Cosmopolitan Magazine!

So there's this magazine, called Cosmopolitan...have you heard of it?!  I'm sure you have!  I'm thrilled to share an article on frenemies that I was interviewed for; it appeared in the online version of Cosmopolitan: cosmo.com!

For those of you who are confused: friend + enemy = frenemy.  Unfortunately, we all have them, and many of us have come across situations in which we don't know how to manage - from how to handle a frenemy being way too nice to when she starts dating an old flame of ours...yikes!

Thus, I was asked to offer my expertise on how to handle eight common scenarios (cool, huh?!).  If you haven't noticed, I'm excited and honored to share this article - being a Cosmopolitan fan and all!  And for those of you who haven't read my book, I address the topic of frenemies...and much, much more!

Check it out:
Cosmo.com article on frenemies by Natasha Burton
 
What's been your experience with frenemies?  If you've been in these above mentioned situations, how did you manage them?

Author's Luncheon

I was given an exciting opportunity last Tuesday to attend an author's luncheon at the Silverleaf Club in Scottsdale, AZ where I discussed the book with about 15 women.  Questions ranged from how to handle the changing nature of friendships as we get older to how to model healthy relationships to our daughters; the questions sparked interesting conversations and topics about female friendship. 

What I enjoyed most about the afternoon was watching these women interact.  Many of the women came with a few friends, so they looked happy as they were laughing and catching up with each other.  One of the women brought her friend from out of town who is currently staying with her, and they discussed their 40+ years of friendship history.  It was beautiful and heartwarming to witness these real-life friendships, and ones that seemed to pick up without a hitch.

Another interesting part of the luncheon was when a woman asked about how to handle those friends who drain you, and don't get the hint that the friendship isn't working.  This woman coined the term "emotional vampires" - which I absolutely loved and had to share such a funny, yet true term.  She mentioned how these emotional vampires suck the life right out of you.  It's a hard dance when someone doesn't seem to "get it" and keeps contacting you - or she always has drama and chaos that weighs down the friendship.  I offered my feedback, and some of the other women provided their insight; yet everyone agreed that it's not easy to be honest and tell someone that the friendship is over and/or it's not working.  This led to a discussion about friendship breakups, and how difficult and painful they are for both parties.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the luncheon and want to thank the women who attended, as well as those who helped to make it happen.  It was wonderful to discuss the book - as it created a dialogue about various friendship experiences - and yes, Facebook was discussed and even these women shared their frustrations with it!   The best part was witnessing the beauty of female friendship and seeing how it can last. 

Alumni Article

I'm happy to share an article written by Patricia Rabb:

American University Alumni article on Surviving Female Friendships: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Check it out!

Thanks, Patricia!

Facebook Unfriending

Another interesting article on Facebook: unfriending and the consequences of doing so.

The Huffington Post: Unfriending On Facebook May Affect Real-Life Relationships

I address de-friending in my book, so this research makes it even more clear that it can have a negative impact.  My love/hate relationship with Facebook continues...

What are your thoughts?  Have you experienced any negative consequences after deleting a friend from your Facebook list?

Do You Need a Facebook Vacation?

For those of you who have read my book, you know I have mixed feelings about Facebook - and that's putting it nicely!  I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook, so when I saw this article, I had to share it:

San Francisco Chronicle article on Facebook

In the past year, has your Facebook activity increased or decreased?  If it's decreased, why?  Do you ever feel as though you need a Facebook vacation?