Drinking to excess is bad. We all know that. It's painful, high in calories and often high in embarrassment as well. That said, the holidays are upon us and holidays bring parties, families, and stress. Throw it all together and you've got a super fantastic recipe for a hangover. Therefore I consider it my civic duty to share several tactics I've learned over the years to avoid and cure them. To be honest, I don't drink very much anymore* (despite my penchant for shiny barware, exciting bars and cocktail recipes) so several of these come straight from a doctor friend of mine who manages to have a vibrant social life despite working all the damn time, so they're tried and true.
Everyone knows the things you're supposed to do to prevent a hangover. Don't drink too much (duh), eat a meal heavy in carbs AND protein beforehand, and drink plenty of water. These work, but aren't always feasible. Although drinking a large glass of water with every drink is a really good and easy idea. So the rest of this blog entry is dedicated to those nights when prevention got thrown out with the twists and cherry stems.
1) Go out and buy a B vitamin supplement. Liquid is best, sublingual is ok, but regular tablets do next to nothing.
2) Before you go out, put the following items by your bedside or in your purse: an enormous glass of water, the vitamin B, 2 aspirin and a cracker or similiar small food item (preferably one that your cat won't eat. Which, if you are me, excludes popcorn, fruit and sourdough bread because Rue is a big, old freak).
3) When you wake up at the crack of dawn, in that weird in-between state where you're still drunk but already cranky, drink all of the water, then refill the glass for later. Eat the cracker, and then take the aspirin and the vitamin B. It's important to do it in that order because B vitamins can cause headaches if they hit an empty stomach. Go back to sleep.
That on its own will do wonders. But when you wake up later on, pinch one nostril closed, and take several deep, fast breaths into the other one. Do it on the other side. Then massage the sides of your nose and the front of your eye sockets, where your eyebrows are. Optional: nasal spray.
Everyone has their perfect hangover food, and it varies widely. The Boy, for example, starts every hungover morning by declaring, "living legend needs eggs." I tend to require carbs by the approximate truckload. I always say go with your gut when it comes to food, but here is a nutritionally perfect hangover breakfast, full of things that will replenish your system and prevent almost all of the terrible symptoms, so eat as many of these ingredients as is possible/pleasant.
Banana
Hearty white toast with butter and marmite
Scrambled eggs, salted
Optional: vegetable juice, wheatgrass shots, EmergenC, orange Gatorade.
I don't know why orange Gatorade is better than the other kinds, but the hangover Gods have spoken and it is so.
I hope this helps, and had at least a few tricks that were new to you. Did I miss any? Do you have any rituals that you swear by? Go forth and be merry. Hell, be overly merry if you want to.
*although if you remind me that I wrote those words when January 2nd rolls around I'll throw a leftover martini in your face.
Pre-entry FYI: some exciting things coming up on the blog, including a giveaway so tell all your friends about the weird blog by the girl who falls down a lot.
How to Stay Sane on an Airplane
I've already done some travel-type advice entries, I know, but I am super good at making flights fly by so I thought I'd share. The Boy can fall asleep instantly on an airplane and stay asleep for as long as 12 hours. I know, I flew to New Zealand with him. But I can't, so here are some ways that I make flying as optimal as possible, so as to avoid this feeling:
They are expensive, but worth it. The second I put them on I knew I never wanted to fly without them again. I put earplugs under them when I want to sleep and it gets reeeallly quiet.
I never would have bought these for myself, but I got them as a Christmas present and they changed everything. Taking off my shoes and putting these on has become part of my takeoff ritual, and it instantly calms me down and gets me ready for the flight.
3) Takeoff Ritual.
Rituals are soothing, so get one. Here's mine: before I put my bag in the overhead and my purse under the seat, I take out everything I will possibly need. I put my water, phone, Kindle and iPad all within reach, I put my eye mask on my head, my earphones on my ears and my slippers on my feet, and get settled under the blanket. I also keep a little bag next to me with my earplugs, Visine, chapstick, gum, hand moisturizer and melatonin for the long flights. Then I pester the person next to me for real sleeping pills. It's fun for everyone.
4) Eye mask.
I don't understand men's aversion to these. You're asleep, what do you care what people think of you? They make everything better.
