Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

What I’m Reading – Summer 2021

September 16, 2021

OH CRAP! Almost forgot about this post and here it is September already.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury – This was really, really good! Ray Bradbury talking about how he wrote some of his great works, his writing process, and tips for writers on how to write and not worry about your writing. He mostly wrote short stories and most were written in 2 hours – he had his writing all down to a science. A small but powerful book and highly recommended even if you only love Ray Bradbury’s writing and aren’t interested in doing any of your own. :D

Rooted in Love by Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle – I thought this was going to be more a combination book of Pope John Paul’s “On the Dignity and Vocation of Women” but it was the usual advice for women – take care of yourself, pray, blah, blah, blah. If you are a young woman or a young wife you might like this. However, I am old and seasoned and I wanted more. So, I’m going to get the encyclical and read it which is what I wanted in the first place.

Heartburn by Nora Ephron – This was not as funny as I was thinking it would be even though the movie was very good. That said, Nora’s take on marriage and divorce was really thoughtful and sometimes spot on. I like her writing so I really wanted to read this one. Her books about aging – “I’m Sorry About My Neck” and “I Remember Nothing” are better. Part memoir and lots of story telling about a woman growing older. Pure gold.

Spiritual Reading – I decided a couple of months ago to finish out Year 4 of “How to Read Your Way to Heaven” by Vicki Burbach. So I finished the Catechism Part 4, but didn’t finish the scripture reading because I finished the catechism first and wanted to just jump ahead to Year 5. Here’s what I ended up doing. I read “A Simple Plan” by Mother Teresa and started the New Testament again. But then, I realized that I wasn’t getting as much out of all this reading. So I ordered a set of devotionals by Candace Cameron Bure – Jesus Every Day – for more of a read, pray, and do type thing. So far it is working out great. I am reading “An Authentic Life” and am journaling and answering the questions. It’s not your typical fill-in-the-blank Bible Study, but something that makes you think about what you’ve read and how you can live those verses out. Much more what I need.

84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff – Somehow I remembered about this movie but since the library does not have the the movie I decided to read the book. I was shocked by how thin a volume it is, but delighted at what a beautiful testament to friendship it is. Apparently it is also a true story. The story is told through the letters between a bookseller in England and a writer in America. Real letters people – that were written on typewriters or handwritten. I really miss letter writing and think it might be high time to start up again during my golden years. But I digress – be sure to have a hanky handy for this one.

How To Be Fine by Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer – This is a book about self-help books and specifically the lessons you can glean or leave behind depending on the book. The authors also have a podcast called “By The Book” which expands on the books written about here. I really enjoyed reading this and I found a few books that sound good and a few I knew to be trash. The tagline is a bit misleading though. While they indeed read 50 self-help books they do not go through each book in this volume. If you want more information you might want to listen to the podcast. The book is just a distillation of what they read, what they liked, what they didn’t like, and what they wish self-help books talked more about.

Make My Life Simple by Rachel Balducci – I read this again because I am in the throes of something and I can’t figure it out but it sure as hell looks and acts like depression. This helped get me out of my funk and start getting back to self care and other things. It is pretty basic in it’s advice and it’s written from a Catholic perspective so know that if you want to check it out. All in all it’s a good and easy read with tips about getting yourself and your surroundings back in order after a small burnout.

Okay. Phew! That is my reading caught up for you. In another two weeks it will be October and I’ll be telling you what I read in September. I’ll also be talking about a reading journal that’s new and notable so stay tuned.

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Schedules, Routines, and Lists

September 15, 2021

These 3 things are how I keep my life running on the smoother side. If I didn’t, I’d get sidetracked and nothing would be completed. As if housework ever gets completed, but your days can run smoother and you can get the important things accomplished.

I am the Girl of 100 Lists and I’ve been listing things out since I was a teen. I have lists of things I have to do each day, week, etc. I list the books I’ve read. I have a master list of everything that’s on my mind or needs to get done. I finally have a bucket list too – something to dream on. And yes, I write on paper in a small notebook or planner – that way I know where those lists are and I can re-write them as well when they get messy or stuff actually gets done.

Routines keep my life running in the right direction. I have a morning routine – breakast, get ready for the day, make the bed, prayer time – so that my basic needs get met. I have a morning work routine – dishes, laundry, quick bathroom clean up, what’s for dinner – so that the basics get done each day. And each night – close the kitchen, get ready for bed, lights out at a decent hour – so that I can start tomorrow fresh. These are the things that keep my day in order. Do other things hijack them? Yes, mostly the morning work routine, but if I’m really busy then I rework that list and throw extra on for tomorrow or down the line. But for the most part these routines stay in place. I feel the difference when they move and catching up takes more time away from other things. Oh and it took me a long time to get to this place – when your life is a wreck it will take time to put it back in order. Give yourself grace.

