South Jersey Girls Night In

March 21 2022

How to Name Your Dog

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By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

Did you know that you can scientifically choose the perfect name for your dog?

I didn’t.

Either did my husband who named our dog, Fred. Turns out, that’s not a good name for a dog. Who knew?

I did some research and found that Bruce and Kobe make much better doggy names than Axel, Remi and Fred, and here’s why:

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the key is to incorporate hard consonants and long vowel sounds into your pup’s name. That’s why Kobe works but Remi doesn’t. Kobe has the hard “K” and the long “O.” These sounds are the easiest for your dog to hear.
Many dog training experts suggest you use one or two-syllable names. So forget Lancelot or Cinderella.
The AKC further recommends you avoid names that sound like a command. Kit sounds like “sit” and Bo sounds like “no.” Very confusing for your furbaby.
The Farina sibs: big brothers Whiskey and Thor, with little sister Roxy on top

Also avoid a name that sounds like a name of one of your other family members. So if your daughter’s name is Molly you should avoid naming your dog Dolly. If your daughter is Sadie, you shouldn’t name your dog Lady.
Certified dog trainer Nicole Ellis suggests a name that ends with a vowel, so Josie and Milo are good bets.
Consider your pet’s future nicknames, because, let’s face it, we all give our pets tons of nicknames. One of my cats is named Lucy. My daughter calls her Lucifer. I call her Lucille, Lucy-Poosey, Lucinda, Loo-shus, Loose Caboose, you get the idea. Lizzy Francis, news editor for www.fatherly.com (whose mission is to empower men to raise great kids) explains, “Try to come up with a ton of nicknames, and good ones, not ones like Buddy, to see if there are nicknames that are easy to say, sound like their full names and are cute.” Otherwise, once again, you could confuse your dog.
And finally, says the AKC, “When a dog hears her name, it’s a signal that whatever is coming next is meant for her. So use her name frequently in a positive context so she doesn’t associate it with punishment or anything negative or scary.”

Click on these links if you’re interested in the top 100 girl dog names or the top 100 boy dog names.

Is your dog’s name on either of these lists? What’s his or her name? Please share in the comments below. And be sure to include their nicknames, too. 😊

Virtual hugs!
❤,

PS: Want to have fun in 2-D? Check out our upcoming Franks & Beans Events Virtual Girls’ Nights Out.

PPS: Want to have fun on Facebook? Join our closed women’s group South Jersey Girls Who Wanna Have Fun. You DON’T have to live in South Jersey to join!

PPPS: If you wonder what your furbabies are thinking, whether they are still with you or over the Rainbow Bridge, you might enjoy our Pet Communication Psychic Event featuring Psychic Medium Irene Mazzei on April 21, 2022. Everyone is guaranteed a reading, but tickets are limited.

December 13 2021

Top 10 Best Items to Regift and Your Comments

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By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

January 19, 1995. The agreed-upon date the term “regifting” is first widely broadcast.

Though people had already been surreptitiously performing this highly disputed act, it’s the first time it was thrown into the spotlight, and by who else? Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who dripped “sponge-worthy,” “no soup for you!” and “master of your domain” into our water supply. The regifting bomb was dropped in Seinfeld’s episode, “The Label Maker.”

In a nutshell, regifting is when someone takes a gift they’ve been given, and gifts it to someone else. The hope is that the gifter removes the gift card tucked in by the original gifter.

We all know the good intentions (or the questionable motives) behind the regift.

So the question is…has anyone ever given YOU a regift?

I posed this question on our closed, women’s Facebook group, South Jersey Girls Who Wanna Have Fun, and here’s what our members had to say:

KW: Not that I know of but one time I thought it was a possibility

SM: Not really sure, but could be possible

NRF: Yup. No worries as I really liked it.

BAT: Yep

SD: Yes! And accidentally left the card from the original sender inside! However, I really am in full support of regifting!

AO: Probably. It doesn’t bother me at all, especially if it’s something I want or like.

CW: You took the words right out of my thoughts, AO!

JTL: Yes, I am sure that happened.

CP: I guess…hey, spread the love!

GBD: I’m not sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

AS-S: I’m pretty sure a friend gave me something she got from her baby shower that she never used and it has been my daughter’s favorite thing ever since she was born, and she’s five now.

MC: Yes, but they told me upfront. I think it’s fine.

JH: Probably. Hopefully.

DLG: Yes, it was the ugliest jacket ever. I wouldn’t mind, but it has to be something appropriate.

WLW: Most likely! Love it. Why not?

JRC: Yes! My family loves regifting!

MJK: I am a part of a ladies’ group here in Vegas and we do a regift party every year. It’s so much fun!

Ranker is a marketing and social media company. Their website asserts that they are, “…a worldwide leader in fan-powered rankings on just about everything. We believe that the opinion of millions is more relevant and far more predictive than the opinion of one critic.”

According to Ranker, here are the Top 10 best items to regift:

*Everyone’s favorite singing fish is in the Top 10: Billy Bass by Gemmy Industries.*

Gift Cards
Books
Candles
Alcohol
Electronics
Box of Chocolates
Novelty Products
Bath Products
Board Games
Artwork

This factoid from The Wall Street Journal may or may not make you feel better, “Everyone has received bad gifts in their lives, and we generally accept that we will receive more in the future. Yet for some (mathematically impossible) reason, we believe that we give only good gifts.”

I personally believe in upcycling if necessary, but with honesty.

The final word belongs to the Emily Post Institute, entering its 100th year in existence. Is it ever okay to regift? According to the Institute’s website, no. And yes.

