“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world”  — Marilyn Monroe

Come on, fess up….We Real Women all have little things we do, buy, eat, or entertain ourselves with that help us through our days.  Small bits of joy that give us a little boost or just make us feel good.  And no, I’m not talking about big guilty pleasures that late-night movies are made of, like running off with Sven the pool boy.  Nope, I’m talking about those brief escapes from reality.  These escapes have no redeeming qualities, and may not even be that good for us – hence why we usually keep them to ourselves.

But because I trust you other Real Women out there, I’ll share a few of my guilty pleasures:

Shoes

I love shoes.  Really, they make me happy.  High heels, cute flats, funky boots, great sneakers..…I love them all. I have more shoes than a Real Woman should have.  If I was a wealthy woman, I’d need a whole separate room as a shoe closet.  Shoe shopping for me is not out of necessity or practicality.  It is based on infatuation.  If the price is right, I will buy a pair of shoes just because they are adorable and I love them.  I will plan an outfit around a pair of shoes just because wearing them will make me happy.  As a matter of fact, I wore the pair shown above to work the other day simply because they made me smile and gave my spirits a boost.

Oreos

Maybe I’m going back to my childhood, but I’ve recently rediscovered the yumminess of Oreos.  There is just something about that great combination of chocolate cookies and creamy center.  I regularly keep a package in my cupboard, and sneak a couple any chance I get.  I was getting so addicted that I gave them up for Lent.  Really, I did.

Chocolate Martinis

For adult chocoholics, these are heaven in a glass.  They look cool and they are just so delicious.  For me, runners up in the adult beverage category include a cold mojito on a hot summer day, and a variety of fruity blender drinks.  Ahhhhhhh…..

Mindless TV

Sure, we all watch some tv.  But fess up, there are some shows you really enjoy that you are embarrassed to admit you watch…..maybe it is reality TV trash, possibly cheaply made Vampire shows? For me, I fell in love with “Smash”.  A new show this year, critics called it “Glee for adults”, and I got completely hooked – I looked forward to it every week.   The season has ended, and I miss it already. I also watch “American Idol.” I don’t know why, it really wasn’t very good this year, but I still watched it anyway.  And then there is “Storage Wars.”  My whole family is sucked into this one. Again, no truly redeeming qualities, but we know all of the participant’s names and personalities by heart, and watch it every chance we get.

Romantic movies and books.

This is escapism in its finest form.   I love romantic comedy movies, and romance novels.  Some of course are written better than others, and I do enjoy a decent plot.  Truly a guilty pleasure, I love settling in with my feet up to escape into a good fluff movie or book.  I get swallowed up and live in a different world while watching or reading.  And some of them can get pretty addictive…..50 Shades, anyone?

Alright, so I came clean….your turn…. Got any small guilty pleasures you are prepared to confess?