I admit it. This is a hard post for me to write. Oh, not because I’m averse to naughty — even titillating — behavior (seriously, you can’t have been paying attention this year if you think that’s a possibility), but rather because I don’t feel guilty about it.
To feel guilty about something, you have to, on some level, think of it as wrong. I just don’t happen to think a little self-indulgence is wrong. Quite the opposite, in fact. I think it’s good for the creative soul. It’s liberating not to be so buttoned down all the time. It’s also a kind of safety valve — letting off some steam can help prevent a big ol’ explosion.
So how about I just give you a list of my self-indulgences instead? My Non-Guilty Pleasures, if you will.
Here they are, in no particular order:
Potato Chips:
Red licorice:
Eating Nutella by the spoonful, straight from the jar:
Ozzie rolls from Sweetwater Tavern:
And, lest you think it’s all about food, I’ve also been know to indulge in the *cough* occasional adult beverage:
(Image source: this one’s totally mine.)
And, of course, my favorite self-indulgence, trashy books. Maybe I’d feel guiltier if I read them this way:
And here are a few suggestions my Twitter pals offered up when I asked for their guilty pleasures …
Reality TV:
Taking a hot bath with the window open, while it’s snowing:
Not a bad collection of self-indulgences at all, if I do say so myself. Even if I don’t feel guilty about any of them.
(Yes, I left out the half-naked men. Sorry. TG wouldn’t cooperate.)
How about you? Do you have any guilty — or non-guilty — pleasures? I’m always looking to expand my list.
How about sleeping in? There’s something very pleasurable about rolling over and going back to sleep. Although I sometimes do feel guilty when I finally get up and see how much of daylight I let burn!
Oh, good one, Dianne! That is a delicious sensation.
Well, when I can manage it. Sadly, the older I get, the more I seem to want to jump out of bed early. What’s up with that? Here I’m finally at a stage in my life where most days I could sleep as late as I want, and I’m lucky to make it past 7 a.m.? Sheesh. Next thing you know, I’ll be having dinner at 4:30 at the IHOP. *rolls eyes*
Chocolate.
Not cleaning the house in favor of reading all day.
Man candy. (aw right, aw right – said with Matthew mcconaughey voice).
Speaking of man candy, you HAVE seen Magic Mike, haven’t you? If not…hie thee to a movie theater, pronto! *grin*
Oh, yes! With the lovely Jeannie Moon and Jennifer Gracen. There’s one scene involving a long plastic tube and — er…
I should probably get back to work.
LOL! Yes, truly a *cough* memorable scene. 😉
That’s a wonderful collection! I might add staying up till 3 (or 4 or 5 or 6) am reading…
Ah yes, Magic Mike… saw it a couple of weeks ago!
Hi Deniz! Yes, I LOVE it when a book is good enough to keep me up late.
Re Magic Mike: one of my friends asked me about the plot. My reply: “Plot? There was a plot? Huh.” 🙂
i’m one of the twitter folks who responded to your “what’s your guilty pleasure” question. let’s not rehash that again. i will say, though, that i forgot to mention sleeping in! what a delicious thing that it.
Yeah. IF your body lets you do it. *sigh*
I think I’ll just go eat some potato chips instead… 😉
Eating potato chips and drinking wine while reading a trashy book 🙂
Happy Weekend!
The wine and potato chips will certainly help on the “Happy Weekend” score! 😀
“Yes, I left out the half-naked men. Sorry. TG wouldn’t cooperate.”
Please assure TG we all respect his boundaries 😉
A great list, Linda, dear. Since it is Friday, I suspect we will all be indulging in at least half of these by midnight!!
Only half? Heck, I’m looking to clear the board! *grin*
Unless I’m not doing work I’m supposed to be doing (housework doesn’t count unless the kids are naked), I don’t feel particularly guilty about much. I will say, though, that when my inner-carb-hoarder Googled those Ozzie rolls, the first thing on the list was a livestrong page listing their calorie and fat content as well as healthier alternatives. And now I don’t like the livestrong people. I am forced to conclude that what I lack in guilt, I make up for in hostility. Also, I need to plan a trip to Virginia, because those look delicious.
