Beauty

[just bee]

The ComPact is a commitment to simplify, pare down, streamline. It began as a way to gain some control over our collections of beauty products. Why were we amassing so much, yet not using what we were buying? Why were we always searching for the next new product? Why couldn't we just find what worked for us and stick with it?

The ComPact, however, is not restricted to beauty items. If you have a collection you want to address, do it here. Choose an area you want to work on, and track your progress on the ComPact thread. Members will offer tips and encouragement.

Choose one of our many mantras (“One by one until they’re done!” “We are SPAHHHRRRTAN!!!” “Not until you really have to.” “Buy less, choose well, make it last.” “Resist the propaganda.” "If it's high, I don't buy!" “When in doubt, do without!” “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”  "Only the store, online no more!" “Shoplighters of the World Unite!”) or create a new one and share it. Target items each month to toss, donate, or use, and post your “chopping block” -- or “hit list.” Post temptations, post victories.

They say it takes 30 days for something to become a habit: Let's see if taking the ComPact one month at a time works for you.

Join us.

[just bee]

Hey, all you HEPcats and HEPdogs! We had discussed making the Healthy Eating thread a monthly jam session, so I just went ahead and did a little improvisation.

This is an invite to our crazy crib where you can come and break it down! I say we go 18 karat on this and really swing. If healthy eating’s not your bag, no problem. But if it is, I dig.

It’s cool, I’m booted, let’s jump!

[just bee]

I went ahead and started April early because I'm not sure how the switch from the rental to our house will go today.  Looks like we already lost cable here, so...

Adapt.

I've been adapting since May of last year.  Adapted to a charred house, to parting with items I'd collected for 50+ years, to losing 25 year-old landscaping, to new brick, to new paint, to new floors, to new cabinetry (don't get me started on these cabinets), to new fixtures, to new (used) vehicles, to living in a hotel, to living in a rental, to COVID-19 and to changes at the hospital that are happening so quickly that I have no idea what to expect when I go back to work next week.

Oh, and today's move into our old "new" house.  Or new "old" house.  Adapting again.

We're all adapting right now.  That's why it's Adaptable April.

[Shanus]

Being and staying healthy in April: I was "slipping" in March...eating some junky food and not feeling like exercising. I'm sure a lot of us fell off the wagon. Two weeks ago, I stopped purchasing all the chips, sodas, frozen prepared foods that were more convenient to cook. That was something so foreign for me to buy. If it isn't in the house, we cannot eat it and especially since we're not eating out or bringing in, our healthy diets are back in control. 

I'm walking every day and although my gym is closed, they're broadcasting classes on ZOOM (a Thread in itself how I never heard of it and had to learn how to use it). 

I encourage all to keep up with your good, healthy habits. YouTube is offering free videos of easy exercises, some can even be done seated just to stay flexible. 

Happy April to all!!!

Shanus

[just bee]

---

@Shanus wrote:

Being and staying healthy in April: I was "slipping" in March...eating some junky food and not feeling like exercising. I'm sure a lot of us fell off the wagon. Two weeks ago, I stopped purchasing all the chips, sodas, frozen prepared foods that were more convenient to cook. That was something so foreign for me to buy. If it isn't in the house, we cannot eat it and especially since we're not eating out or bringing in, our healthy diets are back in control. 

I'm walking every day and although my gym is closed, they're broadcasting classes on ZOOM (a Thread in itself how I never heard of it and had to learn how to use it). 

I encourage all to keep up with your good, healthy habits. YouTube is offering free videos of easy exercises, some can even be done seated just to stay flexible. 

Happy April to all!!!

Shanus

---

@Shanus 

And that's where we have control.  If we don't bring things into the house that we shouldn't be consuming, then we have a much better chance of not consuming them.

Moreover, we can choose what to bring into the house instead.  I don't notice a run on produce at the stores.  No one is fighting over apples or carrots.  I think the produce department is one of the safest places to be right now.  If you want social distancing, go stand by the turnips and rutabagas.

I went to elementary school in Chicago and what I looked forward to was our spring walk.  After a brutal Chicago winter, our teacher would push us out into the fresh air and we'd walk the streets of the city looking for signs of spring.  Buds on trees, robins.  I even wrote a poem about it and it was published in the school paper.  Something original like, "Spring is nice."  Memory fails.  Anyway, I'm 60 years old and I still wander around looking for signs of spring.