5) Enormous water bottle.
Drink it all before security. Refill it once you're through. Rinse, repeat. This not only keeps you hydrated enough to drink wine on the plane, it also ensures that you'll get up to pee during the flight so you don't have a leg stroke. That's right, I'm a blogger who cares.
6) The right music and books.
This sounds basic, but I've been next to people who wiggle and tap their feet the whole flight and I had to murder them, so you want to avoid anything that will inspire that kind of behavior. You know, for your own safety. Get something that you love and know really well, so if you get tired you can fall asleep. I've listened to certain Billy Holiday songs so much that I get sleepy whenever they come on no matter where I am. And the Disney soundtrack is excellent for early morning arrivals in foreign lands. German, by the way, is hilarious when set to the Little Mermaid soundtrack.
Gift guides are like pancakes: I love them early in the season but by late December I'm totally over them and ready to be done with the sugar high. But at the moment it hasn't hit me, and there's still enough butter to make it enjoyable.
That metaphor kind of took over and now I just really want pancakes. At any rate, here are a few little luxury items that are useful but not practical, which is what this time of year is all about! The best presents are things you want, but would never buy for yourself. Like, I'm not sure I could ever justify a s'mores kit for myself, but I'd love to give it to someone I know will enjoy it.
While I'll be spending most of this pre-holiday season in oversized sweaters and slippers as I slave to make it through finals, for most people this season is full of opportunities to wear one of my very favorite things in the world: sparkly dresses. So here are some that I've stumbled across as I procrastinate on the internet.
You may have noticed that all of these are incredibly shiny. That is because I love shiny things. Seriously, that last little number is giving me palpitations. However, for the more casual holiday get together, there's this silk number, which will translate nicely into summer.
A great way to dress up casual dresses for this season is with big rhinestone brooches. I recently inherited a bunch from my grandmother, and I guess I'll be wearing them to class. Enjoy the season. Drink a glass of bubbly for me.
The other day a girl complimented my skirt, and when I said I got it for $4 she was shocked. It's one of those mid-length pleated skirts that's super trendy right now and she paid $60 for a similiar one at Zara. I hate to to toot my own horn (also, I tooted your mom's horn last night), but as I started to think about my outfit, I realized a lot of it was great, cheap and secondhand. So, here are a few tips as well as some pictures of my favorite thrift store finds because it's my blog and I'll brag if I want to.
1. Know where to go.
Find the rich neighborhoods and hit up their Goodwills and consignment stores. I find most stores that advertise as 'vintage' are overpriced, but that's not a hard and fast rule. Buffalo Exchange, for example, is fantastic.
2. Know when to go.
Find out when they usually put new stuff out. Go then. Ask about sales. Goodwill has 50% one color tag each week.
3. Put your fast browsing shoes on.
I tend to get burnt out after an hour 45 minutes half an hour of browsing, so I've learned to look quickly for colors, patterns and materials that I like. For example, I shop for sweaters by just running my hand over and only stopping when it feels great and is a color I like. Same for coats.
Time saving tip: if something is cheap, cute, and you're 80% sure it will fit, there are ways to double check. For example, if you wrap the waistband of pants or a skirt around your neck and it reaches all the way around, it will fit around your waist.
4. Have an idea of what you're looking for and be ready to forget it.
If you go into a Goodwill store looking for the perfect, A-line, black wool skirt, you'll be disappointed. But if you go in looking for a mid-length pleated skirt, you might have some luck. I have my routine down pat: first I hit up shoes, then purses, coats and then I browse for whatever I went in for.
Christian Dior Skirt
5) Look for things you like, not things in your size.
I'm a size 10 shoe and when I'm looking through secondhand or vintage shoes, I tend to get excited by anything in my size. But that can lead to purchases I regret later. So look for things you love, and then see if they're in your size. Chances are, they won't be. But they also won't be something that will sit in your closet and collect dust.
DVF shoes
After Schprocket, I'd grab these in a fire.
6) Don't be swayed by designer labels.
It is totally awesome to walk away from a store with a couture label for crazy cheap, but it's not worth it if it's something that doesn't fit and flatter. I have a Christian Dior blazer that has sat in my closet for months because I can't figure out how to wear it. Make sure you love something before you look at the label.
