Talk to Me - Getting Older

I totally acknowledge this post may come off as vain or like I am complaining, even though I am trying to make it fairly light and funny.  However, I don’t know of any woman who likes the changes that happen to our bodies as we age and especially changes post kid.  And what is even more frustrating is men seem to get younger looking as they age which makes women look even more broke down as they get older even if that is NOT the case and they look great.  Feminist….back off!!  So I am not complaining (maybe a little) because I am OK with getting older, I am just not OK with looking the same age as my husband who is 7 years older and having more facial hair then my husband...

Ok Ladies (and men if any read this blog) let’s talk getting older.  Specifically, getting older and your look.

Now let me preface and say by NO MEANS do I think I am old, but I also think I am reaching the age where I can no longer deny the fact that I am getting older and things are changing and I am looking older.  My body is changing.  My look is changing.  I feel different and am noticing things I have never noticed before.  And the last time I went to the store I wasn’t carded and she just put in a random birthday, so there is that...

Now I never thought I was someone who cared about my appearance.  I very rarely wear make-up, I don’t use lotions and creams, I wear my hair up and messy about 96% of the time, my clothes…well you could say they are dated and ill fitting, I get a haircut once or twice a year, and if I don’t like the way I look I just don’t go out in public….which is OK with me. 

I mean honestly, it is too bad that What Not To Wear is ending because I probably could benefit from a makeover.  But I just have not put too much effort into my appearance, which I think can be good and bad.   I probably should have made a little more effort over the years, I just always felt uncomfortable with beauty and fashion.  Perhaps it was because for so much of my life I tried to go unnoticed by my peers, just blend into the background, that for me to wear makeup or fashionable clothing I feel like it would draw too much attention to myself and that makes me uncomfortable.  Though I totally get that by NOT doing those things I am also drawing attention to myself, but it is hard to argue with crazy person logic!!

So what does this have to do with changes in my look and getting older?!?!

Well, now that I am getting older I am finding it harder to continue the way I have all these years.  I am thinking I need help.  I need to hide stuff.  Cover things up.  

So what is changing, you ask.  Well let me tell you.

1. I am growing a beard.  Ok, maybe not like this…

….but I have so many little dark and light hairs on my chin.  I am going to be that lady that has one really long hair growing on her neck that I don’t see but everyone else sees it and stares at it and thinks “WHY WON’T SHE PLUCK IT” but they never say anything and it is the big elephant hair in the room that no one talks about.  UGH.

I am seriously obsessed with trying to pluck every hair and I feel like they are just multiplying and it is so frustrating.  I know that most people don’t get close enough to me to really see them, but I see them and know they are there and on really sunny days there is no hiding them.  Dim lighting is my friend.

2. I have been getting pimples. Yep, 33 and breaking out on my face and my back like I was 15 years old boy!!  I have been lucky that I have not had a huge problem with pimples in the past, but apparently now it is an issue.  Sure hormones and stress can be a cause, but it is just weird and annoying that now I am breaking out.

3. My skin.  Yes, in general my skin is changing.  It isn’t as taut as it once was.  It is blotchy and dull and just blah.  I have circles under my eyes the size of half dollars and my once wrinkle free forehead now contains a crevasse that I feel I could store my change in.  And just wait until the winter months….I will turn my head and half of my face will flake off!  Awesome.  

4. Hair.  Besides losing tons of hair on a daily basis, I am also the proud owner of grey hair.  After I had Henry I found my first grey hair.  I heard that happened post pregnancy so of course like any normal person I quickly pulled it out and denied that it even had happened.  And all was good.  Until this weekend when I saw this…..

Grey hairs!!!!  WTF?!?!  When did those get there?!  If having blotchy skin, pimples, and a beard wasn’t enough, now I have grey hairSSSS?!  I really thought that being grey free was the one thing I had going for me, the one thing that didn’t make me feel like I was getting older.  And then I was bitch slapped by a stray coarse grey hair and reminded that, yes Jenn, you are aging. 

