{stories and snapshots from my new york city life.}

8.25.2011

My Top 20 Guilty Pleasures

When we define something as a guilty pleasure, it's typically because indulging in it will adversely affect our bodies, our bank statements or our brains. Growing up, my mother cautioned that watching "You Can't Do That on Television" would shrink my brain cells. I'm not sure what study she was going off of, but I also didn't care. Watching Alanis Morrissette get slimed was right up my alley, and I wasn't going to stop. It was one of my first guilty pleasures. That and stealing Doritos out of the pantry when Mom wasn't looking.

Sure, guilty pleasures add gerth to your hips and rob you of time spent doing productive activities like attending jazzercise class or volunteering at a retirement home, but they also ignite bliss and nourish your senses, your spirit, your soul. See? Not all bad. So I say do 'em, whenever you want to do 'em, cause life's too short to feel guilty about doing things that make you feel alive.

Here's my list of indulgences:

20) Fried chicken. I eat it about once a year, and every time I do, I feel like I've been invited to a church picnic at the gates of heaven.

19) A big bag of crunchy, salty chips. Bonus points for ridges and a garlicky and/or cheesy powder you have to lick off your fingers afterward.

18) Shows about major life problems like Intervention, Obsessed, and My Strange Addiction. Partly because of my job, and partly because I just can't look away...

17) Dipping Fritos into banana. I did this as a kid, and I'm tellin' ya, if you love a good salty/sweet combo, this one's a winner.

16) Bailey's Irish Cream. I'm not a drinker, but put a big, black bottle of that creamy Irish nectar in my path and I'll be drunk and fat in 10 minutes, tops.

15) Katy Perry. I love her. Don't argue with me; Teenage Dream is fantastic.

14) Chocolate ice cream with Butterfinger candy bar smashed in. The candy gets lodged deep in my molars, but it's so worth it. In fact, maybe that's what I like so much about it. The taste lingers for hours.

13) Speaking of chocolate...I can't forget about Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The trippy Gene Wilder version, not the crap remake with Johnny Depp and his terrible haircut. I don't care how many times I've seen it, it's never enough.

12) Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbuck's. Almost, my pretties...almost!


11) Grease II. Totally not as popular as the original, but in my book, far superior. Reproduction? Cool Rider? COME ON! That is solid gold cinema right there. And Stephanie Zinone is like 20 times more bad-ass than boring old Sandra Dee. A couple years ago, a few like-minded girlfriends gathered at my apartment for a Pink Lady viewing party. Me thinks that needs a sequel.

10) Oh yeah. I freakin' love Glee too. Especially Brittany. And Sex and the City reruns even though I've seen every episode more than twice.

9) My $150 Chi Nano hairdryer. Thankfully I got it for free back when I was a beauty editor, but I totally would have forked over the cash for this brilliance. Eff off frizz.

8) Chips. Cheese. Beans. Guacamole. Jalapenos. I will put the hurt on a plate of nachos like you ain't never seen.

7) The Real World. I can't believe I'm as old as I am and still watching that show, but I do. I have (sadly) watched every season since it began 3,000 years ago in New York. What's worse is I dragged my poor unassuming boyfriend into it.

6) Flea market finds. If you are cheap, and funky, and unique and I can fit you in my lap on the subway, you will certainly be mine.

5) Checking stupid Facebook every five minutes. I know I'm not alone here.

4) Cheese. Any kind. Anywhere. All the time. But if you are Manchego, goat or a really good sharp cheddar you are definitely top tier.

3) Occasionally swiping on red lipstick before cleaning the house. Makes chores so much more glamorous. One time I paired a ballgown bridesmaid dress with elbow-length dishwashing gloves and went to town! Don't worry; it was after the wedding.

2) Popcorn--a snack so versatile in its incarnations I can't help but sing its praises. Love it with truffle oil and pecorino, honey and cinnamon, melty chocolate and slivered almonds, butter and kosher salt. Kernel after kernel, popcorn will always be my favorite snack evah.

1) Couch, TV, blanket, boyfriend. Cause sometimes my favorite thing to do is nothing at all.

All right; I showed you mine. It's only fair that you show me yours. What are your guilty pleasures? And don't you dare tell me "freshly picked berries" or "flax seed oil" or I'm never talking to you again.

25 comments:

  1. OK, I need info about this hair dryer. Stat. I am still fighting the frizz daily.

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  2. Grease II!!!!! I have long been an advocate that it is SO MUCH better than the first! The scene in the fallout shelter? Love.
    Some of my others...
    Teen Mom / 16 & Pregnant, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Friends, crunchy fried onions right out of the container, and pepperoni straight out of the package.

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  3. Oh my god, you have me cracking up over here! Some of my guilty pleasures include buffalo anything, Jersey Shore (the show...I don't feel guilty about loving the actual Jersey Shore), Oreos (Double Stuff, of course), and mini hot dogs in crescent rolls. Yum.

