TresSugar

The How-To Lounge: Preventing the Common Cold

DearSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:00:00 -0800

I came back from Thanksgiving break and almost everyone in my office was complaining that they're sick. Since Winter is officially here, we all have to do everything in our power to stay healthy, so here are some general tips to prevent catching the common cold.

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Keep your desk at work clean and disinfect your phone on a regular basis.
Wash your hands at least seven times a day (studies show that you're four times less likely to develop a cold if you do) with antibacterial soap.
Don't share drinks or lipstick with your friends and keep a small container of hand sanitizer in your purse so you can disinfect your hands after opening doors, using ATMs, or even riding the elevator.
Stay hydrated and load up on fruits and vegetables.
Although the holidays can be a stressful time for most, try to keep it all relative as stress wreaks havoc on your immune system.
If you're already feeling under the weather, listen to your body and rest. Take hot showers and let the steam clear your nasal passages, load up on vitamin C, zinc, and water and remember that mom's chicken noodle soup really is a miracle worker!

I hope these tips help, and remember to stay bundled up out there!

Source

Product of the Day: Slime-Drooling Sick Puppy

GiggleSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0700

This little puppy has a cold. He's drooling slime and plastic germs that players need to pick out of the mess with tweezers. The catch? They can't touch the slime, or they'll get a mild buzzing shock. The player with the most germs wins. If you wanna play again, you gotta scoop all that muck up and put it back into this dog's head. Mega House, a Japanese company, is coming out with these things in August. They're targeted at children age five to seven, which is my inner child's age range, so I'm definitely in!

The How-To Lounge: Hailing a Taxi

DearSugar — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:00:00 -0800

When the weather outside is frightful, it's almost impossible to hail a taxi.

To see some easy tips, click here to read more

Call ahead if you can. Many cab companies have an automated service that will call you when your taxi has arrived so you don't have to wait outside in the cold.
Always look for taxis with their light on.
If you're close to a hotel or restaurant with valet, walk the extra block or so and ask them to help you get a cab.
If you're hailing a taxi on your own, be sure not to stand too far in the street, and stay close to a street light so you can easily be seen.
Head to busy corners with traffic flowing in both directions so you increase your odds of catching a cab.

Good luck and travel safely!

Source

Come Story Telling with me!! The Completed Story

DearSugar — Sun, 20 May 2007 17:38:11 -0700

I hope you all enjoyed this new feature as much as I did! Your wild imaginations made for a great story line! To read the completed tale you all helped create, read more

