The Modern Girl’s Guide to Sticky Situations

Jane Buckingham’s Solutions for Sticky Situations as seen on the Skinny Bitch Newsletter~


At Your Dinner Party …

Stuck: You Oversalt a Soup or Stew

In Luck: No worries, stick a piece of potato in while cooking and it will soak it up. Just remove it when done cooking.

Stuck: Your Cake Collapses

In Luck: Make a trifle. Break the cake into bits and put onto bowls with fruit and whipped cream or ice cream. No one will know the difference.

Stuck: Your Outdoor Dinner Party is Being Overrun by Mosquitoes and You Have No Insect Repellent

In Luck: Offer each guest a half sheet of fabric softener to put through their belt loop or bra. Mosquitoes hate the smell of it!

Stuck: The Bread You Bought is Stale

In Luck: Sprinkle it with water, wrap in aluminum foil and heat in the oven for 10 minutes.

At Someone Else’s Dinner Party …

Stuck: You Don’t Know What to Bring

In Luck: Wine is fine but boring. Loose flowers are gorgeous but your frenzied hostess may have used all of her vases. So instead think about a potted plant (I’m all about cactuses these days) or an interesting beverage like Proseco.


Stuck: Your Ex is There … With Someone Else

In Luck: Don’t avert your gaze, look straight into his eyes, say hello and introduce yourself to his, um, friend. Chat politely, say nothing snide and move on. Do not sit near them and do not drink too much. The less said the better.

Stuck: You Want to Leave a Party Early But Don’t Want to Look Rude

In Luck: First and foremost, give your hostess advance warning. This will make it clear that it’s not about the party itself but a prior commitment. Make it swift and silent. No need to say goodbye to everyone. Just say a brief goodbye to the people you are directly talking with then find your host. Thank him and her, and point out some aspect of the party you enjoyed. Call the next day to thank the host again. If desperate you can always use the Fake-A-Call App on your I-phone to schedule an emergency call from what sounds like a real person.

For my Solutions to your Sticky Situation you can check out Jane's book http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Girls-Guide-Sticky-Situations/dp/0061776351

Eliza