What's your hangover cure?

Holiday parties are coming up, and with glasses of bubbly come hangovers. What's your hangover remedy? Mine used to be a giant Chipotle burrito (#classy), but I've now learned two genius cures that really seem to work...
* Toast. Before going to bed, make a piece of burnt toast, and wash it down with a big glass of water. The burnt part of the toast is carbon, which absorbs many of the toxins that give you that terrible hangover.
* Reflexology. When you wake up, rub the outer edge of your right foot, halfway between the middle of your foot and your pinky toe. This is the reflex point to the liver. You may notice some "crunchy" texture, which is a sign that some congestion is in the area. Kind of gross! But also kind of awesome!

P.S. Toby. :)

Five best board games

Do you like playing board games? I love having board games around the apartment for when people stop by or friends stay the night, since they instantly make an evening fun and funny. Here are my five current favorites...

Jenga gets everyone's heart racing. (Alex and I played it a lot when I was pregnant.)
Scattergories is perfect for quick-thinking wordsmiths.
Taboo always makes people laugh (especially with the buzzer).
Have you played with an Ouija board since you were 16? Turn off the lights, gather around and ask it spooky questions. (Bonus: The updated version glows in the dark.)
Mancala is the perfect game to play with a glass of wine in hand, and it's fun for both kids and adults (it gets harder as you get smarter!).

What games would you recommend?

(Layout by Em for Cup of Jo)

Tip #3: How to talk to strangers at parties

Do you like talking to strangers at parties, or do you get nervous? Well, here's a handy tip I learned that makes mingling way easier...

Don't worry if the first two seconds are awkward. A friend told me this years ago, and it totally changed my approach to parties. When you strike up conversation with strangers, the first moment is basically guaranteed to be awkward. Who cares! Embrace it! Just walk up to someone, introduce yourself, and push through those first two seconds as if you're opening a door to the conversation. Once you get into an awesome, fun, rollicking chat, no one will remember how it started. Knowing this advice makes me feel free to just walk up to whomever and just start talking. :)

Thoughts? Any other tips for mingling? What do you talk about? (My three foolproof questions: Seen any good movies lately? How do you know the host? Any fun vacations coming up?) I'd love to hear your thoughts... xoxo
(Top photo from Seinfeld. Bottom photos by Magnum)

Heart-shaped eggs

For the morning after a party. :)

Holiday notecards

What fun notecards for the holidays.

Which party dress would you wear?

Picture this: You're going to a holiday cocktail party, and your adorable crush will be there. You brush your hair, spritz on perfume, and your cheeks are already rosy. The big question is: What will you wear?

Above, a black glitter dress (I LOVE how sexy and elegant it is)...
A flirty one-shouldered pink dress...
A 1920's chiffon dress with a flutter hem...
A purple wrap dress with a sash...
A pink silk dress (I think this one is offbeat yet so gorgeous--what do you think?)

Which dress would you wear? Which suits your personality best?

Tip #2: How to make Champagne extra bubbly

Here's a trick: If you have a leftover half bottle of Champagne (or Prosecco) that's getting flat, and you want to bring the bubbles back, drop a raisin into the bottle. Any carbon dioxide that's left in the wine will stick to the raisin's ridges and release as tiny bubbles. Cool, right?

(Tip via Real Simple)

Wow.

The perfect nail polish for the holidays.

Entertaining tip #1: How to help your guests relax

During entertaining week, I'd love to share a few great hosting tips I've heard over the years. First up...

The Barefoot Contessa wears slippers when hosting a dinner or cocktail party. That way, she figures, the mood will feel instantly relaxed. Isn't that genius? Would you do it?
(Photo of Jake Gyllenhaal for no other reason than he is cute and looks relaxed:)

Wildflower ice cubes

When you have friends over, what a beautiful idea to freeze flowers (or raspberries or mint) into ice cubes for their water glasses. Here's the how-to.

Motherhood Mondays: What's your role in your family?

This week is going to be all about holiday entertaining, so to kick things off, I'd love to ask you: When you go home for the holidays, what's your role in your family?

Even though I'm only two minutes older than my twin sister, my parents always put me in charge when we were growing up. I was the "oldest sibling," after all! So I became known as the the responsible (aka bossy) one in my family.

What's your role in your family? Are you the helpful one? The goofy one? The good listener? The rebel? The baby? Every seems to have a role, even if it's subtle. I'd love to know yours! xoxo
(Photos by Charles Gullung)