by Tish MacWebber | Jul 18, 2017 | Events
Once in a blue moon, I get the idea to buy makeup. Usually, there is an event that I will be attending as the reason for this thought to cross my mind. This time my motivations were different. I am spring cleaning my home, and I had decided that I have too much makeup for the rare occasion that I wear it. I decided it was time to purge it.
I made it official. I shared my plan on Facebook. Then I got scared. Full on panic. I was worried that if I threw it all out, I would not be able to replace all of the components within my budget. So I gathered it up to have ready to purge after I bought the new makeup.
Since I had made this a public announcement, I started getting comments. I decided that I would make use of $85.oo in Optimum Points and buy my new makeup at Shoppers Drug Mart. I was advised which store to choose in the city, there are two, and then I was asked if I went yet or not. A few friends wanted to help. I felt at this point that it was becoming more of an event than a shopping trip on the other side of the city.
One of my friends is trained in makeup application. She was joining me to get a few hours break from being a full-time Mom. She had asked me a few weeks ago that if there was anything that I was doing, she would gladly join me to get a break. She lives outside of the city, and we don’t see each other as much as we used to, so I thought it would be a perfect girls day out if she was available. She made arrangements, and I would be picking her up the next day. We decided that if our mutual friend felt up to it, that we would take her too, or if not, we would visit her before the day trip was over. By this time another friend had asked if she could join us. So, a party of 4 showed up at the store the next day.
I had decided before we got there that I was going to need a skin care routine. I don’t really have one, and I wanted to replace the skin cleansers I had been using because they had expired. The lady I was consulting with helped me with all of my choices. She was amazing! She walked me through the basics and helped me pick colours and brands that some friends had recommended, but I had never heard of before. It was an adventure! One friend joined the shopping spree and found the store to be quite impressive, as I did. Our other friends were with another consultant, and one of them, the friend I was giving a day out of the mommy land, she was getting a makeover.
Those of us that were shopping got a bonus lip gloss and 2 free movie admission tickets. That was really great! His & Hers gift for her shopping. Win-win!
When we finished there, it was time to really take a hard look at the old makeup and force me to purge it. There was a Starbucks next door, so we went in there with my 2 large Ziploc bags full of my older makeup.
We got our drinks and snacks and found a table. When we were settled in, we made a plan of attack. Certain things needed to be tossed. Others could be donated, my friend has a teenager. As discussed in detail on my Facebook wall, you can clean powdered makeup with alcohol. 90% was recommended, the kind you have to ask for. You wet the powder and wipe off the top layer of the powdered makeup with a tissue. The rest of the powder is then left to evaporate the alcohol, and it is clean and able to be used safely again. Makeup that was in decent shape was put into a donate pile.
All the old mascara was tossed, as it was all more than 3 months old. Any colours or products I wasn’t certain about, were set aside to compare to my new makeup at the end. I would say that the donate/toss makeup amounted to 2/3 of the total makeup I had there before I went shopping.
Left: to toss Right: to donate
After we all went home, I then began planning phase 2 of this plan I had hatched. I needed to find a way to keep all of the new and old makeup organized. I went on a few different trips to some local stores and found bits and pieces to pull together my very own cosmetics counter in my Master Bathroom.
This is the final result of my organization phase:
-
-
Tish’s Organized Cosmetics Counter
-
-
Tish’s Organized Cosmetics Counter
Obviously, I did not buy all of the product shown here for $85.00 in Optimum points. With the points, you have to pay the taxes when you redeem them. So I think I made good use of the points, and I am using the cleansing routine now on a daily basis.
The pic below shows what I kept, in the Ziploc bag, and what is new is placed on the counter. This is the final result of the purge and purchase:
New and To Keep Makeup.
I have also purchased Vichy Skin Cleansing, Toning, and Moisturizing products, not shown. I am happy with my purchases, although I find the new lip stain ( the 2nd tube from the right) to be a little bright. I guess that means I will have to go shopping again…
When I take the time to actually do my makeup and have a reason to put it on, I will write about the experience, with before and after pics. I have lots of before pics to choose from. What a fun afternoon we had. Do you have any organization tips for your cosmetics? What product is in your must have list?
by Tish MacWebber | Jul 16, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
This weekend is jam packed with so many things to do that I cannot possibly do them all. I started off on Saturday with going to a few yard sales. I found some great deals! I got a Pampered Chef Meat breaking tool, for cooking ground beef. (I was SO happy when I found it, I have wanted to try one for a while. I hope it is as good as I think it will be. I am fighting the early stages of carpal tunnel in my wrists, and anything that helps me do more in the kitchen with less aggravation to my wrists is a good thing.
I found a Rankin Family cd, bought the DVD of Love, Actually, a movie I am interested in watching. I bought a new to me Guy Gavriel Kay book. He is a Canadian Author, and I have read other books by him.
After this, I bought a cheeseburger to go with my coffee as this yard sale was in support of a local SPCA. We also visited the dogs and cats that were available for adoption. One of the cats I really liked was adopted by the end of the day. Good news for that beautiful tabby.
The next yard sale was in a parking lot and had several vendors. I found a set of 4 margarita glasses, and my new wine glass, aka a Thundermug. Hee hee hee. I will probably not use it for wine, I think it would hold a whole bottle! It sure got a laugh out of the lady I was buying it from! I do like beer mugs for other drinks, and it will hold a lot of GGMS over ice, the way it is supposed to be enjoyed.
