Friday Finds & Check-ins, Volume #564
Share your recent beauty purchases or rediscovered favorites in your stash (for those on low/no-buys!), chit chat about weekend plans, and learn a little more about each other!
Let's Chat!
Share your own answers in the comments!
- Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Too Faced Pumpkin Spice Palette, Melt Cosmetics Digital Dust Duos, Giorgio Armani Lip Maestros (x2), Dior Palettes (x5)
- Weekend plans: Hubby has to have surgery next week, so we’re signing papers to update our estate/trust this morning, and just generally preparing so that he can recuperate as he needs afterward.
- What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing?: I bought a stool to sit on while taking lip swatches… instead of squatting… boy did I feel stupid for not doing that many years earlier!
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This week's doggo photo/video...
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Recent Purchases: Dominique Cosmetics Rustic Glam palette, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Mini in Luminous Flush, Nest Cocoa Woods rollerball perfume, Nabla Skin Glazing Highlight in Independence (which I will use as a glowy blush); all birthday presents!
Rediscoveries: Nothing new this week, though I did declutter and and reorganize my vanity, so I know I’ll rediscover things as a result. There’s no better feeling than an organized space!
Weekend plans: No plans, really. Just normal adult things.
What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing?: Finding a decent bralette so I don’t have to wear wired bras at home all the time.
Happy birthday, Celesta!
And I, too, am living that bralette life! I may never go back to underwires.
Thank you! Yes! The bralette life is the best life! ?
I was always an underwire bra girl, but since I discovered the Calvin Klein Invisibles line (both bras and the body) and the Athleta Natura bra (which unfortunately they discontinued, and both the underwear), I rarely wear underwire bras these days.
That and workout/running leggings with pockets were life changing wardrobe moments. ?
Happy Birthday Celesta and enjoy your beautiful birthday goodies!
I’m actually allergic to underwire bras-they cause cysts under my breasts any time I wear them, and I need a round of antibiotics to get rid of the cysts. I do occasionally wear bralettes, but my all-time lingerie MVP is the Victoria’s Secret wireless T-shirt bra-no wire, a supportive cup for my D-cups, and various cute colors and patterns!
Also, happy birthday, Celesta!
Happy Birthday Celesta!
Great birthday haul! I hope you had a wonderful birthday.
Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes! I had a great day. ?
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: I am loving PMG Divine Rose II. I think it might be my second favorite Pat McGrath palette after Subliminal. I’m a sucker for shades in the purple and blue family. I quite like the reef-safe Drunk Elephant sunscreen formula that I just got. As far as rediscoveries, I’m near to finishing up a bunch of PMG Lust Gloss minis, so they have been getting a lot of love.
Weekend plans: My boyfriend had to work this weekend, so I’ll do the same. Other than that, I’ll also be attending a protest, finishing an online class on economics and public policy, and finally get around to hanging up some art in my new place.
What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing?: Similar to you, I got a ball chair to help with my pain from long spates of sitting! I also got a Kitchen Safe Time Locking Container (kSafe) to lock up my personal phone during the day XD. I still cheat and sometimes look at things I shouldn’t on my work phone, but it helps me focus during the day.
Christine, I’m hoping your husband a safe process and recovery!
Recent Purchases: Dior Quint in Tutu and Sydney Grace eye shadow in Troops. My first sydney
Weekend Plans: we want to go see Russell Crowe in the movie Unhinged at the movie theater before the movie theater closes permanently in our area which has been announced and will be closing at the end of Sept. (Such a bummer)
Last non-beauty product purchase that was life changing: I bought my fiancee an instant pot for his birthday and we use the heck out of that thing. Love the way it cooks meat. I am very picky when it comes to meat and this has certainly improved my attitude towards meat. LOL.
Instant Pots really are a gift to humankind! When we went full vegetarian (from being poultry-only for a decade and a half) I got an IP since I’d have to learn a slew of new recipes. Even without meat, you can use it all the time, and it constantly knocks my socks off. I love using it to make oatmeal and soups, especially in cooler weather. I haven’t tried dessert in it yet, but I am sure I will eventually.
