Sometimes you need a glass of wine.

And sometimes – like after you come home from bombing an exam to find an email from your long distance boyfriend saying he “just can’t do it anymore” and you knock a glass of water onto your brand new MacBook – you need a lot more. But something about chugging Two Buck Chuck straight from the bottle is neither classy nor refined, and having to keep pouring glass after glass just slows down the healing process.

Sounds like to need this (big) guy.

A wine glass big enough to hold a full bottle of Boones Farm Strawberry Fields?

I’ll take two, please.

When making my decision between drinking a glass of red or white wine, I usually pick vodka. But sometimes that is simply not an option. So my thought process usually goes something like this:

Who doesn’t drink a glass of ice-cold vodka at dinner time? Strange. Wine it is then. But the only people who drink white wine are those trashy housewives in Atlanta and Kirsten from the O.C. We all remember those infamous words before she sent herself off to rehab, “I may like my Chardonnay, but I won’t end up alone! And that’s more than I can say for you!” Wow, that was a train wreck. Better opt for a glass of red. But I’m trying to meet some boys tonight and I don’t think purple teeth are going to work to my advantage. Plus, I’m trying to maintain a glowing smile so I can one day become rich and famous for my million-dollar smile. So I better stick to white wine.

That entire inner monologue could have been avoided had I know this fun fact: White wine is actually worse for your teeth than red.  White wine is high in acid, and that can wear away tooth enamel and intensify the stains left by the double espresso you slammed at the library the night before. Read More »

Today is Good Friday.

I’m not sure what makes it more good than any other Friday (which are always good in my book), but that is what the calendar says, so I’m goin’ with it. In honor of the goodness of today, I decided to make this Friday extra special and do everything to make sure it was good: I ate a donut for breakfast (good), I put real cream instead of skim milk in my coffee (good), I never got out of my PJs (good), and I’m hoping to watch the entire first season of The Hills on DVD (very good).

What about you?

This week our writers weighed in on what makes a Good Friday for them. Besides the mere fact that it’s Friday, of course. Helloooo, weekend! Read More »

Like everyone these days, it seems I am living ever so slightly north of broke. Thus, I collect a running list in my head of the best and cheapest cheap-o finds around, so I can maintain a lifestyle I can both enjoy AND afford (and because credit card debt has taken on a new place in my nightmares).

Below are some of my absolute faves. Got some of your own? Please, please please, let me know!

1. Two Buck Chuck: Well, in the case of my Trader Joe’s, it’s Three Buck Chuck – it seems to vary depending on where you are. BUT $3 for totally decent wine is aces with me! As a sidenote, the genius wine guy at my local shop told me that anything between $5 and $20 is generally not worth it. The cheap bottles are every bit as good as the mid-range ones (like $7-$15) so don’t bother! Cheap wine can be good wine!

(1B. I’ve got to give a shout out to Trader Joe’s in general. I cannot get enough of this store, because it has delicious bargains, and makes my goal of cooking my meals at home to save money totally attainable. It also has so much awesome frozen, pre-diced, pre-cooked food. Excellent finds for those of us both poor and busy!)

2. e.l.f. (or Eyes, Lips, Face, if you want to get technical about it): Go to eyeslipsface.com for THE BEST beauty bargains around. I’m not exaggerating; it’s genius. It is to my adult self what Wet ‘n’ Wild was to my elementary school self. All their stuff is well-formulated and pretty, and it is all….wait for it…..$1!! That’s right, one dollar! Eyeshadows, liners, mascaras, nail polish, you name it, all in a huge range of irresistible shades. And I do mean irresistible; the hardest part is not going insane and buying everything you could ever want, because you think, “hey, it’s only a dollar!” and then you’ve spent $50. Oops. Read More »