You're never going to believe whom I ran into Saturday night!!!! I was about to meet the girls at the new hot spot everyone's been talking about, Magnolia, and found him standing at the front of the line as I bypassed all of the crowd. I hadn't seen him since last June, a few months before he fled California for the east coast, without so much as a good-bye. Seeing him there stopped me in my tracks. I had grown accustomed to thinking of this city as my own again. It was long past the days when I had looked for him on every street corner, in every doorway, in the reflections of the puddles. Having him gone was like a really deep breath, where you feel your whole body expand with the oxygen and you relax into the exhalation. Immediately, my mind started working... why was he back? Just as I was to go inside and pretend he wasn't actually there, I heard him say to his friend, "Dude! Pamela Anderson is SO hot! I recently met a girl who looks just like her - score!" It was my ex boyfriend. Of course I just had my hair and nails done and I was wearing my fab outfit that made me look 10 pounds lighter, so I looked smokin' hot! Had he met another girl? A Pamela Anderson lookalike? How could this be? How dare he come back here to my reclaimed city and spout off about meeting a new woman. So now what? Do I approach him and make small talk or do I ignore him completely and show him just how over him I really am? I make a split second decision to walk straight up to him and his friend. "You again?" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. They both turned around. I didn't know his friend, but I sure knew that mug anywhere. "Oh, my God..." he replied, shocked. "I knew I'd see you but I didn't know it would be so soon. You look really good..." "save your breath dear. I'm just stopping by to say hello and let you know that in about 20 minutes the whole crew will be here to celebrate my boyfriends birthday", I said as I glanced over to the group I was with. In reality, I was only hoping that my ex didn't notice that in fact I was the only one in the group without a man. Sticky situation, this, I thought. Typical for me to make up a pretend boyfriend, a birthday and a crew. Now what? Time for a telepathic moment! I tried to gain eye contact with Lucy, my best friend, and communicate: Help me out! After a few moments of sheer panic, Lucy finally got the message and made her way over to me with two champagne cocktails in hand. I was relieved that I didn't have to be in his presence completely sober. She handed me the drink and told me that the celebration was beginning. Now the only thing I needed to complete the lie was a man. A man who would be willing to, on the spot, pretend it was his birthday, and pretend he was with me for that matter. So I left Lucy to catch up with the ex and went off to find myself a unwitting suspect. I was so focused on my quest that I smacked right into the hottest guy I had ever seen - a dead ringer for Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity! "So sorry," I say quickly as we look into each other's eyes. Instant chemistry sparks and I know it's now or never. "So I need you to do me a favor, my *sshole ex boyfriend is back in town and thinks I have a new boyfriend and that today is his birthday. Can you play the part?" I bat my eyelashes flirtatously hoping that the Matt Damon look alike is up for anything. He replies, "Well of course, let me go ask my friend Ben to join us." So the Matt Damon clone takes my hand and pulls me closely to him tightly and says "My darling, you look wonderful tonight. Wait until i get you home and the real party begins..."

I look around and my ex-boyfriend is STEAMING since he was only 4 feet away! I was hearing JT's "My Love" in the background, and I was definitely seeing stars. First with the Matt look-alike, and now his equally hot friend who looked like Ben Affleck! With this sudden Matt-and-Ben manwich, I thought I was an extra in Good Will Hunting! His puppy-dog eyes darted over to the Matt clone, he said, "So what does this hot babe wish of us?" "She asked me to play her boyfriend for the night to make the ex jealous", he said jokingly, I was still slightly mortified that I asked so much of a complete stranger, but he seemed into the idea. "Oh, by the way, my name is Derek, and this is my buddy Ben." Colin cuts in and slyly says, "Now that we're all acquainted lets get the party started!" Derek then shyly reminded Ben that he didn't know my name, and I timidly replied, "Madison." Just as I was starting to feel super overwhelmed by the situation (and the thought of possibly ending up in one of these Matt/Ben look alike's bed later that night) Lucy shows up champy in hand. "Why, hello gentlemen," she says with her man-eater look in the face. I see her checking out both guys and wonder if it's too soon to bathroom break and claim which one we each shall make a move on. But before I can get a word in to Lucy, Ben says suddenly, "Hi Lucy!" and gives her a huge hug hello! It turns out that they are co-workers! Could the world get any smaller. Well, I guess we don't need to figure out who's boy is who's, unless Lucy is in to the whole office romance thing. Still, a conference is in order, I grab Lucy to head to the bathroom.

One our way, we run into my ex. He nonchalantly asks me more information about Matt. "Where is he from & what does he do?" I try to evade the question since I obviously know nothing about him and I pull on Lucy's arm to help me out but she isn't really paying attention to me because she's looking at all the other eye candy in the place. Lucy dishes on her conversation with the ex. Turns out he's back in town for a wedding, and the bachelor party is at Magnolia tonight. And to make matters worse, Lucy mentions that Ben told her earlier that week at work that he was going to be out on Saturday for a bachelor party. Could it be my new hot duo of saviors is actually with the same group that my ex is in? I guess the world can get smaller.

