Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

July 2022 Beauty Update

July 15, 2022

Yep – another new month and another round of beauty products from my stash to use up plus a few new things. I’d almost forgotten this was the whole premise of the updates – to use up what I had. :P On with the show!

Skincare

As you can see I completely revamped what I had been doing. I wasn’t thrilled with the products I was using and they were almost gone anyway so it was time for a new regimen. I pulled my three Fresh mini’s from my stash and added in the basic mini’s for a complete routine. I also had to buy a new sunscreen because my Neutrogena Healthy Defense was gone. I hope I can find that one again because it was actually pretty good. Okay – here’s the new line up kids.

Cleanser – Fresh Soy Cleanser – Yeah, I’ve used this one before and I have a love/hate relationship with it but I needed it to complete the Fresh routine. It really doesn’t clear off the makeup and sunscreen but it is gentle and would be a good cleanser for people who don’t wear a ton of makeup or even a young teen starting out.

Eye Makeup Remover – L’Oreal Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover – My go-to.

Exfoliation – Fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash – I use this 3 mornings a week but I don’t know if it’s making a difference. Basically it’s a riff off the original Brown Sugar Scrub in the jar – more watery and possibly gentler for daily use. On the other hand, it smells great and is fun to use.

Toner – Fresh Kombucha Antioxidant Facial Treatment Essence – First off, I’m old school. I don’t do any of this put the product in your hand and smoosh it over your face in some weird style. Nope – I put it on a cotton round and swipe over face as a toner. Guess what? Works the same! I actually like this and think it does work in some way but it’s really expensive (the mini alone is $36) so not sure if it’s worth it for me. If I did have the money though, I’d love to try the whole Black Tea line from Fresh. The Corset Cream is really good (I had samples a few years back) and I think it would make a difference for my mature skin. Maybe someday I’ll get brave enough to drop the bucks – to me it’s worth the money if the products work. Dermatologists are really expensive too so I think it would all come out in the wash money-wise.

Moisturizer – Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream – The original was good but this one, in my opinion, just isn’t as good. They upped the hyaluronic acid and it just kind of sits on my face now. Before, the product really sunk in and nourished. Why do these companies tinker with an already good thing? Besides, me and hyaluronic acid don’t really get along but it’s really hard finding moisturizers that don’t have it.

Masks – Fresh Rose Face Mask – I kind of like this one. It’s cooling and refreshing and soothing on my skin, whether it moisturizes or not I can’t tell.

Fresh Floral Recovery Calming Mask – I got this as a freebie with Sephora and I recently tried it since I’m getting low on the face cream and split it into a day and night duo. It’s not for me. It felt prickly on my face at first, but then that went away and it did moisturize. Whether it calmed my skin or not the jury is out. It did seem less red in the morning, but my skin tends to be that way anyway. So – I tossed it and won’t be repurchasing.

About masks in general – they’re not my thing. For most, you smear them on and then have to spend an eternity rinsing them off or using cotton rounds or a washcloth to get it off and then rinse again to get the….ugh…you see where I’m going with that. And the sleeping mask trend? They are just night creams with a different name as far as I’m concerned.

Sunscreen – Banana Boat Sensitive Mineral SPF 50 For Face – I bought this at CVS on sale when my Neutrogena one ran out (well, it was separating and had to go). While this works really well, it is a little tricky to use. It is 100% mineral so it’s zinc oxide with titanium dioxide. And now that I’m looking at the product info online – it says to shake it up before use. WTF? I have not been doing that so I’ll recap later on if that helps application any better. At any rate, it is very white and dry at first, and you have to manipulate it quite a bit to get it applied. However, that kind of helps you to see that you got it on everywhere. :P I wait about 5 minutes and it dries down to clear (or maybe it sinks in?) and then I can put my makeup on. I’m going to see if shaking it before use helps any and I’ll update. Guess I need to read directions first. ALL that said – it is a good sunscreen for sensitive skin and affordable.

OK well that took some time so I’ll come back tomorrow for the makeup update edit. In the meantime – stay cool – especially if you are in the middle of the country like I am. It seems we will be in Mother Nature’s Oven for some time. UGH.

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Music Monday – One of Us

June 27, 2022

I have been wanting to do a post on this song for quite a while and ya know, I’m just going to do it.

When I first heard this song I was 32 and Joan Osborne (who sings this) was 33. I thought she was in her 20’s but she was in her 30’s same as me. This is something I’ve found out in the last two or so years – most of the songs I loved in the 90’s were written and sung by people who were MY AGE. That meant in their 30’s. It’s no wonder I love that decade of music and can relate to so much of it. It all makes sense now.