My dad got me this scarf for 50 cents. Clearly, shopping prowess is in my genes.
7) Think of the possibility.
If you find something that is cute, cheap and perfect except for the buttons or the length of the sleeves, think about having it altered. I have a Burberry jacket that was $12, and I spent $50 having it taken in. I still came out with a good deal.
This is a different jacket. The belt is also vintage
8) Double Check.
Before you buy, especially if you have to have it altered, look over it. I'm an advocate of doing this for all purchases, new or used. Check for stains, missing buttons, tears, etc. If there's a flaw, you might be able to get it for a discount.
9) Don't get anything cheap, even if it's really cheap.
I know I said that labels don't matter, but it just seems silly to buy something from Target used. If you see something that came from somewhere like Target, Walmart, Old Navy or Payless, chances are it will fall apart after one wear. Look for good quality fabric and skilled construction.
This is a great, wool sweater from the 80s
10) For hats, go to eBay.
You can get some great deals on some seriously vintage and amazing hats.
This week has been a blur of castings, classes and overflowing inboxes. Come to think of it, the whole month summer has been a blur, and I don't know if it's that or just being on the ground too long but it's made me a little restless.
Which has led to a plethora of weekend trips which has only contributed to the stress, which detracts from the ability to focus. So, I stumbled upon this article, via this Twitter account. Now, while the idea of a magazine called 'Success' published by a man with skin and teeth that are unnaturally white and tan respectively totally skeeves me out the article itself was very helpful.
WARNING: There is kryptonite all around you!
There are great traps you will have to overcome to execute and stick to your five-point plan each day. These are three great warnings to look out for. WARNING No. 1—“Yes”
You will have to become a master at saying “no.” This is one of the greatest distinguishing features of superachievers—not what they do, but more important what they don’t do. Their ability to keep the main thing, in fact, the main thing and not get mired in weeds of minor tasks is their genius. They major in the major issues and don’t major in minors, as many of the rest of us tend to do.
As Brian Tracy said, you need to develop “Won’t Power.” The power to declare and stick to all the things you won’t do, in order for you to stay focused on the things that matter the most to the accomplishment of your BIG hairy audacious goals. WARNING No. 2—Being reactive instead of creative
Monitor and calculate your time between being reactive (reacting to communications, inquiries, requests and needs of others) and being proactive or creative—the time you are spending being productive and on target with your key priorities, not the priorities of others.
Think about it: email, texts, the phone… you are mostly reacting when you are on these devices. Don’t let them yank you around all day as if you were on the end of a string where someone else is your puppet master. Instead, be sure the lion’s share of your time is spent being creative and focused on YOUR few and high-value priorities. WARNING No. 3—Immediate gratification
Lastly, you have to keep your addictions at bay. Trust me, I know. I am a card-carrying achievement addict myself. This might be seeing checkmarks on a to-do list. The sense of achievement you get by checking a lot of tasks off—tasks that you probably shouldn’t have allowed to get your time and focus in the first place.
And our human addiction to novelty—what’s new, what’s next. The next email, the new text, the Tweet update, the Facebook responses, the latest news alert, etc. We love to know what’s new and we love to know we are loved. Many times a new email, text, blog, Facebook or Twitter comment is like getting a small shot of love dopamine pumped through our veins through the IVs that are our electronic devices. “Oh, a new email, a new comment; oh boy, someone loves me!” This can become a very unhealthy addiction, mostly because it continually and relentlessly distracts you from your creative and high-value productivity.
DON’T MISTAKE: Movement for Achievement Activity for Productivity Rushing for Results
I am all for more men wearing bowties, and I'm glad to do my part to encourage that. I also love wearing scarves, and will be utilizing several of these techniques myself in the coming months.
I stole these from Advanced Style, which is pretty much the best thing ever. These are 10 tips from 98-year-old Rose, and below them are 10 new tips from her at age 99.
Find your perfect perfume, people will remember you by your scent. Rose is known for her Pauline Trigere fragrance. She tells her granddaughter "I'll give you anything in the world, but I won't give you my perfume."
