Beauty

[just bee]

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@aprilskies wrote:

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@fluffysmom wrote:

We decided to paint and carpet two rooms . I know it sounds easy enough.  I was astonished at all the junk we had stowed in closets etc . The guy who measured for the carpet has apparently never met a tape measure . Waited two weeks for carpet and it was all too small .We had bedroom furniture and computer stuff , files etc for 5 weeks in the living room and family room.  I think it broke my brain . Went on a rampage tossing old files , clothes, remnants of my adult children's toys. The list goes on.  We bought some antique circus posters about 10 years ago.  We intended to get them framed but couldn't find them or my brain cells to remember the safe place we put them until framed. Well we found them!!!  $800 later they are gracing my walls . We got rid of the antiques you buy as an early collector. ( broken and dented)  So finally the project was mostly done. Not so. Went on to the rest of the closets, garage, storage unit. I have boxes of books for the library sale and some household items and furniture for AM VETS to pick up.  Why do we hang on to stuff?  My husband and I both lost our parents in the last 2 years . It took us for what seemed like forever to empty both properties. I didn't want to leave that for my kids to do when we croak. I feel lighter.

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Moving my parents about 10 years ago was an absolute nightmare.  It was 30+ years of stuff and it was never ending. I was thoroughly drained.  It is amazing what we have without realizing it. That is what started my major decluttering journey.  I still have too much stuff but I will say I am about 70% lighter.  I give you credit on doing it to spare your kids.  I read so many times how people love their stuff and know they will be leaving their kids a mess and don't care and I cringe. 

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See, this is what happens.  We collect the stuff and then reach the point where it becomes easier to die than it is to deal with the mess we've created.  I don't have kids and most of my relatives are past tense so there's really no one to inherit it. 

It's my responsibility.  I have to deal with it before I go.  Which could be any time: A grand piano could fall on my head tomorrow.  My incentive, though, is suspect.  I just don't want anyone to go through my stuff and wonder why I held on to paystubs from jobs I had in the 80s.  Sometimes I'll open a drawer and see a champagne cork.  What was I celebrating that was so special that I had to keep the cork?  I have no clue.  If I can't remember the event, can I toss the cork?

[just bee]

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@aprilskies wrote:

I will be finishing out October with no beauty purchases, not even a small one. That will make 3 months.  First time ever.  The only thing that perks my ears are eyeshadow palettes, there are quite a few that I want, but I remind myself of all the ones I have that are barely used. As much as I love it, it doesn't make a difference on my eyes because they are so deep set plus I feel it all starts looking the same.  Weird. Skincare does not move me at all.  I have so much to finish up.  The only thing I will need is a better moisturizer for winter but I am going to see if I can do with what I have.  Never again will I find myself in this position with skincare.  I really feel I am finally done with the madness. Holding out for 3 months has helped. I am also pulling out my balm type moisturizers to start using them.  They don't seem to be using themselves sitting on my shelves.  

November sales are coming up.  Time to be more mindful. 

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I bought a shower gel.

Let me clarify.  I bought a shower gel in a dream I had last night.  It smelled amazing.  I can picture it: It was a philosophy bottle and the gel was a reddish brown.  I saw M-words on the bottle and it smelled like whiskey was one of the ingredients.  Can't remember the name and it's driving me nuts.  Manhattan maraschino macaroon?  I give up.

But I think it was on sale.

Yet in the dream, as I was reaching for the bottle, the little voice in my head was telling me I didn't need another shower gel.

[just bee]

It's not looking good for the Cubs.  I stayed the course and avoided every game, but now it seems pretty clear that my theory is weak.  It doesn't matter if I don't watch: The Cubs will lose anyway.

So I told Better-half that I feel I must watch tonight's game because it will be the only World Series game at Wrigley I'll see in my lifetime.

How much you wanna bet it gets rained out?

[just bee]

It's almost Halloween!