So, I’m going to give my line by line take on it because there’s a lot you can take away from it whether you are a believer or a questioner. And it’s okay to question. Yes, God wants us to believe in Him but it’s okay to ask questions of Him or seek him out or look beyond the bible. All of that is okay. And this song really brings a lot of that up. Fr. Benedict Groeschel and Bishop Robert Barron have both said that they love getting into conversations with atheists because they question things and not take things blindly without really understanding why they believe the way they do. I think that’s why a lot of people lose their faith or faith in their religion because they don’t find out what they believe or why they believe it.

The song was written by Eric Bazillan apparently in an effort to impress a girl. That girl became his wife so she was impressed. :D At the beginning of the song there’s a clip from an old gospel song from the 1930’s called “Heavenly Aeroplane” which is about the second coming of Christ. I looked up the song, the history, and the words up and I think it’s cool. So, without further ado, here’s the song.

If God had a name what would it be
And would you call it to his face
If you were faced with Him in all His glory
What would you ask if you had just one question

These are interesting questions – what do we call God? Various religions each have names for God. And Jews think God’s name is too holy to even say it out loud. Which is quite the opposite of so many of us who, without thinking, let God and Jesus’ name roll off our tongues in a less than holy manner. Yes, it’s something I struggle with and I’m really trying to stop – I need to remember Him in all His glory.

And if you could only ask HIm one question what would it be? For me, I often ask the same thing and I probably won’t know the answer until I get to heaven (after 5,000 years in purgatory). But I always think it would be good to know now, but then again, would it really help? Would it change anything? Would I understand?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make his way home

As a Christian I do believe God became one of us – in Jesus. He walked among his chosen band as well as among prostitutes and drunkards and tax collectors. And the self-righteous hated that – I mean wouldn’t God only hang out with the “holy” people? No. He wants the ones who struggle, the ones who hurt. So, when we see the homeless, the stranger on the bus, the lonely ones – yes, we are seeing God. He is one of us in the “distressing disguise” of the poor, the unwanted, the lonely as Mother Teresa often said. We need to see Him in all his creatures on this earth. And yes, I don’t always remember to do this either, but I try to.

If God had a face what would it look like
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like heaven and in Jesus and the Saints
And all the prophets

A lot of the old testament prophets and fathers met God or people who went in his stead like the three angels who came to Abraham. They asked to see Him as well so they knew he was who he said he was. Or maybe just to see God. But he covered His glory because it would be too much for them to take. God is a spirit so He doesn’t have a face but He’s always depicted as some ancient man. I guess it was just easier to see Him that way, but I don’t. I’ve moved on from that and just think of Him as spirit, as love, as life. I don’t need to see His face to believe in Him and I don’t blindly believe. That said, it’s a great question. Again – who do we say God is? Who do we say Jesus is?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make his way home?

Just tryin’ to make his way home
Back up to heaven all alone
Nobody callin’ on the phone
‘Cept for the Pope, maybe in Rome

And this is my belief – God is certainly not alone. He has all the angels and saints and regular people who did regular things and some who did extraordinary things all with Him. And plenty of people call him “on the phone” – it’s called prayer. I call too much sometimes and I think maybe God takes the phone off the hook. I’m sure he doesn’t but I think he’s also like, “Just trust Me would ya?!” Maybe the writer of the song feels that religion is dead or no one’s in heaven or no one prays anymore and God is waiting for us to make that move. Like most of these stanzas the words can be positive or negative depending on how you look at them.

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin’ to make his way home

Just tryin’ to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just tryin’ to make his way home

Nobody callin’ on the phone
‘Cept for the Pope maybe in Rome

Not gonna lie – this song makes me tear up every single time. I think of my loneliness, nobody calling, no one to help me through my pain, no one to pray for me except myself. It’s hard. But I know there are millions of people like me too so I just offer my pain up for all those in similar (or worse) circumstances. It eases my heart just a little. I also think of how terrible a Christian I can be sometimes. I don’t want someone not to have faith because of how I behave. I want what others see to be real and good and bring them to God not make them back away. And I’ve quite a long way to go.