Belts and Beads. Rose believes that a belt or unique strand of beads can really make an outfit and they don't have to cost a fortune.
Take care of your feet and wear good shoes, but when you are going out for a night on the town, "fashion comes before comfort" At 98, Rose goes out every single night!
"Walking is a must: it's better than doctors or medicine"
No need to use expensive moisturizers, Rose swears by Oil of Olay which she has been using for decades.
"Inexpensive lipstick is as good as expensive, only better!" Rose has tried every brand from Chanel to Lauder and has recently been turned on to Revlon.
Be Unique: "If Everyone is wearing it, then its not for me"
"Be smart enough to know what you don't know"
If you have trouble reading the dinner menu, Lorgnettes are a fashionable and elegant alternative to reading glasses. How much do I want a lorgnette now? So much.
1. Stay Organized: "if you take a toothpick out, or a pair of pantyhose, or a hundred dollar bill, always put it back where you found it because if you add up the the time you spent looking for it later, that's a waste of time."
2."Always tell the truth because if you don't you'll have to think of another lie."
3."Be More, appear Less."
4."Always take the phone off the hook when you're in the bath."
5."Make friends with the maitre'd.'"
6."Never loan, Never borrow."
7."Never keep anyone waiting. Always be 15 minutes early."
8."Never look back. Always look forward."
9."Don't be afraid to tell your age, that's silly. Be proud of your age."
10."Don't frequent a restaurant where they don't crumb the table."
I may have to tattoo these on my ass. Or just write them on my mirror like a normal human being. Whatever.
1) Powder Your Roots
If your hairline starts to look greasy, dig up a big, fluffy makeup brush, and dip it into a pot of loose powder. Tap it once on the back of your hand to remove the excess, then dust it over your roots. It mops up oil and blends into your strands, so no one will know you didn’t shower.
2) Scent Strands with Perfume
Spray a light shot of fragrance into the bristles. Run it through strands from roots to ends and your hair will smell amazing throughout the day.
3) Cure Calluses with Vaseline
Slather on the petroleum jelly, and put on socks before bed to dissolve tough calluses overnight.
Author's Note: Tyra likes it too...
4) Spot-Treat Smudges
Dip a cotton swab in eye-makeup remover, and trace it along your lids to erase any slipups or goofs when there’s no time to redo your whole look.
Author's Note: here's a tip I learned from my favorite makeup artist. Dust some transparent powder under your eyes before doing your eye makeup. Then, when you're done, brush it off with a large brush. It will take away any powder or stray flecks without messing up your foundation.
5) Fix a Flushed Face
If you turn red and stay that way after exercising (like seriously red for hours, even though you’re healthy and hydrated), take an antihistamine like Benadryl when you leave the gym to reduce redness.
6) Soften Your Bod with Avocado
Take a ripe avocado, remove the pit and skin, and mash it up in a bowl. Slather it all over your body, let it sit for 20 minutes, then rinse off. Your skin will be sooo soft — avocado is a natural moisturizer.
7) Super-Glue a Nail
Instead of tearing off your nail when it breaks, put a tiny dab of Super Glue over the split, and paint a generous layer of your favorite nailpolish shade over it. Go for an opaque option (like red, purple, or coral) to camouflage and seal the crack.
8) Use Makeup Remover on Stubborn Lipstick
Don’t try to rub off red lipstick (which makes it smear across your mouth — not so sexy). Instead, take a cotton ball or tissue, dip it in makeup remover, and just dab to erase the dark stain fast.
9) Tame Brows with Eye Cream
Pat any kind of rich eye cream over brows to help keep them hydrated and banish those icky white specks that look like dandruff.
10) Buff with Baking Soda
If you find yourself streaking (not glowing) after applying self-tanner, put some baking soda on a loofah, and scrub away the stripes.
11) Brush on Hair Spray
For the final step of your blow-dry, spray hair spray onto your brush, and run it through strands from roots to tips. This way, your do isn’t so plastered and stiff but still holds volume and shine.
12) Boost Body Lotion with Baby Oil
If you’re craving shiny legs that aren’t greasy, blend a drop of baby oil into your normal body lotion for extra luster.
