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Top Tips for Girls: Real Advice from Real Women for Real Life
REAL LIFE MADE EASIER
In today’s lifestyle guru–obsessed world, where we all turn to magazines and TV personalities to teach us how to organize our lives, cook, look, and live better, it’s refreshing to hear clever, who-would’ve-thunk-it suggestions from regular women.
In Top Tips for Girls , today’s primer for women in the know, Kate Reardon has collected just that—literally hundreds of tips on all areas of our lives, be it raising kids, staying fit, dressing well, planning a wedding, gardening, dating, dieting, traveling, or working. Far from garden variety, the tips you’ll find here are surprising—the sort that women used to get word-of-mouth from their own moms, grandmothers, aunts, and best friends. Some of the many helpful, and even hilarious, tips you’ll read here
•To avoid blisters from new shoes, coat your feet with Vaseline.
•Invest in a certain number of “nice” hangers. When you start having to use the metal ones from the dry cleaner, it’s time to clean out your closet.
•Impress guests with homemade-tasting mayonnaise by adding fresh lemon juice and capers or thyme to ordinary mayo.
•Perk up wilted ferns by spraying them once a month with weak tea.
•To find your car in an unfamiliar area, use the camera on your cell phone to take a picture of the nearest street sign.
•Tone up your butt by squeezing it in quick reps of fifty while watching TV.
•To safely dispose of receipts and bank statements without buying a shredder, simply keep a container of water to pop them in and let them dissolve.
And many more!
In today’s lifestyle guru–obsessed world, where we all turn to magazines and TV personalities to teach us how to organize our lives, cook, look, and live better, it’s refreshing to hear clever, who-would’ve-thunk-it suggestions from regular women.
In Top Tips for Girls , today’s primer for women in the know, Kate Reardon has collected just that—literally hundreds of tips on all areas of our lives, be it raising kids, staying fit, dressing well, planning a wedding, gardening, dating, dieting, traveling, or working. Far from garden variety, the tips you’ll find here are surprising—the sort that women used to get word-of-mouth from their own moms, grandmothers, aunts, and best friends. Some of the many helpful, and even hilarious, tips you’ll read here
•To avoid blisters from new shoes, coat your feet with Vaseline.
•Invest in a certain number of “nice” hangers. When you start having to use the metal ones from the dry cleaner, it’s time to clean out your closet.
•Impress guests with homemade-tasting mayonnaise by adding fresh lemon juice and capers or thyme to ordinary mayo.
•Perk up wilted ferns by spraying them once a month with weak tea.
•To find your car in an unfamiliar area, use the camera on your cell phone to take a picture of the nearest street sign.
•Tone up your butt by squeezing it in quick reps of fifty while watching TV.
•To safely dispose of receipts and bank statements without buying a shredder, simply keep a container of water to pop them in and let them dissolve.
And many more!
- GenresNonfiction
241 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
3 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 19, 2017
I always think that these type of books have kind of had their day, as all information can so easily be found online these days, but having said that, this book is a handy size, with a clear layout and I've actually remembered and followed several useful practical tips from this book since I got it in 2008.
I only rate it a 2.5 however because the Dating and Relationship sections are just awful - with questions answered such as: 'How to be a woman men love' and 'How to be good in bed' Seriously? Why not, How to get what you want in bed? Why does a book with top tips for girls feel the need to place so much emphasis on men's needs? If those sections were edited this book could be a fun but handy gift to pack off with a daughter to uni.
I only rate it a 2.5 however because the Dating and Relationship sections are just awful - with questions answered such as: 'How to be a woman men love' and 'How to be good in bed' Seriously? Why not, How to get what you want in bed? Why does a book with top tips for girls feel the need to place so much emphasis on men's needs? If those sections were edited this book could be a fun but handy gift to pack off with a daughter to uni.
February 5, 2023
A few useful tips, but this book is dated now. May find better tips searching online.
April 16, 2009
Reviewed by Marie Robinson for TeensReadToo.com
This is a fun book, though its entertainment value lies more in the fun of mocking it than in taking it seriously. Though, perhaps it wasn't meant to be taken seriously. I have hesitated to write this review because of how much this book feels like a novelty.
It's a terrific concept: Full of tip after tip on the proper etiquette for how to deal with topics as varied as pets, gardening, diets, beauty, weddings, travel, etc., this book seemingly covers every possible contingency in a young woman's life. Unfortunately, most of the tips lack real substance.
The best part of this book, by far, are the introductions to each chapter which are written by author Kate Reardon. She is a terrific writer. Her stuff is funny, witty, smart, engaging. With chapter after chapter I kept wishing that she had kept going and written all of the tips herself, too.
Instead, the tips are a hodge-podge of responses that she received from readers online. Women wrote in to Reardon's website with their own personal tips on various topics, and while some are interesting, most are odd or, at worst, not helpful. "Put the sponge in your dishwasher every time you run it" as a way to keep the sponge clean is a helpful tip. "Wear a rubber kitchen glove. It will be grated before your fingers!" not so much. And do we really need a section with advice on how to deter slugs?
When I got to the section called, "How to Remember to do Kegel Exercises" I thought, really? We need four tips on this? Of course, the tip about using Neosporin to clear up pimples does make me curious to try it.
