Mardi Gras Tidbits

In the spirit of Mardi Gras, I wanted to share a few tidbits with everyone!

1. This weekend I will be walking a half marathon.

Ok, well, not all at once, rather, as I walk from my apartment to different stops on the parade route to visit different friends and such. Bring it.

2. This weekend I will be living in my wunder unders.

When you are walking a half marathon, you NEED to be comfy!

3. Speaking of this weekend, did I mention it is a 4 day weekend?

Woohoo for days off!

4. Mardi Gras is the perfect time to replenish your fine china.

… and by fine china, I mean plastic cups thrown from floats. These suckers last me the year as party cups, to-go cups, etc. and are SO much better than solo cups!

5. In order to succeed during Mardi Gras, you must be able to catch anything thrown at you with one hand.

… because you other hand is holding your drink.

6. The amount of liquor you consume will scare you.

I’ve already had 2 bottles of wine and 1/4 a bottle of vodka, and I’ve only paraded three days.

Sounds scary, right? When you drink for a few hours during the parade, and then go out after the parade, well, it is inevitable.

and I can pretty much promise you are not the drunkest person there.

But don’t be stupid about it … DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.

Do tidbit #1 with me and walk that half marathon!

7. Starting yesterday, you should drink water constantly.

It will save you from the aftermath of #6.

8. It is not uncommon to hear “thank God Lent starts Wednesday, I’m getting so fat …”

9. This King Cake season, I have consumed 2.5 King Cakes.

… insert quote from #8 here.

10. If you feel any urge at all to try food from a food truck, DON’T!!

Last night I tried a polish sausage. I thought I was doing good by myself since I got it on a stick, instead of a bun and it was the only thing that wasn’t fried.

Ew! Pure grease … and a waste of $7. That could have been another bottle of wine …

11. Don’t be scared to eye flirt with the men {or women, for some} on the floats …

you will get better beads and/or trinkets.

12. If you see someone on a float about to throw something you want, for instance, a stuffed animal that would be perfect for your white fluffy dog don’t be shy. Run up to the float and demand they give it to you!

This tip works even when you’re surrounded by children.

… okay, maybe not for men, but for women, it will!

13. DON’T bring anything nice to the parade route. You will likely lose it and/or it will get stolen. NoLa is sketch, and with crowds, it’s worse.

14. Be smart!

Stay with friends. If you have to walk alone, let people know where you are going and who you are meeting. Be in touch with both the group you are leaving and the group you are meeting.

I know it’s a pain, but it’s worth it!

15. It’s ok to wear your sunglasses at night.

16. Donate!

Don’t want all those beads you caught? Don’t throw them away! Donate them to schools, churches or charities!

Arc of Greater New Orleans is a non-profit organization that will take those beads, organize them and then re-sell them to make money for the organization.

17. Don’t plan on losing weight.

Between the king cakes, party food, drinks and the fact that all exercise classes are cancelled until Wednesday … HAVE FUN and enjoy the food and not having to fit in a workout.

Sure you can jog in the morning, if you aren’t hungover, but my point is if you’re going to “let loose” this is the time to do it. Embrace it. Get it out of your system. Enjoy every bite.

… plus, as I stated in #8, Lent starts Wednesday ;)

I’m not sure if I will be posting during the next few days, but I’ll try to share some pictures on Twitter if y’all want to follow along!

Happy Mardi Gras, y’all!

What do you think about these tidbits?

To my NoLa friends, can you think of anything I forgot?

Tags: balanced living, carnival season, mardi gras 2012, new orleans