Talk To Me – Shave and a Hair Cut......

(Anyone who finished that title in song then  I love you and will give you a hug when I see you.)

So let us talk haircuts and shaving, shall we?!

So first I would like to know how often do you get a haircut?  Please include whether your hair is long or short, as this does make a difference in the length of time between cuts.

I will start…I have long hair and I get my hair cut twice a year.  

GASP!   WHAT?!  You are suppose to get a haircut every 6 WEEKS not every 6 MONTHS.  

Oops. My bad.

It is not like I plan that twice a year I will shamefully walk into the salon, horrible split ends and all, to get my hairs cut.  It just kinda happens that way.  I honestly do NOT think about getting my hair cut most of the year, oh yeah and I don’t want to spend $30-$40 each time either.  I wear my hair pulled back 95% of the time so I really do not THINK…hey, you may need to cut those hairs.  It isn’t until my hair has noticeably bad split ends, I have absolutely NO shape or style to my hair whatsoever, or there is a specific reason I want to get my hair cut that I actually think about getting it done. 

So Jenn, do you have specific times during the year for your two cuts? 

Good question and yes.  Like I said, though I do not plan it, I usually want to get my hair cut around my birthday in April (I am sure you already knew my birth date) and in the fall before the holidays. I want to look even better than I already do around those times (it is hard, but possible).  And the good thing is that it just so happens to work out because that would put my haircuts about 6 months apart! Perfect.

This past April when I got my hairs cut I tried to explain to my concerned hairdresser why I didn’t think it was that bad that I waited 6 months (sometimes longer) in-between haircuts.  I explained that I only wash my hair twice a week, I use a soy leave-in conditioner after I wash my hair, I hardly use additional products in my hair, and I hardly ever dry my hair with a hair dryer or put heat to it.  I felt she would understand and agree that I was doing the right thing.  Instead she adamantly disagreed with my logic.  Though I still find my logic to be very sound.

I know for healthier hair I should probably go more frequently to get a haircut, like 3 times a year, however I just don’t.  I think until I find a style that needs maintained or I have shorter hair, I will not even think about getting a haircut….unless of course someone can give me a good reason like your hair will all fall out if you don’t get it cut more often!  Until then, it is twice a year.

And as my title suggested, let’s have a quick conversation about shaving.

I HATE TO SHAVE.

There. Done.

Ok, not really…

I do not shave my legs every day and IF I shave them once a week, then it is a productive week. 

I love the feeling of smooth legs but strongly dislike that stubble feeling a day or two after shaving.  So my choice is either don’t shave very often to avoid stubble or shave every day for smooth.  And as I hate taking time EVERY SINGLE DAY to shave, I just don’t.  Plus, in the winter it is annoying because literally 10 seconds after getting out of the shower that stubble appears on my legs because of the cold…not worth it.

Twopretzels wrote a blog awhile back about how there is just SO much we do to maintain our appearance that it can be too much sometimes.  And I agree.  Not like I do too much already, but adding one more daily task just seems ridiculous. Something has to give, and sometimes that something is smooth legs.  And really, who am I trying to impress….definitely not Terry.

So am I just being lazy by not shaving my legs everyday? Yes, I sort of am. But I also feel it is just A LOT to do on a daily basis.

So in summation…I only get my hair cut twice a year and I don’t shave my legs. Dude, I am SUCH a CATCH! 

So how often do you get your hair cut and how often do you think you should you get your hair cut?  And how often do you shave and do you feel the need to shave every day? 

Please discuss.

I Love – A Birthday Gift to My Mom

So for the past month I have wanted to pass this link along to everyone but I had to patiently wait until we gave my mom her birthday gift before I could do so….didn’t want to give away any spoilers to her!

Now thanks to our dear friend and fellow blogger Kylee over at TwoPretzels, I was given the link to this lovely ladies shop on Etsy. (Thanks again Ky!!)  Her name is Christen (bio below) and her shop is bddesigns. You MUST check it out HERE.  She does “precious metal art jewelry, uniquely customized for you”.