So, that’s my take on this great song. Oh, and the actual music itself – so, so good. Just good 90’s rock music. Can’t go wrong there. Give a listen if it’s been awhile or if you’ve never heard it. See how you feel. My husband never liked this song because he felt it was blasphemous, but I don’t see it like that. As I said before – we all question, we all wonder, and we all slip up too. We’re ALL trying to make our way home to God and our journey is just that – ours.

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The Oh Crap Roundup

June 21, 2022

Oh yeah, things are heating up around here. And I don’t just mean the weather although that’s going to get bad before it gets better. So, here’s what’s on tap this week.

Kid Bathroom Needs A Reno – And I can’t get anyone to come out and look at it to give me an estimate on cost, time, etc. I called one guy and he wanted to come out on a day I wasn’t available. He said it was fine but hasn’t called me since. That was almost two weeks ago. I emailed another company and they called back but didn’t leave a message. If it hadn’t been for my sleuthing I wouldn’t have known it was them. I need to call back because they haven’t. Third time’s a charm – there is another place in town that I’m going to call and maybe…just maybe…I’ll get them out here. Last year I contacted another contractor 4 times and never heard a word. And people from the city 40 miles down the road think we’re so far away we might as well be living on Mars. UGH.

Roof Leak – We have a small roof leak over the laundry room. Called the roofers who did our work back in 2020 two weeks ago – haven’t heard from them since.

Wasps – Wasps keep getting into the house and I finally figured out where the nest probably is so I need to call our bug guy back out for that. Which leads to…

The Jungle – Yeah, we cleaned up our side of the fence last year and it’s back. Mostly because our neighbor isn’t cleaning it up on his side. So, I need to have that done. Oh, and the jungle is the same side of the house the wasps are on. Dandy.

New Air Conditioner – Already needs a tune up. Earlier this year there was a glitch with the heater and the tech adjusted the blower limits…way down. So now our ac is running all.the.time and it’s not really cooling off inside either. I called today and they’ll be out on Friday because we live on Mars.

Dental Work – I need to call and get the cost for my fillings that have to get done next week. I also need to call the insurance to make sure they’ll pay what the dentist thinks they will so there won’t be any surprises. What I need to do is find a dentist with better rates and great service. I won’t even talk about the partials I need that won’t be covered with my current dentist so it’s imperative I find someone who will take care of us and our wallet.

Internet – Paying a fortune for really crappy internet. I was thinking of going to internet only as we have a streaming tv, but not sure we’ll be able to get the channels we want without having to pay for those either. So, we’ll see how that plays out.

And all of that is on top of worries about my kids, state of the world, etc. CALGON TAKE ME AWAY! To Mars.

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Beauty Roundup

June 19, 2022

Okay, so I realized I’ve been using the same products for June (and some of May as well) and will continue to do so until the end of the month. The skincare will be used up by then and I will be moving on to my next round of products. I still have items to be used up and I’d rather do that than toss them out. So, here we go. It’s a longish post, so grab a cup of coffee or tea and let’s talk beauty.

Skincare

As you can see it’s very simple which my skin prefers. For cleansing I use the Versed Wash It Out gel cleanser. It is a lightly foaming, fragrance-free cleanser which works pretty good. It doesn’t get all the makeup but pretty close. So, lately I’ve added in the Smartly Unscented Facial Cleansing Wipes (from Target) which are okay but I do need to use them up so will do that instead of just tossing them out. Will not replace though. For eye makeup I’m using my tried and true L’oreal Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover. Oil free is key here because my skin does not love oils or balms at all. I was testing out some oil makeup removers earlier this year, and they would get in my eyes and it wasn’t great. So, I’m sticking with what I know works for me and I’ve used the L’oreal for decades. For toner, I added in the Cerave Hydrating Toner because it’s new and I wanted to try it out. Not sure I love it but it’s not irritating either. I actually picked up Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion 1 at some point for exfoliation, but it really dried out my skin so that’s a no. In the morning I use the Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer with Mineral Sunscreen. This is pretty good stuff but it’s hard to find in stores here and expensive on Amazon. I found this tube on sale at TJ Maxx so it probably is being discontinued or reformulated or something. I like it because it’s doing double duty and with the humidity this summer it helps not to have too many layers of product. But, since it’s hard to find, I’ll be looking for a replacement. For night I’m using the Cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. Again, don’t love it, it’s a little sticky and it’s not that moisturizing for my skin, so will be moving on after this month.