5. Boobs. All I am going to say about this is that boobs post kid fuck’n SUCK.  Pardon my language, but your boobs should hit you in the face when you jump, not smack you in the vagina or rest comfortably on the post baby jelly belly you still have.  But I still have hope for this as I promised Terry that when we were in a better place financially I would get a boob lift and he can get a ball lift.  :-) So there is hope!!!

6. Body.  My body is just different.  Things are jiggling more and sagging more and clothes just fit weird.  And I just feel at this in between with clothes.  Like, what is appropriate and what doesn’t make me look old but what also doesn’t make me look like I am trying too hard or trying to look like my 25 year old sister.  I know working out would help some of this.  I will get on that.  

There is also just things creaking and snapping that shouldn’t make noise and haven’t in the past.  Or soreness that I have never had before.  Like today with the weather, I feel and sound like a 90 year old!  And don’t get me started on things happening below the belt.  That is just a hot mess.  Probably literally. Sigh.

Someone at work told me some of this could because I am off birth control and haven’t been on it for 4+ years and my hormones are just a crazy mess and that is what is causing some of these issues. WHAT, YOU THINK ME AND MY HORMONES ARE A CRAZY MESS?!?!  YOUR HORMONES ARE A CRAZY MESS!!! 

She may be right…..

And while she may be right and getting my hormones readjusted may help a little with some things, I think I have to face the reality that with each decade I enter things change and therefore I need to adjust. 

First adjustment is signing up for AARP and bingo night at the senior center Fridays at 6:30. 

Second is taking care of my skin. I have always said I need to do this, but just hate the feeling of anything on my face.  But it is more than apparent that I need something now.  I am looking at different lotions for my face. (What do you use?!?!)  I also think my first trip to a dermatologist may be good.

Third, I need to lose weight.  Mostly for health, but I also think if I can be happy with my weight I will be happier with my overall appearance.

As for my beard, well I am still trying to figure that one out….

I know that aging is inevitable and though it may not sound like it and this post has sounded totally vain, I think I am OK with getting older.  I am just not OK with all these things that seem to be showing up all at once that make me feel older than what I am.  I mean, can’t I just have ONE of these as a problem?!

Talk to me!!  This is the face of someone who needs advice!!  And some strong moisturizer.  And her bangs cut. And some concealer.

What do YOU do in regards to aging?  Deny it?  Use lots of lotions and potions?  Seek help from a witch doctor?  Use natural remedies?  Take lots of vitamins and supplements?  Stay indoors and avoid all mirrors or reflective services?! All of the above?

Talk To Me – This and That

Friends, please share your thoughts, comments, and or opinions on any or all of the following items.

1. Blueberry Muffins.

I am looking for a good blueberry muffin recipe.  I made the one from Ms. Betty Crocker, and well they were not that great.  First, they needed lemon zest.  Second, they were bland.  Third, they were dense, and I want something lighter and cake-i-er.

Do you have a good recipe?  Would you want to share?

2. Books.

I am looking for some good books to read.  GASP!

I know. 

If you know me at all you know that reading for me is skimming through a food magazine or skimming through a child’s book.  However, I feel like my brain is turning to MUSH.  More now than ever before, my brain is failing me and I think that perhaps reading books will help my brain become more active.

So any suggestions?!  What are YOU reading?! 

For the record, I tend to like sci-fi books. 

3.  50 Shades of Red.

So I have been seeing red lately.  Why, because I want to color my hair red and I am trying to figure out what shade to go with.

I know I will go with a semi-permanent color as it fades away nicely without leaving me with drastic roots.  Plus, I am not the kind of person who can commit to one hair color other than my own for a long period of time.

Now I know it all depends on your skin tones, but what are your thoughts on going red.  More so, what shades do you like?

Here are some examples.  I could go more copper, light red, dark red, auburn….so many choices!  