Lucy and I finally reach the lounge in the swanky bathroom, and I tell her to come clean. "What is going on!" I demand. "Oh relax!" she tells me, as she puckers, paints and pouts in the mirror. "Besides" she says with a raised eyebrow "when you see who else is here tonight this will all seem like a drop in the glass". Holy crap, I'm thinking, why didn't I just stay home tonight? She grabs my hand and leads me back out the door. "Wild women coming through" she announces. I consider my options=; there is a window near the sink I could climb through and go MIA for the night, but I did not get a pedi and mani just to let it go to waste in my pajamas...besides, if I went home I would end up eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's in my PJs and my hips def didn't need that, esp since they look oh so good in this little dress. I decided to suck it up and see what else could happen. I would say it couldn't get worse, but then it did. As we leave the bathroom, I am shocked to see Matt, Ben and my ex chatting!!! Every expletive runs through my mind. Lucy notices my deer in the headlight face and steers me towards the bar for more champagne and one of her famous pep talks. She says, "Okay, look. The worst that can happen is that your pal Matt tells your ex he isn't really your boyfriend. It would be embarrassing, yes, but seriously, do you think he is doing that?" I look over, and Matt and my ex seem to be in a serious conversation-there is no laughing, no pointing or staring. I catch Matt's eye and he winks at me, and I know then that I am safe--for now. I said "You are right! give me that red headed slut and lets start this party!" We take our shots, and walk toward the group. Maybe it's the drink, but suddenly I feel like this is "my night", and it shows. I make my way to the dance floor and immediately a hot guy joins me there and starts dancing with me. The music makes me feel free, the lights and the people are like a kaleidoscope; colorful, constantly moving, beautiful. I wonder why I had ever been worried about where the night might go. Then Matt saunters up, with that finely sculpted backside, and asks if he can cut in. Of course I say yes, and we start dancing, and not just with our bodies. I am feeling super sexy right now; the music is just right, our conversation is extremely flirty and fun, and I am saying just the right things to keep it light but sexy. Then he says to me "So, maybe we should rethink our relationship-" and for one horrifying moment I am thinking to myself I am going to be dumped by someone who isn't even my boyfriend and he continues, -"and make it official" as he says that I am momentarily breathless-and balance-less, and I step sideways at an angle that causes to me trip over my own feet and fall. I can feel my face turn a bright crimson, and thinking I just blew the whole thing-I mean who would want to be with me the rest of the night after that? I am the girl who fell. As I go to stand up, he bends over to help me, and we bump heads. At this point all I can do is laugh, and instead of wallowing in my embarrassment, I pull him down onto the floor with me and do something that is rarely in my repertoire- I kiss him, passionately. Then he looks at me and says...Are you OK? How much have you had to drink so far? Just as he says that everything starts to go silent. I feel lightheaded and then complete darkness.

I awake to the sound of beep...beep...beep. As I open my eyes, I find myself in the hospital. Lucy is sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed and I can tell she was crying. "Lucy, what happened? Why am I here?" "Sweetheart, I have something to tell you....Before you took that shot last night, do you remember you and I were talking by the bar? While our heads were turned, someone slipped GHB in your drink. You passed out cold and have been for 9 hours. Matt, your new friend was worried sick, but your ex, he split and the police are looking for to question him." I went to sit up, reeling from the news, but I had such a bad headache I immediately laid back down. "Are you kidding me? What, he was going to rape me or something?" Lucy looked down and slowly shook her head. When she looked back up I could see the fear in her eyes. "When he left the club in such a hurry, the police started to do a background investigation. The name you know him by, is an alias. He has 3 other identities, and with them 3 dead ex-girl friends. The police think he could be a serial murderer, much like a black widow, only he is doing the killing." I laid, in stunned silence as tears began to well in my eyes. I turned away, and when I did, I saw a vase of beautiful roses. I turned back to Lucy "Who are they from?" At that time, Matt walks into the room and says, "They are from me. I have something to tell you also."