*plugs ears* I don’t want to know the calorie count of the Ozzie rolls. La-la-la…I can’t hear you!
They ARE seriously delicious. Let me know if you’re ever in my neck of the woods, and I’ll prove it to you. 🙂
You’ve nothing to fear from me, Linda. I would never click on such an obscene link.
Whew! There are some things we’re just better off not knowing.
Oh Linda,
Quilty pleasures, you certainly hit a few of mine, I would have included all the chocolate I can eat (until the next day when the quilt hits me and I just say not tonight I promise, guess what it does not happen back to the junk, oh well).
Linda, you must learn to turn over at 7am it is really easy come on over and I will teach you how I am a master of late late night and oh yeh late late mornings (unless I have an appointement which I don’t usually make before 11, you need some lessons girl).
I love the trashy girl with the book she is right up there with the chips and red licorce.
Great post today Linda, have a wonderful weekend, see you all next week.
Hi Marcia! I hear ya on the chocolate, but for me that’s a necessity. Besides, now that I know it’s chock-full of antioxidants, I figure it’s a health food, and we don’t have to feel even a teensy bit guilty about eating it. 😉
As for my early mornings … sheesh. I wish I could roll over and go back to sleep. But when my mind wakes up, it just annoys me until I get out of bed.
Have a great weekend! 🙂
Marcia, you forgot to talk about jujubes and bridge mix and pink popcorn…
linda ..
a fun exercise ! … do it again.
Hi Tom!
Did you really say “fun” and “exercise” in the same sentence? Huh. That does not compute. 😉
Butter. Fried foods. Stuff fried in butter.
And that Nutella thing? I get it, but I like it half Nutella/half peanut butter. Still on the spoon, of course (or on a sandwich – I’m really not that fussy). Oh, and Kraft Dinner. And bologna sandwiches on *gasp* white bread.
Yeah, all my real guilty stuff is food-related.
Mmmm. Butter. Excuse me while I have a moment. *grin*
Nutella with peanut butter? I haven’t tried that, but it sounds divine! And bologna is always good, but especially on white bread. Comfort food — takes me right back to childhood.
There’s these small boxes of expensive European cookies… smallish, chocolate-covered, (of course!)with innards made of shortbread, marshmallow, and raspberry jelly. As best as I can describe them, anyhow. Two cookies is considered a “serving”, but I can pretty nearly eat the whole darned box in a single sitting. (Don’t tell ME how to serve myself!) Does it make me feel guilty? Only a teensy bit, and I get over it reeeeeeally fast.
I think I’ve had those — YUM! But when they say the serving size is “two,” I’m assuming they meant boxes, not cookies. 😉
Chocolate. Anything chocolate. I eat it by the barrel. It’s less of a guilty pleasure and more of a guilty “OMG WHAT HAVE I DONE.” Also, video games. And I’m not talking an hour here or there. I mean, waking up at 4am to play Skyrim or an old-school Pokemon game. It’s kind of sad, really.
Like I told Marcia above, chocolate is an essential, not an indulgence. And I’ve heard video games are really good for hand/eye coordination, so I think you’re okay there, too. (You’re welcome.)
I buy candy and stash it so no one else gets any. Even though I feel guilty about eating the calories and sugar, I don’t about the selfishness of keeping it to myself. (*slaps wrist* Bad mommy!)Is that horrible? I’m just trying to keep my kids from getting cavities, right? Right? 😉
YES! You’re only thinking of the children. Seriously, it’s a sacrifice, but that’s what moms are for. *saintly grin*
I’d have to agree with sleeping in – potato chips – and … lemon cupcakes! There’s just something about a lemon cupcake – it’s happy on a plate!
Mmmmm. Lemon cupcakes. Yum! (Man, this post is not doing my waistline any good at all!)
Most excellent post. I love the pic of me up there in the bathtub, thank you for hiding my mer tail. 😉 Can’t give all my secrets away… btw, trashy books only add to a woman’s mystique. Both my Grammy and my MomMom say so.
Ah, yes. Mystique. Essential, yes? I’m all for adding to it at every opportunity.
Staying up all night reading trashy books, eating chocolate and drinking wine. But I don’t feel guilty about it.
That’s the spirit! 🙂