Cheesecake in the Instant Pot is excellent!
Ah, the InstantPot is a great purchase! We use ours all the time too; it’s so versatile!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Backup of TF Peach Perfect setting powder. RIP my precious
Weekend plans: House stuff, still. Maybe movie night on Friday or Saturday.
What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing?: My Little Free Library, because it makes me feel like I can do something positive for my community without having to break social distancing. It is also fun to put books in there and see what people are taking out.
I just love your Free Library idea and I think it was a wonderful thing to do in this still awful time.
Your fee library is such a sweet idea.
Christine, I hope all goes well with your husband’s surgery!
Purchases: I actually bought beauty things! Last weekend I bought a WinkyLux matcha lip balm at Target (we switched to going to a different Target and their beauty department is huuuuuge) and a face serum from Trader Joe’s. I’m really liking the serum, it makes my skin really soft and it was only $10 versus the $48 I was paying for Dr Jart+! And then yesterday I ordered the Pat McGrath Labs Nocturnal Nirvana quad. It already shipped and is estimated to arrive on the 3rd.
Weekend plans: Online dance classes, online dance show (watching, not participating), private online dance lesson… and some chores I guess. Not sure if we’ll really go out at all this weekend, since last weekend was errands and visiting friends.
Last life-changing purchase: I’m pretty thrilled with the ring light/tripod combination I bought near the start of quarantine. The overhead lighting in my dance room is really unflattering, so I felt like if I was going to be participating in only online shows for the foreseeable future, I should have some nicer light. Not only is the lighting better, but the tripod also gives me a better angle for filming. My performance and practice videos look soooo much better now.
The only thing I’ve been buying, because of mask wearing, is mascara. I’m kind of using this time to really test a few out and trying to find a great drugstore mascara (which of course isn’t hard but I’m picky about a few things).
The one I’m trying now is L’Oreal Telescopic. Omg this is a GREAT mascara. The wand is downright weird and doesn’t look like it will get the job done but it totally does and FAST. I’m in love already. It lengthens, curls, separates, it doesn’t clump or flake or run. It’s easy to remove with microfiber cloth. The only thing I’m still waiting to see is if the tube dries out too quickly, which I find to be a problem with L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise which is a fab mascara besides that fatal flaw. $10 isn’t a bargain if I need to replace it every month.
Exactly how I feel about Lash Paradise.
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: Still nothing new, it’s amazing how little things I need to purchase these days. But birthday month offers and gifts started coming to my inbox, so I need to make lists of products I need replacement in the near future. Most likely all will be re-purchases.
Weekend plans: The smoke seems to have died down in my area, from the recent California fires, so I would love to go hiking finally this weekend. Otherwise, just the usual boring stuff.
What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing? Hmmm… hard one. I would say my Dyson vacuum cleaner or my Kitchen Aid hand blender (well, it comes with multiple accessories and sticks, I love them all), but these were purchased a long time ago. ? Actually life changing for me was my Fitbit, purchased like 6 years ago, because it made me become more active and track more efficiently my runs. My life hasn’t seen big changes in a long while, but can’t say I am mad at it either.
Smoke haze from bushfires (as we experienced late last year and early this year) can last for ages and really impacts on the air quality around you. I gather from your comment that you were not too close to the fires themselves. I really feel for those who were.
I have a Dyson vacuum cleaner and it is sensational – I have the upright one, my only problem with it is that it is very noisy. We have had ours for years and it is still going strong.
Somewhat fortunately for me, I live in the area exactly between the LNU, CZU and SCU complex fires, so I wasn’t impacted by the evacuation. The air quality was bad in the last two weeks, but slowly improving. Some of my co-workers wear near, I wished to help, but it’s hard while social distancing. It’s much harder for those affected by wild fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural hazards during these times. 🙁
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: No purchases this week. I finished my Milani powder foundation and started on the one from IT Cosmetics that I bought earlier this summer. I don’t like it as much as the Milani, which appears to be discontinued.
