s-etiquette: birthday bitches

Dear S,

A co-worker of mine has been planning her birthday house party for months. Which is great, but a week before the date of her party she changed her mind and moved the party to a fancy restaurant instead. Neither my bf or I have room in our budgets to pay for a fancy sit-down dinner and drinks for the both of us, as well as the birthday girl. This is not even a milestone birthday and she’s not even a close friend of mine!

How do I get out of it without offending her.

Sincerely,

Girl With No Excuse

The Twelve Days Of Christmas

The countdown to Christmas has officially begun.

There are twelve days left to make a last mad dash to the mall, tie up loose ends and wrap up the merriment before the thrill of the coming new year takes hold. So with twelve days left before C-Day what can you do to maintain your sanity and embrace the spirit of the season? Take it one day at a time.

how to be a good guest

We are now nine days into December, and I am pretty sure I can assume your holiday party calendar is beginning to fill up. I know mine sure is! I also know how hard it is becoming to pry yourselves out of bed in the morning as the countdown to Christmas draws nearer. So here are a few tips which will help you look your absolute best no matter how tired and in need of the upcoming holiday you are. I am going to ensure that you are the guest hosts will want to have at their parties.

It’s true we are all beginning to run a little ragged come this time of year. Our skin takes a beating, our hands and nails look like the Sahara desert and I cannot even talk about the kind of havoc that wearing a scarf does to my hair! So, let’s start by trying to make ourselves our most gorgeous for all those upcoming holiday photo-ops. The prettier you are, the more displayed family photos and albums you will have; instead of the ones we untag on Facebook or hide under the bed and in the back of closets. Believe me, you are going to want the memories one day.

christmas dinner survival guide part 2: how to be a good guest

Last Sunday, A and I were given an invitation to a dessert party. Yes, that’s right, a party, five days before Christmas, full of nothing but dessert and alcohol. I will give you a minute to fully absorb how awesome a concept is. Done? So, although I am looking forward to this party, I did take a second and think perhaps a dessert party was not the best place for me to be – considering I am watching my diet, but who could turn that down?

Luckily, since it is only dessert, it means A and I will still have to eat dinner before we go. I can eat at home – make it healthy – and fill up on good food, so I am not tempted to eat every dessert there is. The last time the hostess made a dessert it was a chocolate cupcake with a peanut butter cup core, chocolate icing and crumbled peanut butter cup on top. I know, right?!

my night with the fryer

There’s something about a bad day or week that makes you want to consume nothing but the greasiest food. And cupcakes. And ice cream.

Yes, I can be a pig at times but after a hard week I figure I deserve a meal, or full day of indulgence!
This past weekend that is just what my friend and I decided to do. We made the plan in the middle of the week and from then on discussed what we would make and drink at our fried food extravaganza to help get us through the week. It worked.

Now, you know how when you build something up for a period of time the chance for a huge let down on the actual day increases? We were determined not to let that happen so we packed the day full of fun and exciting things like brunch and trying on bridesmaids (and possibly wedding) dresses which we FINALLY found. Yay! Another item to check off. So we did what any group of three girls would do. We celebrated by buying a half dozen cupcakes from Short and Sweet. So good! Try the Red Velvet, best I’ve had. Then we went on our merry way to buy all the things we would need for our bar food inspired feast.