What color do you like?!  If you have an opinion, what color do you like for me?! :-)

#1

#2

#3

#4 

(I don't think I am brave enough to go this color red!)

#5

#6

 #8

#9

#10

Talk to Me – I Need A New Hair Style

 So after I had Henry I noticed I was shedding a bit more than normal.  However, it keeps getting worse and now it seems my hair is falling out by the handful.  I take a shower and it looks like we have an animal in the shower**.  And there are hair balls/clumps (ew) all over me, the house, and Henry!

What sucks, besides the fact that my hair is noticeably thinner, is that Henry seems to get my really long hair stuck in his hands, and we don’t want that. Every night before bed it is an appendage check. Any hairs wrapped around his fingers, wrists, toes, penis….because he had a hair tightly wrapped around his thumb once and it scared us so we check everything!

So I am seriously thinking of cutting my hair shorter.  Not really short, just shorter than what it is now (which is probably still a good 6+ inches).  I don’t know what I am hoping to accomplish by this, maybe I think that a shorter cut will make my hair healthy again or maybe it is just that I am sick of my long hair.  I am always pulling my hair back and have yet to find a style I just love with my longer hair.  Seriously, it just feels like if hangs there…ok, yes that is what it is suppose to do, but look how sad my hair looks:

I am leaning towards a medium length bob-ish cut or some variation of that. I like it because it is not too far out of my comfort zone and not a drastic change.  I think I do need some change and this may very well be just the right amount of change.  Plus I can still pull it back.

Examples:

 (Except not with short bangs)

What are your thoughts: long or short?  Any other suggestions for hair styles? Any products/supplements I can use to stop/reduce all this damn shedding?!?!

**only a slight exaggeration

Talk to Me – “It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it is told.”

*I apologize up front as I will be using the word moisture in this post.  I hate the word moist, but it is necessary in this post.

“It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it is told.” Sorry I just love this quote, but I must say this is NOT me! I have never been one who faithfully uses lotion.  In the winter when my hands become extremely dry and painful I use Neutrogena Deep Moisture hand cream and it works wonders!  Occasionally (and by occasionally I mean once every 3 months) I will moisturize my face with some AVON lotions.  But as for using lotion on a daily basis on either my body or face, I do not do that.

Now when I was younger it never seemed like that big of a deal; my skin was fine.  But over the years I have noticed my skin become dryer and maybe not as elastic.  But still, I do not moisturize at all.  I refuse to wear lotion during the day, as it just feels greasy and heavy and I hate that.  I hardly wear makeup because I just don’t like the feel of stuff on my face for a long period of time.  And even at night my face and skin feels heavy when I put lotion on plus I feel like the blankets stick to me.  (Ok, I KNOW they don’t really stick to me, I am just weird and don’t like to feel constricted when I sleep and lotion makes me feel that way.)

At the beginning of the year I wanted to make a conscious effort to moisturize daily. I bought Vaseline Cocoa Butter lotion and try to remember to use that on my stomach, legs and arms. I mean it is sitting on my nightstand right by where my glasses go…so by “try to remember” I mean “when I feel like remembering”.  I also use an AVON daily lotion on my face. So far, I think I may remember to do the body lotion once every week or so and the face lotion even less.  Baby Steps, no?

I hear all these people on shows talk about the benefit of using lotion daily.  I even googled ‘What are the benefits of using lotion” (yes I did) and they say it re-hydrates dried skin, helps with anti-aging, smooth calluses, feels and smells good, help yourself relax, protects your skin, and makes your skin glow. Ok, sounds good but does it work?

So, riddle me this friends….is it important to moisturize your skin daily?  Do you use lotion?  If so, what do you use and how often?  Is there a big difference between a $5 lotion and a $50 lotion?

And what about exfoliating, do you do that TOO before you use lotion? 

I realize I am not getting any younger and should do what I can now…but does that mean using lotion?   I see my mom, who has beautiful skin and doesn’t really use lotion, and just wonder if it is mostly about genetics or does lotion really help with the elasticity and look of your skin?

