In Which I Have Plans ... But Have Not Gotten Started

In my continued attempts to make small changes to my/our lifestyle that will keep us from using so many disposable products, I have decided - at least 6 months ago, if not more - that since I do a lot of knitting, and have a lot of leftover bits of yarn, that I should knit some reusable makeup remover pads.  This plan led me to a further plan - knit a few and gift them to my nieces for Christmas, along with a mini-size makeup remover product.  Good idea, right?

I have the yarn - even some leftover cotton yarn, which would be good and sturdy for this kind of thing.  I have the needles I need.  I don't feel like I need a specific pattern necessarily, but I did look to see if there were patterns and there are quite a few.  I have even identified the mini-size makeup remover I plan to buy, one at a time after each payday in our family.  So I'm all set to go, right?

Yes, I'm all set to go.  I *have* been all set to go.  So why I am not going, so to speak???

Excuse #1: There were a couple of projects that I really wanted to finish before I got started.  Fact: They are finished as of last week.

Excuse #2:  I have plenty of time.  Fact:  I had plenty of time when I first thought of this.  Now we are in to October, and as we all know, once October hits, the holidays are suddenly right on top of us.

Excuse #3:  Laziness.  Fact:  I am lazy.  I really want to make them, I do.  But I am lazy.

Solution:  START.  Often if I just simply get started, that's all I need to continue.  I am certain that if I made even just one pad, I would be inspired to continue, because I will actually get almost immediate gratification making these, because they are so small.  And I do love me some immediate gratification, especially with my knitting!

Look at these - this is pretty much exactly what I'm thinking about!

Small, with whatever colors I have available.  Since it will all be leftover yarn, the cost of this part of the gift will be only my time, and these will take no time at all.

Whereas, if I ordered them where I found the photo, I would have to pay for them, probably pay for shipping and taxes, and then hope they arrived in a reasonable amount of time, which in our current postal climate in the U.S. (why is Louis DeJoy still in charge of the Post Office???), could mean anywhere between 2 days and 10 months.

Result:  Now that I have put this out into the cyber universe, I have a responsiblity to be true to my plan and also complete it.  This coming weekend is a three-day weekend (for Columbus Day, now Indigenous Peoples' Day for us), and what better time to start?  Heck, I may even make all of the ones I was hoping by the end of three days!  

And so, in my next post, I hope to show you my progress on the whole makeup remover pads gift idea.  I am determined to have at least two to show you. 

Stay tuned ... 😊

My Hope For You

Yes, I've been absent for a bit.  And likely will be, except for a Happy Thanksgiving post.  I'm busy on my other blog with writing a post for every day during November.  So if you only read this blog and are just plain desperate to hear from me otherwise you should head over there.  :-)

I'll be posting there later with details of our trip this past weekend to Baltimore, where we visited some of my nieces and their families, and they threw a party for The Tim, whose 60th birthday was on Friday.

And that made me want to write this here.

I love my family.  They drive me crazy, are crazy as a matter of fact, and though we all may appear somewhat conventional, we are not.  Sometimes, I'm not even sure we would all be friends if we were not related.

But they are great.  Granted, I don't get to see my sister in California very often, or see her kids and grandkids, who live in California and Arizona.  Nonetheless, I still get to keep up with them all on a regular basis and see pictures, etc.

This past weekend we had just the very best time in Baltimore.  I took exactly one picture, because I was too busy otherwise laughing, singing, talking, eating, and drinking.  And though it would be fun to have more photos, I have the memories which are making me just as happy right now.

I know for a lot of people, Thanksgiving and the following holiday season can be difficult, since not all families are like mine.  And I also know that especially this year, with election results, so many people are dreading seeing other family at Thanksgiving.

So here is my hope for you:  I hope that you will have a wonderful holiday season with your family. Whatever and whoever your family is.  Whether or not they are related by blood.  Whether you have known them since birth, or just in the last month.

Life is too short not to have a family to love.  It's great when it is your own family and you all have your history with each other.  But we are fortunate in that all of us can create our own families and even if outsiders are appalled, it's none of their business.

So enjoy.  I know I'll be with my family - not my extended family, but my immediate family.  Which consists of The Tim and four furballs.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

In Gratitude

Thanksgiving Day

Best wishes for a very happy Thanksgiving!