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  4. Teenage Dream IS fantastic! :D

    My guilty pleasures are not guilty! I stand PROUD in my love of paying for expensive coffee which I still SATURATE with coconut milk and Truvia. EVERY DAY. No apologies. ;)

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  5. I think we're the same person. Except for the Fritos in banana because really? How did you even discover that?! But cheese, popcorn, nachos, pumpkin spice lattes, etc. etc!!

    Sues

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  6. Last Fall when I proclaimed my love for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, the adorbs Starbucks boy told me you can get them all year long, they just "overly advertise" them in the Fall. SCORE.

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  7. i love putting on red lipstick before cleaning. unfortunately i leave a trail of red smudges everywhere i go.

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  8. love this list! I have to agree with basically every item!

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  9. My guilty pleasures? Numerous. But this post has inspired me to do something similar so I think I'll publish them on my blog!!!

    One would definitely include Texas style queso. Made with only velveeta and rotel.

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  10. Ohhhh. It's red wine, cheese and crackers. First I cut up cheese, pair it with crackers, place it on a plate as though it's for a guest, but it's all mine! I make one plate-thinking it will be enough, then I pour ONE glass of wine. It all disappears- fast. But I make a new plate and pour more wine and so on...haven't done this since before baby, and I think I'm due... Come to think of it, when I was a kid, I did this with Ritz crackers, peanut butter and jelly and milk...ha!

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  11. Thanks for making me feel so much better about indulging every once in awhile...or every day :) Because I think I literally just consumed every one of my guilt pleasures. Chocolate chip pancakes and a glass of wine (No, im not kidding). Followed by a huge bowl of ice cream with chocolate AND caramel syrup while watching E News.

    And I 100% agree on the pumpkin spice latte....cannot wait until fall.

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  12. I wrote the about 10 years ago. Sung to the tune of Sound of Music's My favorite things:

    Reading comics and watching movies.
    Drinking beer and being stupid.
    Sitting around doing nothing at all.
    These are a few of my favorite things....

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  13. You had me at nachos... I love melted cheese on anything at all... sometimes even just melted cheese by itself! And yes to Katy Perry, and a HUGE yes to Brittany in Glee. I'd only have to add to this list any combination of raspberry & chocolate, stuffed pasta (ravioli, manicotti, canneloni, agnolotti), and dumplings (I guess that's stuffed pasta), GREAT list!

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  14. I looooove cheese too...and pumpkin spice lattes...and Glee. Why do Rachel, Finn, and Kurt have to graduate this year?? :(

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  15. I'd say about 80% of those should not be qualified as "guilty". Especially fried chicken and Katy Perry. I love both and can't deny it. Dirty Dancing 2, however... :-)

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  16. Smile. This was such a fun blog post. I love it! And I loved so many of your guilty pleasures too. I hope you are having a relaxing and joy-filled weekend. Much love from the hot hot state of Texas. Thank you for sharing another delightful post, my friend.

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  17. Hehe, I love this post! Some of your guilty pleasures are making me hungry! Mm, chips...

    My guilty pleasure at the moment is bad reality tv. My favourites are Toddlers & Tiaras, Dance Moms, and Teen Mom. Oh, they're so bad, but I just love curling up in my pyjamas and watching the new episodes in bed.

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  18. Boy am i glad i ate a pizza before reading this post!
    Loved this post, I guess I also share a large chunk of similar indulgences to you too!
    I wished that they'd invented real lickable wallpaper like in Willy Wonka!
    I'd so invite you over to Greece to sample all the variety of cheese, i swear it's one of the reasons why i love living here!

    x.o.x.o

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  19. Brie with pesto and a glass (or two) of pinot noir. Followed by raspberry cheesecake. Nothing in life is better (or worse) for you. Mmmmmmm...

    ~Alex
    http://therolexrelease.blogspot.com

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  20. 15. Who's arguing? I've been known to dance around my kitchen to Teenage Dream. In fact, I might do that right now...

    As for my guilty pleasures, food-wise, I'm all about chocolate (the darker the better), Ramen noodles (still love them), and mashed potatoes (as creamy as possible).

    An non-food-wise, I think my favorite movie of all time is Straight Talk. What can I say? Sometimes you just need Dolly to tell it to you like it is. ;)

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  21. hahaha! i love that you posted this!! i have WAAAAY too many indulgences and my list would certainly be longer than yours but for now i'll say:

    having three bowls of rice krispies in a row. and on each one...i sprinkle sugar on every single mouthful. by the end it's more sugar than milk!

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  22. Wow, we have so many of the same guilty pleasures! I think I will need to do a post like this soon, and if I do I will link over to yours! My friend Jill actually counts down the days until the pumpkin spice latte is back at Starbucks. For me, my heart will always belong to peppermint mochas. Fun post!

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  23. Delicious pasta. and brie cheese. ohhh brie cheese.

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  24. It's funny how most of my guilty pleasures include food! Mmmm. I haven't done my list, but I'm thinking I should get one started. It's fun reading others. I seriously would've never thought fritos and bananas.

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