Weekend plans: Cooking up some of the product I bought today.
What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing?: We got two new kitties last spring (actually the life changing event) and the cat hair is much worse this time around. We bought a Roomba and a Coway air filter. Maybe not life changing but definitely life enhancing. I don’t know how much the air filter does for the air but it does a great job on odors, both cooking and cat.
Baking soda mixed is the cat litter is amazing, especially with pee smell.
I hope your husband’s surgery and recovery go smoothly!
Rediscoveries: Too Faced White Peach palette. I’m trying to pan several shades for my own amusement.
Weekend plans: I got my extracts from Beanilla (*cackle*) so there will be baking. Plus, starting a few more extracts of my own.
Last life-changing non-beauty purchase: either my Kindle or a truly decent pair of sunglasses.
There is nothing like a good pair of sunglasses, I am about to replace mine (they are prescription) and I desperately need them most seasons.
They make a world of difference, don’t they!
Oh Christine, I do not envy your weekend plans. I’m so sorry that you guys are going through this ordeal. It sounds pretty serious. *Hugs*
Purchases/rediscoveries: No purchases, unless one considers antibiotics and pain meds for my Scunci to be as such! Rediscovered the simple beauty of MAC Vex e/s last Sunday, along with Nyx Root Beer e/s. Wore both in an eye look on Sunday with MAC Haux and Handwritten. Really made my eyes look bright even though I was feeling extremely anxious and glum.
Weekend Plans: Nothing different than the same old. Zoom meeting tomorrow morning. Go for a swim on one of the days.
Last weekend was a rough one with having to get my 15 y.o. Maine Coon mix Scunci in to see the Vet. So, an update to last FF&CI: The Vet told me that Scunci will need several teeth extracted and a full oral exam under anesthesia in order to perform biopsies for possible cancer. She did say that she didn’t see anything jump out at her as such, however. So, that’s a positive sign. She did say that Mr. Scunch has advanced periodontal disease in his gums and loose teeth. Also, he has a heart murmur, so they will be doing a quick blood test before they put him under to see whether he can withstand anesthesia. Man, this is tough stuff that we pet owners might go through at some point! ?
What was the last non-beauty item that changed your life? My Oster Duralast | Classic blender! Ive had this for a few years, but began using it again in earnest 8 days ago to make fruit smoothies in replacement of my nightly bowl of ice cream. Much healthier, lower calorie option. So, while the blender is not brand new, its current role is!
Oh Nancy, your poor cat – he must be in such pain with his teeth and how lucky he is to have you as his mama to take care of him. You must be so worried about him and it is very tough to see your beloved pet like this. I hope that the antibiotics work quickly to relieve the infection and then the pain will ease.
I’m telling you, Genevieve, this has been a waking nightmare. The reality is that something was bound to eventually go wrong with him at some point due to him being a senior cat. But I wasn’t actually prepared for this at all. Not emotionally, not financially, not in any which way. I suppose it’s because as long as our precious furbabies are eating well, playing and healthy, we just never let our mind go there to the unthinkable scenarios. So far, Scunci’s letting me get medicine in him. He’s NOT a fan of my taking over his grooming with cat cleansing wipes!
At least he is allowing you to administer his medicine without too much of a fuss, which also shows, in a way, how unwell he is. Fingers crossed that he pulls through. It’s so hard to see our beloved pets in pain and sick.
Oh Nancy, I feel so bad for you and your cat. I hope everything goes well. My friend had to have both his cats teeth pulled, they were fine afterward, fingers crossed for you!
Thank you, Brendacr1! This has been quite the unexpected ordeal. I’m not too happy that his surgery is all the way out to September 25th. I’d rather get this over with, because if there is any oral cancer, time is of the essence. Also, I feel like a “bad” human because I never checked his teeth until I saw that he was missing a canine tooth. I should have been, but never thought to do so.