To me the schedule is fitting in the other stuff – appointments, errands, day trips – that sort of thing. Monday is clean up after the weekend. Tuesday is Plan and Play – a day for me to fit in some quiet after Monday’s clean up. Wednesday is Errand Day – I run all my trips on that day if I can. One day out makes everything much easier than several trips out each day/week. Lately I’m a little off my game and have been running to the store more than I want to so I need to get that reined back in. Thursday is Desk Day – I pay the bills, balance my checking account, open mail, file papers. Friday is a Flylady hold over – Clean the car, put gas in if needed. And I clean my purse every night – yes I actually do that. I pull receipts out, toss my shopping lists, etc. It just keeps it from getting overwhelmingly messy.

This is more of a ritual than a schedule thing but it is important. Two Saturdays a month my two youngest daughters and I go the library and then come home and have a tea party. We’ve been doing this for years and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The tea party is tea and cookies and looking over our books from the library. Sometimes we read parts out loud and sometimes it’s just quiet or we chat about other things. I make sure if it doesn’t happen on that day we get it in on another day.

In the Sidetracked Home Executives book. Peggy talked about how she was meticulous about keeping her work desk clean because she knew if she didn’t it would be as messy as her house was. For me it’s similar – if I didn’t stick to routines and schedules and lists I’d be running around wondering what I should do when everything is screaming for my attention. So I have routines, and schedules, and lists. Is my house perfect? No! Does it run smoother – absolutely.

Anyway, if you are like me and get sidetracked and haven’t put these strategies in place give it a go. My last post about a life reset is to take care of ME but I still have been keeping these lists, routines, and schedules going even through the bumps. For the most part anyway. Last week my oldest daughter and I went on a mini road trip – much needed – but I still tossed dinner on the table (sandwiches) and cleaned up the kitchen and ran the dishwasher to stay on track.

I am flirting with the idea of minimalism – not the tossing all your stuff type – but getting the clutter out and paring down things so that the stuff in my life isn’t taking over my life. But that’s to be discussed another day.

I hope you are well wherever you are and make the most of the day because life is short and while I talk about housework a bit the most important things aren’t things – they are people. Cliche I know but it’s true.

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Time For A Reset

September 6, 2021

For full disclosure I wrote this at the end of last month.

I can’t remember if I’ve done this before, but I think I have. Or tried. Or failed. One of those anyway. Well, it’s time to try it again. Yesterday I don’t know what it was but I ended up in a blubbering heap by the end of the day. It could have been the overwhelm of a house that keeps falling apart and needing help. It could be because the sale of my mother’s house will be next week. It’s possible that my terrible eating habits are messing with my moods. Whatever it was/is I realized I need to start over – press the reset button. THIS time I mean to make progress. I’m tired of feeling crappy and tired and I’ve pinpointed some issues that I need to deal with or get help with:
1. Overwhelm
2. Burned out
3. Don’t get any regular time out
4. Procrastination that paralyzes
5. Decision fatigue – from small to large problems
6. Negativity in so many areas of my life
I found some books that may help but I started by reading one about simplifying your life when you are burned out – getting back to basics and priorities. So I’m starting there. I’m going to try to get books from the library or thrift stores instead of buying new if I can too – save some money. That’s also on the list somewhere – getting back on a budget and spending intentionally. But that’s a little further down the list – right now I need to get ME healthy and well in mind and body.

There’s another book I really need – “When Making Others Happy is Making You Miserable” by Karen Ehman. It’s about people pleasing and I am the poster child for this one. I have got to take back my life and stop feeling guilty for every damn decision I make. I think it’s what contributes to the decision fatigue as well.

Here’s where I put all my grandiose plans in but I’ll refrain. I think the one thing I’ll start with is less coffee and tea and more water, milk, or juices. Hydration, or lack thereof, is my biggest problem right now so I’ve got to get that on track first. I know it will make a huge difference in how I feel and probably look too. I always complain about my complexion issues, but seriously, what I put into my body is as important (if not more) than what I put on it.

Okay, so go me – reset your life girl! See how much better you can feel which means you can handle things just a little bit better and turn your life around.