And what about this nugget: "How to Pull Clothes Over Your Head Without Ruining Your Makeup: If you need to pull clothes over your head and you've already done your makeup, put a large old pair of panties on your head so that they cover your face. They will protect your clothes and your makeup. - Gam"
Sigh.
In the introduction, Reardon writes that this book is "about collecting all those little tips and tricks that get us through life." It sounds so lovely and nostalgic. Yet, I can't help but notice at the end of the introduction, where she also writes, "The tips in this book are the opinions of people who have contributed to my website. I haven't rigorously tested them all...if you've got a better idea for any of the tips you find in this book...do please...let us all know."
I do have a better idea. Kate: next time write all of the material yourself. Or at least decide if the book is meant to be real advice of the useful variety, or a fun joke to pass around and giggle about at the office.
This is a fun book, though its entertainment value lies more in the fun of mocking it than in taking it seriously. Though, perhaps it wasn't meant to be taken seriously. I have hesitated to write this review because of how much this book feels like a novelty.
It's a terrific concept: Full of tip after tip on the proper etiquette for how to deal with topics as varied as pets, gardening, diets, beauty, weddings, travel, etc., this book seemingly covers every possible contingency in a young woman's life. Unfortunately, most of the tips lack real substance.
The best part of this book, by far, are the introductions to each chapter which are written by author Kate Reardon. She is a terrific writer. Her stuff is funny, witty, smart, engaging. With chapter after chapter I kept wishing that she had kept going and written all of the tips herself, too.
Instead, the tips are a hodge-podge of responses that she received from readers online. Women wrote in to Reardon's website with their own personal tips on various topics, and while some are interesting, most are odd or, at worst, not helpful. "Put the sponge in your dishwasher every time you run it" as a way to keep the sponge clean is a helpful tip. "Wear a rubber kitchen glove. It will be grated before your fingers!" not so much. And do we really need a section with advice on how to deter slugs?
When I got to the section called, "How to Remember to do Kegel Exercises" I thought, really? We need four tips on this? Of course, the tip about using Neosporin to clear up pimples does make me curious to try it.
And what about this nugget: "How to Pull Clothes Over Your Head Without Ruining Your Makeup: If you need to pull clothes over your head and you've already done your makeup, put a large old pair of panties on your head so that they cover your face. They will protect your clothes and your makeup. - Gam"
Sigh.
In the introduction, Reardon writes that this book is "about collecting all those little tips and tricks that get us through life." It sounds so lovely and nostalgic. Yet, I can't help but notice at the end of the introduction, where she also writes, "The tips in this book are the opinions of people who have contributed to my website. I haven't rigorously tested them all...if you've got a better idea for any of the tips you find in this book...do please...let us all know."
I do have a better idea. Kate: next time write all of the material yourself. Or at least decide if the book is meant to be real advice of the useful variety, or a fun joke to pass around and giggle about at the office.
May 7, 2009
Fun, light, unfortunately the translator is not that familiar with culture/stuff from U.K. So the translation seems a bit stiff.
Tea tree oil IS NOT minyak pohon teh.
Took this from Wikipedia: "Tea tree oil or melaleuca oil is a clear to very pale golden color essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odor. It is taken from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia.
Tea tree oil should not be confused with tea oil, the sweet seasoning and cooking oil from pressed seeds of the tea plant (drinking tea) Camellia sinensis or the tea oil plant Camellia oleifera."
So some Indonesians who read it might be confused, thinking that the oil is derived from tea tree that can be used for tea.
Lebih baik dapat orang lain. Huh? Sounds strange.
At least three typos. Etc.
Some of the advices are pretty silly, and some aren't suitable for Indonesians, but still, they are fun.
Tea tree oil IS NOT minyak pohon teh.
Took this from Wikipedia: "Tea tree oil or melaleuca oil is a clear to very pale golden color essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odor. It is taken from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia.
Tea tree oil should not be confused with tea oil, the sweet seasoning and cooking oil from pressed seeds of the tea plant (drinking tea) Camellia sinensis or the tea oil plant Camellia oleifera."
So some Indonesians who read it might be confused, thinking that the oil is derived from tea tree that can be used for tea.
Lebih baik dapat orang lain. Huh? Sounds strange.
At least three typos. Etc.
Some of the advices are pretty silly, and some aren't suitable for Indonesians, but still, they are fun.
October 6, 2008
Have already used some of the tips from this book. The best was a tip about getting rid of ants. Well, not getting rid of them...but deterring them. Ants don't like powder because their feet can't stick to a surface. So...I spread talcum powder in the area I saw them entering my apt. and...voila. The ants went away.
January 11, 2011
Cute little book, only really had a flick through it, but it's really the sort you can leave on a shelf or the coffee table in your living room for friends to giggle over. Like other reviewers have mentioned, some of the advice is bizarre or rather unnecessary, but I'm sure it has a few gems in there somewhere.
Read
April 6, 2008UK: Harriet Evans
US: Carrie Thornton
US: Carrie Thornton
Currently reading
April 2, 2009This is a good train read but it can't replace all the kitchen table wisdom of Mama, Big Mama Grandma, Granny and Naomi Ruth.
August 4, 2013
Don't waste your time with this, since it's all available on the internet anyway. This is what I get for reading books recommended by "Vanity Fair".
Currently reading
December 12, 2008cute! love my girly books!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews