Oprah on 30 Rock

Did you watch 30 Rock last night? It was a hilarious example of why you should never take your friend's prescription drugs on a flight (or otherwise), especially when they're originally intended for a dog and you wash them down with a bottomless glass of Veuve Clicquot. Tina sits next to Oprah on a United flight from Chicago to NYC, (nice product placement, guys) after taking a drug that Alec Baldwin gives her. We won't spoil the episode for those who are planning to watch it on DVR or Hulu.com, except to say we've learned our lesson.

On Our Radar: Hotel Discount

We’ve learned a lot planning our upcoming trip to Austin. Namely, that even seasoned experts like ourselves can sometimes forget an important step, like making sure there’s not a major event going on the weekend of your trip. For us, that means we’ll be in Austin during the University of Texas-Baylor game. While we love college football and all the adorable players and fans, our first choice hotel, the Driskill is completely booked on Friday and Saturday night.

We’ll be staying at our number two choice hotel, the Omni downtown, recommended by our friends MacIsCrack and LollieShopping. When we booked the hotel a few weeks back, we were told the best rate was $279 a night. We took it, figuring we could shop around a bit and cancel if we needed to down the line. Turns out—the shopping around paid off... at the very same hotel. The rates have come down to $229 a night. We immediately called and a scored the lower rate—a $100 savings for the two nights we’re there.

Our lessons on this trip?
1. Always look to see if there’s a major event happening your weekend of choice in the destination of your choice. Events like football games, art exhibits and food and wine fests are definitely good things, but can jack up rates or mean you won’t get in to your hotel of choice.
2. Ask for the lowest rate at the hotel, then double check every week to see if rates have gone down.

Thanks to those JSG readers who gave us recommendations on where to eat, drink and party!

(Photo courtesy of ESPN Sports Travel. 85,000 people per game, some of which scored rooms at the Driskill.)

Lilyette In-Motion Sports Bra Winner

The winner of our Lilyette In-Motion Sports Bra is Nicole-Marie from Burnaby, British Columbia. Thank you to everyone who entered!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Ya, ya, we know. The movie came out like 10 months ago, but we don't see everything at the movie theater. We finally got around to watching it this past week on our train ride home from Newport and we were wowed. Not by Jason Segal's full frontal nudity scene (though he has nothing to be ashamed about), but by Kristen Bell's killer vacation wardrobe. She had an endless collection of sexy but sweet (or is it sweet but sexy?) sundresses. We love the tribal prints...



And the chunky jewelry...



And the Jenni Kayne dress she wore to the premier. The maxi print dress was the perfect way to carry the movie's Hawaiian theme back to Hollywood.
We'll be channeling her when we head to Florida for the inaugural cruise of the Celebrity Solstice next weekend!

Hope's Guest Post on A List Baby

JSG's Hope doesn't always travel with her girlfriends, she also travels with her three JS kids. Check out her guest post on A List Baby--a great place to find all things exquisite for baby. Thanks to Mary for the fun assignment!

Congratulations President Elect Obama!

The promise of hope was intoxicating last night as we elected our 44th President Barack Obama. Watching the joy in the thousands gathered at Grant Park in Chicago matched our own, even if we stayed inside last night. If you too were moved and have thoughts of coming to Washington for the Inauguration in January, you're not alone. A few words of advice, Washington in January is bitterly cold so dress for it, and the hotel prices will be steep and may require minimum stays. Curiously, we searched this morning and could not find a single room available at a half dozen Kimptons, the Willard InterContinental, four Ritz Carltons, the Mandarin Oriental or the Four Seasons. We recommend you contact the hotels directly. Stayed tuned while we look for packages for you.

Below are a few pricey options for the Trump set (courtesy of Destination DC):

From Jan. 17-21, the Mandarin Oriental Washington will present its “Presidential Privilege” package, designed to help couples visit the city in ultimate style. The package includes a five-day, four-night stay in the hotel’s luxurious 8,000 sq.-ft. Presidential Suite with daily breakfast in the suite; designer outfits for inaugural events from Ralph Lauren; a chauffeur-driven Maserati Quattroporte; an exclusive dinner for eight guests at Mandarin Oriental’s signature restaurant CityZen, prepared by James Beard Award-winning Chef Eric Ziebold; and daily spa treatments, priced at $200,900.

The Fairmont Washington, D.C. Hotel mixes in a little bit of "green" with its red, white and blue with its Eco-Inaugural Package, which includes a four-night stay for two in the hotel's two-bedroom Lexus Hybrid Living Suite, which is designed and furnished with organic materials and rapidly renewable resources. The package also includes a custom ball gown from organic designer Linda Loudermilk, organic spa treatments for pre-festivites pampering and a Lexus LS 600h L hybrid vehicle and driver. The guests will also enjoy an organic in-suite midnight supper with eight of their "constituents." The package is priced at $40,000 and is available Jan. 18-21.

Our favorite: Not to be outdone, Kimpton Hotels in the Washington, DC area has announced its special Kimpton Inaugural Package. The Ba "Rock" Star treatment: includes in-room hair styling services; in-room makeup application for the inaugural ball; in-room manicure and pedicure, utilizing Kerstin Florian products; a gourmet platter of snacks to fuel up on before heading out for the night; choice of a 50-minute Calm Mind Massage to de-stress or Aroma Journey Massage to liven the senses; and a gift of therapeutic Detox Mineral Bath Salts. The package can be purchased for $655 as a side package for any guestroom or services can be ordered a la carte through the concierge. The package is based on availability and will be available from Jan 17, 2009 to Jan 21, 2009. It will be available at the Hotel George, Topaz Hotel, Hotel Madera, Hotel Palomar Washington, DC, and the Hotel Monaco Washington, DC.

Elizabeth Grant Skin Care

Packing for a weekend trip for us can mean leaving behind our favorite skin care line, because it doesn't fit under the 4 oz. limit allowed on carry on bags (and transferring expensive products between bottles is tedious).

When we went to Florida last month we were excited to bring along the Elizabeth Grant Face Pads and Caviar Rejuvenating Eye Pads. They are both super moisturizing which is perfect after a plane flight. To use the Face Pads, first unfold the pad to reveal a slippery mask which has a pleasant smell. Apply the mask to your face making sure there are no folds or creases. This step is important since the mask delivers collagen to skin. Then wait 20 to 30 minutes or until the mask dries out. The mask was still wet after 30 minutes, so we took it off. The results: our skin was very hydrated and smooth, our makeup went on very easily and we felt ready for a night out.

The Eye Pads work the same way; but fit under the eye area only. The results were similar to the full face mask with extra firmness in the delicate undereye area.

Both products are available at Elizabeth Grant or ShopNBC.