Bar Carts and Ringing in 2016

Happy New Year’s Eve!!

Today’s post is a bit of a combo: the last part of the Apartment Tour Series, aka putting together a fabulous bar cart, and a few tips for drinking smart. (Because bar carts and champagne kind of go hand-in-hand, no?)

Many people are surprised when they hear that dietitians, or dietitians-to-be like me 🙂 drink. I don’t drink often, but I do enjoy celebrating special occasions with a glass of something pink. The most important thing I abide by is to drink smart, which we will cover a bit more below.

When putting together a bar cart, I find it looks best to have a running theme/color scheme. In sticking with the design of the rest of my apartment, I went with a very chic pink and gold look.

Add some unexpected details like sparkly votive candles, and repurpose glasses or shakers for holding straws. Also, mixed patterns, like dots and chevron can look just right as long as they are the same color.

Add a certain “je nai se quoi” with little etched glasses…

…or cheeky coasters. Group some matching bottles together to make a statement. Can you believe there are so many pink and gold bottles on the market??? World Market is my go-to for pretty, petite bottles.

You all know by now that I have an obsession with acrylic. I love how the bottles just look like they are floating. This bottle rack keeps the bar cart from looking too cluttered or weighed-down.

Glasses galore! Having a variety of shapes and sizes means you are ready for every guest’s drink of choice. Plus, design-wise, contrasting shapes and heights add dimension.  Ta-da! Fabulous bar cart 101. Put out a few bowls of appetizers (spiced nuts, veggie crudite), and you will be the hostess with the most-ess!

Now for a few smart drinking tips:

• Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Food acts as a sponge, so to speak, to help “soak up” the alcohol, so  the alcohol will be absorbed less quickly into the bloodstream, meaning you prevent your blood alcohol content from spiking quickly. Translation: you will feel more level-headed and cognizant.

• Stay hydrated BDA (before/during/after). Before you go out, make sure you have at least one glass of water prior to the start of consuming alcohol (I’m taking the liberty here to assume you have been staying hydrated throughout the day). After that, the rule of thumb is to have a glass of water between each drink. Andddd, if you want to help prevent a hangover, make sure you have a glass of water ready and waiting next to your bed to drink after you have finished your bubbly and watched the ball drop.

• Ditch the mixers. Mixed drinks tend to be more caloric and higher in sugar (think added simple syrups, creams, even butter, ahem buttered rum). Drink mixes can also be laden with artificial colors and flavors, which are ingredients to avoid as much as possible. You want to be feeling your best for the New Year, and your drink of choice can impact how you feel waking up on January 1.

Does anyone have resolutions for the new year? I have a goal of stressing less. For me that means taking time for myself to do the things that relax me. I want to do at least one small thing a day, whether it’s go for a run, read, or put on a face mask. I have struggled with managing my stress in the past, so this year I want to be more mindful of that!

Happy New Year! Wishing you all a year full of health, light, and love! Here’s to a year full of wellness!

XO,

Alexandra