Pampering Myself on a Dreary Day

Today it is dreary, damp, and chilly.  I had some plans in my head, but when I woke up this morning, I just wasn't feeling them.  So I decided to pamper myself.

Now for a lot of people, this involves many products, many spa-like activities, etc.  However, I have neither the time nor the desire (or the $$$) for any of that, so I guess when I pamper myself, it's more low key.  But I'm the one doing it, so who cares what anyone else thinks?

I have been doing pretty well lately with my diet - meaning the food I am eating, not that I am on a diet, mind you.  I had gotten off track big-time, and it took me a bit to both motivate myself and also actually do what I wanted to get back to doing.  But I'm making progress, and I'm really proud of myself for that.  Now I need to be more regular with moving.  In that vein, I've signed up for a Beginner Pilates class next Saturday morning.  Hopefully that will get me back into the swing of things and I won't be as lazy.

Anyway.  After breakfast, I took a shower and washed my hair, and actually blow dried and styled it (as much as my hair ever  has a "style").  I usually air dry it, with mixed results - as in, sometimes it sticks up/out, and other times it's fine.  That was a boost.  While drying off, I realized with disgust that my feet were a mess!  Not that I have foot model feet, but it was clear I'd neglected things too long.  Then I thought about my hands, which are in sad shape as well.  When I get bored or nervous, I pick my cuticles, even to the point of bleeding - unless I've been taking care of my nails, and then I tend to leave them alone.  For the last month, I have filed any ragged nails that caught on things, but done nothing else.

The verdict:  I would let a professional handle things.  So I walked up the street to a nail salon, and was lucky because when I got there (with no appt), they had an opening.  Since I knew I'd still be wearing socks for the near future, I asked for a pedicure but not polish.  Which puzzled the person working with me, but she was very nice and thorough nonetheless.  It was pretty gross, and I gave her a big tip for her efforts.  My feet once again look like they belong to a human being.  Then she gave me a really good manicure, and hopefully I'll be back on track taking care of that again now, too.

(I tried to take a photo to show you how nice my hands look, but that was a no-go.   So you'll just have to take my word for it.)

The shade I chose for my fingernails is Essie Nail polish, Chinchilly (not my hands here):

I must say that now I feel quite glamorous.  :-)

On my way home, I decided that I wanted something else to treat myself.  So I stopped at a Dunkin' Donuts and got a coffee and a Boston Kreme Donut.  Was it good?  You bet!  Did I need it?  Nope.  But it was a wonderful treat.

So today I ventured out into the ick and spent money and you know what?

I regret nothing.

Overhaul Time

I had no intention of disappearing for so long!  Sorry about that.  I would like to say it was because I was jet-setting, but it was really just a combination of being stressed out, depressed, and way too busy at work.

Enough of that though, it's time to regroup and start fresh, and do my best to control the things that I can.

Did you see this article?  It confirmed some things for me that I had always wondered about, but had been too chicken to look into in any depth.  I don't get I manicures and pedicures very frequently, and certainly not nearly as much as a lot of people I know do.  I do like to get them every once in a while, or for special occasions, because it's a real treat, and also because I can't "clean up" around my nails as well as a trained person can.  Like everyone though, I usually would go for the less expensive option.  But after reading this article, I decided that unless I found out otherwise, I would only go to places that I could feel sure were well run and where the workers got paid and were  not slaves.

So last Friday, since we had the day off from work, I decided to treat myself to a pedicure (I am really bad at painting my toenails!), and made an appt at a salon attached to a beauty salon/spa place.  It cost more, but it was really wonderful, and I left without wondering if I had contributed to a bad situation.  Not that upscale places are automatically perfect, but I felt a little more comfortable with going there.

Also now that summer has truly arrived (read: heat and humidity), I wanted to overhaul my makeup for the daily routine before work.  I read this post/tutorial and got some great ideas.

I had planned to get organized this past weekend, but at the last minute, we decided to go to Baltimore and stay with my niece and her husband overnight on the 4th.  A lot of other family and friends were there, and we had a blast, which included some amazing fireworks.  I figured that, since I had also taken Monday off, and was supposed to have jury duty today, I could still organize even though we'd been gone.  However, it's gonna have to wait, because yesterday I woke up with a cold and sore throat that have knocked me out.  I had to reschedule my jury duty first thing this a.m., and after many doses of cold medicine and a ton of sleep, am just now starting to feel some semblance of normal.  And so, my reorganization/overhaul will happen this weekend.

One thing I did buy last week to start trying was this:

This is a tube of MAC Cosmetics lipstick in the shade Ruby Woo.  I've read/heard a lot about this lipstick, and how it works on everyone.  I love red lipstick, but usually can't find a shade a like.  I was convinced to give this a try when I saw a friend who wears no makeup whatsoever except lipstick wearing it.  She looked great with only the lipstick, and her coloring is very similar to mine.  So I'll keep you posted on that.  Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have tried it and how you do/don't like it, or to suggest other good lipsticks for a pale person like myself.  :-)

That's it for now.  I promise you'll hear from me again sooner rather than later.  In the meantime, stay cool and try to look your best! 

Well, I Didn't Mean For That to Happen!

As in, I didn't intend to post early in the month and then not again until the last day!  I mean, not that I have anything terribly fascinating to report, but I was very surprised when I saw that my last post here was on May 10 - what's that about?

May was a weird month.  Not a bad one, just weird in that lots of things were going on, but not necessarily exciting things.  There were some highlights - a trip to Maryland Sheep and Wool at the very beginning of the month, and a trip home to West Virginia over the Memorial Day weekend - but it was mostly going to work and not killing anyone there, coming home and being lazy, and running errands/cleaning on the weekends.

However, one of the things I do every single May, usually the week before the holiday weekend, is get my first pedicure of the season.  During the rest of the year, I treat myself to a manicure now and then, but other than, er, "maintaining" clean feet and trimmed toenails, I never polish or pamper them.  Most of the year I wear socks, boots, etc., and if I'm paying someone to do my nails, I want to see them regularly, you know?

Anyhow, I have lately been going to a place around here that I'd heard about off and on, and finally decided to try for a manicure.  For anyone reading this in the Philadelphia area, it's Mi Cumbia, and it's really a great place.  Very small, and you do need an appointment, but I think it's worth the effort.  They use all non-toxic polishes, and it's really a place to be pampered.  The cost of a manicure or pedicure is only about two dollars more than at the in-and-out quickie places, and for me at least, the manicures have lasted without chipping for five days or more!

So I decided to try a pedicure there, and it was an incredibly decadent experience.  I opted for the basic one, but with the time they took and the way I was pampered, I felt like I'd been to a spa when I was finished.*  And my pedicure was really pretty too!  The people are all very nice and friendly, which is also a plus.  You never feel like a stranger, or that they are rushing you.

Now, I just need a nice pair of sandals to show it off ...


*No, I've never actually been to a spa.  But I feel like it must be an experience similar to what I had when getting a pedicure.  Work with me here, people