Archive for December, 2010

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A Low Resolution New Year
December 30th, 2010 | Comments
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We hate to seem bitchy and unsentimental but, except for the pink bubbly, we don’t like New Year’s Eve.

To begin with, the whole resolution thing is more like a guilt-tripping-shame-festival than a positive self-esteem builder. Think about it, people looking to fix what they most hate about themselves by resolving to:

1. Lose weight

2. Quit smoking

3. Stop drinking

4. Be a nicer person

5. Spend less

Like at the stroke of midnight with a little magical thinking and a carefully crafted line item list of corrections they’re going to morph into a Shape cover girl or Mother Teresa, right?

And, who doesn’t dread the focused pressure to ‘celebrate’ New Year’s which inevitably leaves you feeling alienated and/or puts you into a position of spending more money than you bargained for (breaking resolution #5 before you begin)? How many times have you done the following?

A) Rather than feel like a loser with no ‘fun’ plans you’ve been the one to organize and hold a party.

B) Or, you head out to a restaurant with a ‘special’ menu and jacked up pricing that keeps you captive for longer than you want.

C) Or, you head out to a restaurant with a ‘special’ menu and jacked up pricing that throws you out on a schedule so they can squeeze in another seating of suckers.

4) Or, you take your life into your hands by driving home after midnight from a party you really didn’t want to attend. (Most people don’t follow through on resolution #3 .)

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Advice for the Morning After
December 26th, 2010 | Comments
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Warning: Don’t buy into pre-programmed sales.

If you’re bargain hunting in the days after Xmas we have an important tip for you: be wary.  This is the time of year we’re most proud of our shopping prowess and the one thing we never do is buy merchandise that was bought to be put on sale.

From the book Bitches on a Budget:

There’s a difference between seasonal clearance and goods bought to be sold on promotion. When the latter happens, a big slug of goods are bought, marked too high, put on the floor to establish a ‘regular’ price (usually for 4-6 weeks, but this depends on laws state to state). Later they’re marked down to trick all you budget-minded b*tches into thinking you’re getting a bargain.

Be suspicious. If there’s a whole lot of one item on the floor, marked at, say, 20% off regular price, chances are it was jacked up and you’re not getting a bargain.  Be wary of circulars and catalogs ‘promoting’ items—think about it, you’re a smart b, they bought and planned to promote these goods at ‘sale’ prices months in advance.

Just say no.

That said, this is our favorite time of year for finding great bargains and filling up on fabulous, keeper items that are normally out of our price reach. We just scored on items we’ve been  lusting over all season at our favorite luxury goods retailer (think purple dinosaur) that were marked down by more than 60%. A fabulous little black sweater completely covered in nickel nail heads and a pair of hand crafted brown leather boots at truly ridiculous prices.

We originally published a version of this story in the Huffington Post.

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Love is Free
December 25th, 2010 | Comments
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Peace.

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Hot Drinks for the Holidays
December 23rd, 2010 | Comments
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‘Hot’ drinks for the holidays. Mix and match ingredients to suit your taste. Enjoy!

The B’s Hot Toddy

2 ounces brandy or rum or rye

1 ounce honey

1/4 ounce lemon juice

1 ounce mulled or plain cider

2 cloves

1 cinammon stick

1 slice orange studded with cloves for garnish

A little planning goes a long way. This recipe is for two.  Our recommendation, though, is to make a larger batch of the non-alcoholic ingredients in advance to keep on hand.

Infuse the cider, orange juice, and honey mixture with the cinammon stick and cloves a day or two ahead.  It’s simple: bring the liquid to a boil with the spices, let cool and refrigerate until used.

Right before serving re-heat your spiced infusion then add the alcohol (off the stove) and garnish with a squeeze of orange juice and the slice of orange.

The B’s Mulled Cider

1 quart cider

1 orange thinly sliced

2 cinammon sticks

6 cloves

3 whole allspice berries

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 inch ginger root (optional)

1 star anise (optional)

rum or brandy to taste (optional)

Bring liquid (excluding alcohol) and spices to a boil. (We like to put the spices in a tea strainer or cheesecloth for easy removal). You can serve right away or let sit for a day or two in the ‘fridge to deeply infuse flavor.

The B’s Hot Buttered Rum

1 1/2 oz. dark rum

¾ oz. simple syrup

1/2 oz. maple syrup

Hot water

1 pat butter

Garnish with fresh nutmeg

Warm liquids, add butter, sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Egg Nog
(A Hot Drink Served Cold)
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Desperate? 3 Days Left. 6 Under $20.
December 21st, 2010 | Comments
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A Chucky Knit Beanie $6.80

Warm Fuzzy Slippers $6.80

Lizard Skin Wallet $7.50

Box Chain Draped Necklace $8.80

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Give Wisely
December 20th, 2010 | Comments
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It’s that time of year when in addition to giving to friends and family we make contributions to those in need, so several recent news stories caught our attention:

-Outside of Boston a tractor trailer loaded with toys destined for needy kids was burglarized and $15,000 worth of gifts were stolen.

-The Massachusetts Attorney General reported that 43 percent of all funds raised by charities in the state go to the solicitors and not the organizations that hire them.

-In Oregon, the Attorney General released a list of the twenty ‘worst’ charities in America; among those listed were organizations to help Firefighters, Vietnam Vets, Missing Children.

