Remember the last good party you attended? No, not the office mixer where the chips were served from the bag, you had to mix your own drink, and the conversational topic was the latest child-rearing theory. No, the last good party you attended, the one where there was a theme with real food and yummy drinks and decorations to match and people actually talked to you. That's the kind of party we are talking about. And sadly, that's the kind of party that is harder and harder to find-until now. Sorority sisters Kristina "Morgan" Rose and Deandra "Brooksie" Brooks are here with step-by-step party plans, including themes and concepts, decoration designs, menus and recipes, signature cocktails, and tips to make your event the party that everyone's talking about. With "A Word About" specific issues such as how much alcohol to buy per guest, and humorous quizzes, rants, and Top Ten lists, the only thing more fun than this book is the party you'll be inspired to throw because of it.

PARENTING NEVER ENDS. From the founders of the #1 site for parents of teens and young adults comes an essential guide for building strong relationships with your teens and preparing them to successfully launch into adulthood The high school and college years: an extended roller coaster of academics, friends, first loves, first break-ups, driver’s ed, jobs, and everything in between. Kids are constantly changing and how we parent them must change, too. But how do we stay close as a family as our lives move apart? Enter the co-founders of Grown and Flown, Lisa Heffernan and Mary Dell Harrington. In the midst of guiding their own kids through this transition, they launched what has become the largest website and online community for parents of fifteen to twenty-five year olds. Now they’ve compiled new takeaways and fresh insights from all that they’ve learned into this handy, must-have guide. Grown and Flown is a one-stop resource for parenting teenagers, leading up to—and through—high school and those first years of independence. It covers everything from the monumental (how to let your kids go) to the mundane (how to shop for a dorm room). Organized by topic—such as academics, anxiety and mental health, college life—it features a combination of stories, advice from professionals, and practical sidebars. Consider this your parenting lifeline: an easy-to-use manual that offers support and perspective. Grown and Flown is required reading for anyone looking to raise an adult with whom you have an enduring, profound connection.

FOREWORD BY GUY KAWASAKI Presentation designer and internationally acclaimed communications expert Garr Reynolds, creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the Net — presentationzen.com — shares his experience in a provocative mix of illumination, inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations with PowerPoint or Keynote. Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making "slide presentations" in today’s world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Garr shares lessons and perspectives that draw upon practical advice from the fields of communication and business. Combining solid principles of design with the tenets of Zen simplicity, this book will help you along the path to simpler, more effective presentations.

MOVIES ARE MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT–THEY’RE A BUBBLE BATH FOR THE SOUL. On the verge of yet another major life change? Recovering from a rough day at the office? Or trying to figure out what makes him tick? Take heart–no matter what your issue, the help you need is no farther away than your VCR. From the dynamic duo who brought you the bestselling Cinematherapy comes Advanced Cinematherapy, a video guide that prescribes the perfect movie to cure whatever ails you. Whether you’re in the midst of a midlife crisis and need to join the parade and march to your own drummer (Hello, Dolly!), or vacillating between gullible and hyperparanoid and need to listen to your instincts (Sudden Fear), in Advanced Cinematherapy you’ll find movies that will help you laugh at your troubles or confront your issues, and inspire you to grow. Struggling with growing pains? Watch a Coming of Age and Coming Out movie like But I’m a Cheerleader and celebrate your true colors. Ready to cry a river? Immerse yourself in a Cathartic Weeper like Penny Serenade and let it all out. Face-to-face with a nuclear family meltdown? Pop in a Dysfunctional Family movie like Addams Family Values and laugh at your own kooky clan. Here are dozens of new reviews of classic and contemporary movies that confront women’s issues and nurture women’s souls. Feed your wildest fantasies, claim your power, and overcome your losses, all by taking charge of your own remote control! AND DON’T MISS: Bev’s Culinarytherapy: Foods for Every Mood, Nancy’s Momentous Minutiae, Diva Diamonds, Hoopskirt Dreams, the Handy Hunk Chart, and much, much more.... From the Trade Paperback edition.