Nancy, I just read this and must share an experience we had with an older cat (now deceased) who had many oral problems and a heart murmur.
The murmur was discovered during a normal exam and was concerning enough to get an out-of-town vet to come to see our cat. In the meantime, we got the cat’s teeth cleaned and extracted, as needed, and I’m going off memory here, I think he got some antibiotic to help with the healing.
Anyway, the point is that when the vet cardio guy came and ran the tests, the murmur was gone! The theory is that the oral issues caused it but nobody would say for sure.
It’s possible that the teeth work was done after the lack of murmur was found, but it’s so long ago that I just don’t recall. I do know that the clearing up of the oral issues before the cardio test led us to believe that the oral issues (bacteria?) may have caused the temporary murmur.
Kitty, now I’m wondering whether this is what’s happening with Scunci. He is physically quite hardy and strong, not something one would expect to see in a cat with some sort of serious cardiac issues! He’s a powerful, muscular cat even at 15½. My Mom was a dental hygienist for over a decade. I recall her saying things about our dental health impacting other parts of our bodies. She was correct, I believe.
Nancy, I hope your experience with Scunci is same as ours with with our cat and that you keep us Temptalia readers updated. It was so odd how with our guy that the murmur was so serious when our guy had the infected gums and teeth needing to be pulled, but then later on it was gone. I wish I could recall if the oral work was done before the cardio guy came notwithstanding the risk associated with using anesthesia (perhaps we signed a waiver) but we discarded all the records after our cat passed away . We were concerned as could be until the out-of-town cardio vet came and to hear that the murmur just disappeared was such a relief. And in future exams, even when the oral issues came back (our guy had super bad gums and teeth since kittyhood), the murmur never came back.
Poor Scunci. I’m sorry it’s so bad, but I’m glad it doesn’t look like cancer. It’s never fun to watch our pets get older and start having issues. ((((((Hugs)))))
I wish your husband all the best with his surgery and healing process.
No recent purchases for me, although husband recently got a pellet smoker and he’s been enjoying using it–his favorite grill/smoker of all time. I enjoy having him make some meals using that instead of my cooking in the house. I also got some Tom’s prebiotic toothpaste which I’m really liking.
Weekend plans: Nothing out of ordinary. Will likely work outdoors a bit and do some reading.
Last thing bought life changing: a bidet. This one isn’t fancy with a dryer and isn’t even connected to a hot water line, but still it’s pretty nifty.
How wonderful to have your husband cook the meals instead of you, slaving away over a hot stove….that would be bliss to me.
Having the bidets on our toilets saved us from the TP shortage! Ours isn’t fancy either. My brother who has a plumbing company has the warm water but when I used it, the warm water made me want to pee again! That thing had a remote control!
And yesss. The pellet smoker. My husband loves his. In the summer, I’m like Genevieve. But I then make the salads and other sides.
Genevieve, it is bliss! I’m making him try to smoke or grill all sorts of things.
TropicalCowgirl, I never thought about warm water having that effect, but it makes sense that that would be an issue. I’ve found that there’s no savings on TP though. I use any saved (and extra) TP to dry off, even if I use the lowest setting. (TMI, I know…) But I like feeling clean and it’s not like the usage of the bidet is numerous times a day (thankfully).
Recent purchases: A Sephora favorite lip gloss stash. Fell in love with Lancome Juicy Tubes all over again. Chanel 572 EMBLEMATIQUE Nail Color–totally gorgeous crelly. Tatcha Rice Wash Skin-Softening Creme and an Olaplex Hair Treatment Kit. I also fell head over heels for YSL Libre perfume from a sample and had to get a full bottle.