*On a side note, I know it sounds really lazy to not just take a few minutes to put on some damn lotion.  However, it already takes me forever to get to bed because I have to pee, not once but twice, before I can fall asleep.  I have my contacts to take out, teeth to brush (and have a routine with that), like to pluck anything on my face that shouldn’t be there, and lets not talk about how long it takes me to set my alarm (I may be slightly OCD in a few areas of my life).  And then we have to shave and moisturize and do all those other daily/weekly things to keep ourselves going.  It is just too much sometimes!

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.

Talk To Me – Hair Questions

Ok folks, I am in need of some hair advice and there are a few questions I have!


First, I am SHEDDING like it was my JOB. Seriously, if this keeps up I may be bald by my 30th birthday. sigh I have always been a shedder and I know that there are other factors like the changes I have made in my diet recently and the excess stress I have had the past few months that can lead to extra shedding but come on I am constantly pulling more hair off my clothes and from my head ALL. DAY. LONG. Oh no, that is fine hair I didn’t need that handful of you anyway.

So here is my first question, does anyone know if there is something I can put on my hair or a supplement I can take along with my daily vitamin to help with my shedding problem?! Maybe I need more iron or vitamin B, or a wig….I have no clue?!


Second problem. The last 6 months I seem to be having very dry hair and scalp. Ugh. Don’t know if this is related to the shedding or not. I cannot find a good yet affordable shampoo that helps with the dryness. Any suggestions on a good shampoo and conditioner to help with the dry hair? Or any other products that might help with this?


Final question – If you want a change to your hair but are unsure what you want to do to your hair what do you do first? Do you try a new style with the length you currently have? Do you color your hair? Do you just cut it off and go for a drastic new style? Every few years I get this itch to do something different because I get SO bored with my current style, or lack there of, and that boredom usually means cutting off all my hair at the spur of the moment with no real plan. A few months (or hours) after I do it I wish my long hair was back and I hate my shorter hair cut but when it is long I want shorter hair but just can't find a style I like.  I am sure we all get in this funk at some point so how do you deal with those moments where you want to change your hairstyle but have no idea where to start?


Please, any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! I usually don’t care much about my hair, but I need some help…..I turn 30 in 22 days and not only want my hair to stay on my head but want a nice fresh look as I enter my 30's but honestly have no clue where to start!

bareMinerals – I Can Not Say NO To You Any Longer

So it has happened…I will soon be the owner of my own set of bareMinerals products. I have been persuaded to buy them…..of course this sweet deal also had a lot to do with it!




Click here for the special deal. (It said I saved over $145 when I checked out – um, awesome!)

Only 2 payments of $29.99(plus S&H)


Your bareMinerals Get Started Kit includes:
2 shades of bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation
Mineral Veil finishing powder
Warmth All-Over Face Color
Flawless Application Face Brush
Handy Buki Brush
Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush
In-depth How-To Guide that details every product and how to best apply your bareMinerals

4 FREE Special Bonus Gifts:
Limited edition refillable Mirror Compact with cover
bareMinerals Bisque for concealing imperfections
Precision Concealer Brush
Leslie's Get Started DVD

As a person who likes make-up but does not like the feel of things on my face or spending a lot of time putting make up on, I have been told by a very reliable source that this is for me! I can’t wait to try it…should be arriving in the next couple weeks!

Talk To Me....

How do I get rid of and/or treat dark circles under my eyes?

I have bad dark circles under my eyes. Over the years they just keep getting worse and I have no idea what works, what doesn't work, and if it is even possible to at least, minimize the circles I have under my eyes. I also very rarely wear any make-up, which I am sure if I did it could cover them a bit...but really I am looking for something I could use to reduce them.

So any suggestions? Home remedies, skin care products, under eyes treatments?

I would prefer to not look like a walking zombie who just got beat up every day.

A new store to love! (And therefore had to write a lot about it!)

