Winding down...

TGIF!

It has been one of those weeks. You know the kind I'm talking about. (I have them often, really.) The kind where you feel like you don't even have a second to breathe. I love long weekends just as much as the next girl, or boy for that matter, but in my business they mean trouble. Because I have just as much to do and less time to do it! This week (and last week, even) I would go to bed late and wake up before the sun rise. Not a good feeling, though for some reason it wasn't that hard to do. I guess because the stress of it all was pumping adrenaline through my veins.

So by the time 3 o'clock rolled around yesterday I was feeling much better. My stories were done, the police blotter was sent, my editor's questions were answered... basically, the paper was put to bed. After leaving the police station and running a quick errand for my editor, I decided it was time to treat myself a bit. So I went to Panera Bread Bakery for a late lunch. (Have you ever been? It is sooo good.)

I don't usually enjoy eating alone but yesterday it was quite blissful. After ordering my favorite salad-- the Fuji Apple Chicken salad, hold the onions and Gorgonzola-- I slid into the nearest booth, got comfy and hooked up to Panera's free wi-fi to browse the web for fun (instead of for work).

After my food arrived, I spent the next hour eating slowly, in relative silence, savoring each bite. My shoulders started to relax, my mind started to free up. I was winding down...

Not long after I got home, I crashed. Into my bed, that is. It was only 5 p.m. I snoozed for the next four hours. Man was I tired. Upon waking I decided what better time to catch up on my favorite, guilty pleasure reality shows? (I don't have a TV in my room and since my brother and his friend have a monopoly over the one in the living room, I've missed a lot of good-- and bad-- television since moving home.)

I watched (on my MacBook) highlights and full episodes of both "The Hills" and "The City." Then I followed that up by watching the premiere episode of "Downtown Girls." Have you seen it? I first heard about it the other day, and read that the main "character," Shallon, is a writer for Glamour. (She pens some of the posts for the magazine's sex and relationships blog, Smitten.) Since Glamour is my fave mag, that piqued my interest. I simply had to watch.

My verdict? Hilarious! At first it seemed like maybe the show was trying to be like "Sex and the City," which isn't a bad thing necessarily, but I mean, c'mon! Nothing will ever compare. (Like Carrie, Shallon acts as a narrator, and you see her talking into a web camera and typing an email to pitch a story idea to her editor. And the episode is centered on the girls throwing a "Recycling Your Ex" party. Remember the SATC episode about the very same thing? Also, the premiere ends with the girls having brunch... it's all so strangely familiar.)

The girls research each others' ex-boyfriends.

But my skepticism faded a few minutes later when the show had me laughing out loud. These girls are super funny and already, after one episode, I want to be their friends. If you have some downtime, you can watch the first episode here. (I highly recommend munching on some Goldfish while you're at it.)

A delicious Panera salad and bread (can't forget that French baguette) and a few hours of reality TV? I can't think of a better way to unwind after a long week.

The only thing missing? A glass of wine :)

How do you relax after a stressful week?



P.S. Speaking of "Sex and the City," I am planning on FINALLY seeing SATC 2 this weekend! (I know, I'm such a bad fan to have not seen it yet! I was supposed to go with friends this past Monday but the plans fell apart.)

P.P.S. Sorry I haven't been around your guys' blogs lately! I miss you! I'm hoping to catch up on all my blog reading and commenting this weekend.

Top image and second image (both of feet, oddly enough) via we heart it.
"Downtown Girls" photo via MTV

Stolen my heart with his guitar

In case you missed it, Kris Allen gave the best performance, in my opinion, last night on Idol. A stripped down, acoustic version of Kanye West's "Heartless."

Personally, I agree with Randy Jackson who said Kris' rendition is even better than the original! Oh, how I love Kris Allen. So cute and talented to boot. If he didn't have a wife, I'd say he could serenade me anytime!

Anyway, check out the performance below. 

And if you watched Idol last night, tell me, who do you think is going to get sent home tonight and who do you think is going to win? I'm still bummed about Allison getting voted off but since I have to choose, I would like to see Danny Gokey and Kris be the final 2. Still, I have a feeling Adam Lambert isn't going to get shut out of the finals tonight. People love that crazy guy. It's a tough one to call, though I don't think Adam is going to walk away with the title. Do you?