Makeup

These are all the products in my makeup bag right now. Now I don’t use all of these every day, but I do use a combo of items like foundation and balm on days I want to keep it super simple. Sometimes it’s foundation, a little eyeshadow, brow wax, and lip balm. Very mix and match according to my mood. I still toy with the idea of going without makeup for a whole month, but I feel better with it than without it so that’s a dream for another time.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in Shade 10 – Yes, it was expensive but I sampled it once and really liked it so decided to splurge. It does have mineral sunscreen which is a plus but the shade is still a little dark. If I use the right moisturizer underneath it’s better. The lady at the counter gave me samples of a Chanel serum and moisturizer to try and both were very good and, of course, worked well with the foundation. Will I buy it again? Probably not but I’ll use it for the rest of the month.

Tarte Sea Breezy Cream Bronzer mini in Seychelles I believe – It’s a pretty good bronzer – easy to use just a little – and I only use it on my cheeks and to give a little color. This one is getting old though so I’m going to get something new for July.

Anastasia Brow Freeze – Yep, this is still going strong and I think I got it last summer or early fall when my Ulta finally got it back in stock. I had to rework it in the jar a month ago because it was hard to get product on my spoolie brush and now it’s a little more difficult to get just the right amount of product. I do like this because it’s easy to use, and if I use too much I just water my spoolie and comb through to remove the excess. After applying I lightly push my brows in place and voila – unruly bushy brows tamed. I also found that I don’t need any brow color at all with this so when my brow pencil was gone I didn’t replace it. Sephora Collection has a waxy brow pencil that comes in clear (as well as colors) and I think I’m going to be giving that a whirl for next month.

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 Palette – I still rue the day I did not pick up the original UD Naked palette but this one is pretty good. Good basic matte eye shadows for every day. My UD anti-aging eye primer potion ran out and I didn’t replace it (although I probably will at some point) so I decided to move on to using this which I already had.

L’Oreal Original Voluminous Mascara in Black/Brown – My trusty Covergirl Professional mascara ran out and I needed a replacement so I bought this to test it out. This is also very affordable like the Covergirl and it’s been around a long time so another trusted brand. I still have to wipe off the brush as it gets a lot of product on it, but after I do, the application is easy and lashes are fairly full. So, this is a good second best in case Covergirl ever discontinues my old faithful. My only wish is that brown mascaras would come back – black is too harsh for me and black brown is okay, but the brown was so nice and natural looking. Le sigh.

Bite Beauty Lip Balm – So, Bite Beauty is discontinuing many products and not selling in Sephora anymore either so this and the Agave Lip Mask which I’ve used every single night for five years is history. :( I only have half of this balm left and less than half of my mini lip mask so by end of July they’ll need to be replaced. That said, I do have a set of Fresh lip balms that I like but am not super crazy about so I’ll probably use those before buying anything new. I hate when beauty companies do this – you find something that’s perfect and then they discontinue it and the hunt is on again for something that works just as great. Again, le sigh.

Sephora Collection Rouge Lacquer Long Lasting Lipstick – The color is Not Your Baby which, I think, is a direct throwback to a line said in “The Devil Wears Prada” but don’t quote me. I bought this a few months ago when I was last in a Sephora because the color looked neutral and fairly sheer. It’s actually a little more pigmented than I’d like but it is creamy and easy to work with. I don’t find it long lasting which is fine because I’m not into those matte lipsticks that stay on forever and stain your lips to boot. I just want a nice wash of color that’s natural. Still, it’s not bad. I’m toying with the idea of using all Sephora Collection products for the fall to see how they rate. They’ve taken fragrance out of a lot of their skincare so it’s a little more appealing now. I’ll keep you posted.

And that’s it. That’s my current line up for June. I did toss out my used up stuff and some things that weren’t totally used up but useless. Beautycounter was one of them – it’s a clean line that’s really, really expensive and, in my opinion, the products were only meh. Just not worth it when there are other clean lines that are far more affordable and work well. Anywho – you live and learn and that’s kind of the point of using up my backlog of products – finding what does and doesn’t work and maybe finally finding the right combo I can use for my next decade which begins January 2023.

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June Update

June 17, 2022

I realize that it has been quite a while since I’ve written anything here. The reality is I have written articles, but haven’t released them into the wild. So, to start, here’s a quick recap of my year (by subject) so far.

Beauty/Skincare – I started using everything I had in backlog – tossed a few things and bought a few new things too which I am currently using. I have actually stayed out of Sephora (even online) and only bought bare minimum at Ulta until I get a grip on what I need and what’s going to work. I did realize that cleansing oils and balms don’t make my skin happy. I’ve got a four step AM and PM skincare routine and work with only about 6 beauty products as well. Each day I make up with only what I feel like. Sometimes it’s foundation and lip balm, some days it’s the whole 6. Much easier!

