I don’t know what to do with my life! I hate thinking about the prospect of working 9-5….forever. I have been on the grind for a little while, but there is so much I need to do and I feel like I am slowly taking years off my life. Of course, for all purposes of practicality, I understand that I should be grateful to be employed. Sometimes though, I really feel like I will be okay if I went off on my own path, found my own voice. Any advice?
Hearty Advice for When the Dow Falls 700 pts September 30, 2008
In times of financial hardship, every bit matters. So clip some damn coupons and get over it. Don’t you read the little CNN financial articles or snippets from the Times that profile country bumpkins who have hundreds of thousands worth of savings because they re-use toliet paper?!
Let’s not take it that far, but seriously, there are some great deals out there, you just got to look.
So, here are a few tips from a money-saving expert (read: cheap):
Tip#1: Figure what you need to buy and what you want to buy.
Honestly, as Americans, we are a wasteful, wasteful people. So, refrain from buying another portable umbrella just because you lost the other one in your house somewhere…stop being lazy and just look for it.
Leading me to Tip#2: Once you find out what’s absolutely necessary, create a mental (or physical) “wish list” of things you want, but can put off buying another day.
Tip#3: Live by these words-search online, search online, search online. Scouring the ‘net for deals is time-consuming, but the rewards of finding your item at more than 30% off is well worth it.
Try sites like deals2buy.com for electronic needs, E.L.F cosmetics when you feel the need for quality-for-less beauty loot, and retailmenot.com before you buy anything on the Web. You’d be surprised how much you can save here and there. Lastly, Tip#5: I know buying online means shipping and handling fees, but call a friend and see if she wants to order, too. You can split the cost or even get it comped if you spend enough.
Whatever you do, I only ask you for one thing-don’t reuse the toliet paper.
Beauty Review Day! September 28, 2008
Ah, the day has finally come! I apologize for the long ass delay. Between work and my crappy internet connection, it’s been hard to fill ya’ll in.
Coincidentally, the last time I wrote a beauty entry was on a rainy Sunday. Something about the wet grass and the chick flicks on TBS that makes me want to write about hair.
So here we go gals:
- PSSSSST Dry Shampoo-I bought this when I found out my local Harmon’s Discount Store did NOT carry Bumble and Bumble. However, I turned my Bumble bummer into a decidingly awesome dry shampoo find! PSSSSST is only $4.99 a bottle and you use it between shampoos, if you’re out camping (yeah, right.), or if you have a massive power outage and have no running water. For the price, it does the trick. I simply apply it like hairspray, fluff, and brush as normal. I still want to try the Bb brand, but I gotta say: a pretty great product, especially if you’re low on cash (and really, who isn’t these days?).
VERDICT: Get it, definitely worth it. Although, I must say, I remember Avril Lavigne endorses it. That kind of skeezes me out.
- Back to Basics Thickening Serum-I don’t know if it’s the placebo affect or what, but I love this. I bought it on a whim on the aforementioned trip to Harmon’s and it was around $6. You rub a “dime sized” amount on your palm and run through wet hair and style as normal. As you recall, I have that superfine, super quick to get oily, type hair. Well, this remarkably does not leave my hair greasy at all. I can’t really say if it works as a “thickener” persay, but I will give credit to the fact that it leaves my hair slightly less frizzy.
VERDICT: If you have a few bucks to spare, give it a try, it’s not super great at what it claims to do, but not a bad buy at all.
- Pond’s Clean Sweep Microdermabrasion wet cleansing towelettes-I work for a company that gets them for free, so technically, I suppose I am slightly biased. However, I was never a Pond’s user before (it was always more of my mom’s thing, although I would steal her cold cream to get rid of difficult eye makeup), but honestly, I kinda love the way these exfoliate my skin. My skin, like my hair, is seriously annoying. My t-zone isn’t oily; it’s actually really dry. Even though my favorite facial cleansers, Cetaphil mild antibacterial soap bars, are great for sensitive skin, they always leave my skin a little drier than usual, causing unnecessary flakiness (gross!). After using these once or twice a week, I could actually see a huge difference in the evenness on my face. No more chafing near the bottom corner of my mouth or the spot between my eyebrows-this worked wonderfully. Another awesome added benefit: this worked just as well as the cold cream to help get rid of last night’s eyeliner residue. Ya’ll know black eyeliner is in again this fall, right? Well, this was sweeeeet at removing the excess when I was too lazy to use a proper makeup remover.
VERDICT: YES. Even though I may be biased, I will continue using (and buying) these because they are quick, easy, cheap ($3 in many beauty stores!) and they are fabulous when I don’t have time to use a real cleanser…do you get this whole no-water trend I am on??
What are some of your favorites?
Mid-afternoon Metaphors September 26, 2008
I just poured clear soda into my cup and watched bubbles form from nothing in the bottom where they sat stationary for ten seconds before quickly rising to the top. They gain speed and float towards each other, but as soon as they touch, they burst into nothing again. Funny what people and bubbles have in common.