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Looking Back and Moving Forward

August 15, 2021

I’m thinking it might be nice to do a weekly review for awhile. I’m also doing a weekly self reflection in my planner to kind of get my goals on if you will. As I’ve said before, I’m a great planner but putting things into action I’m not and I want to change that. So, hopefully these two things will help get me moving.

So, it was a rough week as far as healing from my tooth surgery. Eating has been limited to mushy foods but now I’m branching out to slightly chewier substances. It’s not easy and I’m trying to let that area of my mouth heal, but I’m worried I’m babying it more than I should. The pain has subsided though, and it’s getting easier every day to eat a little more normally.

I think I mentioned that I lost a couple pounds right away as well and that has kept up due to very low calorie eating days. I’m almost back down to where I was at the beginning of the year and so the plan is to get on track to keep that weight loss up. And that means eating properly. I need to get back to whole foods and eating three good meals to start.

I also thought about creating a personal wellness plan and I found an article about how to do that and it’s just like that Mom Operating Manual book – Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise, Water. The other part of it is to track and see where the problems are and get them to where they should be. I bought this book so I can keep track of problems as well as progress. That way I’ll have a clearer picture of how I’m doing and how to adjust.

In other news, the tree people came out and got the tree work done. There’s just a little finishing up to do and then I can get some people in here to start a maintenance plan to get the yards where I want them to be and also to plan how I’d like my outdoor space to be.

Speaking of outdoors, I looked out the bathroom skylight last night and saw the moon. That’s when I realized that I haven’t noticed it in months. That’s how crazy life has been this year. I really need to start spending some time outside or even just noticing the sunsets and sunrises and moon phases again. We had some general thunderstorms on Friday and it was really soothing. I live in an area of the country where wild weather is the norm, so this was a treat. All that to say it’s time to get back out in nature because when I do I’m better for it.

My youngest daughters started their senior year on Thursday as well. I have to say as much as I do miss them (not to mention the worry with this pandemic still raging), I’m enjoying the quiet in the house too. I even had a couple hours to myself one afternoon and that was nice. I relaxed a little and then did some financial stuff I needed to get done. What I need to do here is spend that time alone with more intention. Whether it’s reading, writing, exercising, just sitting outside, I need to stop the mindless things of tv and internet and focus on things I really want to do. I think that goes back to the planning and not doing thing I’m stuck in. It’s time to make some things happen.

Okay so that was last week and my planner is pretty blank this week except for kids’ work schedules so I need to take my own advice in the previous paragraph and get intentional about my goals and ideas and such. September is right around the corner and I like to use it as another new year – a new beginning. Hope you have some blank space in your calendar for doing either just what you like or for what you need to do. Let’s live life and not just move through each day like drones – we were made for more than that. Pax Christi.

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In Review

August 10, 2021

It was a busy and painful week last week. I ended up at the dentist office on Wednesday with a very hurty tooth and on Friday my two crappy teeth were taken out. I spent the weekend recuperating so the usual Library and Tea Party on Saturday was out and my long awaited Mom’s Day Out on Sunday as well. On the other hand I’ve lost 2 pounds since Friday because I can only eat mushy or liquid foods. Not sure if that’s really a thing to celebrate but I’ll take it.

On the other hand I made a lot of calls to try to get back on track with the house problems. Still waiting on getting the tree work done and not happy about that because it’s been a month and there are two major things that still need doing. It was a two day job and it’s taken over a month. UGH.

On the brighter side, I ordered several books from Thrift Books and so there were a lot of lovely packages rolling in. I also ordered some very basic clothing pieces from LL Bean. Not sure if I’d order from there again (they charge you $6.50 for returns unless you have their credit card) but I do like the clothes so we’ll see. Still trying for that capsule wardrobe.

Yesterday my daughters and I made a quick library trip and had the tea party anyway since the oldest one was off work. Also went to Ulta and bought a few things using my racked up points – at least I got that in (that was part of the Mom’s Day Out plan).

Today I’m feeling much better and will try to get some of the nagging housework things done. We’re also gearing up for back to school here and so my girls need to get their stuff ready for that. We bought all the school supplies last month on a very low key early morning when no one was in the store, so the girls just need to get everything ready to go. It is my twins’ senior year and it’s hard to believe that just like that *snaps fingers* we’re winding up this chapter in their lives. I didn’t think I’d make it through the we’re not homeschooling anymore years, but I did and it’s turned out to be mostly a very good thing for the kiddos. Can’t say I love the school and it’s politics but academically it’s not been bad.