Fashion – I fired Stitch Fix and tried Amazon Prime Shopper. While Prime Shopper was exponentially better, it takes over a month for the returns to get processed and I’m not loving that. I’ve bought several items for the summer from QVC and if they all fit I won’t have to shop for awhile. Except to find some comfortable sandals – my feet don’t like the Clark’s I’ve worn for years. I replaced the old ones last year and this year my feet are saying nope. Back to the drawing board on that. Oh and I finally am figuring out my style and what *I* want to wear. Hello dresses!

Kids – My two youngest graduated from high school in May. The Kleenex truck pulled up for two reasons – my babies are all grown up and fun and games with the local school system is finally over (cue “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper).

Reading – So far two of my favorites have been about QEII – “Our Rainbow Queen” and “Long Live the Queen”. Right in time for her Platinum Jubilee. Oh, and one more in keeping with the queen theme – “Where’s My Crown For Acting Like Everything is Fine”.

Watching – Earlier this year I started re-watching all my favorite old movies and even bought a couple that I hadn’t seen in years. Two of those were Alan Alda movies – “Same Time Next Year” and “The Four Seasons”. Still good. Right now, I’m going through thirtysomething. Again.

House – The projects never end. Trying to get someone who will reno the kid’s bathroom also never ends. At least the lawns look better. After all the work we did last year, we needed to move to phase 2 – maintenance. So, I lined up some good people for that. I’m finally going to get my Mary Garden in the front, also scrape out the junk on the side (again), and bring the lawns back to life. So far so good on that. Almost forgot – we finally ditched our old washer and already broke after only 3 years dryer. Tip – clothes get cleaner and dried faster with the right tools.

Budget – Now that the pandemic is in year two and we’re shopping more, money was starting to flow a little too liberally. Part of that was dental (for me) and senior year school stuff. However, grocery shopping was out of control. I was running to the store way too much. I’m reining that back in with menu planning and once a week shopping. That’s working out well and I’m glad. Keeps me at home to get stuff done there.

Me – I’ve put on some weight again, so I dropped the decaf coffee and only drink a cup of regular each day. I know that decaf does a number on my system so it had to go. I’ve also adopted a 3pm tea time habit as well – for stress relief. I decided that housework can provide a lot of exercise so I’m doing more in that direction. The yield will be two fold – weight loss (maybe) and a clean/decluttered house (probably). Depression started rearing it’s ugly head again so I needed to be gentle with myself but still moving forward. It’s a difficult dance even on my best days.

So, there it is. If you want to know weather: January – mild; February – cold, snow, and ice; March and April – windy; May – rainy (over 10 inches); and June – hot, hot, hot.

I’m hoping to write more but realize if it’s going to happen I have to carve out the time. I don’t even post much on social media anymore. Yet, there are plans to maybe do some videos for youtube (a dream). I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime – love and peace to all.

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Year In Review – 2021

January 4, 2022

January – My mother died on January 3 at the age of 86 – a rough start to a new year. :( A lot of emotions to process. At my house we had a new water heater put in and gas line rearranged to bare minimum to accommodate that. Our master bathroom finally has hot water again! That first shower in our own bathroom was bliss.

February – Had a health crisis which forced me to get to a new doctor and get back on some meds. I would like to say I changed my eating habits, lowered my stress, and got healthier in 2021 but I felt I couldn’t because of everything else gong on. Also – the midwest deep freeze showed up – praying with everyone else that it doesn’t happen this year (or ever again thank you).

March – Started process of selling my mom’s house by getting an Estate Sales company involved. The sorting took over a month to do and they unearthed precious family heirlooms that were stowed away who knows where. Very emotional time seeing all those old things again and reminiscing about times gone by.

April – My mom’s estate sale took place and the day it wound up there was the smell of her perfume all over the upstairs of the house – like Mom was still there. That was also the last time I felt my mom’s presence even though it felt like her house right up until we sold it.

May – My brothers came in to finish getting all of our mom’s stuff out of the house to prep for selling. I ended up with the coffee table that had graced my parent’s living rooms since at least 1972. Still in excellent shape and it looks great in our livig room. Also – our air conditioner died and so we replaced it and the 50+ year old heater. Turned out to be the best and coolest summer we’ve spent in this house.