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments

when our hearts are conscious of our treasure"

-- Thornton Wilder

Happy Halloween!

Happy Independence Day!

"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness,

you have to catch it yourself"

-- Benjamin Franklin

On to 2014!

"Be in love with your life. Every minute of it."

-- Jack Kerouac

Best wishes for a year of love and happiness.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

A Little Bit of Beauty for Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas Day, and to be honest, we are still enjoying Christmastime.  It's always nice to have a day to just be together, and enjoy the feeling of the holidays.  In our house, that usually includes a fire in the fireplace, which makes it just seem that much  more cozy.

Many lovely gifts were given and received as well.  The Tim and I were somewhat more restrained than usual in our gifts to each other, as we decided that the major part of our gifts would be new chairs for our living room.  (We have identified the chairs we like, now we just want them to go on sale ...)

My sister Nancy who lives in California has had issues over the past few years sending packages through the USPS.  For whatever reason, the packages never arrive, or arrive damaged, etc.  So this year she decided that she was sending our gifts directly from Nordstrom.  As it turns out, hers were the only beauty-related gifts I received and they are wonderful as far as I'm concerned.  My box contained two small bottles:

This nail polish, called Piece of My Heart.  I've heard of Deborah Lippmann nail polishes and products, but have never tried them, so I am excited to both receive and try this.  (Though not right away, since I currently am wearing OPI A Ruby for Rudolph, since it's Christmastime.)

She also sent this:

It's a topcoat, called Addicted to Speed, which is supposed to be a quick-drying, setting coat for your manicure.  Nancy and I agreed that neither of us would be likely to buy this for ourselves, due to the cost, but that it was great to receive as a gift.  She knew about it after receiving a bottle from a friend for her birthday.

My hands and nails are not particularly great-looking, but I try to take care of them, and I love nail polish.  I have even found a system that keeps the polish on and - most of the time - not chipping for as long as 5 days, so I try to polish my nails somewhat regularly.

The fact that my sister even bothers to send gifts is gift enough, as she has kids of her own, and grandkids to buy for.  Getting something fun like this is just an extra treat.

I'll let you know once I use the polish how I feel about it.  But it's looking like even if the rest of me doesn't look much different in the new year, my hands will!

Hooray, Christmastime Has Arrived!

Oh how I love Christmastime!  Ever since I was a little kid, and even now when I am often surrounded by holiday curmudgeons.

I was thinking about it the other day, and realized that I love reading and/or hearing about Christmas or holiday parties.  The special foods, clothes, decorations, all sound so festive and fun.

And then I realized - I never really go anywhere during Christmastime anymore.  When both of us had regular, Monday through Friday, 9-5 jobs, we always made it a point to do at least one "Christmas" thing every year - i.e., a concert, a tour.  It was fun, and really added to the celebration.  We also used to go to midnight Mass, which seemed so magical.  Occasionally, we would actually be invited to a party, or a dinner, and once or twice even hosted one ourselves.

Then The Tim got laid off from his "regular" job, and ended up working in retail.  Which was great, since we both need to work, and as it turns out, he's really good at it.  But it means our Christmastime events calendar is greatly reduced.  Not just that he has to work evenings and weekends, but since he was promoted a few years ago, he has to work six shifts a week during the two weeks before Christmas.  So it's hard to do anything extra, because even if our schedules can be worked out, he is just so tired.  Which is 100% understandable.  And we don't go to midnight Mass anymore, because no place around here does it anymore.  Plus, he works on Christmas Eve, usually getting home around 8:00 p.m., and we would rather have a nice Christmas Eve dinner and relaxing evening.

I'm not complaining, though I do miss a lot of it.  But the thing that is weird, is that I still love the idea of buying a new lipstick, or pair of shoes, or something that is special to wear for Christmas - which of course, is funny, because I don't have any place special to wear those things!

As a matter of fact, today I was reading a magazine, and saw a blazer-type jacket with just a few sparkles here and there (I don't know if it was sequined, of if they were something else), and I thought, "Oh wouldn't that be fun to have!"  And it probably would, but *where* would I wear it????!!!

So for now, I will enjoy my Christmastime social events vicariously, and save myself some money at the same time.  Not really a bad deal, and since I am lazy, it's actually kind of win-win ... ;-)

Guess what?  Only 19 days left!!!

Giving Thanks

There are only two ways to live your life. 