If I thought I had heard it all, more was coming. I pushed the nurse button to get some pain medicine for my splitting headache, and Matt continued. "Our meeting was not just by chance. I was hired to come here and get involved with you. By that guy, your ex. I am an actor, you see, well, actually, I am an FBI agent, posing as an actor. I am going to be your personal body guard until we can hunt your ex down. Although I must admit, I don't think being with you 24/7 is going to feel much like a job! I must confess-this is going to be a little more complicated than I originally thought. Your ex has a knack for disappearing and staying underground until he feels it's safe to come up for air. It could be days, weeks, even years so the most important thing is to make sure that you are safe. Now, I need to ask you a few questions...When was the last time you saw each other? Talked to each other? Have you been in contact with him?" I close my eyes as things around me start to get fuzzy. I cant handle all these questions right now. It's too much. "Matt," I say, "that is your name right? Get the hell out of here. I don't believe a word of this crap. Lucy, pass me the phone, I am not talking to anyone until I speak to my parents and my lawyer. This all makes no sense whatsoever and I want everyone OUT OF HERE!" As Lucy slams the door, tears stream down my face. I cry myself to sleep and wake up to my mom stroking my hair away from my face. The sense of relief I feel from seeing my mom and dad sitting next to my hospital bed was absolutely indescribable and I instantly know everything is going to be OK.

New Pick-Up Technique: Lickin' Chicks

GiggleSugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:45:00 -0700

Instead of throwing overused pick-up lines at unsuspecting (and otherwise uninterested) women, these dudes throw them long sloppy licks. On the cheek. Along the back of the arm. Even under their feet! A slap in the face usually follows and when it does, these guys get giddy. If this "grab gals by the tongue" technique ever catches on, I'll be knocking on the doors of the nearest nunnery-- lickety-split! (That is, if I didn't knock one of these guys out cold first.)

The How-To Lounge: Making the PERFECT Bed!

DearSugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 10:00:00 -0700

If you're like 70% of other Americans then you are unfortunately not getting enough or adequate sleep. Of course there are the obvious reasons why someone would have a hard time catching their zzz's, but there are ways to at least try to guarantee a good night's sleep.

Click here to read more

Your first order of business should be investing in the right mattress. They are no doubt costly, but well worth it!
If dishing out the dough isn't in your budget right now, buy a nice feather bed (preferably down) to place on top of your old mattress to offer contour and softness
If you are a hot sleeper, a feather bed might not be the right choice for you. Opt for a wool filled mattress pad which absorbs moisture and helps regulate bed temperature. Egg crates and other foam mattress pads are known to trap heat and lose their shape easily so while they are cheaper, they aren't as efficient
I personally feel that the more full the bed, the more cozy it is which is why I strongly recommend buying a feather-down duvet. They are sold in all kinds of weights so go thick if you tend to get cold, and thin if you get hot in your sleep. If you like your bed really, REALLY full, try double stuffing your duvet cover with two inserts!
I am also a firm believer in down pillows - but remember, you should replace them at least every three years. Ten percent of the weight of just a 2 year old pillow is due to dust mites, mold, fungus, droppings and bacteria. EWW! If you have back or neck problems, you might want to try a tempurpedic pillow, but the same replacement rules apply
A rule of thumb with anything made out of feathers - every time you make your bed, shake out your comforter and your pillows to redistribute the feathers evenly
Invest in good linens. Surrounding yourself with soft materials and fluffy pillows will no doubt help you fall asleep easier. Thread count does matter. Aim for at least a 200 count per inch and always buy 100% cotton sheets as they are easier to iron. A good tip if you don't want to iron your sheets is to put them on your bed slightly damp or if you want to indulge, send them to get laundered!
Always keep a throw on or close by your bed. Since it's summer, on hot nights you don't necessarily need all your sheets and blankets, just a light cover will do the trick

Taking a an extra 3 minutes in the morning to make your bed as if you were expecting company will surely make it all the more exciting to get into it come bed time. I hope these tips help, and don't blame me if you can't get out of bed in the morning!