Since our mission is editing what is worth your spending time and money on, and since we believe in giving back no matter what the state of your pocketbook, all of this has raised an alarm. We want to remind you to be careful and thoughtful in choosing the charities that are the recipient(s) of your hard earned dollars.

Ask these questions:

-Is this a non-profit charity or a for-profit business asking for your gift?

-Are you giving funds to a soliciting agent or the charity itself?

-How much of the money the charity receives gets spent on the cause and how much goes to funding the fundraising and/or the administration of the organization?

-Consult your state Attorney General’s office and online sites like Charity Watch and The Charity Navigator before giving.

Our point is not to stop giving. Our point is to be wise and watchful about who you give to.  We never give to any organization that solicits over the telephone. Period. Who hasn’t received the call -usually in the middle of dinner- from the Fireman’s or Police benevolent fund? The organization that promises to help the local youth something-or-other-league? The teacher/PTA/school educational fund? You know the aggressive solicitor who intentionally make you feel like a heartless bitch if you don’t contribute to the cause or who subtly imply that should there be an emergency perhaps no one will come to your aid.

Our response is always firm and the same: “We don’t give over the phone. Please send us materials in the mail and we will evaluate your cause.”  We have NEVER received any material in the mail. Think about that.

Look, this is tricky, charities need to spend money to get money and we’re not complaining about this. Just make sure you do some research into the charity you are supporting and not giving to a charity that spends 95% of monies raised on themselves and 5% on their cause.

The theft of the toys from the trailer is an obvious loss, the misuse of charitable dollars is a hidden one.






Under $25 Bucks: Seeing Red for Christmas
December 16th, 2010 | Comments
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To be truthful, we hate all lists (except, of course, the best seller one). Shopping lists. To do lists. Top ten lists. The nails on a chalk board worst list of all is the one people share in response to your having seen a new movie or read a new book. You know when they say, “Oh, that’s been on my list for ages.”

Despite our disdain, we’ve had lots of fun crafting lists of clever holiday offerings. We’ve entertained ourselves with a Gifts of Love and Hate list. We’ve tried to help out others with handmade direct from the maker to you lists.

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Best Lip Balm for the Buck
December 14th, 2010 | 4 Comments
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We’re lip biters. No, not the sexy Vampire kind, more like the nervous gnawer kind. As a result, we always have chapped lips. We’ve run through dozens of lip balms high priced to low priced and finally found one we love: Trader Joe’s Lip Balm Virtuoso.

We like the soft spearmint flavor, the silky glide-on and the long-lasting application.

While the product is great and the price is right, the package reads in big bold letters –50% Organic –which weirds us out just a little. What is the other 50% made from?






No Funds for Fresh Frocks? Fake-It
December 9th, 2010 | 1 Comment
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More parties this weekend? Tired of the same old, same old in the closet and no funds for fresh frocks for the festivities? Don’t worry your pretty little head.

Remember this sage advice:

Smart women have been faking it forever.

But it’s the really talented ones who pull it off without anyone ever guessing.

Special events like a wedding, a Christmas party, a New Year’s eve party, even a State dinner (by the way, we’re still smarting over being left off the list) come around and normally sane women go crazy buying new expensive clothing and accessories.

It makes us want to get on a chair with a megaphone and scream:

“Those of you on the charity or State dinner circuit, stand up and identify yourselves, please. We all know you can’t wear the same dress over and over again. And, for the rest of you, it’s called a special occasion for a reason–it only happens occasionally. Why blow the wad on what is likely to be a one-night stand? Worse, what if you blow the wad and then get a stain?”

Since every savvy gal on a budget must amortize her costs, we stick by a steadfast rule of putting money into ‘keeper’ pieces that get frequent wear. Besides, since we are contrary by nature, the fancier the event, the bigger the thrill of a bargain ‘fraud’.

A modern woman takes matters into her own hands.

Haunt consignment stores, eBay and friend’s closets for dresses. Haul out ancient, but faithful, investment grade all-purpose black dresses, and tart them up with the latest passing fads like studded pumps, monster pearls twined with motorcycle chains and bows, sequined leopard bags. CruiseTJ’s, Target, the street guy at 72nd and Broadway for accessories. The bolder the better.

We covet our little secret bargain buys: A favorite evening jacket -purchased a decade ago on the streets in Shanghai for $7 bucks. Our most admired earrings- big, faux and flea market. Best of all, a pair of comfy killer stilettos- priceless, but bought on sale at Nine West.

The true climax of every good fake.

Trust us, there is nothing more thrilling than giving the real swells a big phony smile when they stop and admire your precious pretenders.

We first published a version of this story in the Huffington Post.






The Earmuff Festival
December 8th, 2010 | 2 Comments
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We just read about the Earmuff Festival in Farmington, Maine and are now obsessed with finding the perfect earmuffs. Apparently, a Mainiac named Chester Greenwood invented the earmuff in 1873 and the town comes out annually wearing earmuffs in his honor.

We think these from Juicy Couture are pretty cute (hint, hint).

We’ve eaten our way through blueberry festivals, toe tapped at Bluegrass festivals, listened at storytelling festivals, but we’ve never been to an earmuff festival. It’s gotten us to thinking– what more could a stylish bitch on a budget ask for than a day of frosty free fun in celebration of the earmuff and Chester Greenwood?

It’s on our calendar for next year.






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