favorite Friends Thanksgiving episode?

New Online Dating Site Sets Up Double Dates

Tara Sharp — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:45:00 PDT

There's a new online dating site in town, and it's taking an old-school approach to the relatively new form of meeting someone: double dates.

The concept of DuoDater is pretty simple, you just create a dating profile with a friend, find a pair of guys you're both interested in, and then go out on a double date. The profiles are meant to be simple and user-friendly (think OK Cupid, not eHarmony), and the idea is that people nervous about meeting strangers online will feel more comfortable dating in duos. It's kind of like an online dating site for beginners.

I can see how bringing a pal along to meet a guy would help ease those first-date jitters. Plus I know many people (myself included) who have met their future husbands when they were just friends, hanging out in groups. It creates a fun, less pressure-filled situation. However, I can see potential complications already. What if you're into one guy and your friend despises the other? What if you both like the same guy? The last thing you want on a first date is to feel like you're on The Bachelor, competing for a guy you just met. And sometimes it's better to be on your own to really get to know someone. What do you think about online double dating?

Card-Carrying Mom: Business Cards For Parents

LilSugar — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:01:48 PDT

It's the classic mom meets mom story. You're at the playground, park, or library and your tot has found his new BFF. They're singing, playing - even sharing - so you casually introduce yourself to the kid's mom. Miracle of miracles, you two get along as well as your kids do. Just as you're getting past the prerequisite small talk to the good stuff, it's time to go. Your kids clearly adore each other, and you want to see them both again. Now what? Dig for a pen and paper? Fumble with your iPhone? Or just hand over a "mommy card," a business card with your contact info, with a casual, "let's get together for a playdate"?

They may sound silly, but in the rush to get out of the park before a toddler tantrum occurs, or just to make things easier, mom cards are designed to help mamas out when they're making new friends. Interested parents have plenty of cards to choose from, depending on how much information they really want to share with every random nice-seeming person they meet. While kids are certainly an important part of most parents' identities, not all moms and dads want to be known as "(Mom's Name), mommy to (Child's Name) and (Child's Name)."

Keep reading for some options for moms (or dads!) looking for another way to navigate the playground scene.

Group Therapy: How Do I Make New Friends After a Move?

Tres Community — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 03:05:00 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

Hi! So I just moved to Florida 4 months ago and I haven't made any friends yet. I'm really shy, so that doesn't help! I'm 22, so I'm no longer in school. (All of my friends back home I made in school.) I'm a graphic designer, and I work at an ad agency. I've made a few "work friends," but I need people to hang out with outside of work! I've tried Craigslist but that's going nowhere fast. I like art, dance, the beach, music, animals, social drinking, going out to eat.

Any tips would be appreciated!

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

TV Girlfriends Who Make the Best Friends

TresSugar — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:48:00 PDT

Today, Aug. 1, is National Girlfriends Day! And whether they're roommates or colleagues, the same age or 20 years apart, female friends have always been central to American television. These characters' relationships demonstrate the ever-evolving, yet never-changing, complexity of female friendships and are fictional proof that sometimes girlfriends make the best friends.

Group Therapy: Friend Is Trying to Come Between Me and My Fiancé

Tres Community — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:05:00 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I recently got engaged to my longtime boyfriend. We have been together for 5 years now more or less. The problem here is that we have a mutual female friend who has started acting really strange since my engagement. The day I told her I got engaged, she told me he was better looking than I was. Recently she has started making up false stories and tells them to each of us separately. For example, my fiancé and I decided to get married in December and she recently told him that I do not intend to get married in December and am only agreeing to it because he is pressuring me. On the other hand, she told me that he has issues with December because his brother won't be able to attend. Other than that, she constantly mentions that she called my fiancé and then goes on to tell me random things they talked about. She also acts like she knows him better and tries to give me advice about how to deal with him. She calls him three, maybe four times a day and whenever something is wrong, even if he has a slight fever, she comes over and tries to take control. It is irksome.

The lies she is telling are not creating any issues with me and my guy because we generally discuss everything that goes on and have made a silent pact now to never believe what she tells either one of us. But what disturbs me is that she is getting into my personal space, yesterday I caught her going through my phone.

I try not to confront her because she gets hurt easily and I have a temper I am not very proud of, which I try to keep in control as much as possible. But now I am at a point where her constant interference is getting on my nerves. My fiancé is of the opinion that he or I should directly confront her. Would that make her stop? I have tried telling her that I like my personal space to myself but she pays no heed. What should I do?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

5 Trusty Tips For Friends With Benefits

TresSugar — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 02:00:00 PDT

Friends With Benefits opens tomorrow and it's got us asking ourselves: how do people make these things work? Can we truly find a solely sexual relationship fulfilling, or will there always be that nagging question in the back of our mind, "Maybe this is something more?" If you're choosing to embark on a FWB relationship, or you've already taken the leap, try these five tips to keep things feeling positive and on an equal playing field.