13) Dab Essential Oil on a Hangnail
Put on apricot oil, the kind found in health-food stores, to protect cuticles from turning rough and raggedy. Author's Note: you can also use Vitamin E oil, which will help reduce the appearance of scars.
14) Quell a Cold Sore with Cream
When a cold sore is coming on, dab a bit of thick moisturizer, like Aquaphor, over it to prevent it from getting worse.
15) Freeze Your Eyeliner
If the tip of your eyeliner pencil crumbles and smears on your lids, store the liner in the freezer for 15 minutes before use so the tip is firm and goes across your skin smoothly.
16) Use Toothpaste on a Zit
Use just a pea-size amount. Let sit for 15 minutes to absorb the oil so the pimple won’t get more clogged, then wash off.
17) Heat Up Your Curler
If you have stick-straight lashes, try blasting your metal eyelash curler with a hair dryer for a couple seconds to heat it up so your lashes bend more easily. And use a waterproof mascara. The formula dries faster than other mascaras, so it sets the curl more effectively.
18) Use Soap Without Water
You know those fancy bars that are actually too pretty to use? Toss them in your underwear or tee-shirt drawers to make your skin smell delicious.
19) Groom Brows with a Toothbrush
Mist an (unused!) toothbrush or eyebrow comb with hair spray to help flatten and tame unruly brows.
20) Put Diaper-Rash Cream on Dry Spots
Slather on a thick layer of diaper-rash cream to heal cracked elbows and feet.
21) Lubricate Your Lashes
An easy way to draw attention to your eyes without putting on a pile of makeup is to comb petroleum jelly lightly through the tips of eyelashes to get a sexy, subtle sparkle.
22) Steamroll Flyaways
Spray on hair spray, then roll the can over your strands. The round bottle fits the curved shape of your head, locks in the spray, and flattens out frizz.
Author's Note: I'm not totally sure I get this one.
23) Spike Lotion with Bronzer
If you don’t have time to book a self-tanning session, mix a few pumps of body bronzer with regular hand lotion and pat it on your legs for a gradual dose of sexy, beachy color.
24) Air-Dry Your Curls
Let your hair dry indoors before going out in the cold. The curls will be really bouncy and piecey-perfect.
Author's Note: for extra curl, spritz with salt water. Gives you a beachy look without the sand or crunch.
25) Press a Tea Bag on Splotches
If your skin is sensitive or just looking irritated and puffy for some reason, steep a bag of green tea for a minute or two, let it cool down, and dab it over your face. The antioxidants in the tea take down inflammation.
26) Shave with Conditioner
Ran out of shaving cream? Do double duty by coating your stems with a thick hair conditioner. It softens the hair so it’s easier to shave off and makes legs feel amazingly silky.
27) Amp Shine with Vinegar
Mix one part vinegar with four parts carbonated water, and soak dry hair. Leave on for 15 minutes before you shampoo to lock in shine and combat dullness.
28) Exfoliate Your Pits
If your underarms start to look dry and flaky, an easy trick is to exfoliate them with a gentle face scrub to keep that skin pretty when going sleeveless.
29) Customize Your Body Lotion
Instead of shelling out for an expensive perfumed body product, you can make your own by pouring a few drops of fragrance into any scent-free lotion. Rub it on-the scent will last for hours.
Author's note: I recommend Cetaphil. It's cheap and crazy effective. Also, if you're nice to your dermatologist they'll give you some. Sometimes.
30) Make an Egg-White Mask
To revive tired, dull skin without hitting the spa, try this: crack open an egg in a bowl, separate the yolk, and use the egg whites to make a face mask. The proteins help to heal and restore skin’s moisture. Leave it on for five minutes, and rinse off.
Author's note: for oily skin, do the same with egg yolk. Be careful not to get any in your mouth, though, because they are super gross.
32) Dry Sensitive Skin with T.P.
Instead of drying your face with a scratchy towel, pat with toilet paper- it’s ultrasoft on delicate skin (and bums!).
I've been pretty underqualified for most of these advice posts, but this one I feel pretty confident about. I'm a good traveller. I pack light, go hard, and, despite my intrinsic tardiness, always make my flight (knock on wood, puh puh puh).
That said, it's hard to say anything new about travelling. What are your surefire travel tips?