June – Decided to clear all the foliage from around the house so that the bug people (and anyone else) could more easily do the work they needed to do and I could stop apologizing for the forest we had growing on the side of the house and backyard. We ended up finding out what a huge backyard we really have! I also contacted windows people and at least got the estimate to have that done. I wish I could say we got new windows but maybe in 2022. I also got the bug guys out because we had a nest of wasps living in the mailbox and I wasn’t keen on a DIY on that. Turned out to be another great decision.

July – My two sons and (then) soon to be daughter-in-law came to visit. The son from Seattle was a total surprise and so happy was I to see them I totally forgot about having a big birthday bash for my husband and two far flung sons – sorry guys! One thing that was really special was that STBDIL showed me a picture of her wedding dress – yep there were tears. It was an incredible act of love for her to do that and I felt it tied us a little closer. I’m still working through this adult children gig and it’s harder than the toddler phase. :P Also, most of us were fully vaxxed by this time – yay!

August – My two youngest daughters started their senior year in high school which they are supremely glad about. Me too for various and sundry reasons. Also – had a tooth issue which meant going to the dentist for the first time in years (I won’t say how many because it’s ridiculous how long I put this off). Bad teeth got removed and I started my mouth on a long road of recovery.

September – Started the process of taking down the big tree on our front lawn. It had been dropping limbs from time to time and our tree guy also said it had tree rot so it had to go. I was going to just thin out the branches and totally remove it later but, as you will see next month, it was RIP tree. Lawn maintenance started to be a thing too from lawn guy’s son, Lawn Boy. :D Got everything mowed and edged and looked fantastic. Glad we have someone to do maintenance now. Also, closed on my mother’s house. I went through her house one last time and closed the door on the house and that chapter of our lives.

October – A big limb fell off our front tree around 2am one morning so I begged our tree guy to put it out of its misery before anything worse happened with it. He did and while I miss that tree (it was over 80 years old), it is nice to have it gone and not worry about it dropping limbs in an ice storm or high winds or just because. Started panicking about the wedding next month – how I would face my anxiety and get there. Too bad this got in the way of what should have been a joyous occasion.

November – The big fail was a road trip to CA for my oldest son’s wedding. Two of my daughters and I decided to go on an epic road trip while everyone else in the family flew out. In retrospect – five hours of anxiety on a plane versus 6-8 days of anxiety on the road should have been uppermost in my mind. We didn’t make it to CA, only as far as AZ, but on the return trip we stopped to stand on the corner in Winslow Arizona (see “Take It Easy” by The Eagles). It was the brightest spot on that trip. Because the wedding was the weekend before Thanksgiving and my youngest daughters’ birthdays were on Thanksgiving (twins – both turned 18) we did something a little different. We celebrated their birthdays on Thanksgiving Day (a first), but had a scaled down dinner instead of turkey. Worked out beautifully!

December – Finished the major parts of my teeth problems and after four months since it all started I have the most of a better smile and healthier teeth and gums. Was it fun? No. Was it worth it? Yes! It was also expensive and insurance didn’t totally cover it (my plan was maxed out earlier than expected) so the rest will have to wait until the wallet recovers from that. Otherwise, a quiet month for once. No house crises like the ones we’ve had the last three Christmases. Thank you God!

So that’s a wrap kids! Another year in the books. Not sure I want to put the welcome mat out fully for 2022 yet – I think we’re all a little anxious instead of joyful at the coming of a new year after the last two. Anywho – Happy New Year to all!

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No More Resetting

January 3, 2022

Reset – I think that was a considered word of the year from the past and the title of a post from September 2021, but resetting is not what I want to do. I can reset until the cows come home but it’s like rewinding a video tape – you just keep restarting and doing the same things over and over and you don’t move any further in the end. Well, I don’t anyway. I reset all the time. “Maybe I just need to start over with my spiritual life and start with the basics…again. Maybe I need to start over with my skincare routine and just get back to basics…again”. I did this with homeschooling too. Kid not understanding? Let’s get back to basics and start over. Guess what? None of us moved forward. Every time there was a bump in the road I hit reset/rewind and so no one moved through the problem/challenge and that doesn’t do anyone any good.

The main thing I need to do is just push through those challenges whatever comes. I’m trying to lose weight but there’s another house crisis – what should I do? Keep drinking the water and taking the vitamins and eating the fruits and vegetables. I don’t need to stop drinking water and eat 5 pounds of ice cream and give up until things get better because guess what? There’s always going to be another problem! What I really need is a way to get through those challenges so I don’t get derailed anymore. Someone to talk with, prayer, inspirational quotes, books, go for a walk, change my thinking – you get the idea. But I need to keep moving forward and keep on swimming because if I don’t I’m dead in the water.

