Lately, faced with longer hours at work combined with longer hours at home, I have been feeling droopier than the overpriced orchid sitting in my office window. Being nocturnally challenged, I have been looking for something to help keep me focused without making me as jittery as George Bush in a Mensa meeting. With the lingering fear of dropping dead of heart attack in my mind, I reluctantly tried the “5-Hour Energy” drink, which promises five hours of energy without the crash.

Taking my first sip, I felt a little like Alice and began wondering if I would shoot up to supermodel status or shrink down to a size where I could qualify for my own show on TLC. At first blush, the taste is not appealing. It was somewhere between between Mrs.. Butterworth’s and battery acid. My college years held me in good stead, however, I closed my eyes and threw it back. Once I got over the fact that there was no lemon chaser, I realized the taste was manageable. About thirty minutes later, I did feel more alert, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to use the term “peppy” I did feel like I could actually make it through the rest of the day without curling up under my desk for a two hour power nap.

Rating: 2 carats. Probably not the best idea to use this stuff on a regular basis, but for a periodic pick-me-up it does a pretty decent job. If you start to grow hair in places you shouldn’t, feel like you could be the legitimate offspring of Bella and Edward or hear voices, I would stop immediately and seek medical attention.

I seriously love champagne and need very little reason to celebrate.  So let’s all toast to the fact that tomorrow is July 3rd and having the day off the day before a National Holiday. Try this delicious and festive July 4th champagne cocktail.  It’s one of my favorites.  I learned it from a really lovely old woman in Germany with a drinking problem.  

Slice approximately 3 cups (1 carton) of strawberries into bite sized pieces.  

Add a container of whole fresh blueberries 

Combine fruit with 3/4 cup of sugar (or more or less to taste)

Mix well and cover fruit mixture with a dry white wine 

Cover and refrigerate at least over night

Then add a couple of spoonful of fruit, wine, sugar mixture into a glass and top with champagne

And for an even better trick…if you like champagne cocktails, add fruit nectar, berries, or whatever to an ice cube tray and freeze over night.  Then pack them in a cooler and add a cube or two to your champagne!  Keeps your drink cold and your spirits high.

So here’s to Tom J, Ben F, and all the other founding dudes.  Happy 4th all you Product Princesses!

There is nothing better than crazy times with a little al-keey-hawl, and there is nothing worse than waking up the next morning with your hands still tied to the bedposts and a ranging hangover. Priority number two (number one is getting someone to untie you), is to find something that will enable you to make it semi-vertical through the next ten or so hours until you can return to your bed. Through my extensive “research” I have found that nothing does the trick better than Emergen-C, which can be found at Target or most grocery stores for right around $12 for a box containing 36 “doses”. This stuff comes in a variety of different flavors (I prefer the Raspberry Fizz) and is loaded with vitamins, that somehow make the post-imbibing world a little bit easier to handle…I’m not sure if they do anything to reverse the effects of liver damage. You mix the individual packets with water, and after chugging (maybe a poor word choice) about two glasses of this stuff you actually feel like you may someday be wasting away in margaritaville again.

Rating: 3 carats. This stuff sticks to hangover like hair on a biscuit.

It’s 5:00 somewhere, and we wish we were there. We love this drink, tasty and low cal, and super refreshing…careful though, she packs a punch!

La Low Cal Limeade

Here’s your weekly cocktail recipe!  When you try it, close your eyes and imagine your somewhere far, far away…like Friday.

Happy Cinco de Mayo PPs!