My sister and I found this necklace for our mom and it is awesome!  We added our names, one to each circle, and then on the circles had it engraved with what was already suggested for this necklace…Our Mother, Our Friend. This necklace turned out beautifully! Yeah, I know….wish I had a picture of it too. In my excitement to give this to my mom I totally forgot to take a picture of the necklace. Boo.  But I will see her again in a few weeks and as she is only allowed to take the necklace off when she showers and sleeps (mandated by the contract she signed before opening said necklace), I will take a picture when I see her again! :)

The pictures on her website do not do the necklace justice.  It is sterling silver and each circle is maybe the size of a quarter and very shiny and lightweight.  It is simple in the sense that it is a classic piece of jewelry that our mom can wear with anything and would look good when she is dressed up or dressed down just running errands, but it is also a little modern with the engraving and the double circles.

It takes about 4 weeks to get the jewelry back from her, however, because she lives in Monclova she got it to me in 3 weeks because I said I could meet her and pick it up!  Which I truly appreciated her doing.  She also answered my barrage of questions and requests quickly and was so kind about all my custimizations.  I will order from her again. 

FYI - if you want something for Christmas she stops taking orders the beginning of November due to the volume of orders she receives and the turnaround time she needs to get stuff to people for the holidays.

Bio

Hi, my name is Christen Largent. Thanks for stopping by my shop. My work is an accumulation of years of study, experimentation, inspiration and the JOY of working with metal! All of my work is created using traditional metalsmithing techniques, commonly called fabrication. These are the same techniques that metalsmiths have been passing down from generation to generation for hundreds of years. It is a legacy of metalwork and I am very proud to be part of that history. I hope you enjoy viewing what I enjoyed creating! I add new pieces each week, so stop back often!

Happy Birthday TERRY!

Yep, today is the day the world celebrates the birth of my husband!!  (insert applause and cheers!)

The mold was not only broken after Terry, but then ground into dust by the hands of Monks and thrown into the center of the Earth where it was burnt to oblivion at a theoretical temperature of about 10,000 F…..never to be seen of again.  True story.

Now because I wrote a very heart-felt love poem to my husband on our anniversary, I decided to keep today’s post light.  I mean words are a great way to say why you love someone and to celebrate their existence, but pictures….well pictures SHOW you exactly WHY I am happy this specific person was born.

He is very caring and always lends a helping hand or shoulder to those who need it.  

 Plus he pulls off tie-dye like no one else.

He has sweet sweet dance moves.

He has the face of an angel....and the attitude to match.

He is actually very neat and orderly and likes everything to be in its place. 

(Towels folded – check. Christmas decorations up all year round – check.  Nothing out of order – check.  Good thing he married me….too much neatness is a bad thing.)

He is a VERY hard worker and a fantastic handyman. 

(And has a nice ass too...a little more to the left babe.  Niiice.)

He likes to stay physically fit.

He always cooperates when asked to do something. 

And of course loves getting his picture taken.

He is always prepared for whatever the world may throw at him.

He will always be a kid at heart and doesn’t take life too seriously. 

And he has amazing hair!

He is always appreciative and thankful.

He has THE BEST laugh EVER. Seriously. This is a FACT. 

And when he smiles and laughs it is contagious….

I am not even immune to it and I have tried everything.

Yep, he is pretty darn awesome.

On a side note: Some would say between the two of us it is almost too much awesomeness….
and I would agree.   

But fortunately we somehow manage….together.

And for those reasons and sooooooo many more, I am required by the contract of our marriage to say, I am SO very glad you were born and I hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday.  Which I am pretty sure you will because I am cooking for you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TERRY!!! 

I love you xoxo  
MWAH

Picture of The Week – Is This Good Motivation?

So for the full story behind the behinds of this picture please visit my weight loss blog HERE.

Yep…I am making you click links.  Sorry, but I have to give my other blog a little love too!

Talk To Me – Current Likes and Dislikes

Let’s keep it simple today, shall we.   