This weekend I checked out Sally’s Beauty Supply Store – and I have to say I love it!!

I wanted to put some reddish/brown low lights in my hair for the holidays but didn’t want to (A) Spend $100 to get my hair done at a salon – it typically costs that much with a tip b/c my hair is so thick they use extra stuff – and (B) I don’t want the uncertainty of using a box brand and ending up with who knows what color on my head – I have been everything from orange to black with that box stuff!!

So I went to the above-mentioned store, which I had never been to before. I have to say I love it! I was a bit overwhelmed at first b/c I didn’t know what stuff to get and didn’t know what would work for me, but I asked one of the ladies working there (who was also a beautician) and she helped me find the right color and explained how the coloring works! And it is SO easy!!!

And the prices are very reasonable! You don’t have to be a member or a beautician to use the store but I did buy the $5 year long membership and ended up saving $5. 20 on my first purchase! If you think you will keep going, like I know I will, that is the way to go! If you have the membership most of the products you get a certain percentage off. But even if you don’t take the membership the products are still very reasonable. I got a very good hair color product and it was $4.99 for the cream and the solution to mix with it was $2.99. I also bought all the start up stuff like the brush to apply the cream, the little mixer bowl, the measuring cup, the cap and gloves…and my total bill was about $17.00!!! And when I do this again, I will only have to buy the hair color and solution!

They also have tons of other stuff there, but didn’t get to see everything as I was all about the hair color!

Thanks to my mom and sister for doing this for me! It took about an hour and half total and was so easy! This will definitely be the new way I do my hair!

Side note, I am not at ALL thinking what beauticians do is easy. I could never do the stuff they do, and I needed help picking out the right color for my complexion. But I do think that if you can get the right color and have someone who wouldn’t mind helping you out for a couple hours, then the coloring process itself is easy!

Photoshop....Creating a Positive Body Image for Everyone

So I think we all saw this picture a few months ago of Katie Couric after some photoshop. It is "amazing" what we can do with a picture today.

Well click here (from popsugar) to see a women change dramatically in size and apperance b/c of photo shop. It is crazy to see how much they can change a person's apperance and sad to think that so many people strive to have a body that is based on a false idea and deception.

P.S. sorry for the Beyonce song....it came with the clip. I suggest muting it ;-)

Good Stuff!

So I wrote this post because twopretzels just wrote a post on aging and as I have been thinking about the aging of my face for a little while now and I decided to do something about it with some new products I bought - I thought I would share my products with you!


So recently I made an unusual but what I am thinking is necessary purchase for myself.....skin care products. I normally don't wear skin care products...I just never thought it was that important. I have been pretty lucky to not get many pimples/blemishes and because of that I have stuck to using my $2 face cleaner and vitamin E oil (A MUST HAVE) when I get blemishes. However, no matter how good your skin is OR how good you may think it is you... I am starting to realize I need to take better care of my skin! Maybe it is b/c I am turning 27 shortly, the cold weather, or just new lighting in our house but I decided it was time to get some NICE skin care products and try to help the signs of aging I am starting to get!

So a few weeks ago I went out and bought some lotions, face cleaner and Olay Regenerist night recovery moisturizing treatment. I had heard that the Olay Regenerist line was REALLY good so i thought I would give it a try! I have to say after just a couple weeks of using this product at night I am VERY happy! I don't know if anyone else will notice a difference, but I do! My skin feels better....healthier and surprisingly it is starting to feel a little tighter. I am so happy that I am going to try something else from this line! (Click here for all Regenerist products.) I think i may try Regenerist Deep Hydration Regenerating Cream (it contains vitamin E & B5 and helps dry skin like mine) and maybe Regenerist Thermal Skin Polisher.

I don't know compared to other products if the price is more or less...but my night cream was $18.99. I think that is reasonable b/c it will last me awhile and it works! I am also trying to make an effort to take 10 minutes or so a night to take care of my skin and not be lazy like I have been. I guess we will see what happens!

Any skin care products you love?