The other thing I need to do is to add to what I’m already doing because I’m already doing the basics. Skincare not working? Add to the basics with products that will bring the change desired. Spiritual life in a slump? Pray on a deeper level – trust God more – do more. House getting cluttered again? Keep those routines in place and add in decluttering and detailed cleaning I’ve done the basics now it’s time to add something more.

So, cheers to you and 2022! I’m with everyone else hoping and praying for a better year but I’m going to build on that. My negativity needs to stop and it’s time to change that – time to treat myself and others better. That’s something we can all do.

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Using What I Have – Beauty Products

December 18, 2021

Note – I wrote this almost a month ago and I’m almost out of some products that are in this post so I’ll update after the new year. That said – it feels good to use things up instead of buying more stuff.

It’s no surprise that I am a beauty/skincare junkie (starting when I was 13) but really cutting loose when I was making my own money around 1981. Recently I’ve been piling up minis of skincare and makeup and it’s time to start using them instead of buying anything else. I’m also going to start tracking what I thought of the products and if they are worth investing in. With that in mind here’s what I’m using right now.

Skincare:

Cleanser -I started with the mini Beautycounter Counterstart cleanser and went to the Pacifica Sea Foam wash I’d picked up on sale at Ulta when the Counterstart ran out. I really liked the Counterstart and it’s only $20 for the full size tube, so a steal for a good cleanser. It removed my makeup really well and was fragrance free. The Pacifica is a heavy coconut scented cleanser that cleans well and isn’t irritating. Well except for the fragrance so I won’t buy again.

Toner – Versed Baby Cheeks – I like this as it’s not irritating and like Beautycounter it’s clean. Not sure it’s doing anything for my skin but it’s not aggravating it either. Also fragrance free.

Moisturizer – I’m currently using my Cerave Moisturizing Cream mini. At $4.99 it’s a very good buy and it lasts several months if I only use it on my face. That said, it does a better job moisturizing my hands than on my face – not sure why. I’d like to find something rich but not greasy to sink into my parched skin so still looking. And without perfume. Lancome and Estee Lauder have good moisturizers but the fragrance is overpowering.

Extras – I bought a set of mini’s from Beautycounter and one of those is the Counter+ All Bright C Serum. I used it for about a week but not sure my skin loved it so I dropped it out of rotation. Also in the set is the Counter+ Overnight Resurfacing Serum. It certainly isn’t irritating but not sure it’s resurfacing either. I’ll keep going with it though and see if it just takes time or if I need to use it twice a week instead of just once. Serums and me don’t always get along so I go very slowly.

Sunscreen – I am still using my COTZ Face Moisture sunscreen which I really like – I think I’ve purchased it at least 3 times now because the results are just that good. It is running out but I still have sunscreen minis from the Sephora Sun Safe set I bought earlier this year (although several are chemical ones and my skin doesn’t do well with them) and several foundation minis that have mineral sunscreen in them as well so will be using those up.

Makeup:

Foundation – I have had two samples I’ve tried this fall – The IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation and Make Up Forever’s HD Foundation. Of the two I’d definitely purchase the Make Up Forever – it wasn’t drying at all and was easy to work with. On the other hand I kind of like the IT foundation but it seems dryer although it’s not bad. I am also still using up my Cover Girl GC Smoother Hydrating Foundation. I like it but I always layer it over sunscreen because it’s fairly thin. That said, I think this is at least my third bottle.

Eyeshadow – I have two Urban Decay items I’m using – the Anti-Aging Primer Potion and the Naked Palette 2 because I wanted some neutral colors. I really like the Primer Potion because it just evens out the tone on my eyelids and I can layer other shadows over them for more staying power. I mostly just use it on it’s own though. I like the Naked Palette and the colors are great but it’s a lot of product for someone who really doesn’t use much. I’m thinking of just getting a good cream eyeshadow in a neutral shade that I can use all the time. Much simpler.

Mascara – I used up my Cover Girl Professional Mascara (black-brown) and decided to try the Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara because it came in brown. Brown mascara is incredibly hard to find these days, but it’s just more natural looking with my fair skin and very light graying hair so when I find it I tend to buy it. That said, I still prefer the Cover Girl mascara although this one is pretty good. So, we’ll see what I repurchase when the Maybelline is gone.