Weekend Plans: I plan to go through another section of my closet and get rid of clothes. I’m trying to taper down and build more of a curated wardrobe. I have too many pieces that I can’t wear anymore because they are either worn out, don’t fit, or are not my style anymore–especially because l’m not in my 30s anymore and running around on South Beach. What was considered less risque in comparison back then and there, is very uncomfortable today. Then relax, read, and hang by the pool. I also plan to do some cooking. I have all these Mediterranean recipes I’ve been making and they are fabulous.
Last non-beauty product (s) that was life-changing: Lauren Ralph Lauren Jersey Yoga Pants (flattering, slight flair, comfortable and doesn’t look like they will pill)…replacing some older ones and they are nice enough to wear out.
And this book I’m reading that I am seeing major results with called Weight Loss Solution, recommended by my doctor, written by a doctor. My thyroid had gotten sluggish and threw me into early menopause around 6 years ago. My blood platelets (sign of inflammation), blood pressure, cholesterol and weight shot up. I was also pretty close to being pre-diabetic. I eat pretty healthy as it is but this book helped me understand what was going on internally. My recent quarterly visit to my hematologist showed, for the first time in 3 years, my platelets are going down. No counting calories, but it involves intermediate fasting and the food choices for me are not very restrictive in this “reset” phase. I can still enjoy a glass of wine ocassionally and I enjoy cooking anyway, so it is good. I’ve lost 4 lbs in 10 days and it isn’t water either per my blood test. My goal is another 15 lbs. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about this and the healing of my body.
Congratulations on finding a wellness/diet book that works for you. Menopause is such a beast – it really throws your metabolism right out the window. And it’s quite heartening when you see the results of your efforts pretty quickly too.
I generally go through my wardrobe once or twice a year and get rid of anything that I don’t love any more. And I am now much more fussier about what I purchase so that what I have will last for awhile. Take care.
Thank you Genevieve! I hated it. I went from 120 to 145 lbs in a year! It’s more than just metabolism too. I hate that all you hear about regarding aging is how your skin ages. I have read so much on it and how your thyroid regulates your hormones, I’ve become the go to my my cousins. I started premenopausal in my early 40s and it was misdiagnosed. I replaced my mattress twice (thought it was causing sweats), almost took dangerous meds from eczema (never had it and doctor thought it was ringworm), and so many other things. I just turned 50 and enough is enough. Got a new doctor last year and that was his recommendation. Not a diet…but wellness book for sure. Thanks so much for your clarification and you always kind comments.
As someone who has already gone through menopause, and has hypothyroidism, I can relate.
I think that hypothyroidism is related to many health issues and this is virtually ignored or downplayed by the medical profession. There’s this attitude that once the TSH is in the proper range, a range that’s notoriously too wide and has too high of an upper “normal” number, that that’s it. The thyroid affects so many other things and my observation is that it still ravages women in many ways, such as with hair loss, weight gain, fatigue, etc. I’ve personally gone from being on NatureThroid for several years to going on Synthroid (most people seem to go the other way but I found the NT too inconsistent for me) and now I think I’ve found the right amount for me at this time.
I also eat real food most of the time and have been eating with a 16-hour fast most days. I firmly believe in resets though. About 8 years ago we ate low carb for over a year and this really reset our diets and bodies. Then switched to Paleo for a few years and now we are back to eating grains and some carbs but try to keep the carbs below about 100 a day. Aside from dark chocolate and a bit of sugar here and there in sauces and such, we’re basically sugar free too. Resets are great!
Mellan’s a cutie!
Purchases/Rediscoveries: I brought Natasha Denona’s multi chrome liquid eye shadow in Ultra Violet. Wore it yesterday with the mattes in PMG’s Divine Rose 2 and loved how my look turned out. Also loving HourGlass eye shadow primer makes my shadows last all day!
Weekend Plans: Just chilling mostly. Ran lots of errands this week.Plan to relax this weekend watching tv, reading and housecleaning.
What was your last non-beauty product that was life changing?: My kids brought me a Honey well small air purifier. It cools and filters the air very well. I suffer allergies and this really helps my nasal congestion. Bonus that it cools air circulation in this Florida heat!