BH and I still take the dog out every day and I'm seeing more people out than ever before.  We have a stay-at-home order, but we are "allowed" to go outside for exercise -- as long as we don't mix and mingle or assemble.  Groups of no more than five permitted.

People are out walking their dogs and kids, riding their bikes and their horses.  If there's a silver lining in this pandemic it may be that people are getting outside and seeing their communities.  Walking and being outside in spring is therapy.  And it's nice.

[geezerette]

---

@just bee wrote:

---

@Shanus wrote:

Being and staying healthy in April: I was "slipping" in March...eating some junky food and not feeling like exercising. I'm sure a lot of us fell off the wagon. Two weeks ago, I stopped purchasing all the chips, sodas, frozen prepared foods that were more convenient to cook. That was something so foreign for me to buy. If it isn't in the house, we cannot eat it and especially since we're not eating out or bringing in, our healthy diets are back in control. 

I'm walking every day and although my gym is closed, they're broadcasting classes on ZOOM (a Thread in itself how I never heard of it and had to learn how to use it). 

I encourage all to keep up with your good, healthy habits. YouTube is offering free videos of easy exercises, some can even be done seated just to stay flexible. 

Happy April to all!!!

Shanus

---

@Shanus 

And that's where we have control.  If we don't bring things into the house that we shouldn't be consuming, then we have a much better chance of not consuming them.

Moreover, we can choose what to bring into the house instead.  I don't notice a run on produce at the stores.  No one is fighting over apples or carrots.  I think the produce department is one of the safest places to be right now.  If you want social distancing, go stand by the turnips and rutabagas.

I went to elementary school in Chicago and what I looked forward to was our spring walk.  After a brutal Chicago winter, our teacher would push us out into the fresh air and we'd walk the streets of the city looking for signs of spring.  Buds on trees, robins.  I even wrote a poem about it and it was published in the school paper.  Something original like, "Spring is nice."  Memory fails.  Anyway, I'm 60 years old and I still wander around looking for signs of spring.

BH and I still take the dog out every day and I'm seeing more people out than ever before.  We have a stay-at-home order, but we are "allowed" to go outside for exercise -- as long as we don't mix and mingle or assemble.  Groups of no more than five permitted.

People are out walking their dogs and kids, riding their bikes and their horses.  If there's a silver lining in this pandemic it may be that people are getting outside and seeing their communities.  Walking and being outside in spring is therapy.  And it's nice.

---

@Shanus 

@just bee 

Yep, now is the perfect time to kick the junk food out the door for good.  As I mentioned previously, I used this crisis as an excuse to buy a bunch of it.  I'm about done eating most of it, so it will be time to Adapt in April.

I'm glad to see March come to a close.  Not only has the world been knocked off kilter, but March is when my OG bid a fond adieu.  Two years ago now.  Not an anniversary I like to think about.😢  A double whammy.

So, here's to April.  I wonder what else we'll have to adapt to?🤨

[just bee]

---

@geezerette wrote:

---

@just bee wrote:

---

@Shanus wrote:

Being and staying healthy in April: I was "slipping" in March...eating some junky food and not feeling like exercising. I'm sure a lot of us fell off the wagon. Two weeks ago, I stopped purchasing all the chips, sodas, frozen prepared foods that were more convenient to cook. That was something so foreign for me to buy. If it isn't in the house, we cannot eat it and especially since we're not eating out or bringing in, our healthy diets are back in control. 

I'm walking every day and although my gym is closed, they're broadcasting classes on ZOOM (a Thread in itself how I never heard of it and had to learn how to use it). 

I encourage all to keep up with your good, healthy habits. YouTube is offering free videos of easy exercises, some can even be done seated just to stay flexible. 

Happy April to all!!!

Shanus

---

@Shanus 

And that's where we have control.  If we don't bring things into the house that we shouldn't be consuming, then we have a much better chance of not consuming them.

Moreover, we can choose what to bring into the house instead.  I don't notice a run on produce at the stores.  No one is fighting over apples or carrots.  I think the produce department is one of the safest places to be right now.  If you want social distancing, go stand by the turnips and rutabagas.

