Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 10

If Santa deemed you nice, you probably have a whole lotta stuff to shove under your bed or behind the ficus tree until you figure out where to put it. Or maybe you'd like to start out the new year with your abode looking a little more tidy. One of the most orderly women I know, Code Name: Heather Fairchild, a princess of planning, maven of managing things and oracle of organization has turned me on to a site called Stacks and Stacks, which features a whole lotta items for organizing your digs. Heather Fairchild recommends the Closet Pole Hanging Shelves, which are a recession-friendly $25.99. There are also about a million shoe organizers to choose from. And there are purse storage units! It’s a fashionista’s dream come true.


Tipping Point: Heather Fairchild points out that the canvas organizers can get a little saggy after a while, so you’re better off sticking with metal.

Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 9: Cold and Flu Edition

Cold and flu season is not fun, frivolous or fabulous, but you could make a case for it being fashionable since everyone is doing it. This weekend, I got in on the trend —— and came across a wonderful folk remedy for a sore throat and it features beauty items!  Take some apple cider vinegar and pour it in a glass of warm water (put in as much vinegar as you can stand), add honey, and cayenne pepper, mix it up and gargle it down. After the first gargle-and-spit, gargle and swallow a little. Your throat will feel really warm, but certainly not achy and it does not taste too bad, at least it's not sickeningly sweet like cough medicine. In fact, if you like spicy food, it tastes kinda yummy.

Oh, and you want to know where the beauty products come in, right? Well, honey softens your dry, chapped lips, so just put a dab on. And sipping apple cider vinegar in warm water before meals is supposed to boost your metabolism and help you slim down, so you can look at my cold as a public beauty service for everyone.

Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 8

Mmmm, don't you love the feel of real Valentino? I know I do ... from all the times my charitable friends have let me touch their purses for a few blissful minutes. Well, I have a fashionable go-to girl, we'll call her Lo C., who always knows what to wear, where to go and who to like. She recently tipped me off to a site that allows you to pretend that you're not broke by getting your hot little hands on real designer goods. It's called Bag Borrow Or Steal. So even if you can't spend absurd amounts of money to buy luxury items, you can spend somewhat less absurd amounts to rent them and make a big splash at holiday parties. Of course, you have to pay for the membership, but if you have the right values, you'll just go do it. Lo C. would never steer you wrong.

Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 7

There is no scenario that I can think of where a spa day isn't the best thing ever. This little chestnut just popped up in my in-box and I must share so that everyone can spa.

Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 6

I am fairly certain that I just totally invented a new drink, which I should immediately trademark. You know how for whatever reason some people in your life decide not to be big drunks? Then you're having a holiday party and you have to come up with some alternative to champagne, most likely that sparkling apple cider business. Well, check this out: Welch's makes delicious white grape juice; If you mix it with unflavored seltzer, you've got something grape-y and bubbly, but without sending your guests down the road to ruin. Theoretically, you could probably slip some of this past your guests who have had too much of the champagne without them ever realizing it. I haven't tried out this bait-and-switch yet, but it's certainly a thought. Just don't try that with me. Oh, I almost forgot: TM.

Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 5

Did you know that if you are lazy or forgetful you can set up your e-greeting cards in advance of whatever the occasion is at Hallmark? Let's say a whole bunch of your friends annoyingly decided to be born within the same week, you can actually set up the individual e-cards to be mailed well in advance of the big day and then forget all about it ... until they e-mail to thank you for your thoughtfulness. And seeing as how you could have just posted a note on their Facebook wall and moved on with your life, they really should say thank you. Oh, wait, this is supposed to be holiday-related. Um, you can do it with holiday cards, too. You just have to sign up for a free account and then you're all set to go. 

Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 4

So, if you have to enter a brick and mortar store, say, or be in any other situation with shrieking brats, big mouths on their cell phones, canned music and general audial assault, you might find yourself getting all stabby. That would be a shame since, you know, it's the holidays and all. Don't leave home without a couple of pairs of fresh ear plugs. I like the Hearos brand because they tend to be very soft and comfy. And now, they even come in fashion colors (and by that I mean, pink). Yes, Hearos has introduced Sleep Pretty In Pink so that when you are not listening to other people, you can do it in a girly way.

Tipping Point: I've found that if you accidentally leave these ear plugs in your pajama pockets before doing the laundry, they can go through the wash, dryer and come out in perfectly fine shape so you can get extra use out of them. 

Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 3

Assuming that you are as popular as  Geeky Splendor, you're probably all booked up for holiday parties. Or at least all the freebie wine-and-cheese/goodie bag events you can get into as the "plus one." Anyway, you're going to need to show off your pearly whites for lots of photos. I have been using It Cosmetics Signature Smile Brightening Lip Gloss for a few months. It looks blue in the tube, but it goes on clear and really does make teeth look whiter instantly. I can assure you that this is so much easier than trying to smile with your eyes.

Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 2

Here's another Geektabulous and Splendid Holiday Tip. Recently I was feeling more high-strung than usual.

The 'Stache went out and bought me Bach Rescue Remedy, an all-natural stress-reliever. I carry a little bottle, just four drops on your tongue and you're good to go. I suggest keeping some of this in your purse when you need a little stress break. And really, who doesn't?

Late-Breaking Tipping Point: The 'Stache wanted me to add an update to mention that Rescue Remedy also works on twitchy pooches like The Cur.

Holiday Survival Guide Tip No. 1

Well, we've got 15 days left until Christmas, so Geeky Splendor is kicking off a Geektabulous and Splendid Holiday Survival Guide. Here's Tip No. 1: Invest in some Spanks. If you haven't been working out all along, what are the odds that you're really going to start in the next couple of weeks? Between Spanks and good posture, you'll look like you've shed a few pounds, which is exactly what you want for all those holiday parties and photos. Trust me on this one.