One is as though nothing is a miracle.  

The other is as though everything is a miracle.

-- Albert Einstein

May you be thankful for all of your miracles today.

Ready Set Go!

I truly love this time of year.  I love the weather (yes, even though it's 27 degrees today), the anticipation, and the fact that - in spite of what everyone on TV and in the media want to tell me about calories - this is the time when some of the best and most special foods are painstakingly prepared, and happily received on the table.

Our season starts slightly earlier, as this past Monday was The Tim's birthday, so there was cake, presents, and a day off work.  Some years, we have barely finished the birthday cake before it's time for pumpkin pie, but this year there was enough time difference to savor one and look forward to the other.

One thing I don't love though, is how people have begun to let the holiday shopping season encroach on Thanksgiving.  Maybe it's because I am  not usually interested in the things that are marked down on sale, or because shopping at any time in a big crowd is not appealing.  One of the reasons  I have always loved Nordstrom's (even though I can seldom afford to buy anything there), is that a) they do not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving (which if I were in charge would be the law!), and they stay closed on Thanksgiving.  It was bad enough when a lot of the "big box" and/or discount stores started opening in the evening - and now many of them, much earlier - on that day, but this year Macy's has joined in.  So very disappointing.  One of my friends posted this link on Facebook, and I think it's a very thought-provoking piece.

However, I am an expert at ignoring things like this, as well as places that start playing Christmas music or put up decorations way too early, and now - it's Thanksgiving time!  It will be here in just a few days.  I can already smell the stuffing, and the baking pies.  I am already thinking how nice it will be to have a day when the only real expectation is that it will be cozy and relaxing.

Only after Thanksgiving weekend will it be time to gear up for December.  But as far as I'm concerned, it's all good .... REALLY good.  :-)

And So It Begins ...

I LOVE the holiday season, and always think of it as starting with Halloween.  The decorations, the costumes, the goodies - to me it is just a lot of fun.

What I cannot stand, though, is the "news" stories that surround the holidays.  I am talking about the insistence that we know how holiday foods and drinks contain calories.  I just saw the first one about half an hour ago - an 'expose' on the local news about the hidden calories in Halloween candy.

Really?  Candy has calories?  Shocking.  Personally, I would like to meet the individuals who have no idea that candy has calories.  Because the first question I would ask them is where they have been living if this is news to them.  And then I would like to ask the news reporters to find some actual news to report.

And of course it will continue:

Thanksgiving - Thanksgiving dinner has calories!
Christmas - Christmas cookies and treats have calories!
New Year's Eve - Champagne and other beverages have calories!

This year, I'm wondering if Jewish people will  be informed that whatever they fix for Thanksgiving/Hanukkah dinner will have calories.  I mean, news like that could be so surprising, it could ruin the whole thing!

Most people I know are more than aware that food and drink have calories - maybe they can't tell you how many, but they know they are there.  For myself, I look forward to the holidays, to actually enjoy myself, and enjoy the special things I don't eat or drink during the rest of the year.  I try not to get terribly carried away, though sometimes I am more successful than others.  And I am sure that if my doctor told me that if I consumed more than X number of calories during the holidays, I would not live to see another one, I'd be very careful.  For myself.  I would leave everyone else alone to do their own thing.

So please - join me in enjoying the holidays!  Eat, drink, and be merry.  And try to ignore the people who want you to obsess over every little aspect of it.

There's a reason it's called the HOLIDAY SEASON, right?

About My Dad

On Father's Day, I always wish my father was still around so I could call and wish him a happy day.  I'm sure he knows I'm thinking of him, but it's not the same as the person being physically around.

Anyway, the reason I thought I'd write this post, was because my dad was as much responsible for my persnickety-ness about appearance as my mom and/or sisters were.  In photos of him as a young man, he is slim and quite handsome; in later photos, he is plump with a crewcut, and the way I remember him.  (He looked a lot like Drew Carey in the very first incarnation of his show!)  He was always well-groomed and nicely dressed, and though he was not an executive or anything, he did have an office job, so wore suits to work every day.  I do remember his "cookout" outfit, which just sent my sisters over the edge:  tan shorts, a bright orange and white plaid shirt, and matching orange socks, with the kind of sneakers men wore back then.  He absolutely loved this outfit, while my sisters were just appalled by it.  I think my mother probably had just given up thinking about it.

Anyway, one Saturday when I was probably in 3rd or 4th grade, my mom and sisters were going downtown to do some shopping, and my dad was in charge of me.  He told me I could go with him to run some errands, and if I waited for him while he went to an appt at the barber shop, then we could go to lunch.  Sounded great to me, plus I would have my father all to myself!

We got to the barber shop, and that's where the shocker happened.  I was assuming that he was getting his hair cut (though with a crewcut, it always looked the same to me ...).  However, that wasn't the case.  No, my father - who was not particularly macho, but was also not anyone I would ever describe as girly - was getting a MANICURE!

Even to this day, I can remember how shocked and surprised I was.  For one thing, it just never occurred to me that men would get manicures.  And secondly - my father????  I didn't say anything to him, because I didn't want to act surprised, but when I told my mother later, she told me that yes, he got a manicure about every two weeks!  I'm guessing that it wasn't overly expensive, since a) we had very little money, and b) it didn't involve nail polish, only shaping and buffing, but it was still one of the big revelations of my life.  My mother had gorgeous hands and nails, and always did her own manicure.  She was a secretary, and her polish usually got changed not because it had chipped, but because she was tired of the color!  (Unlike me, whose manicures - DIY or professionally done - seem to start chipping as soon as I take a breath.)

So as I think of my dad today, I am grateful that he showed me something that was very different for the time.  And helped to give me the sense that it does make a difference to be well put together, whether you are wearing designer clothing or hand-me-downs.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.  Here's hoping they will always have a surprise or two for us.

Of BB Creams and Laziness

One of my biggest problems in life is that I want maximum effects from something, but I'm usually too lazy to actually make the effort to do what needs to be done to get that effect.  If it's a big occasion, I'll take extra time and do my hair and my makeup with more care, but for everyday, I'm not that dedicated.

A favorite product of mine is tinted moisturizers.  I like the idea that I can put some on and even out my face, without having to fool with foundation, for instance on a weekend, when you want to look put together, but not spend time "doing" your makeup.

Before I had even heard of "BB Creams," I was cruising around in my local Sephora a couple of years ago, when they were out of tinted moisturizer I was using.  I came across this:

I knew that Boscia was a brand that a lot of people liked, and that it had a lot of products that people with problem skin used.  I read the tube, and thought I'd give it a try.  I'll admit to being a little bit weirded out when it came out of the tube a little bit orange-y, but once on my face, it blended in really well, and evened out my skin tone.  It seemed to stay on most of the day, and I was really pleased with it.

At the time I ran out of it, I was pretty broke.  By that time, BB creams were showing up everywhere.  So I headed to CVS, deciding I'd try a less expensive one (the Boscia was not all that expensive for how long it lasted, but as I said, I was broke).  I had read good things about the L'Oreal and Maybelline BB creams, and thought I'd give one of them a go.  There was a special that week on Maybelline products, so I decided to try theirs.

This is the one I used all of last summer.  I have to say that I didn't like it quite as much as the Boscia one, though it was OK.  This one was more liquid-y, and I needed more of the product to cover my face.  It felt OK enough, and the shade was fine, but it didn't stay on as long as the Boscia, and by the end of the day when I would remove my makeup, there would be very little left on my skin.  It was definitely not as sweatproof as the other one (not that the Boscia was particularly sweatproof - just more so than the Maybelline).  I decided that the next time I decided to use a drugstore brand, I'd try one of the others.

Then about a month ago, I read that Trish McEvoy had a BB cream with a lot of the same ingredients as her Treatment Foundation, which I had tried and really liked.  As was the case with the Treatment Foundation, it was pricier than a lot of the others, but I decided to treat myself and give it a try.

The person who helped me at the counter said to be aware that it comes out of the tube looking darker than it becomes once it's on your skin.  She said that she had bought some to try when she didn't want to take the time to put a full face of makeup on, but that she liked it so much, she started using it instead of foundation, period.  I kinda sorta know this woman (she's helped numerous times, and is really helpful when you have questions), and I feel like I trust her - for as much as you can trust someone who sells cosmetics.  Her makeup is always flawless.  One of the other salespeople walked past and said, "Oh is she waxing poetic about that stuff again?  Ever since she has tried it, that's all we've heard about!"  