That’s a really handy product an air purifier and it must make such a difference, especially during spring and summer.
Are you affected by the recent hurricane Denise? We have seen the news reports on TV and it looks frightening. I hope you are safe and well.
Gosh Christine – I hope your husband is OK – that the surgery isn’t for a too serious a reason. My thoughts and prayers are going to be with you both. This isn’t a fun time to be going to hospital and I hope he gets better quickly. I am sure Mellon will be right beside him at home.
Recent Purchases: Seeing as PMG was offering free shipping, I decided to purchase the Sublime 5 pan palette as it was only $21 AUD. I checked your review first Christine, and it was a really good deal.
Rediscoveries: Lancome’s Jade Fever. A perfect green palette.
Weekend Plans: Last Thursday (Australian time, today is Saturday here), our newest addition to our family arrived: a little boy. His mum and dad are STILL deciding on his name. He is 50cm long and weighed 7 pounds and 15 oz. – much, much bigger than they all thought he would. From the pics we have seen, he seems a really placid little baby. The delivery went well – except for the raging storm outside that blew out the power in the hospital just as he was about to arrive (until the backup generators kicked in) and both Mum and bub are well and at home now.
It felt really strange not to be able to go and see him in the hospital, but today I am delivering a baby bath and some goodies for mum and dad. So I am charging my phone to get some good pics with him, mask on.
Both Olivia and Lachlan (up with their Auntie in Kinglake) are overjoyed at his arrival and will probably return home next week. This will give my son and daughter in law time to establish a bit of a routine with him before the other two children come home.
Last life changing product: A few years ago I had a problem with my feet and the advent of orthotics in my shoes made all the difference to me.
Oh, so glad you were able to snag some PMG at free shipping + lower AUD!
We deferred the surgery quite a bit, but we definitely are in the place where it needs to get done! Hopefully everything goes okay.
How exciting! I love babies! I always tear up when I hear of a family welcoming a new one…I don’t know why.
I echo your thought Re Christine’s husband. My big man baby had hip replacement surgery last Dec. I prepped as much as possible (smart move Christine), but I was grateful when my mom and aunt visited and took over. I had shoulder in May and I wasn’t like that. His was pretty major but I believe women are tougher. Christines got this!
aww, a new baby to spoil! How sweet.
The last time I bought running shoes, I got those custom insoles molded—that arch support is no joke, I love it. Glad your orthotics helped!
Congrats Grandma, so happy everything went well!
Congratulations Genevieve to you and your family on the new baby! Babies are such a beautiful blessing. Just found out 4 weeks ago that I’m going to be a grandma a 4th time. This time it’s my daughter expecting!
Thank you everyone, it’s been quite tough for my son and daughter in law with the lockdown, home learning etc and a new baby. His name is Harry and he is impossibly cute, like a cuddly koala. He still continues to feed and sleep really well.
The major problem at the moment is that because of a large storm in our area the water is not safe to drink, as all the power generators failed in the nearby dam. So no bath for baby until it is flushed through and we are all on boiled water.
Congratulations to you too Nancy on becoming a new grandma too. I hope your daughter isn’t feeling too unwell at the moment, in the early stages of the pregnancy.
Thank you once again for all your kind wishes and thoughts.
Congratulations on the new grandbaby! I’m glad everything went OK, despite the power going out.
Mellan looks very handsome. I hope your husband’s surgery goes well and he recuperates quickly!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: The Pat McGrath Rose Decadence palette from the Sephora sale. No rediscoveries.
Weekend Plans: The usual.
Last non-beauty life changing purchase: Nothing really. I did buy a portable air conditioner unit for my upstairs bedroom window. Maybe my Actifry.
Mellan is looking good! I hope everything goes well with your husbands’ surgery!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: nil
Weekend plans: Cleaning and organizing our house, our daughter and her husband will be moving in while they wait for their new house to be finished. |t’s going to be strange to have “kids” back in the house lol!