By simple I mean uncomplicated….yet still long-winded.

I Am Rather Keen About…..

* Variety Puzzle Books – Oh how I loves me a puzzle book!  Seriously looooooooove. I have at least a half a dozen newish variety puzzle books in my house at any given time.  I enjoy them because they keep me entertained and I suppose keep my brain sharp-ish and Terry likes them because they keep me occupied so he can hang out in his man cave guilt free.  Perfect for everyone! I recently bought a little lap desk (you know with the foam little balls stuffed in the bottom) and it has an LED light on it so I can sit anywhere and work on my puzzle books. Yep, that is how much I love me my puzzles.  As for my favorite kinds of puzzles I love Logic puzzles, word searches, number puzzles, and my most favorite are the Framework puzzles (the one where you have a bunch of words and have to get them to fit into a blank puzzle based on the number of letters in each word)…I rock at those. 

* Bread & Butter (or margarine) – I very well may have a love affair with buttered bread.  I have a hard time resisting buttered bread – translation I never resist buttered bread and go looking for it whenever I am hungry….or not hungry.  I love it as a snack, as an accoutrement to my meal, or as my meal.  It goes with everything, preferably something with more carbs like pasta or potatoes. And give me warm bread with a cinnamon butter on it….uh, hello! Perfection.   Yes, I know I should eat buttered bread in moderation. But my moderation is eating a salad with 4 (instead of 6) pieces of buttered French bread.  Seriously. I. LOVE. IT.

* Amazon – If I was rich, I would spend at least an hour a day buying stuff from Amazon and sending it to people. No Joke.  I. LOVE. THEM.  I do about 85% of all my gift shopping from Amazon and the other 15% usually includes the few things I cannot find on Amazon OR because I am being forced by my husband to go out and shop and interact with living people (blech).  Otherwise it would be 100%.  I love the prices, free shipping on nearly all items after $25, and that their delivery is super quick.  Examples: I ordered stuff on 9/13/10 at 9:00pm with the free Super Saver Shipping (5-8 days) and received the package on 9/17/10! WHAT?!   That wasn’t even 4 days!  And I ordered a gift for Terry on 9/30 and it arrived the NEXT day on 10/1…with the standard 3-5 day shipping! They are awesome. Amazon will forever hold a special place in my heart.

* Fall TV Starting – I am a TV addict.  I love me my programs and get genuinely excited when my shows come on.  I also get annoyed when people feel they need to talk or make noise during my shows and will pause the show and glare at them with displeasure until they stop what they are doing and shut their trap.   All the new Fall shows are starting and once again our DVR’s (of course we have 2) are starting to fill up.  It is fantastic.  If anyone needs to talk to me, please do so before 8pm as after 8 I will be sprawled out on my couch enthralled in my favorite shows until I go to bed.

* FALL!!!  Cool weather, sweatshirts, jeans, sitting by the fire, the smell, pumpkins, cider, gets darker earlier, scarves, gloves, Halloween, the leaves changing….and pretty much everything else!! I LOVE YOU FALL!!

* Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and/or Dr. Pepper Throwback.  I am a huge fan of these products as they are made with real sugar and not high fructose corn syrup.  I think they taste better and I like the idea of using natural sugar instead.  Plus the cans look cool. I hope they keep bring this back.

I Strongly Have An Aversion To…..

* Facebook or Social Networking Drama – Ugh.  I have a loooooong post(s) coming about this but I have to say that even though myself and many people I know are not in High School anymore and have kids and/or mortgages and/or significant others, it feels like at times these social networking sites revert many people back to immature teenagers.  It is ridiculous.  Recently I got confronted and de-friended by the wife of a family member for “liking” a comment on Facebook. WHAT? Come on, really?  How old are we now?  Apparently you are 14.  Some people need to just get over themselves and grow up. We live in a world where it is easy to sit behind our computers and puff our chests and say whatever we want without worrying about other people.  I like to keep in mind when I am on these sites that I ONLY post what I would say in front of someone or to their face.

