I follow a certain routine when I’m getting ready for a night out.

It starts with a full-service shower: shaving, full body exfoliating and, of course, shampooing and conditioning my hair. And when I get out of the shower, I usually find that my husband has left me a little present on the counter. A cocktail of some sort, usually made with vodka, club soda and pomegranate juice (got to have those anti-oxidants). If he is feeling particularly generous, he might leave me a martini. Either way, I’m off to a good start.

I pop in my contacts, put on my foundation and blow dry my hair. Then the real fun begins. I start playing some music. And I find that I tailor the music that I am listening to depending on what I’m getting ready to go do. Going to a big party needs something rowdy like Adam Lambert’s “If I Had You” (I’m a big fan regardless of what others think. Love his music) or C+ C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat”. Going out with the girls requires Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” or Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”. And then going out to dinner with friends would require something a little more toned down. Maybe a little jazz like Terell Stafford’s “Blues for JT” or Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”.

You get the idea.

(I actually think music makes doing a lot of things better. I also listen to it when I’m cleaning the house. Some classic rock like Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones.)

Once the music gets going, I get going. Getting ready is more fun, is easier and I tend to finish up faster. In no time at all, I pick out my clothes, put on my makeup, accessorize, finish my cocktail and then head downstairs where my husband is waiting to tell me how great I look. And to ask me what took me so long. Guess I’m not as fast as I thought.

Then out the door and on to yet another fun evening! I love a good night out.

What’s your getting ready to go out routine?

Jen Cullen is a 40-something pseudo housewife, divorced and re-married with 2 kids, one stepdaughter and no pets. She writes Life’s Dewlaps: Musings From An Underused Brain (http://lifesdewlaps.blogspot.com) where she unburdens herself of the many thoughts in her head. It’s not as ominous as it sounds but she likes to explore random topics ranging from using at-home hair color and playing baseball with her son to taking Milk Thistle to prevent hangovers and using arousal gel.