Source

GiggleSugar Reader Spotlight: Rubialala

GiggleSugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:45:00 -0700

Witty, wise, and well-rounded, Rubialala sounds like one sweet person! I love to see her cute avatar pop up in our comments section and welcomed the opportunity to get to know her better. I think you'll like her, too, and make sure you look at her pictures in the gallery after the interview.

GS: What is your motto?
RL: I don’t have a motto, but I looked some up online and if I did have one, it would probably be one of these: "The problem with instant gratification is that it takes too long" and "I try to keep an open mind, but not so open my brains fall out."

GS: Where are you from?
RL: I have lived in Stockton, CA for 15 years. We tried to escape to Michigan last year, but we didn’t put our house up for sale in time before the dive in the market. The summers are too hot and the winters aren’t cold enough. One day we’ll live in the snow.

GS: What do you do?
RL: I am a mommy to the CUTEST 4 year old boy and the wife to a wonderful man. During the week, though, from 8-5, I'm an Administrative Assistant. I work for *the* major developer in the area, specifically in property management (commercial, retail, mixed use). However, the company does a variety of other things, including build master planned communities.

GS: How would you describe your sense of humor?
RL: Sarcastic and silly.

GS: What's your favorite GiggleSugar post?
RL: I love animal humor, especially cat humor, so I can read/see/watch all of the cat posts/pictures/videos over and over again and never get tired of it! (GS: I love to hear that GS's cat-centricty isn't alienating everyone!)

GS: Who is the cutest funny man and funny woman?
RL: Jim Carrey is a hottie, but only more recently. I wasn’t into his Pet Detective look. Sarah Silverman, she is a classic beauty.

GS: Who are your favorite male and female comedians?
RL: For male comedians, Robin Williams. He has the most incredible comic mind ever. Seriously. I love watching him on "Inside the Actors Studio" and on talk shows like Letterman. The way he just creates and becomes these characters and embraces them so fully is fascinating. For female comedians, Kathy Griffin. I love how she is totally honest and doesn’t care what others think of her.

GS: What's your favorite comedy of all time?
RL:A tie between 40 Year Old Virgin and Old School.
"You know how I know you’re gay? You like Coldplay.”
“True love is hard to find, sometimes you think you have true love and then you catch the early flight home from San Diego and a couple of nude people jump out of your bathroom blindfolded like a g**damn magic show ready to double team your girlfriend…”
You just can’t beat that kind of humor!!!

GS: If your life were a comedy, what would it be?
RL:I thought it might be a romantic comedy because I’m such a sucker for romance. But I think I really identify with Christmas Vacation. My family and my husband’s family are filled with characters and holiday gatherings can be very humorous.

GS: Do you look like someone famous?
RL: You tell me! I have been told Jenna Elfman and one time Kat Foster but I think it was more the personality of her character on ‘Til Death.

Rubialala free for all: You know, I just like to be silly and have fun. Laughing is too much fun to not do it every day.

I was raised to believe that I was part of this perfect family with no problems. Obviously, that was not true and it was very disabling to realize that as an adult. I want to teach my son to embrace what being a human is really about – change, dysfunction, imperfection. And I plan on teaching by example! And by accepting him for exactly who he is, not trying to get him to believe he is something he’s not. (GS: That's such a great parenting philosophy! Right on!)

I love to surprise people by telling them how long I have been married (8 years in July - we’ve been together for 10 years), and also telling them that I have a 4 year old son. The usual reaction is that I couldn’t possibly be old enough for all of that. Which I just love to hear!

GS: Thanks Rubialala!

View 7 Photos ›

(Rubialala and her cute son, RL and her main men, RL and cutie play bumper cars, Jim Carrey, Sarah Silverman, Robin Williams, Kathy Griffin)

Source & Source

There's No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk

DearSugar — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 08:00:00 -0800

Dear Sugar
My daughter spilled a glass of milk on our carpet that I unfortunately didn't find until it was too late. Now our dining room smells like rotten milk! Do you have any advice to get rid of this nasty stench? Raunchy Ruth

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Raunchy Ruth
No worries - luckily there are many home remedies that can take care of smelly, spoiled milk stains. Peroxide is the best stain remover out there, but remember to test a small area before taking a risk and potentially ruining your whole dining room carpet. Pour the peroxide over the stain and the fizz should literally eat the stain and smell away.

Let the peroxide dry and hopefully the smell will be gone. Baking soda is also an excellent odor remover. If the stain is already dry, re-wet the area with cold water, douse baking soda on the stain, let it dry and then vacuum the carpet clean.

White vinegar is also known to tackle sour milk smell well. Pour a generous amount of vinegar over the area and let it soak in for 15 minutes. Remove the excess vinegar and blot dry with a clean rag or paper towel. If the stench still won't go away, try using any enzyme odor remover which you can find at most specialty hardware stores.

If your daughter spills milk again and you catch it in time, immediately blot up the milk with a towel and pour club soda over the soiled area. Putting salt or baking soda over the stain should help eliminate the odor immediately. I hope these tips help. Good luck.

I Am Secretly Dating My Boss

DearSugar — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 08:00:09 -0800

Dear Sugar
I recently started hooking up with a co-worker of mine and so far so good. Actually, I don't even know why I am sugar coating it, truthfully, he is my boss. Out of the office, he is everything I have ever wanted in a boyfriend, but when we are at work, it's a hi, bye, and the occasional smile and wink. Our relationship must be kept at a low profile for obvious reasons, but are his actions at work any indication of how he really feels about me?

Over the past few months, my feelings for him have escalated. I am trying to play it cool when we are together, but I think he is catching on. He sends me what I think are flirtatious messages, but I can't tell what they mean since he is so cold to me at the office. Our dates are always very romantic but I have no idea what his intentions are. Am I setting myself up for heartbreak? Will this ever be more than an out-of-office fling? Hopeful Heidi

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Hopeful Heidi
Office romances are often very complicated, especially if he is your boss. Is inter-office dating allowed at your company? Are either one of your jobs on the line? Do you want to make a commitment with this man if he is willing?

Being coy at work might be best under the circumstances, since you don't want people talking thinking that you are just looking for an easy leg up. I think the best thing to do is be open with your feelings if you want to pursue this relationship.

Since you have been dating for several months, it is about time you have a discussion about the status of your relationship. Find out if his flirtatious hints are advances or just friendly acts in passing. The only way to find out if your relationship will ever be more than an office romance is to confront him about it. This could be an uncomfortable discussion since you report to this man, but it is the only way to get answers you need to satisfy your curiosity.

If you get the response you are looking for, hopefully you can feel more secure with your demure work day exchanges. If he is not ready to make the commitment you are expecting, it might be best to cool down the office heat. I hope everything works out for you.

Chick Friendly Chicken Salad

DearSugar — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 08:12:46 -0800

Dear Sugar
I am having some girlfriends over for dinner. They all watch their weight, so I wanted to make something light, easy and low cal. I was thinking along the lines of a chicken salad or vegetable dish. Do you have any recipes for me? Low Cal Pal

Dear Low Cal Pal
I have a great cold chicken salad recipe that is low fat as well as delicious. Take 1 large Napa cabbage and slice it thin. Add one bunch of sliced raw scallions, 3 oz of toasted slices almonds, 1 pack of broken and toasted Ramen noodles and one can of rinsed mandarin oranges. You can either add grilled chicken or shrimp. For the dressing - mix 2 tbs soy sauce, 1/3 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup of white vinegar. This recipe serves 4. For starters, put out fresh cut raw veggies with a low fat ranch dip or hummus. Steamed edamame is great too. These are healthy and easy finger foods that the gals can munch on while gabbing and catching up.