Oh, I almost forgot! I actually made a one month meal plan at the beginning of August! And – drum roll please – I have been sticking with it! I’m proud of myself on this one and it makes every day so much easier knowing what we’re having for dinner. Now, the plan is, starting in September, to cook out of Nigella Lawson’s books and I think I’ll start with “Kitchen”. I’ve been watching the videos and most of the meals are quick and easy and look very good. It’s a long overdue dream of mine and it’s going to become reality.

Well, I’d better get rolling for the day as there’s plenty to do per usual. Have a great day everyone! Pax Christi.

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What I Read – Spring 2021

July 31, 2021

Okay, so now let’s talk about my spring reading for the year – March, April, and May. I actually read quite a bit – nothing too lengthy but all fairly good. So grab a bevvie and let’s sip and chat (kind of long).

Learning to Breathe by Alison Wright – An amazing story of survival after Ms. Wright had a terrible accident in a foreign country and how everything she had learned up to that point helped in her healing. I generally skipped the extraneous stories and just focused on the ones of her accident and recovery. That said, I didn’t finish it because my kindle loan expired. I’ll probably reread it at some point because it was interesting and there were some good takeaways as well.

Goodnight John Boy by Earl Hamner and Ralph E. Giffin – I loved “The Waltons” back in the day and still do. I decided to start watching the episodes again this year because of my love for the show and also my mother’s love of the show (we usually watched it together). This book gives more information on Earl Hamner, how the series started, and bits and pieces about each episode from the actors, writers, and directors of the show. A surprising thing was, I thought I hadn’t seen a lot of the later episodes, but when reading the synopses I realized that I really had watched most if not every episode and movie of the series. If you are a fan of The Waltons I highly recommend this book.

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom – I read this at the request of my counselor. I can’t remember what she wanted me to get from the reading, but I saw it differently. It’s about the story of Morrie Schwartz and specifically his last days during his illness through visits by Mitch Albom. One of the biggest takeaways for me was that giving back was a big part of Morrie’s life (he said that giving was living for him) so that fit in with my “theme” for the year. It is an easy read but also thought provoking and uplifting.

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf – This was an interesting novella. It’s about a man and a woman in their golden years getting together to find a way out of their loneliness after losing their spouses. All in all it was a good read, but there were parts that grated on my nerves, and I didn’t like the ending. But that’s just me. Other than that I loved the main characters and the relationship that developed and it speaks to me as I’m also aging.

Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown – Can you believe it – I read a third novel! This book alternates between two women – one in the 1950’s and the other in 2021. One is caught in a bad marriage the other in a marriage that has barely begun. The house is the one thing that bridges their worlds as the 1950’s housewife owned it and the 2021 woman buys it. There are some old fashioned recipes in there which I thought was fun, and it was overall pretty good…but kind of annoying too. The ending is surprising to say the least and I think it’s supposed to uplift feminism but it didn’t come across to me that way. It was a good read but also fell flat in places. Take all that with a grain of salt and if you read it you can make your own decision about it.

Wonder by RJ Palacio – Read this after catching the movie one night. I had wondered (ha!) about this book for a long time and wanted to read the book but wasn’t sure what it was about. When the movie came out I read about that and thought it sounded pretty good. As chance would have it, some channel was running it one night so I stopped to watch since it had just started. It was really good! So, I got the book out of the library and finally read it. I was surprised to find that the movie follows the book fairly well. However, the book goes into more depth on the characters so you get a better sense of what is going on. The book is about acceptance of people no matter what we look like.

I can very much relate to this because even though I didn’t struggle with what Auggie did, I have been made fun of for lesser things. I was barked at by some boys in school once because I had acne, fluffy big-ass eyebrows (which are now all the rage), and whatever else they saw as ugly. I have rosacea and need to cover it. One time I went out without makeup and a “friend” was taken aback and wondered what the hell had happened to my face. Before braces my incisors looked like fangs and I got called “dracula” in the school I was going to in London. Oh and let’s not forget the four girls who sat at a big table at lunch and proclaimed all seats saved. They even did that in a restaurant on a trip to Paris (I sat with a group of high school girls then). Again – that fills your life and you make stupid decisions based on what other people think. It’s also hard to trust after all that and it’s not easy to see your own beauty when you feel no one else sees any in you at all.

The takeaway? We are ALL wonders! We all are beautiful and we all have love to give and receive. For some who have chosen wrong paths they still have a chance to change their lives. We all do – right up to our dying day. But we all come into this world as helpless human beings who are deserving of life and love and that should continue as long as we live. It doesn’t for many but it should. Okay – end of rant.