I have to say that I really do like this stuff!  It feels nice on your skin, it does a nice job of providing coverage, and at the end of the day - even a hot, sweaty day - it's still where you put it.  I only have to use one pump to cover my face, so over the long run, it's probably a good buy.  I'll see how long it lasts before deciding whether or not it's worth the money to me.

So this has been my "experiment" so far with BB creams.  Overall, they were all acceptable, though the Maybelline one was the one that disappointed me the most.  Like most people, I have better luck with some of their products than others, and the BB cream was not a success for me personally.  I would definitely buy the Boscia again, and as I said above, I'll see how things go with the Trish McEvoy product before springing for that again - a function of price point rather than the actual product itself.

I have just recently seen that Kiehl's has developed a BB cream, so I may give that a shot sometime.  I'll let you know.  :-)

************

Happy Memorial Day weekend for anyone reading this who is in the U.S., and happy weekend to everyone!

Joy!

Blessings to you and yours!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Walkway, Irish National Stud 

Tully, County Kildare, Ireland

May you have warm words on a cold evening,

A full moon on a dark night, 

And the road downhill all the way to your door.

-- An Irish Blessing

Holiday Time!

I just realized it's been too long since I've posted here.  But I didn't want to pass up the chance to post on 12-12-12, the last symmetrical date we will ever see in our lifetimes!  And it's happening right in the thick of holiday time, with Hanukkah underway, Christmas very close, and the end of the year within sight as well.

I absolutely love Christmastime.  And though I haven't been as diligent about my exercising as I would like, at least I have not abandoned it altogether.  If I can even go to the gym once a week between now and the end of Christmastime (in our house, January 6 is the last day of Christmastime), I'll consider it a success.  Though I haven't really lost any weight since we got back from Ireland in early November, I also haven't gained any - I'll take that, thank you very much.

I know for a lot of people, the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day is when they lose their motivation, time, and desire to remember to stay healthy.  It's so easy to do, since even if you don't go crazy with parties and celebrations, there's usually something on your calendar that keeps you running around.  I'm doing better this year than I have for quite a few years, and it's actually making me more thoughtful about eating and exercising.  I grab some steps whenever I can at work, and on days when the weather cooperates, I try to walk around the block at least during lunchtime, or take the slightly longer route walking home.  I haven't made myself give up any goodies, but I try to not eat as much and/or have a smaller meal next time.  I enjoy this time of year too much to become a martyr.

And tomorrow, I have my annual mammogram.  I don't look forward to it, but I know it's necessary, and have been fortunate to have been able to avoid even more drastic measures down the road since my cancer was caught early.  Every year, I think my luck is gonna be up again, but so far I've had a good report each time.  Hopefully tomorrow will be the same result.

In the meantime, I'll be right here, enjoying myself.  Why don't you do the same???

Well, I Didn't Mean to Be Away This Long!

Time has gotten away from me since we have been back from Ireland.  For the most part, in a good way, so I'm not complaining, but I meant to post sooner than this!

So, a week from today is Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays.  I like it because it's a cozy holiday, when staying home and relaxing is not frowned upon.  I know for some it's stressful, if they are cooking for a large group and everything has to be perfect, but fortunately, that's never been the case for me.

Growing up, my dad was the holiday cook.  He made enough for 28 people even though there were usually only the 5 of us.  But he loved to cook, and I used to love to help him - which I realize now consisted of probably 1 helpful thing, along with constant chatter and being in the way.   To his credit, I didn't realize it then ...

Anyway, now there is just us and the pets at Thanksgiving, and much to people's surprise, that's just fine.  We make everything except the turkey, since we are vegetarians.  But since stuffing is my favorite part of the meal, I never feel like I'm missing out on anything.

I'm pretty happy this year, since I've done so well with my exercise and diet.  I like to be able to enjoy the holidays, not dread going to the gym once they are over, like so many other people seem to do.

Speaking of the gym, I do plan to get there this weekend, but I haven't made it back since we returned from our trip - aaagghh!  Though I have been doing a LOT of extra walking so I don't feel like I've lost motivation.

I do want to remember, though, to keep moving forward actively throughout the holiday season, and not let myself think I'm too busy with other things.  The new habit I've developed is one I want to stick around.

That's really it for now.  I just wanted to check in and say I'm still here, still moving, and looking forward to everything holiday.  :-)