This essential go-to guide reveals how women can enhance their lives by creating valuable friendships in today’s busy, mobile world, from nationally recognized friendship expert and CEO of GirlFriendCircles.com. Every woman is searching for a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life. Many realize the significant role that an intimate, tightly knit circle of friends plays in creating a more fulfilling life, but with hectic schedules, frequent moves, and life changes, it’s more important than ever for women to establish natural, meaningful friendships that will contribute to their overall wellbeing. In Friendships Don’t Just Happen!, Shasta Nelson, friendship expert and CEO of GirlFriendCircles.com, reveals the most important proven steps, processes, and secrets vital to establishing the five different levels of friendships, or Circles of Connectedness, that women—no matter their age or relationship status—are longing for in today’s stressful and mobile culture. This revolutionary, engaging guide will also benefit women who already feel rooted to fabulous friends, with insightful principles that will help them maintain and enhance their current friendships. Full of practical how-to tips, fun activities, guiding questions, and step-by-step instructions, Friendships Don’t Just Happen! highlights several areas of developing lasting friendships, teaching women how to: Evaluate their current circle of friends Recognize what types of friends they are seeking based on career, interests, location, and relationship status Create a prioritized friendship action plan Find extraordinary friends—where to look and how to approach them Take initiative to jumpstart friendships and face fears of rejection Establish “frientimacy,” trust, and happiness through conversation and activities Maintain meaningful friendships and determine which ones are worthwhile Excerpt from Friendships Don't Just Happen: There is a lie out there that real friendship just happens. When I was new to San Francisco eight years ago, I remember standing at a café window on Polk Street watching a group of women inside, huddled around a table laughing. Like the puppy dog at the pound, I looked through the glass, wishing someone would pick me to be theirs. I had a phone full of far-flung friends’ phone numbers, but I didn’t yet know anyone I could just sit and laugh with in a café. It hit me how very hard the friendship process is. I’m an outgoing, socially comfortable woman with a long line of good friendships behind me. And yet I stood there feeling very lonely. And insecure. And exhausted at just the idea of how far I was from that reality. I knew I couldn’t just walk in there and introduce myself to them. “Hi! You look like fun women, can I join you?” I would have been met with stares of pity. No one wants to seem desperate, even if we are. We don’t have platonic pick-up lines memorized. Flirting for friends seems creepy. Asking for her phone number like we’re going to call her up for a Saturday night date is just plain weird. All the batting of my eyelashes wasn’t going to send the right signals. And so I turned away from the scene of laughter and walked away. No, unfortunately, friendships don’t just happen. We Value Belonging Friendships may not happen automatically, but what we crave about them sure seems to! We all want to belong—that need to be connected to others is an inherent desire. We live our entire lives trying to fit in, be known, attract acceptance, and experience intimacy. We desperately want to have others care about us. This book is about that hunger. And more pointedly, it is about listening to it and learning how to fulfill it.

Part memoir and part guidebook, Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. is the invitation you've been waiting for to show up with your whole self and discover the intimate, meaningful friendships you long for. In spite of the hyper-connected culture we live in today, women still feel shamed for oversharing and being publicly vulnerable. And no matter how many friends we seem to have, many of us are still desperately lonely. Laura Tremaine, blogger and podcaster behind 10 Things To Tell You, says it's time for something better. Openness and vulnerability are the foundation for human growth and healthy relationships, and it all starts when we share our stuff, the nitty-gritty daily details about ourselves with others. Laura has led the way in her personal life with her popular blog and podcast, and now with lighthearted self-awareness, a sensitivity to the important things in life, and compelling storytelling, Laura gives you the tools to build and deepen the conversations happening in your life. Laura's stories about her childhood, her complicated shifts in faith and friendships, and her marriage to a Hollywood movie director will prompt you to identify the beautiful narrative and pivotal milestones of your own life. Each chapter offers intriguing and reflective questions that will reveal unique details and stories you've never thought to tell and will guide you into cultivating the authentic connection with others that only comes from sharing yourself. So let’s get started! Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First.

Movies are more than entertainment... They’re couples therapy! If you’ve ever wondered how to meet Mr. Right, boot Mr. Wrong, inspire Mr. Reluctant to propose, or ignite youthful passion in a middle-aged romance, then we’ve got some good news for you. The help you need is no farther away than your remote control. Sink into your sofa and discover the healing power of movies. From the bestselling duo who brought you Cinematherapy, Advanced Cinematherapy, and Bibliotherapy comes Cinematherapy for Lovers, a video guide guaranteed to help you find the perfect movie prescription to cure all your relationship woes. Trouble in your couple’s paradise? Watch a Rediscovering Your Dream movie like Pollock and rise above. Looking for the key to your guy’s psyche? Crack the code with an Understanding Your Man movie like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and unlock the secrets of your own international man of mystery! Ready to hear those magic words but your summer lover is terminally tongue-tied? Loosen his lips with a Hook, Line, and Sinker movie like All That Heaven Allows, then find the shortcut to his heart through his stomach with Bev’s Culinarytherapy recipe for meat loaf and mashed potatoes just like Mom used to make, and seal the deal. Feeling like a solo singer in a world full of duets? Discover a new happily-ever-after with a Make Your Own Music movie like Ghost World. Jam-packed with over 150 new reviews of classic and contemporary movies--and warnings about Happily Never After love stories that are recipes for relationship disasters--Cinematherapy for Lovers gives you the tools you’ll need to become your own couple’s cinematherapist. PLUS: Nancy’s Momentous Minutiae, Best Bodice-Ripping Lines, I Do I Do and Elvis Too, Always a Bridesmaid Never a Bride movies, Bods We Don’t Buy, the Shirley MacLaine Trilogy of Terror, Bev’s Culinarytherapy, and much, much more... From the Trade Paperback edition.