Here’s the thing about guilty pleasures: you have to feel guilty about them. And you know what? I don’t feel all that guilty about most of the pastimes I enjoy. Fluffy romantic comedies? Love ’em. Reading Us Weekly while getting a pedicure? Yes, please. Wearing my pajamas until 2 p.m. on a Sunday? Bring. It. On.
But I suppose there are a few activities I enjoy that, while not guilt-inducing on my end, may cause a few raised eyebrows amongst those who don’t know me (or maybe amongst those who do). So, taking a cue from Deb Kerry, I present them here for you, in list form.
1. Eating whipped cream straight out of the can. I know. I’ve already lost some of you. But I’m sorry, you haven’t lived until you’ve done this at least once. When it comes to homemade desserts, I always whip my own cream, but a face full of Reddi-wip is a beautiful thing.
2. “Evening out” the edges of baked goods. I like to fancy myself a prodigy in the area of straight lines and right angles. Hand me a half-eaten cake, pie, or loaf of bread, and I will show you that the edge is not, in fact, level and needs the handiwork of Deb Dana and her trusty knife to even everything out. I will then consume the scraps — you know, so they don’t go to waste. Note: If you do this while standing up, you officially consume zero calories.
3. Stalking former classmates on Facebook. Okay, stalking is a strong word. “Checking up on” is probably more appropriate. But I love seeing what former classmates are up to, even if we don’t keep in touch anymore. I also secretly live in fear that they know I’m checking out their profiles. Let’s hope Mark Zuckerberg never implements a technology like that. (Seriously, Mark. Don’t ever do that.)
4. Wasting lots of time online. This is sort of a continuation of #3, but I have found many time sucks beyond Facebook: Houzz, Twitter, Piperlime, too many food blogs to count, Goodreads, Pinterest — and so forth.
5. TV marathons. Be it James Bond, Breaking Bad, or Chopped, I love a good marathon. Admittedly, my brain starts to hurt after a certain number of episodes, but up until then, all I need is a supply of snacks, and I’m set for the afternoon.
For the record, I suspect in two months (!), I will no longer have the luxury of indulging in numbers 3, 4, and 5. But numbers 1 and 2? They’re here to stay.
Talk to me. Am I alone in these so-called guilty pleasures? Did you judge me — just a little — when you learned I’ve eaten whipped cream from a can?
Photo courtesy of Roadsidepictures
Oh yes, the computer and Twitter can be huge time sucks. I try to back off some now.
You mean everybody doesn’t eat whipped cream from the can? ~shifty eyes~~ Guess I’d better add to my list. But seriously – it’s perfectly designed for small doses of whipped cream. You don’t have to let your mouth touch the nozzle. And your hands don’t even get sticky. It’s perfect!
Only 2 more months! Wahoo! But yeah, get your facebook stalking out of the way now while you still have two hands free.
I’m with you. NGA! No Guilt Allowed!
I watched a lot of middle-of-the-night TV when I had newborns. Fire up the DVR, Deb Dana.
Dana, please avoid getting Netflix at all costs. Not only will you be indulging in TV marathons, with Netflix, you can watch like four seasons in a row. (I know, I just watched four seasons in a row of Felicity. Now I am wracked with guilt.)
It scares me that this list, also, contains things I do regularly. The 2012 debs did, indeed, choose well when it came to picking Debs who could relate to one another!
My teenage son finds it repulsive that his mother is willing to eat Reddi-Wip from the can (but then, he hates whipped cream in all forms and formats, so I think that plays into it a little).
I definitely even out the edges of baked goods! That made me laugh. Also the trashy mags while on the elliptical. I figure it’s an even swap–I’m burning calories, so why can’t I indulge in glutinous reading?
I’m not a whipped-cream-from-the-can kind of girl, but you will see me take a swig of pickle juice. I know, I’m disgusting!
I definitely even out the edges of baked goods! That made me laugh. Also the trashy mags while on the elliptical. I figure it’s an even swap–I’m burning calories, so why can’t I indulge in glutenous reading?
I’m not a whipped-cream-from-the-can kind of girl, but you will see me take a swig of pickle juice. I know, I’m disgusting!