Want to join in on the fun? Simply request membership on the South Jersey Girls Who Wanna Have Fun page. You DO NOT have to live or have ties to South Jersey.

Virtual hugs!
❤,

PS: Want to have some COVID-less fun? Check out our upcoming Franks & Beans Events Virtual Girls’ Nights Out.

Featured Photo credit: Wall Street Journal

May 23 2020

Technically Alone, Yet Technically Together

Tobi Schwartz-Cassell Moving right along Best South Jersey Girls Night Out, Coronavirus, COVID-19, depression, Girls Night In, girls night out, isolation, loneliness, online events, Physical distancing, Social distancing, South Jersey Girls Night In, South Jersey Girls Night Out, South Jersey Girls Who Wanna Have Fun, virtual events, Zoom events 1

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

I’ve been doing women’s events for 11 years. Five for Girlfriendz Magazine (the magazine I created and ran for seven years) and six for Franks & Beans Events. I’m happy to say that I learned something new at our event this past Thursday night!

The evening featured Paper Artist Lorena Melcher of Melcher Creations, and we each had a chance to create something beautiful. Lorena designed kits for each of us in which she tucked beautiful stamped and embossed paper, sparkly gemstones, a frame and a glue stick. Even a bonus project! What she didn’t include was her opinion. She left that to us. So my choice of project was Terry’s choice. And Linda’s choice was her niece Jessica’s choice. And Kim’s choice was Sandy’s and Janis’ choice. They ended up looking the same and yet, looking different. And that was a big part of the fun!

So what did I learn? I learned that in 11 years of doing live events with between 30 and 50 guests, the virtual events that Kim, Linda and I have been presenting are amazing in their own way. At our first virtual event, there were 20 guests (not including our team members). At Thursday night’s event, we had 14 (not including our team), and here’s where the learning comes in: I’m seeing that less is more.

Whether by choice or by circumstance, many women live solo. And as we continue to shelter-in-place, that sometimes leads to loneliness. Put us together using technology, and we are technically alone, yet technically together. During the event, it felt like I was in a room filled with women! And I got to know them in a different way than getting to know them at a live event.

Everyone was relaxed and ready to have fun, to experiment with her creativity and to meet some new people.

Because it was virtual, sisters Marcy and Linda, and Marcy’s daughters, had the opportunity to spend an evening together, despite the fact that Linda lives in NJ, Marcy lives in LA, and the girls live in TX and FL. I had the opportunity to spend an evening with my sister Molly. Even though we live a town away, we haven’t seen each other in person since early February.

All of this is making me even more excited for our upcoming virtual events.

So what are you doing technologically now that you’ve never done before? Please let us know in the comments below.

Sending you my love–technologically, of course ❤,

PS: Join us on Facebook for support and laughter at South Jersey Girls Who Wanna Have Fun, for those who live in South Jersey, and Girls Who Wanna Have Fun, for those living anywhere else. Everyone is welcome to join in on the fun!

*PPS: I hope you don’t need this, but if you do, please contact the New Jersey Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 572-SAFE (7233), 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Or call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. Click here for a variety of resources for those living in New Jersey.

April 28 2020

The Case Against Social Distancing

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By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

Six-feet apart is still the order of the day, as we watch COVID-19 cases and death counts heartbreakingly mount.

But must we call what we are doing “social distancing?” Wouldn’t “physical distancing” make more sense? I ask because the last thing we should be doing now is being socially distant from one another.

With so many suffering from depression, anxiety, isolation and loneliness, the last thing we need to be is mentally, emotionally and socially distant from each other.

Trust me, I am a staunch advocate for physical distancing. It’s what the scientists are telling us to do. And if I’m going to take advice from anyone, it’s going to be a scientist. Stan and I consider ourselves beyond blessed to be able to stay safely in our apartment. And, we have the deepest of gratitude and respect for the essential workers who put their lives on the line for us–and everyone else–every single day. We request on their behalf, continued good physical and mental health. If anyone deserves it it’s them. Yes, the economy is important. But if most of the population dies from a global pandemic, the economy will too.

So, I’m not against the concept of social distancing. I’m against the terminology that was chosen to describe it.

On Sunday, we attended a Zoom funeral in Central Jersey for my dear friend Debbie’s father, a victim of the Coronavirus. After that, we “traveled” to a Zoom birthday party in Abington for our future daughter-in-law, Christine. The day ended back in Central Jersey, with a Zoom Shiva (Jewish prayer service to honor the person who passed away, and to support those who are mourning that person). We hit 3 destinations in two states, yet we didn’t move one inch to go from one milestone event to the next. One of my friends pointed out that as much of a roller coaster day it was for us, there was one undeniable constant—love. (You nailed it, Kathy.)

Though we were physically distancing for all three functions, the last thing we were doing was socially distancing. It wasn’t the preferred way for the mourners or for our birthday girl, but the alternative would have been disappointment for Christine and loneliness for Debbie.

So, as we continue to live through this unprecedented time in our lives, never lose sight of the most important four-letter word we have in our arsenal: Love. Share it with those you live with, and those who are living alone, and those living in a dangerous (abusive*) situation.

Sending you my love,
❤,

PS: Who are you celebrating and/or memorializing during this difficult time, and how are you doing it? Have you bought stock in Zoom yet? Please let us know in the comments below.

PPS: Here’s one way to stay socially close to those who are near or far—our online events. And join us on Facebook for support and laughter at South Jersey Girls Who Wanna Have Fun. Everyone is welcome, no matter where you live!

*PPPS: I hope you don’t need this, but if you do, please contact the New Jersey Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 572-SAFE (7233), 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Or call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. Click here for a variety of resources for those living in New Jersey.