Ever since the book came out, I've received feedback about how it's made women think about friendships throughout their lives, as well as who is in their lives now. The goal of this blog is to open up and create a dialogue about friendships: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Each week I will post my thoughts, experiences, as well as various articles, topics or quotes that I feel are important when examining female friendships. Please feel free to leave comments; I look forward to hearing from you!

Email me: survivingfemalefriendships@gmail.com

Follow me: https://www.facebook.com/Surviving-Female-Friendships-839907162798307/?ref=hl https://twitter.com/ZangaraNicole

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Girls' Life Magazine

If you haven't already, please pick up a copy of the August/September print issue of Girls' Life Magazine!  I'm featured in an article called, "What's Your Friendship Style?"  I give some advice regarding two of the situations...you'll have to get a copy to read more!

Below is the link to the press release, which has more information about the article:
Girls' Life Magazine Press Release

Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Time and Friendship

One of my best friends emailed me a few days ago; she was struggling with one of her friends and shared her thoughts and feelings about what was going on.  What she wrote A. impressed me and B. got me thinking a lot about time and friendship, and how we manage both in our busy lives.  Thus, below is what my friend wrote to me.  We shall call her Watson; she's just cool like that.

Time. Time is a constant in all of our lives and has become either an excuse or answer to things working or not working out.  Whether it is work deadlines, applying for a job, when to take your medication, when to get your oil changed, paying bills or when to have a baby, these are all questions of time and also making time to get these accomplished.

Lately, this has been appearing in my life more frequently, as I have gotten married and my friends have either started relationships, gotten married, or are dealing with daily life.  All of these things take time.  I just wonder: when did we start using the excuse of time as an answer for not being a good friend, parent, partner, sister, brother, mother, daughter?  Should this be a legitimate reason for not being the best of all of those things?  Or making just a couple of those things a priority?

Just the other day I realized that my friend Eliza (who I thought was a good, trustworthy friend) used the "time" excuse for not being a good friend.  "I have been trying to manage my life better and be there for my friends who live all over the place," she said.  Yet, she still manages to find the time to post on Facebook, continue her postings on her blog, have a busy job, live with her boyfriend...and they just recently got a dog.  In some ways, I wish she just would have used time as the answer, even if at the moment it stung, she could have just said, "I can't be the friend you need me to be right now; I just don't have the time."  It sounds cruel when I say it out loud but at least I would have an answer and not be strung along or hurt by the excuses that keep coming my way.

Is this unreasonable?  Are my expectations too high?  Do I have too much time on my hands?

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Pitch Perfect

I recently watched the movie Pitch Perfect.  It was filled with amazing singing and hysterical one-liners (Rebel Wilson is hilaaaaarious).  It was also filled with female friendship and what happens when you throw a bunch of women together who are all different and unique in their own ways.  I enjoyed watching the process of these women (aka The Barden Bellas in the a cappella collegiate singing group) as they learn to respect and actually come to like one another.  It showed how first impressions are not always right, and also, that over time, we can learn to like others as we accept who they are, the good and the bad.

In one scene, the ladies go around and share something that others don't know about them; it was a growing moment for everyone as they opened up and allowed themselves to be vulnerable.  It was a funny, yet genuine scene that reminded me of when you learn something personal about a friend that deepens the bond of the friendship. 

The entire movie was so much fun to watch (at times, I wanted to get up and dance), so I'm including the final scene (SPOILER ALERT: don't watch if you haven't seen the movie!!), where The Barden Bellas come together and share their awesomeness with each other, and the audience...oh yea, it's a rockin' number!  Go ahead, have a dance party!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Scottsdale Living Magazine

I'm pleased to share an article that recently came out in Scottsdale Living Magazine:

Helpful Book By Local Author, Nicole Zangara, Explores Female Friendships by Jamie Mitchell

I sat down with Jamie at a local Starbucks, where she interviewed me about the book; she asked great questions and was excited to discuss the topic of female friendship.

Enjoy the article!