Nap Blog and Pin-up Make-up Tutorial

Some really exciting stuff on the horizon...lunch with old friends, dinner with new ones...,sometimes it seems like all I have to do is step outside of my comfort zone and great things begin to happen. Of course, I can only tease you mercilessly with these puny nuggets of info. When the time is right you will be the first to know more ;)

One thing I can say is that I have a gig, as an instructor, at the school where I learned esthetics. It won't be easy. Nothing rewarding ever is. Esthymom the educator? It's an exciting challenge, no?

My first class was make-up application and Wednesday we'll practice with false eyelashes. This is probably the easiest time to jump in.  

This video is the perfect shout-out to all the influences currently tumbling around in my psyche. Besides, it's a righteous make-up tutorial. Girlfriend even wrote your shopping list for you!

Tricked out tweezers

That design can transform a utilitarian object into art is what makes it great. Simply as eye candy, a common tool can charm a hum-drum chore. 

Anything that can make you look forward to yanking hairs out of your face is magic, in my book!

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Grammy came to town to spend Saturday with the babe so that A. and I could spend some time together. We took obscene advantage of the opportunity!  We went to an all day "summer solstice" show that was rocked by The Thirsties and So Hush Hush, among others. The sound was fantastic. In this case, learn from esthymom's mistake. Always take sunscreen to an outdoor show.

After that, A. and I went to an event for National Go Skateboarding Day. We got there for the last hour. There was a lot of sweat and scalded skin. Clearly, I was not the only person who forgot my SPF. It was a very positive event and it brought lots of attention to Pour It Now, a local non-profit who are working to fund and build skateparks in South Carolina. If you are in a position to support their efforts, you will be helping to make Columbia a place for the babe to one day shred safely.  POUR IT NOW

Minor Setback, Major Disappointment

In a not-so-surprising turn of events, I have resigned from the spa where I've been working.  

I was accepted on a part time basis and then, once I started, demands for me to be full time were constant. I struggled against it the whole time. Eventually, the store manager practically begged me to resign so that she could hire a full-timer. You can't fire someone for being a mother but you evidently can encourage her to quit. I could have stayed. Frankly, the positives just didn't outnumber the negatives. 

I find myself a bit overwhelmed now by all the possibilities and very anxious about our immediate need for money. This has become a quest for balance. How do motherhood and professional fulfillment coexist? Maybe I am getting ahead of myself. Still...

Mad props to moms. Navigating your life is never easy but once you have another person to think about it seems impossible sometimes. I am paralyzed by the myriad of possibilities. Day care, school, job. A. mentioned he would relocate which brings on a whole new set of doubts and fears. His job is our only stability. But, wouldn't it be nice to feel the California sun again...

Holistic health has always been an interest of mine. Unfortunately, I am taking a step back from esthetics. I am afraid the mother birdie of this industry that took me under her wing just pushed me out of the nest. Ouch. 

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The babe and the buddy...behind bars

Our dog secretly rendezvoused with the busiest street in our neighborhood yesterday resulting in frantic hours walking the streets and questioning neighbors and, ultimately, a family trip out to a shelter in the country. I am grateful every five minutes for such a generous bundle of fortunate circumstances. He thought he had a grand adventure. I aged one dog year.  

The babe is finally contained. Her Grams had a play-yard delivered. It looks like a collection of baby gates all connected to form an orbit around her. It has devoured our living room floor. It gives us a little more piece of mind. Just a little, as she won't spend more than ten minutes on lock down before noticing she is alone and demanding parole.

A is for anti-aging antioxidant

Vitamin A, a.k.a, Retinol or Betacarotene or Provitamin A

A lot of products for mature and aging skin utilize this vitamin. It has been shown to improve the elasticity of the skin and aid in cell repair. It is integral for skin health and function. Fights cancer, free radicals, and sun damage.  Necessary for the health of your eyes, hair and mucus membranes. Keeps your immune system battle-ready. 

Lack of this vitamin can manifest in poor vision, night blindness, bacterial infection, follicular keratinosis, and dry, scaly skin.

How to use it: Apply directly to thick, dry skin to improve firmness and texture. As a supplement, pair it with Vitamin E for a super-dose of skin regeneration power but be careful of your dose. Too much Vitamin A is toxic. No more than 15,000 RE per day is the recommendation. As a matter of fact, supplemental Vitamin A is unnecessary for most people who eat well. I say, skip the pills and eat your veggies. Eat or juice lots of carrots and dark green veggies like spinach and kale. Vitamin A is also found in fish oils, liver, egg yolks and fruits that are orange in color.

When scanning the skin care aisle, look for retinol. Serums are a great choice. At your market, think betacarotene. (Remember betacarotene is 'bright' in color.) 

Yo Gabba Gabba

A friend once told me that the only moments of relief she got in the early days as a mommy were from The Teletubbies. She could put her high-energy son in front of the TV for the duration of the show. She could shower, she could shotgun a beer, she could take a deep, deep breath and get ready to start again. Just kidding about the beer. 

The AAP be damned, I searched for that show and, when I found it, I put the babe's little papasan chair right in front of the TV and...

...nothing. 

Her inner Al Bundy was still in the closet.

I tried other shows. She was vastly uninterested. What kind of a mother tries to entice her child to sit in front of a TV and rot her blossoming mind (especially with something so creepy)? A very tired one. I just wanted one show. One hour. Thirty minutes even! In thirty minutes I could make and eat a sandwich with both hands. I could shower and blow-dry my hair. I could power-nap. Just to use the bathroom alone would be nirvana. The babe dodged all of my best efforts. And now I understood why parents bought Barney videos.

By chance, a show happened to us. I never thought she and I could both be entertained by the same program. I just don't dream that big. Yo Gabba Gabba is that show and it isn't just for kids. I have seen a live performance from Cornelius, a lullaby by Red House Painters, and a Tony Hawk skate demo. Because of YGG, I have even been introduced to new bands like The Salteens. 

The babe is overcome with happiness the moment the host's big, hairy, orange hat appears on screen. 

       

She lights up like this when she sees me...her father...and DJ Lance Rock.