P.S. I wish I knew how to play the guitar! I was even googling blue acoustic guitars the other day because I have always wanted one. But I think I need some lessons first!

So Long, Lauren, 'The Hills' will miss you

Did you all hear that Lauren is saying goodbye to The Hills after Season 5? Sad day. What am I going to do without one of my guilty pleasures? The news was confirmed last week by producers but I didn't learn until this weekend. Not that I am all that surprised. She has been hinting at it for awhile and c'mon, she has had cameras following her since high school! I would be ready to say adios, too. While I will miss my weekly dose of LC, at least I have The City to devote my Monday nights t0-- well, at least a half hour of my Monday nights anyway. Thing is, I read that the show's producers are looking for a way to keep The Hills going, sans Lauren. Now, I'm not so sure about that. Lauren is The Hills. But, I guess Audrina and Speidi's drama could be enough to fill the 15-minutes of actual air time. 

What do you think? Are you sad to see Lauren go? Can (and should) the show go on without her? Or could you care less about The Hills?

For your viewing pleasure, check out the Season 5 trailer below!

MTV Shows

Image via MTV

guilty pleasures

Men have Monday night sports. Women have Monday night . . . reality shows! Namely, for me anyway, two hours of The Bachelor followed by 30 minutes (half of which is really commercials, ugh) of The City.

Ok, some might have written me off now, but remember the title of this blog: guilty pleasures. I know I am terrible for actually watching and enjoying these shows, but I also know I am not alone in that fact. So roll with me.

Anyway, first let me start off by saying that Jason Mesnick is probably the best looking Bachelor to date. So cute. And sweet. I get why the girls are crazy for him. BUT, some of these girls seem a little off their rocker. Like, more so than in past seasons. Don't know how that is possible, but I would argue that it is. Even during tonight's episode, there were so many times that I had to cover my eyes because I was that embarrassed for the girls. Well, mostly Shannon, who practically begged Jason to keep her.

(Spoiler alert! She got the ax. So glad she is gone. She just creeped me out. Same with Lauren. She literally demanded that she be given a rose on the group date or she would be "pissed off." Seriously? I don't think that is the way to a man's heart. Glad Jason agreed with my 'crazy' assessment.)

It also seems like there are a lot more tears this season. Every five minutes someone is breaking down. But maybe it just seems like there is more crying because I am remembering last season, which was The Bachelorette-- the men didn't shed quite so many tears for DeAnna. Ah, gotta love the drama. And gratuitous make-out sessions. (Ok, those I could live without...)

In other reality news, there was a lot of crying on The City tonight as well. My love for Whitney Port's New York-based "reality" show was a natural progression out of my obsession with The Hills. Not sure which I love more now, but luckily I don't have to choose sides: The City is on while The Hills is on hiatus. MTV couldn't pit LC against Whit, right? Never.

Back to the crying. Whitney wasn't shedding any tears. It was her friend Allie, who battled with the question of "Do I believe my girl friends when they tell me that my male model boyfriend cheated on me while I was out of town?" With my clarity as an audience member, I say the obvious answer to this question is "Yes." (My boyfriend agrees-- he watches with me. Ha! So much for Monday night football/now basketball. I win the remote control.) But of course, Allie, after many tears and public fights decides to--again *spoiler alert*-- side with her smooth talking beau. Oh, and Miss nose-perpetually-in-the-air Olivia Palermo was showing Whitney no sympathy (and actually told her to 'grow up' in so many words) for her woman-in-the-middle predicament (since she is friends with Allie, whose boyfriend, Adam, is the best friend of her boyfriend, Jay. That sounds confusing but you get it, right?) Hmmm... we'll see how this all plays out.

Just keep watching with me. Don't worry, I won't tell (unless you do!).

Which reality shows can you not get enough of?

(I also love AmIdol, but that's another blog.)

P.S. You can read a recap of tonight's Bachelor episode on host Chris Harrison's blog on EW.com.

Images via ABC and MTV