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12 Tips for Making Friends and Keeping Them



One of the many truths about getting married, having kids, and going through the many changes in life is that your friendships change. Think about it: think about how many friends you have lost contact with and how many friends have entered your life.

There just may be a friendship you didn't expect in your near future.  We have discovered from our own personal experience and from the advice of other women the top twelve ways to keep friends and make new ones.

1. Be a friend.
To have a friend, be a friend.

2. Be a good listener.
Listening may be the most important part of your friendships. There is often more joy in listening than in hearing yourself talk.  It lets you know you're needed.  You ought to love to hear about your friends' lives.  You ought to like to be a part of their life story.

3. Be a talker.
Communicate.  Let your friends know how you feel.  Communication ought to relax you. Talk is emotional food for your female soul.  It sustains you.  It makes you feel good.  When you aren't able to talk, you starve. It's not because you need to vent or gripe--although it's great to do that.  Talk equals connection.  It gives you hope and makes you feel wanted.

4. Loose lips sink friendships.
When secrets are shared, keep them.

5. Be supportive.
Be encouraging.  Wherever two or more women are gathered in the name of friendship, therein is a support group.  It's one big happy therapy session.  It's even better than going to a therapist, because a true friend will dish and drink with you.  Also, moms share so many of the same issues, they can come up with answers to the problems that plague you.

6. Share ideas.
Share your enthusiasm.  Positive exchanges build positive foundations and it's a great way to start a friendship.  Women are full of brilliant and creative ideas, and you can get energized by bouncing your ideas off them.  Ideas for making money, decorating, and losing weight without exercising or giving up any food make for great girlfriend brainstorming sessions.

7. Remember, you're not perfect and neither are your friends.

8. Do nice things without expecting anything in return.

9. Be yourself.
Be authentic.  Don't try to be someone you're not just to be friends.  A friendship built on false identities will fail.

10. Stay in touch.
We're big advocates of sending e-mail.  it's quick, it's easy, and it lets your friends know you're thinking of them.  A handwritten note, a phone call, a lunch date, or getting together for whatever reason is always a good idea.

11. Open your heart.
It may feel risky and it is.  There's always a chance of rejection.  However, when you open  your heart and it is received, a true friendship emerges.

12. Laugh together.
Norman Cousins and UCLA research teams proved that laughter has many medical benefits, including lowering blood pressure, strengthening the immune system, and relieving stress.

One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives. -- Euripedes

 Find these tips and more in It's All About You; Live the Life You Crave (Chapter 8)
by MomsTown founders Heather Reider and Mary Goulet.

Geocaching: A Great Way To Get Outdoors
By Chuck Fitzgerald 



If you’re tired of hiking the same trail or picnicking at the same park, then Geocaching may be exactly what you’re looking for. Geocaching, pronounced gee-o-cashing, is the high tech version of a treasure hunt.  Armed with nothing but a handheld GPS unit and a thirst for excitement, you’re off for new adventures and the likelihood of finding a hidden cache.

Here’s how it works.  Geocachers seek out hidden treasures utilizing GPS coordinates posted on the Internet by those hiding the cache.  So to geocache, you’ll need a handheld GPS receiver. GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System, is the only system today able to show you your exact position on the Earth anytime, in any weather, anywhere. GPS satellites, 24 in all, orbit at over 11,000 miles above the Earth.  The satellites transmit signals that can be detected by anyone with a GPS receiver.  Using the receiver, you can determine your location with great precision.  But just as important, you’ll be able to locate other things too, such as a geocache.  There are a variety of GPS receiver models to choose from starting at about $100. 

Once you’ve got a GPS unit, you’ll need to know where the caches are hidden (hint: they’re everywhere).  When a cache is hidden, the cache’s coordinates are submitted to a website for all to see (www.geocaching.com).  Enter the coordinates into your GPS and you’re ready to go. Did I mention there are more than 1,000,000 caches in over 200 countries?

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Armed with a GPS and the coordinates, how tough can it be? In an urban area, easy access is typically available in the way of roads and trails.  But what about on a mountain? What if there aren’t roads nearby?  It’s entirely possible to be a few hundred feet from something and not be able to reach it (across a river or two hundred feet below the cliff you’re on are good examples).  After you try to find a few caches, you’ll understand a number of the nuances of actually finding the cache.  That’s the fun part.  Once you find the cache, there are a couple of simple rules. Sign the logbook and if you take something from the cache, be sure to leave something.

But what about placing a cache?  That’s fun too.  Just be sure to follow the rules as outlined at www.geocaching.com.  Once you’re a seasoned geocacher, you’ll try your hand at travel bugs, geo-teaming and benchmark hunting.

If you have only a couple hours to search for a cache, try to find one that is close by. If you have a couple days, take a family trip and make an overnight adventure out of it. Using your GPS along with your sense of adventure, you are bound to spend more time out of doors with people you enjoy. What could be better? Get Outdoors!

Momstown Tips - There is a geocaching application for the Iphone.  I bought the Geomate Junior for my son on Amazon for his birthday.  It is an affordable basic unit for kids.  We have had a fantastic time exploring new caches on Aquidneck Island with this unit.  A note for beginners...be sure check the geocaching website for an easy first cache and don't forget the bug spray!