Phew! So that’s what I read this spring. I’ll be back to talk about what I’ve read so far this summer and my spiritual reading plans as well. Hope you enjoyed my reviews.

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What I’ve Read – Winter 2021

July 29, 2021

Well, well, well, it’s about time I decided to write about my reading. Actually, I did have a post written but never posted it. You know, my writing will never get anywhere unless I release it into the wild. So, time to stop all that procrastination and perfection. That said, while I haven’t read a lot I have read some and since it’s July already thought I’d break it up by season. So, let’s get started. Here’s my list for January and February 2021.

The Lord by Romano Guardini – This was for my spiritual reading, but I did not get very far into it. It’s not overly difficult reading, but it is wordy and the book is huge. I could probably read it over a year and maybe I should make that a goal with reading only the Blble, Catechism, and this book.

Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter – So, I was going to read this as part of a positive start to the new year and I can say I was really surprised by it. What really struck me is that this book seems like it’s aimed more at adults than children. The key takeaway – Pollyanna wasn’t looking at everything through rose colored glasses, what she did was try to find the good in everything that happened to her through The Glad Game. There is a difference. If you’ve never read it I highly recommend it.

The Thank You Project by Nancy Davis Cho – In kind of the same vein as Pollyanna, and part of that positive start to the new year thing, I picked up this book. It’s a letter writing gig and the premise is to write thank you letters to those people in your life who have been there for you through thick and thin or just been there. You start with family and then friends, loves, and influencers/mentors. She gives you ideas on what to write, how she wrote her own letters, and she even discusses people in your life who have been less than stellar. Those letters you wouldn’t send but it could be cathartic for you. Sprinkled throughout the book are playlists (with a cassette tape as artwork) and that really spoke to me too. I have actually thought about a letter writing campaign for years and this would be a great way to start. It’s about an attitude of gratitude and that can help shift your thinking and de-stress your life.

Life Changing Manga of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo – OK – that’s manga not magic just so I’m sure you read that right. And yes it is a comic book. I actually prefer this one to the others. It really discusses the foundation of her system in a way that’s easy to understand. With the visual of a messy home turned into a more ordered home it helps get the idea across. I think this was why her Netflix show was so popular – we can actually see the process and changes as they happen. If you’ve never read her books I recommend starting with this one and moving on to the others which are more in-depth. Am I into Konmari? No, but I do have a few areas in my house that will probably only get organized using this method.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – I read this years ago and loved it. Last year I was going to read it but couldn’t get into it. Then, after my health emergency in February, there was a night I couldn’t sleep, so I started reading this until I was tired enough to fall back asleep. It turned out to be just what I needed – something nurturing. This time I also underlined key things I wanted to remember. I will say, my favorite part is still Italy – probably because I visited Rome and Venice in the 1970’s when I was a teenager. Also because I need another vacation. I wouldn’t say this book has changed my life, but it gave me a lot to think about and helped me to move forward.

And that was my reading this winter. Tomorrow I’ll write about my spring picks this year. See you then.

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What I Do For Self-Care

April 12, 2021

Let’s revisit this topic. I was watching a video on this topic of self-care by Youtuber Carolyn Chebaro and she was talking about what she considers self-care. I realized I do a lot of those same things without really thinking, but it IS a type of self-care. So here’s some things that I do that make me feel taken care of.

Skincare and Makeup

Reading

Watching favorite tv shows/movies or even just stopping on a movie on TCM if I find it interesting (have found some real gems this way).

Chocolate and Coffee (especially a trip to Starbucks for a drink and pastry)

Perfume or scented body lotions/sprays

Clothing

Shopping – even if I don’t buy anything it’s fun to just look and browse.

Writing – Whether in a journal or here

Playing – online crosswords and mahjong, and Nintendo’s Animal Crossing

So you’re thinking what about eating right, exercising, hygiene, and getting dressed in something other than pajamas each day? Well, I think of those things as the foundation – I HAVE to do those things. Think of those things as the cake and the other things as the icing and sprinkles – the fun things that add enjoyment to one’s day and creative pursuits that fill your soul.

I took my Self-Care for Moms book back off the shelf and I’m going to do what I was going to do in the first place – put gold stars next to all those things I’m already doing and add in the ones that I’d like to do or try out. My goal is to get to the big stuff – like a weekend away somewhere or a big vacation.

