Time is precious, so it is mandatory to spend some with the special people in your life: the women who brighten up your dullest days and the women who carry the heaviest of burdens on their backs. True, girlfriends are irreplaceable. Here are 7 sure-fire options to crackle the evening with the ladies and do it within the confines of your home.

We all know that ‘girl friends are God’s angels sent down to help us out when He can’t’. So who in their right minds would say no to an all ladies’ night? And when it comes to hanging out with the girls does it really matter where you go or what you do?
Sure, a crazy night out in town is pure fun but it burns a deep hole in your pockets and also leaves you with a frightful hangover (without any sign of hunky Bradley Cooper in the vicinity).

So, here are a few alternatives that guarantee as much pleasure and excitement as painting the town red does.
Have an old-fashioned PJ party: Who says you need to be thirteen to act like a teenager? Pyjama parties are the epitome of female bonding. Make it a full-fledged affair replete with facials, mani– pedis... the works. And with a PJ party you have no hassles of appearing dolled up. Just for one night, set domestic and professional worries aside and indulge. Pamper yourself and relax with your friends.

Top Tip: Assemble the curlers and hair irons and give each other makeovers. Who knows you may make the look permanent.

House party:
Convert your backyard or garden into the next best thing in town. Pump up the volume (keep the neighbours in mind, of course) and dance away to the music. Nothing refreshes you more than a good dance workout. Switch venues and head for the roof or the balcony. Watch the ambience of the party change with the shift in milieu. Order food from your favourite restaurant and enjoy to the fullest. And the best part of a home soiree? There are no worries about curfews and safety. So, you can let your hair down in style.

Top Tip: Once the fun and frolic is over, request your gal pals to help with the cleaning. Post party tidying up can be quite an onerous chore. Getting the ladies to chip in ensures that all of you get to have an equal slice of fun and work.

Movie night:
A definite way to make the evening a success is to dedicate it to cinema. Having a ‘filmy’ night also ensures that all of you actually like (and care enough to understand) the movies you have picked. Go offbeat with the selection of films and though you may love to go ooh-la-la over them, steer clear of the Geres, Clooneys and Pitts. Pick movies that were not necessarily in the box office top 10 but left us with a lump in our throat. Opt for classic cinema like The American President, A walk in the clouds, The Women and The Notebook, to name a few. You can also go for the never-fails-to-warm-the-cockles-of-our-heart timeless romances like Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, The King and I and Sabrina. Another fun alternative is to watch reruns of your favourite TV shows. You can never go wrong with FRIENDS for those ‘old times’ laughs and Desperate Housewives for ultimate girl power. Complete the celluloid experience with bowls of popcorn, finger food and litres and litres of soft drinks. Do remember to hit the gym religiously the next day to work off the cola, though.

Top Tip: You can turn the movie night into a theme based costume party like ‘Oscar Night’, ‘Musical Night’ or even ‘Horror Night’ and have a dress code accordingly. Bring out your best gowns, put on your dancing shoes or go gothic and enjoy.

Try Karaoke:
A tried and tested method of female gelling, karaoke guarantees to bring out the diva in everyone. To top it all, with close buddies as your only audience you don’t have to be worried about making a fool of yourself. Choose songs that range from the sublime to the ridiculous. Re-christen yourself the next Queen of Pop and go all out. Never mind if you can’t hit a note with a stick. A good laugh at yourself never did you any harm.

Top Tip: Pick out tunes that were the rage during your teens. Recall those first crushes and coy glances as you belt out the nostalgic numbers.

Game Night:
Time to dust off the Scotland Yard & Game of LIFE from the old storage boxes. Play board games the ancient way. Tell everyone to bring over their favourite games, and draw out of a hat to decide what you play. You could also start off with classics like Scrabble and Monopoly and move to some new off-the-shelf game. Alternatively, take a cue from the ladies of Desperate Housewives and have a poker night. You could also watch a random sporting event on ESPN, like cheerleading or gymnastics. Make it interesting by "betting" on who's going to win. Whoever's right gets to pick the next activity.

Top tip: When you are among friends, there’s no better time than the present to play the well-tried bonding ritual-Truth or Dare. Hand out candies, sodas and giggles to get the damsels in the gaming groove.

Shop Online:
No amount of shopping with the girls can be quite enough. So what do you do when the stores close at 8? Have a shopping soiree at your apartment and invite all the girls with just their credit cards. In an era where everything (except true love) is available for sale online, you can be spoilt for choice. For your technophobe friends, play the perfect guru and dish out lessons in cyber shopping. Connect your laptop to the TV and involve the entire gang in the process. Give them gyan on reliable e-shopping sites (for instance, desicouture or 99labels for fashion wear) and lead by example. Shop to your heart’s content and show them how it is done.

Top Tip: You could also try bidding on an item of your choice on eBay. You never know, luck may favour you that night (after all, she’s a lady too) and you may end up with some amazing merchandise after a fun night with the ladies.

Click Photos:
No, not for your Facebook album so you can get tagged and tell the whole world you have a great bunch of friends but just for the simple fact that there is nothing that compares to the joy a group photograph brings. Alternatively, you can ask all your friends to bring old pictures of you together and relive the good, old days. Endless conversations about this and that can be nothing but invigorating.

Top tip: Convert a wall of your spare room into an impromptu collage. Arrange the photos chronologically and paste them on the wall with easy-to-peel-off tape.