I went to elementary school in Chicago and what I looked forward to was our spring walk.  After a brutal Chicago winter, our teacher would push us out into the fresh air and we'd walk the streets of the city looking for signs of spring.  Buds on trees, robins.  I even wrote a poem about it and it was published in the school paper.  Something original like, "Spring is nice."  Memory fails.  Anyway, I'm 60 years old and I still wander around looking for signs of spring.

BH and I still take the dog out every day and I'm seeing more people out than ever before.  We have a stay-at-home order, but we are "allowed" to go outside for exercise -- as long as we don't mix and mingle or assemble.  Groups of no more than five permitted.

People are out walking their dogs and kids, riding their bikes and their horses.  If there's a silver lining in this pandemic it may be that people are getting outside and seeing their communities.  Walking and being outside in spring is therapy.  And it's nice.

---

@Shanus 

@just bee 

Yep, now is the perfect time to kick the junk food out the door for good.  As I mentioned previously, I used this crisis as an excuse to buy a bunch of it.  I'm about done eating most of it, so it will be time to Adapt in April.

I'm glad to see March come to a close.  Not only has the world been knocked off kilter, but March is when my OG bid a fond adieu.  Two years ago now.  Not an anniversary I like to think about.😢  A double whammy.

So, here's to April.  I wonder what else we'll have to adapt to?🤨

---

@geezerette 

You're right.  Let's be done with March. 

As far as I'm concerned, it's April.  See how quickly I can adapt to a new month?

[rnmom]

I am not gonna lie, I am grumpy and do not feel like Adapting at all. Everyone is stuck at home, the kids will likely be off school for the whole rest of the year, and we are already sick to death of being inside the house, all together 24/7. If the virus doesn't get us, it will be a miracle if we don't kill each other.

I'm tired of hearing that we need to enjoy this time being home with our families. No, it's too much togetherness and we're driving each other crazy. Being apart is good, it makes you appreciate being together. This is all too much, and we're just getting started. God help us. If you don't hear from me it's because I flipped out and am now a patient at @just bee 's hospital. 

The ONLY good thing that happened last month is that I am still doing well with HEP. I am still trying to make better food choices and have lost a total of 23 lbs since I started in January. I would like to lose about 15 more, but I am over halfway there and feel SO much better. My clothes are not tight anymore, some of them are downright loose, and I'm able to wear some pants that I haven't worn in a year or two because they were just too small. So that is making me feel better anyway, more like my old self.

I was pleased to go Aldi last week and see that all of the food shelves were full. They have set limits on everything and nothing was gone except toilet paper and cleaning supplies. What is up with that? Are you going to start eating the toilet paper? I still don't understand that at all. We have 4 people in our house and don't go thru that much. 

We did stockpile some extra items over these last few weeks too, but I think that we don't have to do that anymore. Looks like getting food isn't going to be a problem. I wasn't sure at first, seeing all of the completely wiped out shelves 3 weeks ago kind of freaked me out. But it does seem that part is getting back to a tiny bit of normal at least so I can but back on some grocery shopping a little. We have plenty to get thru right now. 

I haven't been stockpiling any beauty items per se, but I did buy a few more toiletries than usual, mostly liquid hand soap refills, bar soap, body wash, etc. I was afraid that people would buy all the hand soap too and I wouldn't even be able to wash my hands. I saw a lot of those shelves completely empty too. But I think we're okay for a while and I've always been able to find bar soap, so that's fine. Soap is soap.

Glad to hear that everyone is still doing okay, even if we are all at home. Here's to Awful, I mean Atrocious, er Apocolyptic, okay, Adaptable April!

P.S. Thanks for letting me vent here, you guys are the best

[just bee]

---

@rnmom wrote:

I am not gonna lie, I am grumpy and do not feel like Adapting at all. Everyone is stuck at home, the kids will likely be off school for the whole rest of the year, and we are already sick to death of being inside the house, all together 24/7. If the virus doesn't get us, it will be a miracle if we don't kill each other.

I'm tired of hearing that we need to enjoy this time being home with our families. No, it's too much togetherness and we're driving each other crazy. Being apart is good, it makes you appreciate being together. This is all too much, and we're just getting started. God help us. If you don't hear from me it's because I flipped out and am now a patient at @just bee 's hospital. 

The ONLY good thing that happened last month is that I am still doing well with HEP. I am still trying to make better food choices and have lost a total of 23 lbs since I started in January. I would like to lose about 15 more, but I am over halfway there and feel SO much better. My clothes are not tight anymore, some of them are downright loose, and I'm able to wear some pants that I haven't worn in a year or two because they were just too small. So that is making me feel better anyway, more like my old self.

