Thirty-two-year-old entertainment host Maria Menounos has a new book, The Everygirl’s Guide to Life, out this month—a candid, personal peek into how she juggles a fast-paced career, five dogs, her boyfriend, parents and her home in Los Angeles, all while staying organized, trim and gorgeous. Let’s just say she’s figured out a few things along the way, and now she’s sharing them with the rest of us.
What’s on your bookshelf for show?
A Vogue magazine retrospective
What did you obsess about at 16?
My size
What do you obsess about now?
My career. And maybe my dogs a little bit.
Chore you hate doing:
Gassing my car. That’s when the weirdos show up to harass me, and it always seems as if the tank is on E.
Worst compliment you’ve ever received:
Guys have stopped me and said, “You’re so much more petite on camera.”
What do you have a hard time spending money on?
Anything expensive! I’m very frugal and practical.
If you weren’t a TV host and producer, what would you be?
Maybe a local sports reporter in Boston
Pet peeve:
Dishes piling up in the sink. But sometimes I do it, too!
Who’s your best friend?
Alyssa Wallerce, also of Medford, has been my best friend since seventh grade. And Rachel Zalis is my best friend on the West Coast.
Who or what is your worst enemy?
The Jets, Lakers and Giants! And mosquitoes.
When your parents brag about you, what do they say?
They can’t hold anything in. My dad says I’ve got the best house, the nicest car.... When I was two, he dressed me up and took me for a ride to my godfather’s to show me off and sat me on two phone books in the car so that people could see me.
Choice Tips from The Everygirl's Guide to Life
"Use steam showers and saunas to cure hangovers. After long nights of drinking, sit in one with jugs of water, sweating off alcohol while drinking fresh H2O."
"Use a credit card behind lashes when applying mascara to prevent the product from getting on your skin."
"When getting makeup done by a pro, even at a store counter, use a video camera from your phone to fi lm yourself being made up so you’ll remember all the techniques."
"When parking in large structures, I use my camera phone to take a picture of my parking space and my space numbe."