Eyebrow Pencil – I picked up the L’Oreal Age Perfect brow pencil in blonde a few months ago and I have to say it’s pretty good. Nice and creamy so it applies easily and can be blended easily too. It also has a little spoolie on the opposite end which I like. Bonus – The Age Perfect Line is for mature skin. The over 50 crowd seems to have been left behind by many cosmetic companies yet we buy plenty. And don’t get me started on “anti-aging” – it’s a rant for another day.

Blush – Milk Makeup came out with a new color of their all in one blush/lip stick called Dash and when I saw it came in a mini decided to try it. I really like this one! I used another of their mini blush stick in the color Werk which I liked, but the Dash is a better pick for my skin tone. It’s almost a clear pink and it goes on very nicely and gives just the lightest hint of color which I love. Bonus – you can use this one on your lips too.

Lips – I have a set of lip balms from Fresh – rose and honey – and both are very nice sheer colors. The other two balms are colorless and mostly for moisturizing super dry lips so I use those at night. I also have the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask and the Lip Balm and I have been using them for a few years now. They just perform so well. I was bummed they remade the formulations though and the lip mask doesn’t come in all the cool colors it used to, but the clear one is perfect to go over or under lipstick as well as at night for a really intense burst of moisture. You just can’t go wrong with that one. I have several other glosses that I like but these are my go-to’s at the moment.

And that’s it. That’s the lineup for now. As I use things I’ll update on what my current products are. But as you can see, I’m definitely going for less is more and after my makeup sins of the 80’s I’m fine with that.

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Self Care Wagon

November 2, 2021

Yep – time to get back on! There’s been so much going on here this year and I thought when certain things were over I’d start winding down and getting back to me, but not so much. I’m so stressed right now over some things that it’s really affecting my daily life. I’ve noticed over the last week I’ve been tired, not feeling really motivated, and somewhat down and crying more than usual. I realized last night that I have to change – for good! But it’s the holiday season you might say and I say it’s the best time to start treating yourself well! So here’s two starter plans that anyone can do to get back on the self care wagon.

5-10-15

5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily

10 minutes of quiet time/solitude

15 minutes of gentle exercise – stretching, yoga, or leisurely walking

S – N – E – W

S – Sleep

N – Nutrition

E – Exercise

W – Water

I would also add grooming to both of these especially if you are saying you don’t have time to dress in something other than pajamas, have a shower, wash your face, or brush your teeth or hair. Yeah, I know, sounds icky right? Well for some of us there are seasons where we go more days than we should before we do these things. So make sure they get done! Even if the only thing you can manage right now are the grooming things then start there. You will feel like a human being again and it will naturally lead to the other things.

Also – I’m adding notes to the SNEW thing for me. Things like at least 6 hours of sleep, basic four food groups at each meal, 10 minutes of walking (outside or with a dvd inside) and at least 6 glasses of water daily.

So, today I start. If I slip I’ll just jump right back in. That day. That’s another thing – don’t say “I’ll start back tomorrow” – do something at the next meal, or to drink water, or take 5 minutes for yourself. If it’s really a bad day then start the next day but don’t keep putting things off – we’re aiming for progress here. A little every day adds up to a lot eventually.

This always reminds me of a priest who talked about putting whatever money you had in the collection. Even if you only have a dollar because if 500 people put 1 dollar in the basket then you’ll have $500. See what I’m saying? It adds up – nothing is too small when you add it to other efforts.

Rollin’, rollin’ rollin’ – keep that self care going – rollin’, rollin’, rollin – take care! Sorry – couldn’t resist :D

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Prayer During Difficult Times

October 21, 2021

This prayer comes from a little booklet I got in the mail from the Sisters of Charity in Baltic CT. I’ve started praying it almost every day this month and I really believe it is helping. It just feels like being wrapped up in God’s arms and giving him my troubles while I’m there. In case anyone else out there could use a prayer like this here it is. Peace and love to all!

God of love and mercy, assist me in this time of trouble and anxiety. Ease my burdens. Strengthen my faith. Increase my trust and confidence in Your compassionate care.

Give me the courage I need, dear Lord, to face the difficulties before me, knowing that with Your help, miracles happen and lives are restored.

I ask for a share in Your healing graces, and ask that You surround me with Your comforting goodness, for health in mind and body, and for a heart filled with hope and peace. Amen.

Sweetest Jesus we implore the grace to love You daily more and more.

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