Tag Archives: tips

Things I Keep Meaning to Tell You About: Mr. Rebates

Like so many men and women of my generation, I have an unhealthy relationship with the Internet. In case you haven’t noticed, I sort of put my life all over it. Pictures. Drunken musings. Lamentations of the single life. It’s everywhere.

Sometimes I think about quitting you, Internet. I finally get fed up with how much time we spend together, how much you let me tell the world. (You should really come with a breathalyzer.)

But then you put something beautiful in front of my face and I just have to have it.

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Suggestions for a Happier 2K13

(I was going to call this post Rules for 2013, but then I remembered I am not, in fact, Bill Maher.)

Stop using the phrase “Sorry I’m not sorry.” It’s stupid, makes little sense, and is also stupid.

Don’t follow Donald Trump on Twitter. Or watch him on Fox News. Or Entertainment Tonight. Or Celebrity Apprentice. Or his town car. It only encourages him.

Screen shot 2012-12-31 at 2.09.45 PM

On the 21st of every month, remind your apocalypse-believing friends that we’re still alive. Also, that the Mayans they were wrong. Take them to a nice Mexican or South American dinner to really rub it in.

Listen to this song at least once a week. Because it is amazing and impossible not to dance to.

Speaking of dancing…

Dance around your bedroom/bathroom/apartment/shower/closet naked or at least in a towel. I suggest the Pandora Motown station.

So You’re Getting Married

Congratulations!  This is an exciting time for you, sharing your love with the world for the first time forever.  Here are some great tips on how to plan your grand affair:

Watch Four Weddings marathons each weekend. Steal ideas from your favorites. Mock the losers. (Those tacky bitches have nothing on you.)

Post every single wedding-related thought on Facebook. This includes articles about preparing to be a wedding guest (“Take notes, people!”), excerpts from Dickinson poems, and pictures of your engagement ring amid a variety of backgrounds (“Look how it gleams at sunset!” “Reflection in the Bean!” “I <3 my fiance - oh weird I can’t get used to that!”)

Spend more time with your engaged friends than your single or married ones. If you don’t have any, make some at your local bridal expo. Single gals either won’t get your stress because they are jealous, haven’t met The One.  Married women won’t support you because they are upset that your wedding is going to be so much better than theirs.

Pick a good wedding theme. I don’t know when weddings began to have themes, but clearly it’s important.  Try something no one else has done. Did your groom like to play Cowboys and Indians Native Americans as a kid? Why not try a Wild West theme!

Throw smaller events to prepare yourself for the Big Day. It’s sort of like how competitive eaters prepare their stomachs before a big competition by eating light meals to stretch out their gut.  You will prepare for the stress and chaos of your wedding by throwing smaller parties for your engagement, bridal shower, bachelorette party, couples’ dinner party, meeting the in-laws, meeting the extended family, joining the social circles together, introducing your respective colleagues…

Pay attention to the details. Do your flowers go with your wedding theme? Will the color of your bridesmaids’ dresses bring out their eyes? (If yes, then pick a new color.)
Pick out a classy cake topper. This is your first statement to the world as a married couple – make it count.  (Don’t you want everyone to know that you had to force the Love of Your Life to marry you at gunpoint?)

How to Spend Sunday Instead of Watching Super Bowl XLVI

Run errands.

Walking outside anytime after kickoff on Super Bowl Sunday might as well be a scene in I Am Legend.   This also means that aside from a few un-Americans like you, everyone will be enjoying the comfort of their own homes (or friend’s couches or local bar stools) instead of doing the things they normally do on Sunday like hitting up the laundromat, getting prescriptions filled, and grabbing the last good DVD from the nearest Red Box.  Aside from the occasional ice and beer run, I’d put safe money on me having the grocery store to myself Sunday afternoon.

Practice parallel parking.

Or learn how to drive, depending on what stage in life you’re in.  I’m not saying that finding a space is going to be particularly easy, especially if you’re in a neighborhood of party-throwers, but traffic will be slim.  That means plenty of time to turn your steering wheel a million times over and inch front and back, front and back, front and back, until you finally squeeze into the one open spot on the block.  Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

Eat at a fancy restaurant.

Somehow I doubt Mrs. McGillicutty convinced the Mr. that taking her to a nice anniversary dinner on Super Bowl Sunday worked out very well.  He may be sleeping on a couch for the next week, but at least you’ll be able to get into Chez Chic for something classier than chicken wings.

See an embarrassing movie on the big screen.

Are you a macho man who publicly claims not to enjoy cartoons, documentaries, or the dreaded chick flick? Do you secretly want to check out Joyful Noise?  There is no better time to tell your boys you’re sick, drive a town over (just in case), and check it out in what is sure to be an empty theater.

Order Thai food for delivery.

Because who eats Thai food during the Super Bowl?  This can also be amended to Chinese, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisines per personal preference.

What are you doing for the Super Bowl?

Applying to Graduate School: Tips from a Pro

So you want to go to graduate school.  Great!  I fully support that decision – going to grad school was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  Not because it catapulted me into some high-paying job (note: that’s not what grad school is for) but because it enriched my mind, advanced my skills, and made me happy.

I already worked in graduate admission when I started to seriously consider what I wanted to study – so maybe I had an advantage in preparing my application - but I see mistakes made every day that seem like common sense.  Before you click send on that application of yours, make sure you’ve read these tips. Continue reading