I was pleased to go Aldi last week and see that all of the food shelves were full. They have set limits on everything and nothing was gone except toilet paper and cleaning supplies. What is up with that? Are you going to start eating the toilet paper? I still don't understand that at all. We have 4 people in our house and don't go thru that much. 

We did stockpile some extra items over these last few weeks too, but I think that we don't have to do that anymore. Looks like getting food isn't going to be a problem. I wasn't sure at first, seeing all of the completely wiped out shelves 3 weeks ago kind of freaked me out. But it does seem that part is getting back to a tiny bit of normal at least so I can but back on some grocery shopping a little. We have plenty to get thru right now. 

I haven't been stockpiling any beauty items per se, but I did buy a few more toiletries than usual, mostly liquid hand soap refills, bar soap, body wash, etc. I was afraid that people would buy all the hand soap too and I wouldn't even be able to wash my hands. I saw a lot of those shelves completely empty too. But I think we're okay for a while and I've always been able to find bar soap, so that's fine. Soap is soap.

Glad to hear that everyone is still doing okay, even if we are all at home. Here's to Awful, I mean Atrocious, er Apocolyptic, okay, Adaptable April!

P.S. Thanks for letting me vent here, you guys are the best

---

@rnmom 

We chatted with a friend last night who has the opposite problem.  He left California and moved to Nevada.  Never really established a good support system because his workplace was awful.  So he's in a new job and really doesn't know anyone.  He goes home and he's alone -- not married, no kids, not dating.  He goes to work -- nobody's there.  He's alone.

He admits he feels too isolated, he doesn't like what's happening (the fact that there's more to this pandemic than a virus) and he's self-medicating.  Sounded a little inebriated when he called.

So this is a problem.  We're going to have a lot of unhappy, intoxicated people alone at home and a lot of unhappy, intoxicated people who wish they were home alone.

BH and I were practically in the same room since last May.  We started noticing the dog looking for ways to separate himself from us.  For months we've been saying the smaller house was enough space for us.  Most of that space was occupied by boxes and unusable, but it was enough.  Now that we're in a larger space, we can see and feel the advantages.

Yes, it will be more to maintain, but we can at least be in separate rooms.  The dog already looks more relaxed.

@rnmom 

It's good to hear that HEP is going well.  You'll come out of this cocoon and be a whole new you.

What's funny about being in a cocoon lately is that people used to go to restaurants, movies and malls to get out.  Now they can't.  I swear the people I'm seeing walking around this town have never walked around it before.  It's like they've been in a cocoon all their lives.

Look!  What's that?

I think that's a tree, dear.

I'm convinced that some of the people who are out walking these beautiful dogs are walking them for the first time.  Everyone looks confused, but happy to be outside.

And yes, I had asked the same thing.  Why is toilet paper still unavailable? 

Get this: The movers took the boxes and furniture to the new house but BH and I had one room closed off that held the valuables that we would move ourselves.  Toilet paper and linguine.

A sign of the times.

[just bee]

@rnmom 

You mentioned shoddy workmanship at the end of the March thread.  Gee, and I used to think it was just New Mexico.  I've read all these Home forum threads about the work people have done in their homes and the appliances they buy and all the problems associated with that.

Wake up, America!  Look around you!

It's shocking how few people take pride in their work.  BH tells me to take a roll of tape and just put a piece wherever I think something should be fixed.  There's not enough tape in the world.

Last night we put up the shower curtain in the guest bathroom.  We ended up keeping two things: The original mantel and the guest bathroom tub.  The house before the fire had an outrageous guest bathroom.  I chose one room that would be Southwestern and that was the guest bathroom.  The wallpaper and shower curtain were a little over the top.  Bold.  Colorful.

Last night we stood and looked at the new guest bathroom.  Gray tile floor.  Ivory cabinetry.  Gray shower curtain.  Minimalist.  Almost Japanese in its simplicity.

And then it occured to me why it looked so simple.

Where's our molding?  We actually had chair rails in the original bathroom because BH installed tile and painted everything under the rails.

There's no way now that we can ask them to put in rails because the cabinetry would have to be pulled out and replaced.

Oh, well.  Less to dust.