Understand what you're signing up for. No matter how you look at it, FWB does not translate to boyfriend. If your guy makes it clear from the get-go that he's not looking for anything serious, don't ignore what he's saying and hope he'll have a change of heart. This is a recipe for disaster.
Set ground rules. Like any other relationship, there needs to be a level of mutual respect. What happens if you see each other outside of the confines of your bedrooms? Is there no texting during the day in order to keep things separate? Make sure to discuss your qualms and get those issues out of the way.
Leave expectations at the door. This dude is not your boyfriend, and you can't expect him to act like your boyfriend. With that said, a relationship with a FWB may challenge you to be more straightforward. Without the worries of a future and the comfort of a close friend, you can leave your sexual inhibitions at the door. Get ready to get vocal!
Be prepared that there may be others. There is the definite possibility that there may be other girls in your boat. With no strings attached, you are free to see whomever you wish and the same goes for him. This sounds fine in theory, but what do you do if you see him out with another girl? Or what if he sees you out with another guy? It's a good idea to discuss these circumstances when you lay out the ground rules.
Realize that there's no turning back. Your relationship will be forever changed. If he is a very close friend, or you run in the same social circles, you have to be prepared for the potential fallout. No matter how you try to rationalize this, sex changes things. Period.

Do you have any thoughts on the friends-with-benefits phenomenon or any tips to add to the mix? Share your comments below!

4 Unrealistic FWB Scenarios in Friends With Benefits

Tara Sharp — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 04:00:00 PDT

Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis's Friends With Benefits comes out next week, and while I thought it was funny and entertaining - plus who can complain about the JT eye candy? - some of the scenes miss the mark when it comes to the realities of a FWB relationship. The movie has several digs at the formulaic Hollywood rom-com, but even with a raunchier edge to it, the just-sex arrangement has been Hollywood-ized. Here are some unrealistic FWB scenarios from the movie.

Grand gesture: The whole nature of a FWB situation is that it's casual, which means grand gestures like the "running after the girl scene" and last-minute flash mobs probably aren't in the cards (never mind the logistics of organizing a flash mob).
Not jealous: When Mila's character Jamie starts dating someone else, Dylan (JT) seems a little down that he can't hang out with her, but not really jealous. Then it ends, and Jamie and Dylan go back to being FWB. In real life, it would have completely complicated things to go from their arrangement to dating other people. The new boy would have been jealous she was talking to a friend she used to sleep with, Dylan would have been angry and jealous, and they probably would have ended up sleeping together while she was still dating the other guy.
Meeting the family: For both Dylan and Jamie to meet each other's families is a stretch. Many couples don't even meet the families until the relationship is serious, and Dylan and Jamie aren't even in a relationship because they don't want the commitment. If you don't want commitment, you definitely don't want to involve family.
Overlooking pet peeves: Dylan has some weird bedroom quirks like feeling emasculated when she's on top (um, really?) and wearing socks in bed and the shower. They act like both are free to do whatever without it annoying the other person since they are "just friends," but in reality if you're sleeping with someone long enough, the quirks are going to bug you the same as if you're in a relationship. It can't be separated that easily.

Disagree? Then share your own FWB experiences in the comments!

3 Sites to Split Travel Costs Fairly During, Before, or After a Trip

SavvySugar — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:58:29 PDT

It can be tricky to split travel costs, but I did a bit of research and found three websites to make this task a bit easier, no matter when you decide to act.

To ensure that one person isn't stuck with the bill, here are three options - one to be set up beforehand, one to add as you go, and one to make the calculations easier later on:

Before - WePay. For this site, people put equal amounts of money into a joint account using a credit card or checking account for trip purposes. Money is then handled by one person or all funds could be combined into a prepaid credit card to be used on the vacation itself. That way if there's money left over, it can be divided up equally. No fuss! (For smaller trips, a prepaid credit card can be purchased by itself as n00dledancer suggested.)

During - Share-a-bill. I personally think this iPhone app is well worth the $4 asking price. An easy way to enter, tally, and divide up costs, this application can be used during the actual vacation so nothing is forgotten along the way. Some bonuses include currency conversion, address book syncing/ notifications, and the ability to factor in unequal contributions to make everything even down to the dollar in the end!

After - Divide.it. When returning home, gather up all the receipts (from your plastic folder) and add them into this software, which can then help divvy up - or, in its words, "automagically calculate" - the expenses from your trip with the number of people involved.