So here I am, freshly single and ready to mingle. Actually – no, I’m not. I wish I could say every day gets a little better, but really, every day is just a little different. It’s not an upward climb, it’s a roller coaster and I am hanging on for dear life. I will admit that I cry a little less, go out a little more, eat a lot less chocolate and have been hittin’ the treadmill more often. But apart from good girlfriends and aggressive sweat sessions at the gym, I have also discovered a few fabulous, momentary remedies to make myself feel a whole heck of a lot better. If you’ve had your heart recently crushed, or perhaps February is just plain and simply kicking your ass, I have discovered some Cheeky pick-me-ups throughout town that have certainly helped me. I hope they help you too.
• Go see the movie He’s Just Not That Into You. Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore and especially Ginnifer Goodwin – all represent a part of yourself or a part of your life you will relate to. At times it’s sad, most of the time it’s friggin’ hilarious, sometimes it’s a bit tragic, but most of all- it is hopeful. And by the end of the movie, for the first time in three months, I actually felt really happy to be single.
• I wasn’t kidding when I asked Independence to go shoe shopping with me. But first – find a shop-girl to join you. This is a girl who works at your favorite boutique, understands your style and loves to play dress-up just as much as you do. Trust me: she will make you feel like a million bucks without making you spend it. Take out the mini cash-reserve you’ve got stashed underneath the bed you’ve been sleeping in alone, try on a bunch of outfits and treat yourself to a fabulous and versatile new dress, a spunky belt to match and, that’s right, a pair of shoes. Or, even better, a pair of bright purple, fringed knee-high boots. Nothing says “a whole new me” more than wearing something that unveils a side of yourself you may have tucked away and forgotten about. A naughty cow-girl perhaps…
• Take yoga. What other place can you go to where your primary job is just to breathe? No traffic, no laptop, no crackberry and no thoughts of the ex. Yoga is purely me-and-my-mat time. Yogaview in Bucktown makes my heart go zen. The instructors are the best teachers in the city (who play the best music) and the whole space has amazing energy. Seriously, I would go there just to hang out and read a book. And p.s., there seem to be a lot of cute men who like Yogaview, too.
• Jump on a plane and fly to Mexico. Can’t afford the time or the plane ticket? Neither could I. But at least I looked like I jumped a plane and went to Mexico. Three words, girls: Airbrush. Spray. Tanning. For as ridiculous as it sounds, nothing will make you look and feel 10 pounds thinner (and sexier) faster. I headed over to Brilli Salon in Lakeview where they use South Seas Skin Care, a celebrity approved technology that delivers the most flawless, natural, long-lasting tan around. (It’s been a week and I am still uber-dark.) Who needs a boy’s kisses when you’ve got the sun’s kisses? Well, you know what I mean. And for $55, it’ll be the cheapest “vacation” you’ll ever take.
• Indulge yourself. No really – totally and utterly indulge yourself. And what better place to do it than at the Spa at the Trump Hotel? Okay, this is for those of you who have a lot of cash stashed underneath that bed, or (like me), you are just plain desperate to feel better. Not only did I feel better during and after my experience at the Trump, I felt like a queen. There really is no finer service in the city. First I took “Yamuna Body Rolling” in the astounding fitness center: an utterly unique workout class designed to elongate and lift your whole body. Who doesn’t like that? Then to the spa I went for the Ultimate Urban Body Mask. This is where the magic happened. After being exfoliated with grapefruit sea-salt, wrapped in a seaweed mask, treated to a cranial and foot reflexology massage, rinsed off in the Swiss shower and finished with a full body aromatherapy oil massage, I was saying “Ex-boyfriend who? I love being Jessica.”
Mini Remedies:
• Read the book Three Black Skirts.
• Make yourself a “Happy Mix” on a CD to blast in your car, room or otherwise, or to go in your iPod. Make sure it includes “Single Ladies” by Beyonce.
• Call a friend you haven’t talked to or heard from in years and spend an hour (or two) catching up.
• Spend more time with your mom.
• Buy fresh flowers and put them in your room.
• Get your tarot cards read.
• Sleep in on a Sunday and then take yourself to a bakery and buy yourself a cupcake.
• Partake in a multitude of girl’s nights.
• Cry. (It’s okay…)
