Night Out

Every Yale girl knows that sometimes the men folk around here can get a little much and it’s time to speed dial the girlfriends and get your estrogen fix. But that’s no reason to sacrifice a potentially fabulous night out — blow off some steam and give yourself a well-deserved break from cockiness and courtship with an evening of running around town with the girls.

Prep for the evening with a shopping tour of New Haven — ogling shoes you can’t afford at Thom Brown never felt so good. After Urban and J. Crew, head for a stroll down Chapel Street to check out the cute boutiques, or run to Salvo and hope for something without shoulder pads. Had enough? Rest your feet and satisfy your taste buds with guilt-free treats such as a Claire’s smoothie or frozen yogurt from The Liberry on High Street.

Skip the dinning hall (and the asshole setting fire to things in the toaster) and start things off with a trip to one of New Haven’s more elegant restaurants. Kudeta and Basta offer expensive but unbelievable Asian fusion and Italian, respectively, in atmospheres funky and charming enough to erase memories of beer pong brawls down the hall. For those eager to ditch the fried food, Temple Bar and Grill sports some of the city’s best in terms of salad options — make your own picking from a variety of tasty options. The occasional live band is a major plus. But who says girls need to have salads? This just might be the time to make the pilgrimage to pay homage to New Haven greats Pepe’s and Sally’s for cheesy-delicious pizza. For the ultimate finger food, trek down to Court Street and catch up while exploring the wonders of dipping sauce at a fabulous fondue spot — The Blue Pearl. Nothing says female bonding like boiling chocolate, we always say.

Kick your night up a notch with a round of Cosmos at Pacifico. When sufficiently inebriated, save your dignity and spare yourself the trip to Toad’s — instead, stroll down to Bottega and let the dancing begin.

Night in

Sound like a little much? Chilling out with the ladies at home doesn’t have to be a cop-out. It all starts with the music: Set up the ultimate girly play list, featuring ’N Sync and the Spice Girls, Ani Difranco and Alanis Morrisette, Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Woman” parts one and two … whatever. Order in something messy that you’d be embarrassed to scarf down in public — we like Indian. To really get the good times rolling, add homemade cocktails and/or a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked.

For an evening of beautification, Google “homemade spa treatments” and take a trip to the store or the dining hall to pick up honey, cucumbers, avocados, grapefruit and parsley (?!) or whatever other wacky food items the internet swears will be good for your hair and skin. Smearing each other with fruit smoothies may not improve your looks all that much, but it will at least make for some hilarious times. And a tasty mess. For the faint of heart, there are always those peel-off facial masks at Walgreen’s.

For a better chance of actually affecting how you look, use the gathering as a chance to swap wardrobes. Have each girl bring a few items of clothing she no longer wants and let the bartering begin. (Disclaimer: This exchange works best with generous friends of impeccable taste.)

Once everyone’s calmed down, spiffed up and hopefully a little inebriated, bring it back to middle school with some good old fortune telling. Whip out that old astrology guide and analyze your personality and potential love connections. Don’t have “Sexology” hidden under the bed? Nothing a flip through any trashy women’s magazine or visit to sexualastrology.com can’t fix. If the standard Western horoscope stuff is getting old, update your divination by checking out Tarot or I Ching — just pick up a book at Barnes and Nobles and get ready to delve into prophesy.

Once your skin is radiant and your mind omniscient, finish off the evening by vegging out to your favorite movies. “Legally Blond” and “Titanic” are perfectly acceptable options, but bonus points for anything a little funkier — check out an old classic like “Casablanca” for your romance fix or bring it back to your childhood with “Runaway Bride.” End the evening with a good night’s sleep — the ultimate princess treat for a busy Yalie.