* Those little dark hairs I get on my face – If you do not get these you are lucky.  I only started getting them the past 4-5 years and I LOATHE them.  There is nothing like seeing little black hairs grow randomly from your chinny chin chin to just annoy the bejeebers out of you.  Tweezers and high magnification mirrors have become my obsession friend. 

* Political Commercials – HATE THEM. OVER THEM. I don’t want to see them. Grrrrrr. 

* Clothing stores that don’t put the total savings on your receipt – I do not enjoy shopping but I do enjoy saving money and like seeing exactly how much money I have saved on every receipt I get.  It is a form of validation that my purchase was completely justified.  Well I went to the store the other day and bought a couple sweaters that were on major sale, plus I had a discount for them.  Let’s just say it was some BIG savings.  So I get my receipt and as I cheerfully walk out of the store knowing I just saved a bunch of money (on something other than car insurance) I look to see exactly how much, and I see the receipt just has the sale price but not a “Total Savings” section on the receipt. WHAT?!  Come on.  Though I get the same result, it is just not the same having to add up the prices on the tags and them subtracting them from your sub-total to find out your savings. (Yes, that is what I do if there are no savings on a receipt no matter how many items I have to add up.)  Big companies - It is nearly 2011 and our economy is in the toilet….give me something to make me feel better about the money I do spend!

* Plantar Fasciitis – I have this and I have to say it is killing me.  Of course I need to go get an X-Ray…..as soon as I want to find time to shave my legs and paint my toenails.   When I started working out over a year ago, I didn’t always stretch appropriately before working out and my Dr. and WebMd both think that between that and as my ever so straight forward Dr. says, being an Amazon and overweight, has led to my problems.  Ugh. The pain use to just be in the morning, but now it is constant and I can feel it ALL DAY LONG even if I am just sitting down.  And if I try to workout or do a lot of walking or standing in a day, I am done for about a day or two after.  It makes it harder to lose weight when you can't workout without hurting. I fear I am going to have to purchase something else I strongly dislike….orthopedic shoes. *shiver*

* The new Ohio license plates. I do not enjoy seeing these license plates.  I think they look like a cross between a really bad cartoonish interpretation of a Bob Ross painting and one of those paint by number watercolor books. BLECH.  Hate them.  We are from Ohio, let’s just keep it simple.  I really don’t need Ohio’s failed attempt at “artwork” on my car.  Nope I am sticking to the red and white plates with the outline of a pale blue sun.

Please feel free to share your current likes/dislikes!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!!

You (sorta) say it's your birthday

It's my (un)birthday too, yeah

They (people are talking) say it's your birthday

We're gonna have a good time (this weekend)

I'm (super) glad it's your birthday

Happy birthday to you!!!

Yep, today is a very special day for a very special lady!  You guessed it……today is my Mama’s Birthday!! (I will wait for you to complete your thunderous cheers and applause!)

For those who haven’t met my mom then I am sorry, because she is pretty darn great.  Just imagine me….but even more awesome.  I know, how is that possible?!  But it is.  Mind=BLOWN!

Here are a few things you should know about our mom.

She is hilarious and has an awesome laugh which, luckily for those around her, she uses frequently! 

She is not only beautiful on the outside but also on the inside - figuratively speaking of course as I am sure her guts and stuff aren’t all that beautiful; but her spirit and personality are quite the lookers!

She is a truly inspiring individual.  If you know anything about her, you probably know this.

She is selfless.  She will do whatever it takes to help others, especially her family, and doesn’t ask for anything in return while often times looking past her own wants. 

She is creative.  Mom is an amazing artist, even use to sew our Halloween costumes, and always has such uniquely creative ideas.  I love this about her and I love that she has allowed K & I to express ourselves creatively as well.

Seriously, she is just the best.

Mom, we love you for those reasons and sooooooooo many more.

Happy Birthday and we love you BUNCHES! Xoxo

Terry, Jenn, Kristen, Sebastian, Belle & Charlie  (this list is going to be so long once we start having kids….geesh!)

