Content tagged with: holiday

 

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Holiday (Golightly) Eating

 
YES PLEASE!

Okay, no.

Did you know that the average number of pounds, gained by women between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, is 7. Lucky Number 7.

7 was not lucky for Gwyneth Paltrow in the movie of the same number, where her head ended up in a box.

7 pounds is also not lucky if you want to be able to zip up your Sevens throughout the months of December and January.


I have concocted a magic formula for Holiday Eating, where 7 can be your friend.

1) Eat 7 small meals a day. Wait, it's 5 small meals? Crap.

2) At work - when co-worker Harriet brings in peppermint bark, allow yourself 7 chews, and a swallow. Then step away from the peppermint bark. This also applies to fudge, holiday cookies, anything chocolate, and really thick egg nog.

3) Park 7 blocks away. From everything. Get moving for crying out loud! Seven pounds!

4) Add 7 minutes to any workout routine. If you have no routine, do something active for 7 minutes (your significant others owe me for that one).

5) If you've already eaten some of Harriet's peppermint bark, and you're craving more fat-and-calorie-laden treats, grab a glass of water, and drink 7 giant swallows. You'll feel full. ish.

6) At the holiday party, where they have a ridiculous smorgaasbord of tasties, get a fork, and plop one small portion of 7 different treats on a small plate. Variety = spice of life. Don't tell me you've never heard that before.

7) It's New Year's Eve, and you've actually LOST 7 pounds??? Whaaaa???

You're welcome.

 

Holiday (Golightly) Recovery

 

Erf.  Are they over yet???

According to our Golightly Girl, Card, the holidays aren't officially over until February 15.  Also known as Independence Day.

However, the REALLY stressful craziness has pretty much passed, and you all deserve a round of applause for surviving.  That is, if a round of applause could massage every muscle in your tense body, to some soft Sade tunes, while simultaneously feeding you chocolate-covered strawberries and Veuve Clicquot.

 

My advice for you?  Do something nice for yourself in the next few weeks.  Be completely selfish about it.  Need ideas?  I'm frequently selfish, and have plenty.  Most of the following should be done only after unplugging/turning off your phone:

1) Aforementioned massage.  And don't let the masseuse talk to you.  You are paying for this, and you need Quiet-Relaxy Time.  Relaxy is a word.

2) Lie down on the couch with your iPod for one hour, and put on playlist entitled "Napping Time".  Don't be absurd, of course everyone has a playlist entitled "Napping Time".  And if you don't, make one, and include aforementioned Sade, along with Zero 7, Nick Drake, Damien Rice, Billie Holiday, and fill-in-the-blank-with-your-favorite-mellow-artist.

3) Have a glass of wine with lunch.  On a weekday.  If you already, normally, do this?  Have two.

4) Buy yourself something you'd normally never buy.  Like a wig, or a hat, or rhinestone opera gloves.  Then verbally identify them as "ME!" items.  "This is my ME wig!"  It's all about you.

5) Take a "mental health" day, and just watch the Bravo channel all day long in your pajamas.  With any luck, there will be a "Real Housewives of Orange County" marathon.

6) Bubble bath.

7) Need I even say "new shoes"?

Now go!


 

Labor (Day) Pains

 

Oh the pressure to have fun plans for the Big Labor Day Weekend!  "Hey, what are YOU doing?  Where are YOU going?  Who are YOU doing stuff with?"

 

labor day

 

While the Memorial Day weekend retains a smidgen (or at least an illusion) of somberness - at least during that part of the parade where you remember the day is supposed to honor war veterans - Labor Day weekend has no such restrictions.  The Central Labor Union of New York City, created Labor Day, in 1882, to give a "day off for the working citizens".  And boy do we working citizens make the most of that day!

There are long weekends at the beach, backyard barbecues, picnics, fireworks, music festivals - WHEW!  Or maybe just a spending bonanza at the Labor Day Weekend Sales.  Whatever you're planning on doing, make sure you wear all your white shoes one last time, before putting them in storage until next May.

But what if you haven't made any specific, crazy-fun-outrageous plans?

We think that's okay.  Sometimes coming up with specific, crazy-fun-outrageous things to do, just for the sake of doing something on a holiday weekend, is kind of a pain.

Since we are all "working citizens", we should be free to spend Labor Day Weekend as we so choose.  Coming up with fantastic weekend extravaganzas can often be work in and of itself.  Relax and do exactly what you feel like doing.  Laundry?  Sure!  Napping?  No problem!  Catching up on past episodes of "Gossip Girl"?  We won't tell a soul.

I mean, not that I'm going to be doing any of that...

No I'm going to be on Lake Havasu, waterskiing while holding a picnic basket, and having fireworks shoot out of my ponytail.

What are you doing for your Labor Day weekend?