by Irene S. Levine, PhD
Congrats to the winner of the HURI HUMI Photo Contest: Alexis Moreno of New City, New York. Alexis' entry (she's top center) captured the joy of being surrounded by friends.
The second place winner was Judith Kirkwood of Madison, Wisconsin.
Thanks for entering and reading my blog. Your own HURI HUMI electronic friends and HURU HUMI tee shirts are on their way to you. May your holidays be filled with warmth and friendship!
This post is about artificial friends. (No, I don't mean the phony kind). Actually, I'm announcing my latest blog contest.
These electronic toys caught my eye because they seem like the season's perfect friendship gift for young women. When the prizes arrived, they were so cute that I was tempted to break into the tamperproof plastic to try one out myself. (I didn't.)
Huru HumisTM (which means ‘HU R U' and ‘HU M I" in text talk) are interactive, artificial high-school friends that talk back to you (or to each other) when you talk to them. The battery-operated dolls turn on and off at the flick of a switch. (If only we could do that with our real friends!)
The ability to be a good friend is something that every woman needs to acquire, and it is through play, that many young girls learn how to befriend. Each Huru Humi has a distinct appearance, style, personality, and voice. Warning: They aren't shy about expressing their opinions. But like all good friends they respect differences, are funny, and have mastered the art of good conversation.
As grown-ups just found out during this very prolonged and polarized election season, we don't necessarily agree with every woman we meet; we are more compatible with some than with others. But by being able to communicate with personalities that are both like and unlike their own, children can learn how to build solid friendships that can potentially enrich and expand their lives.
Huru Humis are intended for kids 10 and older (tweens). I have two prizes to award, Heidi and Sierra, for the best pictures of two childhood friends.
Contest rules:
Courtesy of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popcorn, Claudine and the other two winners will receive a popcorn bowl, a supply of Orville Redenbacher's newest popcorn, Natural Lime & Salt popcorn (pairs well with margaritas), a picture frame and cocktail napkins: perfect ingredients for her next ‘Girls' Night In'.
The photo she submitted shows Claudine, with her friends Pernille and Angeline, drinking cosmos! "I have to admit, finding a picture of me and my friends was NOT EASY," wrote Claudine. "I don't get to see them as often as I'd like and when we do see each other no one whips out a camera. Why is that?"
Congratulations, Claudine! Please take pictures of your female friendship moments. A new contest will be announced shortly.
With the cost of entertainment, transportation and meals skyrocketing, there's a natural tendency to hunker down, cocoon at home, and reduce spending. "In times like this, everyone is looking for ways to save," says Jo Gartin, a celebrity party planner and author of Jo Gartin's Weddings. "For many, that means bringing entertaining inside the home."
See my blog post on the effects of the recession on Girls' Nights Out in The Huffington Post.
The woes on Wall Street---and the slump on your street---may up the risk of fractured friendships. With the economic downturn, many of us are finding that we will need to work more and harder---just to maintain our current lifestyle. It is obvious each time we buy a container of milk, purchase toiletries, or fill up at the gas station. As a result, there's less money for eating out, taking girlfriend getaways, and visiting friends who live out-of-town.
We need to find creative ways to bring friends together on the cheap, to support one another and celebrate friendships. Whether it's organizing a pot-luck dinner, planning to watch a first-time-on-TV movie, or staging an informal get-together to catch up and gab, it's important for women to create and maintain rituals to nurture our friendships.
I'm delighted that Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popcorn has partnered with me to award prizes to 3 of my loyal blog readers who submit the best pictures of ‘A Girls' Night In.'
Each prize includes an Orville Redenbacher popcorn bowl; a supply of Orville Redenbacher's newest popcorn, Natural Lime & Salt popcorn (pairs well with margaritas), a picture frame and cocktail napkins: perfect ingredients for your next Girls' Night In.
Contest rules:
For additional tips on planning a Girls Night, visit Orville.com/girlsnightin
I rarely post anything commercial---unless it sounds like fun. If you like to enter sweepstakes and don’t mind giving State Farm your contact information (and possibly getting some mail), this sounds like a great weekend. If one of you is a winner, I hope you’ll invite me to join you! Here are the details:
State Farm will randomly select five women---and three of their friends each---for VIP treatment! Each of the 5 grand prize packages is valued at $12,000.
The prize package includes:
To read the official rules and enter, go to The State Farm® Ultimate Ladies Night Out Sweepstakes page at www.sfredlive.com/ The entry deadline is 10/10/08.
Good luck!
