Saturday 29 December 2012

*Obligatory New Years post*

I started this blog a couple of years ago and one of my early posts involved telling the world (or, more accurately, my eleven whole readers) how I was going to start afresh and make the following year my best yet. In the interests of not setting myself up for failure this time round, I've decided to bypass the usual list (run more, eat less) and come up with a slightly easier one to adhere to:

1). Stop drunk tweeting
As a twitter addict, it seems only right that every move is documented (whether alcohol induced or not). Even so, there's no worse accompaniment to a sore head than scrolling down the previous night's tweets in horror.

2). Become a domestic goddess
And by this I mean wash my dishes and learn how to bake something that has ingredients beyond Betty Crocker mix.

3). Learn how to curl my hair
I got heated rollers for Christmas and it's about time I learnt how to use them!

4). Continue the search for a Mulberry bag
This may seem frivolous to some however I am a firm believer that a designer handbag is a wardrobe investment. I would never dream of paying full price for one (mainly because that would involve giving up food for a month) and so my main hope is in the form of one of their outlet stores. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'd come up with more but they'll only make me feel bad about myself. It's like we store up all of the things we don't like about our lives until January when we embark on a month of self-loathing and pity (with zero money in our bank accounts). I like the way lots of other bloggers have taken a more positive stance when rounding off their year. Lily Melrose has looked back over her outfit posts and Emily Schuman has documented some of her memories through her gorgeous photography.

Despite some momentary blips, I guess 2012 has been a pretty good year for me, too. Having started the year watching the Sydney harbour bridge fireworks, I went on to hold a koala bear, run through the Mersey Tunnel, leave home (for the second time), attempt to surf in Devon, dance the night away with one of my best friends in Sweden, attend my first post secret event and give a presentation on what Sex and the City has done for feminism. It's been a blast.

Happy New Year x

Sunday 9 December 2012

Real Hangover Cures

The festive season is upon us which means one thing: hangovers (hopefully you'll have other things to remember Christmas 2012 by but we all know that overindulging is a certainty). As a result, some kind of recovery guide is normally only a few clicks away. Coupled with new medical developments you'd be forgiven for thinking that hangovers should be a thing of the past.

I'm sure most of us can testify that this is very much not the case (unless you can afford to be hooked up to a drip for a few hours). Last Saturday, feeling so rough that I had to ask my local pharmacist for a cure, I turned to google to see if the internet had any words of wisdom to get me on the road to recovery. Unfortunately many of 'tips' I came across involved altering the previous night's behaviour. Now for those of us without a time machine, we need another way to combat the consequences of failing to alternate our rum with soft drinks. So, in the interests of keeping us all well and ready to get back out on the dancefloor, I have compiled a list of real hangover fixes. You are welcome.

1). Make like a Coyote (Ugly) and say no to H20
All the 'experts' out there rave about the healing powers of water the morning after. I disagree. Instead try some lemonade/sprite or orange squash. The sugar will (probably) make you feel a little perkier and it's a lot easier to stomach than water when you're feeling really ill.

2). Prescription medication
Okay this one's a bit naughty however is certainly worth mentioning. A few months ago I was prescribed anti-sickness tablets (Buccastem in case you're interested) which I didn't use up. Luckily I had the foresight not to get rid of the remainder as these bad boys are now my lifeline if I've over done it on the wine. Unfortunately I only have one left and so I'm guessing this hangover cure will soon be no longer (unless any Medics out there fancy making a bit of money on the side...?).

3). Non-prescription medication
An alternative to the above is to dose up on over the counter remedies. My personal favourites are Paracetemol (I've heard it's easier on your stomach than Ibuprofen) and Berocca although my housemate swears by Original Andrews Salts.

4). Carbs
I think most people agree that some kind of food is needed however why go down the nutritious route when you have the perfect excuse to gorge yourself on refined carbohydrates and junk food? A hangover is one of those magical times where the calories just do not count.

5). Therapy
So we've talked about the physical effects of a hangover but what about the mental distress you're probably facing? Forget reliving the night's shenanigans (for a moment), alcohol is a depressant and so even if you thought you were well behaved, you're still likely to feel a bit mopey the next day. My go to activity when this happens is to find someone non-judgmental and use them as your own personal therapist for half an hour or so. It's good if you have a mutual arrangement with a sibling or housemate (these tend to be the people that will still tolerate you even after you've stumbled downstairs in last night's clothes). They will help you get things into perspective (particularly important if there was any wine-induced inappropriateness) and give you a boost to carry on with your weekend. If you're feeling particularly ambitious you could try some light exercise for an endorphin rush or, for the weaker amongst us, put on a DVD and enjoy a well earned duvet day.

6). Damage control
Apart from the obligatory apology texts, my best advice is to pretend it never happened.

For some more sensible hangover cures see here and here.