Vogt's Notes: Sometimes gal pals are all you need to recharge

What do you do when the weekend weather continues to be downright dismal and utterly unspringlike?

Girls’ weekend!

I did just that the past two weekends.

Two weekends ago I reconnected with one of the scrapbook groups I’ve regularly been a part of over the years. As rain and snow fell outside, 14 of us filled a local hotel conference room scrapbooking, making cards or sewing.

Our love of our crafts brings us together, and new friendships were made and old friendships deepened.

This past weekend my girl time was really just on Sunday rather than the whole weekend.

As brisk, gusty winds howled, my daughter and I ventured to St. Cloud to meet up with my mom and my other daughter. Our plan to lose ourselves in the just-released movie “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” turned into a bit of an adventure.

We pulled into the theater parking lot expecting it to be full but finding it quite empty. Scrawled across the theater windows was the reason why. A power outage resulted in the theater being unable to open Sunday.

A quick check on Google told us the movie was playing at the theater in Cold Spring. We headed that way, found a theater with power and bought our tickets (only $6 each!).

With over an hour to kill, we drove around a bit trying to figure out what to do. We didn’t find anything, but the conversation, laughs and time spent together were all we really needed.

We saw our movie and had dinner together before going our separate ways. Despite the tiny bump in our road, we had a great time.

Another quick Google search shows that girls’ (and boys, I’d think) weekends are beneficial in many ways. I Googled “benefits of girls weekends” and these items were among those that showed up:

• The following are some of the ways a girls' trip isn't just fun but is a necessity: release some feel-good hormones; strengthen your brain; you'll come back with a new perspective; take yourself back to your younger days; it's good for your physical health; you can share your feelings. (From globetrottergirls.com)
• “Girls' trips release happy hormones. One study published in Behaviour found that hanging out with your friends can help release oxytocin, a neurotransmitter known as the love or trust hormone. More oxytocin is released when you're with your friends. That can make you feel happy, trusting, generous and friendly.” (From healthywomen.org)
• “Complete relaxation is very, very important. A weekend away sans major responsibilities is a brain break that you don't even realize you needed until it happens. It clears your mind, de-stresses, and enables you to come back completely refreshed, all of which ultimately makes you a better you.” (From isntthatcharming.com)
• Studies have shown that taking time away from the job can have physical and mental health benefits. People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals.

My mom, daughters and I are already looking forward to our next girls’ weekend together - with the addition of my 3 ½-year-old granddaughter - to celebrate Mother’s Day.
So, boys and girls, I advise you to start planning your next weekend getaway.