They don't call them "guilty pleasures" for nothing, folks.

Hold on to your kids, kids. Not only am I out of the house, I'm out of the house with my laptop! Because I have the best husband in all of New York (he's watching the boy AND cleaning the house!) I think it's time for some fun. Which means another round of THINGS ALISHA LOVES!

- Bravo TV
Having spent the last three months parked on the couch with a babe attached to my teat (now I know why it's called the "boob toob". Ba-da-CHI!), I have become something of a reality television connoisseur. None of that Dancing With The Starts/American Idol booshit. For me, it's all about Bravo. Sure, some of the shows sound prurient and juvenile - Millionaire Matchmaker, anyone? - but I assure you, Bravo's perfected the art. Top Chef and Project Runway are without peer but for the perfect blend of shadenfreude and Peeping Tom, it's all about The Real Housewives of New York City. There's the wife who refers to her husband only by his title ("The Count will be flying to Europe tomorrow"), the co-dependent couple who spend five figures on a single shopping spree (but even with all money, their 3 year old - who already reads, by the way - barely got into to pre-school. He was wait-listed at every single school, private AND public. He finally got accepted to their SIXTEENTH choice), and the funny, tell-it-like-it-is redhead who hires a private plane to take her 16-year-old to a detox center for $75 ear candling treatments. Trust me, it's more compelling than it sounds. Almost as compelling as The Millionaire Matchmaker (if it costs you $10,000 a month to find love, there's something very wrong) and Make Me a Supermodel (kicks Top Model's ass. Bonus: no Tyra!)

- Unexpected finds
Because my corner Starbucks only has two tables (what gives, 'bucks?) I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a new haunt. Today, I found it. I just didn't expect it to be aTasti D-Lite. From Chowhound:

"Behind the unpromising facade of a Tasti D-Lite outlet in Hell’s Kitchen, there lurks a classy chocolate salon called The Cocoa Bar. Hot chocolate, made from the good stuff like MarieBelle and Schokinag, can be stellar, depending on who’s behind the counter. Also available: espresso drinks from Lavazza coffee, teas and tisanes, and fancy candies (Blanxart from Spain, Dolfin and Cote D’Or from Belgium). Nice comfortable chairs and couches, too."

FYI, the MarieBelle hot chocolate is delish, albeit crazy overpriced. ($5 for a demitasse cup? Oh all right...)

- Assorted NYC flotsam
Take the discarded lavender Post-It I found next to the Cocoa Bar's suggestion box:

LOOK AT US, WE'RE DOIN' IT!

Doin' what, exactly? Listening to smooth jazz? Eating froyo? The possibilities are endless...

- Places I totally want to check out, but probably never will
Like this place (above)

Moon River Chattel
62 Grand St., nr. Wythe Ave., Williamsburg; 718-388-1121
There’s a certain joy in lazily following Route 9 through the quaint towns and overflowing antique shops of the Hudson River Valley. But the trip always becomes more of an archaeological dig, and who has time for that every weekend? Instead, take the L to Bedford Avenue and walk eight blocks to Moon River Chattel, where you’ll find an impeccably curated collection of restored vintage furniture. Owners Christine Foley and Paul Sperduto scour the East Coast for eighteenth- to twentieth-century antiques ranging from glass-fronted cabinets to doorknobs, all embodying a timeless, utilitarian aesthetic. (“No Victorian, no chipping paint, no country,” says Sperduto.) They mix in charming new products, like hemp bath towels ($78) and blocks of Marseilles olive-oil soap ($11). A favorite with architects and restaurateurs (their pieces have ended up in hot spots like Hill Country and the Box), the store also makes gorgeous custom furniture using salvaged materials.

- Entire restaurants devoted to dessert
Need I say more?

- Freebies
The only good thing about turning 36 (not only are my belly and boobs decidedly droop-tastic, I'm working some serious old lady elbow) are the yearly birthday freebies that come my way. From Banana Republic, a $15 gift card. Coldstone Creamery offered up a birthday sundae. Aveda sent me a coupon for free perfume, and Sephora sent me some lotion from Philosophy. Of course all I really wanted was sleep (Will slept for an hour and a half last night. Total. Need I say more?) but until that happens, I'll take all the free crap I can get.

- Family members that feel obligated to babysit
Thanks to Cousin Amanda, Matt and I are going out tonight for the first time since Will was born. We're just going around the corner for dinner but WE'RE GOING AROUND THE CORNER! FOR DINNER!