[dosey]

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@aprilskies wrote:

I will be finishing out October with no beauty purchases, not even a small one. That will make 3 months.  First time ever.  The only thing that perks my ears are eyeshadow palettes, there are quite a few that I want, but I remind myself of all the ones I have that are barely used. As much as I love it, it doesn't make a difference on my eyes because they are so deep set plus I feel it all starts looking the same.  Weird. Skincare does not move me at all.  I have so much to finish up.  The only thing I will need is a better moisturizer for winter but I am going to see if I can do with what I have.  Never again will I find myself in this position with skincare.  I really feel I am finally done with the madness. Holding out for 3 months has helped. I am also pulling out my balm type moisturizers to start using them.  They don't seem to be using themselves sitting on my shelves.  

November sales are coming up.  Time to be more mindful. 

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Lip colors still get to me.  Sometimes, foundations.  Since I have decided that I really like a specific look with eyeshadows (taupe, brown/taupe, gray/taupe, ha ha).  I also have enough soft natural blushes to create different looks.  Where I change things up is with lip colors.  I am going to ignore all of the holiday lip color gift sets.

[dosey]

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@just bee wrote:

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@dosey wrote:

Last night, I pushed myself and sorted through one pile of paperwork.  It was not going to do it on its own.  Sometimes, I cannot believe what I save for later.  Most, and I mean most, of the papers were thrown away either by tossing into the trash can or shredding.  There was no sane reason for keeping the papers in the first place.  After I finished one pile, I went on to the next.  And then the next.  And then the next.  I was a mad woman showing no mercy.  There was a storm raging inside of me.  The words "Get it done!  Get it done!" were bouncing inside my head from ear to ear.  I was so focused that I forget the World Series was on.  It is so nice to walk into my kitchen and not see piles of paper.

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I've created my paper mess.  I've started an annoying new habit: I scribble notes to myself on scraps of paper and stick them in my scrubs pockets.  When I get home from work I put the scraps on my desk.  Cryptic messages, reminders, breaking news.  Whatever.

And then there's mail.  I still haven't developed the habit of addressing it (no pun intended) as it comes into the house.  I separate the important stuff from the junk, but then I don't disposition the junk.  Shred or recycle, right?  I'm pretty good about dumping what needs to be recycled into the designated box in the kitchen, but if it has to be shredded it will sit.

Why is this?

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Nice pun.

[dosey]

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@just bee wrote:

It's not looking good for the Cubs.  I stayed the course and avoided every game, but now it seems pretty clear that my theory is weak.  It doesn't matter if I don't watch: The Cubs will lose anyway.

So I told Better-half that I feel I must watch tonight's game because it will be the only World Series game at Wrigley I'll see in my lifetime.

How much you wanna bet it gets rained out?

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They are in the fifth, and it's a very exciting game!  The Cubs can do it!!!

[dosey]

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@just bee wrote:

It's almost Halloween!

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What our faithful friends endure to make humans happy.

[dosey]

Alrighty, this has been a pretty good week.

I finished a facial sunscreen and gave DD my final, unopened, plain lipbalm.  I also tossed a lipstick that ran off my lips and an eyeshadow duo that was so unflattering.  Why did it take me so long to discover this?  I have the same lipstick in another color and will wear it sometime this week to see if it wears differently.

There was only one beauty purchase this week:  Isomers TS, the super skin serum.  I use this daily, and the bottle under my sink is almost empty.  So this is how it is supposed to be.  Use something I like.  Replace it when it is empty.

HEP is also going well.  The grocery store had some pretty grapefruit so I bought a bag.  I am back to drinking water just about exclusively.

Got some exercise today, too.  DD is selling fruit for a band fundraiser, so I walked around with her while she looked for buyers.

Must get back to the series.  I think I'll have a grapefruit, too.

[KaySD]

"I invite you to join me on the journey toward becoming, rather than buying, better versions of ourselves."

I like this idea about making changes internally rather than externally, and appreciate the discussion you all have been having.

Still, one of the truly liberating moments of my life so far is when I suddenly realized that I don't need to be better. I grew up like everyone else I know feeling that I had to constantly strive to be smarter than I am, a better dresser, a better housekeeper, wife, mother, shopper, hostess, gardener, voter, etc. etc. etc.

Well, sometimes I want to get better at something because I enjoy it, but there's nothing I need to be better at. I'm really just fine as I am, and so are you, and we always have been. 

Or, maybe that's just what I needed to figure out, and you already know it!