1) Schedule your freak out.
You're going to have one, and you might as well get it over with. Better to freak out while you're packing or waiting for the cab than on the plane or in a strange place.
Angelina Jolie says she only wears black because it's easy and it goes with everything. While that's true, colors can be easy, too, so long as they all go together. Pick a color scheme that shows up in your wardrobe a lot, like red, white and black or cobalt blue, grey and tan.
Specifically, a dress that doesn't wrinkle, a purse that holds everything, a tiny clutch for evenings, and flowy layered pieces that fold up to next to nothing.
4) Leave room in your suitcase.
I was in Germany for 5 days, and was shooting for 4 of them and I still came home with a few suitcase-space-sucking goodies. I'm all for packing light, but it's better to pack smart. Make sure you're not stuffing your suitcase to the brim on the way there.
5) Be realistic.
So, I know that, supposedly if you drink anything other than water and eat anything with salt or fat you'll explode on an airplane or something, but I also know that no matter how many healthy snacks I eat I'm still going to eat the salt bomb peanuts on the plane. So, I find a few healthy tricks that work for me. Like, I bring a bottle of water, drink it before security and then fill it up at the water fountains. And I eat things like grapes or watermelon that are high in water and fiber.
Scarves, sunglasses and bracelets are my favorites, but that's because I lose earrings and tangle necklaces. Do whatever works for you.
7) Don't do any of these things if you don't want to.
Travelling is stressful. Better to be happy and comfortable than anything else.
Update:the consensus seems to be that what goes into the carry-on is very important and I agree. I actually tend to pack everything in my carryon and try to avoid checking luggage whenever possible BUT when I do, here are my essentials:
All my underwear & socks
Change of clothes
Kindle and/or book
Elle Magazine
Bottle of water
Eye mask and earplugs
Travel Blanket
All my cords and chargers
All the hotel/destination/guide information
All my cosmetics and makeup (specifically from this company. Love.)
In other words, I bring everything that I absolutely need.
Some Unwanted Advice for Your Wednesday or a few well-meaning but under-qualified tips on submitting for a job
So, the other day I tweeted a snarky tweet. I was complaining about job applicants, and I was called out on it by someone looking for a job. She pointed out that instead of snarking, if I had helpful advice to dispense, I should dispense it.
But I wasn't really sure I was qualified, so I ran this by a friend of mine, who has started up 5 successful businesses and hired and fired dozens of people throughout her career. And she gave me a lot of great insight, which I've included. So, without further ado, here it is:
A) Never send an email with an empty body. Even if you're attaching a cover letter, there should be a little hello, here I am, here's my resume, thank you, sincerely etc.
i) have an easy to understand subject line in the email.
B) No typos. Not ever. Not in the email, not in the resume, not anywhere. Get at least one other set of eyes to look at your resume before you send it out. And make sure the formatting on your resume is consistent and easy to read. Your experience doesn't mean anything if people don't see it pop off the page.
C) Always, always, send your resume as an attachment, not in the body of the email. If you have any reason to believe that your file will be difficult to open, list it in the body with about 3 lines of space below your opening note.
D) Detail the attachments in your opening email. For example, if you've attached a cover letter and a resume, say so. If you've attached a resume and listed it as well, say so. And make sure and urge them to let you know if they have any trouble with the attachments.
E) Hold off on questions until they've replied in the affirmative. That's the time to talk about pay, hours, etc. not in your initial application email. This may sound petty, but if that information wasn't in the job description, there's probably a reason for it.
F) Speaking of the job description, make sure you read it very carefully. Someone spent a lot of time putting it together, so take time to read it.
G) Have all of your contact info prominently displayed at the top of your resume, cover
letter and at the bottom of your email. This is so important. Bottom of the email, top of the resume and top of the cover letter, preferably in an attractive and easy to read letterhead.
I) Consider getting a website to put up your bio, resume and any examples of your work. This is especially important for artists, freelance employees and anyone with relevant video, photos or files. If you don't want to buy a domain name, start a Wordpress blog and use that as a website. There are a lot of templates that look more like websites than blogs and it's easy to manage. Include your website along with your contact info on your resume, email etc.
So, that's what I have. What are your surefire tips?