Talk to Me – Keeping Your Rings Clean & Sparkly

So here is my question of the day….how do you keep your rings (or other jewelry) clean and sparkly? 

Here is my beautiful engagement ring June 7^th or June 9^th, 2005 the day after my husband proposed to me!  (I think one of those days are right, I would have to verify with Mickey D. on the exact day I got engaged as she has an amazing memory for those things and unfortunately I do not!)

It is beautiful and shiny and not a speck of dirt on it.  Now for the first couple years I wore my ring I would take it back to the jewelry shop from which we got it and have them clean it.  Of course we were going back frequently as they are a very reasonably priced jewelry store and owned by a young independent couple.  We went back those first couple years to get gifts for our wedding party, T’s ring, special occasion gifts, or special ornaments around the holidays.  However after the wedding and after I lost my job, spending money at a place like this was not an option so we stopped going up there except for very special items and in turn we rarely got my rings professionally cleaned by them.....maybe once every 12-16 months if we are lucky.  See I didn’t just want to walk in and ask them to clean my ring if we were not really shopping with them, though I get that they wouldn’t mind.  I don’t know why I feel bad about that, I mean we did spend money with them and I know they will clean it for me if I ask….but to go up there just to get it cleaned seems silly.  And so far that is the only way I know to get my rings cleaned as T. is apprehensive to use most ring cleaning products as he doesn’t want to hurt the ring.

Of course it is natural that your rings will become dirty from the natural release of sweat, skin and dirt on our hands….not to mention all the soap, lotions, and overall stuff we touch with our hands that will remain on our rings.  So between that and the lack of cleaning, my once sparkly and beautiful rings are disgustingly dirty. I am not exaggerating AT ALL.  They are dull, have dirt from the oils and dead skin on my fingers, and have completely lost that sparkle. Yes, my ring has no sparkle.  I am totally embarrassed at how gross my rings are.

Don’t believe me, take a look.  You may want to prepare yourself….this is GROSS. (Camera phone picture….sorry)

EW. And NO sparkle.

See that dark stuff in between the two emeralds…part of that is dirt.  Again Ew. And the diamond is really THAT dull that it would not photograph well no matter which camera I used. (I am embarrassed.)  I scrape the loose dirt out with my nails from inside the ring, but it is still tarnished and dirty.

I looooove my rings and I want to take care of them not only to respect the value of the rings, but because they represent something special to me and I just want them to look as good as they possibly can.  But I don't know how to keep them clean and though I do not want them dirty, I also do not want to ruin them with bad jewelry cleaners.

So here are my questions.

How do you keep your rings clean?  Do you think it is OK to go to the jeweler every few months to get your ring cleaned?  Should I offer them money to do it?  Are there ring cleaners out there that you trust to keep them clean?  Should I only get them professionally cleaned once a year?  Do your rings ever look as gross as mine do?!?!  

Please don't judge me based on how dirty my rings are

It is Official – I am a Tastefully Simple Consultant!

Yep, the boxes (the two very heavy and full boxes) were delivered yesterday and I am well on my way to being a tastefully simple consultant!

And if that wasn’t exciting enough, I am going into business with my sister! Yep, Kristen and I have decided to sell Tastefully Simple together. You know because working together at our current job and living together just wasn’t enough. Kristen will be helping with a lot of the “behind the scenes” stuff as well as going to parties with me. She is actually like my own personal Nerd Herd Tech girl – love it…and so does she.  Plus I just have to pay her in spinach artichoke dip!  PERFECT.

I think we are both really excited about this…..or maybe we are still on a food high from eating our way through nearly the entire Fall/Winter TS catalog last weekend. Either way, it is exciting! And for the record, we will casually be selling Tastefully Simple products starting in about a week. No pressure at all, but if you are ever interested in their products, hosting a party, or doing a book party please let me know!

You can also email us at jenn.kristenTS@gmail.com

This should be fun!