Bye Felicia!

I am a make-up hoarder. Well, kind of. I really like make-up, so I tend to buy it a lot. It's like...a hobby. People ride bikes, collect comics and stamps, I collect make-up. Or I used to.

A couple of  years ago I really felt pressure to buy a lot of the new make-up items, mostly from the drugstore, in order to make sure I was trying the latest and greatest and providing my readers with reviews, swatches, etc. I had So. Much. Stuff. Too much actually. And it was really stressful to me to have all that stuff that wasn't getting used and wasn't being enjoyed.

But then over the course of the last couple of years, I realized two things:

1. Not every new product that comes out will look good on or work for me.
2. If people want reviews of every damn new product that comes out, there are already 400 bagillion blogs and videos out there with that info (I'm lookin at you YouTube).

So what does that mean?

I cleaned the shit out of my stash. I mean that literally and figuratively. If the product didn't look good on me, or wasn't something I used a lot I got rid of it. I didn't just throw it away (unless it was expired). I returned a crap ton of stuff to Sephora and Target, and gave away BAGS of make-up to friends and family (you're welcome Jen and Laurel!). And now what I have left is a stash of my most favorite and most used make-up.

This is not to say I don't still fight the urge to buy (or at least want to buy) all the new things. I just don't give in. [Note - to be clear, I NEVER actually bought ALL the new things.] I really think about whether or not I need a sixth foundation in my drawer, or another dark red lipstick in my purse. Most of the time the answer is no. I try to limit myself to picking up new items either, when something runs out that I don't already have a replacement for, OR a couple of things for each new season.

I have gotten to the point this year with make-up (and other things in my life) that if it's not working for me, then it's done. I am done hanging on to stuff that I won't use. I don't care how trendy it is or how much someone else says they love it. I am not a YouTube Beauty Guru (and that's okay - I love them, I'm just not one of them!), I don't have millions of followers and an endless supply of cash and sponsor-ships to try out every new beauty item under the sun. I am done trying to be something I am not, it's exhausting and expensive and stressful and just plain shitty. I am who I am, and I think I am pretty awesome.

Have you every had one of these "epiphany-style" moments? What was it?

Time to Recharge the Batteries

Life is crazy. Everyday we are pulled in a million different directions. We get up, get ready for the day, head to work, take the kids to school, clean the house, prepare meals, take the dogs to the park, help the kids with homework, etc. There are millions of tasks to take care of and get wrapped up in each and every day. And while in the moment those things seem important, and some of them are, it's easy to get lost in the day to day hustle and bustle of life. 

In keeping with the healthy theme of this month, I wanted to spend sometime today to talk about taking a time-out and recharging your batteries. I know you don't have time, I know you need to reply to that email and call your sitter back. Trust me, I know. But at some point you need to stop and smell the roses a little bit. 

I truly believe that taking a "mental health day" is necessary for survival. Life can be tough and crazy and if you don't take a time out for yourself, no one else will take it for you. You are an amazing person who does a million and five things for everyone else, but what have you done for you lately? 

If you can take a whole day to yourself, I highly recommend it. I just took a week off of work to relax and recharge. It rained all week and was cold. It was perfect. The crap weather forced me to sleep in, read books and take care of myself. I was also able to get some projects done around the house that have been bugging me for awhile. But at the end of the week I experienced something I forgot about. Calm. I was calm. I was no longer frazzled about everything. I finally had the time I needed to unwind. Calm. 

I realize that not everyone can take a week off and "do nothing". So try to find some time each day or each week that's just for you. It could be 15 minutes, it could be a couple of hours. It's hard, but I try to find some time each week to recharge my batteries. Sometimes it's in the car on the way home from work, I crank the radio and belt out my fave songs as loud as I can, or while I make dinner I crank up iTunes and have a dance party (which is extremely amusing to those who happen to be in the house at the time). Or even now as I sit and write this, it's quiet in the house, the dogs are snoring, I have some green tea steeping beside me and I am writing.  

My point is you have to relax and calm down. You can't hurry up through each day waiting for the weekend or next weekend or summer vacation. Enjoy today. Enjoy right now and relax. Find your happy place. It's amazing what you can accomplish and get through once you have recharged.