My counselor has been talking to me about loving myself and I know these are all ways to do just that. Accepting myself as I am is the main one and I’m just about there. Rarely do I say deprecating things when I’m down or feeling beat up by life. The last time I did I was given the next day so full of joy I can’t even tell you. Even my doctor was all WTF?? I’ve been having more joyful days lately and it feels good. Still, I need to learn how to cope with the bad days and, you know, that’s self-care too. It gives strength to your body, mind, and soul. I have a counseling appointment soon and maybe I’ll talk with her about this. None of my other therapists were able to help but maybe she can. I need a tool to help with those days.

So that’s what I do for self-care. If you are having a rough time maybe in the mom trenches or life is knocking you around a bit, I want to suggest this book – The MOM Operating Manual. It’s supposed to be a kid’s book but I think it was written for moms. Mother’s Day is coming up so maybe this is a gift to give to yourself so you can start giving yourself a self-care foundation so that you can give to others.

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New Beauty Routine

April 7, 2021

Oh yeah – we all know I’m a beauty junkie so you also know I’m watching Youtube videos on said subject. Recently, I’ve found a couple of dermatologist channels and they are giving ideas on how to simplify your routine without spending oodles of dollars. In an age of Sephora and Ulta it’s refreshing and needed. Not everyone can spend a ton of money on beauty products in order to get the results they want. (That said, there are some mid-range products that are very much worth the money spent.) So, taking a page out of their book, here’s my new routine.

Cleanse – Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser. Frankly I’m not sure this one will work. I love it’s foaming action and it does take my makeup off and rinse incredibly well. However, it is a little drying for my skin so we’ll see.

Tone – Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. Yeah – most derms agree that toning isn’t necessary (although if there are actives it can be okay) but I come from the old Clinique 3-step program, and I just love using toners so this is what I’m doing. This one is gentle, but does have fragrance so I like it but don’t love it.

Moisturize – Cerave Moisturizing Cream. I tried their lotion but it wasn’t rich enough so I stepped up to the cream and it’s better. They are both fragrance free, but they also have hyaluronic acid which my skin really doesn’t like (drying). That said, it’s hard to find any facial moisturizer without hyaluronic acid these days. :( And when a derm says you may need a moisturizer over a moisturizer with HA – what’s the point?

Sunscreen – I bought the Sephora Favorites Sun Safety kit this year because it was such a good deal. Lots of sunscreens (chemical and mineral) I’ve wanted to try and 3 full size products all for $40. And a portion of that goes to a cancer charity so it was a no-brainer. I’ve decided to use the Dr. Dennis Gross All-Physical Dark Spot Sun Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 for this routine. It is a mineral sunblock so I know my skin should be okay with it. First impressions – nice and creamy and easy to apply.

Treat – I’m not adding treatment products yet because I need to just get into the habit of a basic routine. Treatment products are iffy for me anyway since my skin is so sensitive. I’d love to do a little gentle (chemical) exfoliation which I actually need, or maybe even a retinol or vitamin C products to help the skin barrier, but I’ve yet to find products that my skin can tolerate. I don’t care about anti-aging stuff, but I know some of these products can be beneficial in other ways so not totally ruling it out. For now, this step will wait.

Foundation – I’m putting this in here because I always wear foundation to cover the redness of my rosacea and it finishes the routine. I’m using L’Oreal’s True Match. It’s a little drying for my skin but it’s not bad with coverage and the mineral SPF in it.

I want to add here that I don’t believe there is a “holy grail” foundation. I’ve read some articles lately about a foundation wardrobe – having two or three depending on coverage, weather, etc. – and I think that’s not a bad idea. Sometimes you just want something easy like a tinted moisturizer if you’re running around all day. Other times, say you’ve got a special date coming up, so you want a little extra. For work one that stands up to a full day on the job. I think this is an idea worth considering.

Sooo – that’s my new routine and, again, I’m sticking to this for two weeks. I’ll be back then to update on how it all worked and if I’ll keep it or move on. If I move on – I already have a routine ready to roll in my Sephora cart.

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Staying In

April 6, 2021

Last week was really, really busy. My older brother, sister, and I spent three days going through our mother’s things to prepare for her estate sale. It was emotionally draining and took a lot of time as well. I was also running to stores to get groceries for the Easter holiday. Noticing I’ve been spending too much time running around again and not enough at home to take care of things there – I’m staying in. And given we’re still in a pandemic it’s not a bad idea overall. That said, I will be taking walks around a local park after taking kids to work. I’ve not been spending much time outside so I need to flip that too. Cheers to a quieter and healthier week.

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