Time’s a ticking, and we’re letting it September 12, 2008
Another work week came and went. It’s interesting-when we’re 12 all we want to be is 16 and when we’re 16 we want to be 21. As I round out my last few days of being 21, I would trade in my driver’s license and big girl bra to be 12 again.
Even now, when all I want to do is clutch onto the small hours where I can browse the web or watch tv and talk to my friends, I count down the hours when I’m at work. Just like when I was 12, waiting for my teenagerdom to begin.
While in our last semester of college, my friend and I had a system while we were at our useless internships that brought us nothing but infinite boredom. We would IM each other with affirmations we concocted such as, “the second hour is approaching, just six more to go,” as if it made those six hours any easier.
As I think about my commute to work and the gloriousness of today marking the end of the work week, I can’t help noticing that yes, I am excited to count down the work week, but that also means I just blissfully counted away 7 days of my own existence. 7 days of being a young 21.
Pretty soon I’ll be pushing 35, big bellied and making pot roast somewhere in a little town, wearing fuzzy Joyce Leslie pink slippers (the horror, the horror!) and I’ll be cursing myself for not enjoying my twenties. For merrily looking forward to each weekend instead of just taking advantage of what I have now: no responsibilities, no kids, no problem. Also, my breasts are still perky and I have no mortgage to pay. Or rent for that matter (thanks mom, sorry I made fun of your slippers).
But you know what? Regardless of how I feel that my youth is slipping away from me, I still thank god it’s Friday.
Taking Back Sunday September 7, 2008
Sunday mornings…a time of solace, reflection.
Some people go to church, some people take walks, some people sleep in-hoping that Monday will not creep in on them if they keep those eyes shut tight.
No matter what you do on your Sunday, Sunday’s can be the best day of the week if you let them be.
As fall approaches, men will grunt and yell at their televisions as their favorite teams pummel each other over an oval shaped symbol of Americana. Mothers will unite at grocery store check-out lines buying sandwich meat and assorted juice boxes to start off the week. Children will try to play outside, catch up on homework, feign an illness–anything to prolong these days of solitude known as “The Weekend” for just a few more hours. But all these activities are better than sulking around wishing away the start of the work week–as Monster would put it–”Fighting off the Mondays.”
I enjoy my Sunday.
I get up early(ish), take a long walk and appreciate the changes of the leaves right before the official start of fall. I might do a round of pilates in my room, meet up with my best friend at the mall, cook a little, and just relax with a bottle of white wine and crackers while watching HGTV.
I have no problem telling anyone who spends Sunday complaining about what’s ahead that this is your last moment of “me-time,” your last few hours of worry-free splendor. Why waste it anticipating what’s to come? When it comes to us working girls, we only get 48 hours to run away from our hectic work lives. A time to get away from politics, Google News, and all things job-related. So just enjoy it. It’ll be another 120 hours before you get to do it again.
With that being said, I’m off to embrace my day, welcome it with arms wide open (and maybe hit up a sale or two, after all, girl’s gotta shop!).
What are you doing with your day?
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head….And Jacking My Hair Up! September 7, 2008
Being that this is my first post on a new blog, let us commence with a toast to virtual insanity (just like the Jamiroquai song, wonder where they are now…)
Ahhh, it’s nice to have my own space here on the ‘net. Times have been hard lately, ya feel?
For instance, what is with this weather lately? As if my life isn’t full of it’s own hurricanes, now I gotta worry about crazy tropical cyclones. Good for blogging indoors, bad for shoe shopping. I’ll tell you one thing: the Weatherbug application for my Blackberry is getting more play than ever.
But seriously…
How’s a girl supposed to buy her favorite YSL peep toe platform pumps when she’s gotta worry about spending her money on tons of hair products for that bird’s nest sitting on top of her crown?! I’m telling ya–with Hanna and Gustav and Ike (sounds like characters from a bad NBC sitcom) following me around–a girl’s hair could use some serious damage control! I don’t know about you, but I have weird in-between, not bouncy curly but not really wavy, random strands sticking out in all directions, bangs are only the right length after Day One of snipping, type of hair. I have to wash it everyday, put mousse in it, blow dry for half an hour and THEN straighten! And if you are blessed to not have a clue what I am talking about, more power to you, sister!
Now, I can’t let a little rain fog up my weekend, so I grab my $27 RaveGirl raincoat (Don’t hate! It’s chic and under $30!), my mini-umbrella from H&M, and some Shuellas in Buttercup Yellow and head for the door. Sounds uber sexy, right? Well it would be if I didn’t look like I was going to Olive Oyl’s hair stylist!
So, I went out and bought a plethora of haircare items which I am currently trying out now. Some of them are anti-frizz creams, which have been getting good reviews from beauty blogs. I’ll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, I am looking for a quick fix for my undesirable Soccer-Mom bun (Ain’t no shame in the SM hustle, but I’m just saying it’s time for an updated do’, ya feel?). Yeah, sometimes it looks good when I undo it, think: full waves with a bit of volume. But more often than not, after an hour of retail therapy, the curls flatten out and the back of my head looks like I just finished making love to Sasquatch. No lie.
So girls…anyone have any suggestions?