What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing?: We had to buy new patio furniture due to the squirrel that chewed up our other furniture. It is so much more comfortable than the old set and we bought an umbrella (I get headaches from bright sunlight), and with the pandemic we are almost living on our deck. My husband even cooks our bacon and eggs on the bbq on the weekends. So thank you very much squirrel for chewing up our old furniture, we would never have bought this new comfy set!
Hope all goes well with the surgery!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: I purchased one of the Patrick Starrr Eye Poppers! I also am wearing one of my Chaos makeup multichrome pigments (long neglected) after seeing the new Natasha Denona ones.
Weekend plans: Nail stamp the nails that didn’t go well today. Might order Mexican food tomorrow.
What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing?: My friend introduced me to Darigold Old Fashioned Chocolate Milk and it’s amazing.
Best of luck to your husband on the surgery!
Recent Purchases/Rediscoveries: No purchases this week, although I’ve been testing out the glosses from the Sephora Favorites Kit and I’ve liked all the ones I’ve tried (Lancome Juicy Tube, Patrick Ta Lip Shine, and Fenty Gloss Bomb), and I’m trying the other two over the next two days (NARS Afterglow Lip Balm and Too Faced Lip Injection)
Weekend plans: Using my laptop as much as possible now that I lend it out to my sister for her college classes. I’m putting my theater degree to good use and creating a homemade audiobook of my story for my friend who would have an easier time listening as opposed to reading, but I want to make one of those fancy audiobooks that a lot of sci-fi stories have with music and sound effects. Also my book is 60,000+ words. I’m starting small though, making a sample of the first ten minutes as a proof of concept
What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing?: A Nintendo Switch. My sister and I have both been generally miserable since lockdown started. We’re both stuck at home when she was supposed to live on her own for the first time for her first year of college, and I was supposed to move out and start my post-grad job at the Disney College Program. We haven’t been that close since I started going to college on the East Coast, but we used to play video games together growing up and getting a video game console has brought us together again
I hope all goes well with your husband’s surgery, and that he makes a speedy recovery!
Recent Purchases:
*Coloured Raine — Juicy Boost Palette (flat version) and (redeemed points for discount) singles in Bay Breeze, Sea Breeze, Gumby, Glamour, Intergalactic, and Happy Daze.
*Profusion — Emeralds Palette (arrived broken, because it was the one I wanted the most); Banging Pinks Palette; new Fuchsias Palette; Bright Lights Neon Liners in Strobe, Flash, and Bolt; GWP Clear Makeup Bag.
*Prescription sulfer face wash and multi-ingredient face cream for my rosacea, as I have an official diagnosis now.
Weekend plans: Same old, same old, and more paperwork. Sunday my sons’ friend is coming over to visit. Monday is our 29th wedding anniversary, so we might go out to eat at a trusted local restaurant, or at least order takeout. We haven’t decided. In a couple weeks, we’re going to go camping and check out some volcanic geological features in Eastern Oregon as our getaway. We’ll be in national and state park areas with low population and few COVID cases, and we can sleep and cook in our camper, so it’ll be easy to social distance. We just need a change of scenery and alone time, not a lot of excitement and touristy things.
What was the last non-beauty product that was life-changing?: Alexa Dots. We put one in each bedroom, one in the office/kitchen area, and one in the living room. I can page people, and set alarms and verbal reminders for my sons and brother. All three have PDDs and other issues, and need lots of help with time management.
Happy Anniversary Rachel and I hope you get to go out to celebrate. Going camping is a fabulous idea – back to some nature to revive your spirits. Eastern Oregon is chock full of beautiful mountains and it would be gorgeous to visit.
Thank you! Eastern Oregon has some really beautiful geological features and lakes. We’ll be going to an area we haven’t explored before, so it’ll be a treat to see the volcanic features and artifacts. We weren’t able to go on any trips all spring or summer due to COVID. Not even to the coast. It’s been hard on the spirits.