The third yard sale was a moving sale. We were nearing the time of day when they start closing the yard sales by then. I found a little stand alone cabinet for my Master bathroom. It is wooden, with a door, and three shelves inside. It has flowers painted on the door. For $10.00 I consider it the deal of the day! I was able to find a few jewellery display stands there too. I was very pleased with my purchases yesterday. Then we did some more shopping when my husband was done his overtime.
We went to the Scott’s Nursery, the local year round gardening store. I wanted peppermint plants. I bought six different types,( Spearmint, Pineapple Mint, Strawberry Mint, Chocolate Mint, Berries and Cream Mint, and Moroccan Mint). They will be transplanted into their new clay pots today, and distributed around the mini home in an effort to keep bugs from wanting to be inside my home. It does not seem to have any effect on the housefly that is buzzing around. Time to buy an actual fly swatter, as the flyers are not packing a big enough punch against this stubborn pest.
I am working on a gift for someone very special. I have taken the week off from writing my book, and I am hoping to have it finished in that time. So I will write here when I get a chance, but it may be minimal because this project is going to take a lot of time. I will also post about the finished project when it is completed.
I have to run out to the Freddy Beach Market, which used to be called The Northside Market. I am visiting a friend there briefly and getting some ground beef. We get it there once or twice a month. It is a farmer we buy it from, and they are there every weekend. My friend owns a yarn store and is branching out with a table at this market. I hope it works well for her.
So other than missing out on a free movie downtown, and going to a bar to see an up and coming band with a friend, it has been a really busy weekend so far, and it’s not over yet. We will be going to see Despicable Me 3 tonight, and I am looking forward to it. I love the Minions! And there is supposed to be an evil villain dance off in it too!
Why does there always seem to be more things to do than there is time for on the weekends? What did YOU do this weekend?
by Tish MacWebber | Jul 13, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name. If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story. The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors. I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.
This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.
Here is Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 21
Here I am, in the middle of the week, at 8:30 pm, wondering what to make for supper. Again. I have mentioned before that planning is the key to me staying on plan. Last week I was on vacation and enjoying myself. Yesterday I went back to work, and I have not planned any meals this week. I need to thaw out the chicken that is in the freezer so I can cook it. I also want to do some more barbequing but the meat is frozen, so that is out. Garbage day has come and gone, and I still have food from before vacation in the fridge, that should have gone out with the garbage. When I open the fridge, it is hard for me to figure out what is good and what is not. So the fridge needs to be cleaned out. It may not happen before the weekend. I have only so much energy during the week, and extra energy is being focused on cleaning my kitchen in the war I am having against the ant invasion. Cleaning, cleaning, and cleaning. I do not like the thought of making food in the kitchen at the moment, because of this.
I have done fairly well with staying on plan with my lunches. Did you ever have a breadless ham and cheese sandwich? You use the cheese to hold the ham. No need for condiments, just the ham and cheese. It would work with any type of meat and cheese. I had mini cucumbers and grape tomatoes with it. I rather like it for a change. It is a good summer picnic style lunch. If you can keep your lunches tasty and healthy, that is half the battle. I usually have light laughing cow cheese with unsweetened applesauce as my mid-morning snack. I then wait until I get home and don’t usually eat in the afternoon at work. On Zumba days, I have a Quest Bar before class. Protein bars are made for that. The ones on the plan are sweetened with Stevia and Erythritol. My husband has picked up the wrong ones in the past, so I came up with a tip to help him remember what ones to get. The ones with, “Steve and E” He actually remembered it, and it worked the last time. He brought the right ones home.
I am going to be walking more in the next few weeks. Not far, but a little here and there. To get the mail, to my neighbour’s house because I am cat sitting, just enough to start building up my activity level. I want to be more active, and even doing a small amount of extra walking is a good way to start. I have gone back to Zumba both days this week. I felt stronger tonight, and a little more like I was able to participate more in the class. I was not in my head as much tonight, and that means that I enjoyed the class more. I also plan to get in a few more beach days and to do some swimming. I used to teach swimming lessons in high school. I love swimming, so I am working on planning some time well spent at the lake. It’s not the same as the ocean, but it is close to my home, and I have friends that I can make plans to meet there to have some summertime fun.
I did look for the ginger juice on Monday. I found a local store that carries other products made by the same company, and I will be going back soon to see if they brought some into their store for me. While I was talking to the lady at the store about it, another customer also expressed interest in it. I never left my name, I will just wander back in one day soon. I may contact them about it first, as I want to be able to get it very soon. I also need to get some more apple cider vinegar. It seems I have almost used the whole bottle. When I am certain the ants are finally gone, I will resume making more recipes that are on plan. For now, I have decided on a simple supper. Grilled cheese sandwiches on bread I bought while on vacation. It has to be eaten up before it goes bad, so it might as well be enjoyed while it is reasonably fresh. Treats are OK. I did exercise today. I ate reasonably well. I am also going to get the chicken out of the freezer and put it into the fridge with some greek dressing. That way I can start cooking it tomorrow when I get home from work. It’s all up to the planning. Time to take control again.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Jul 11, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
Yes, I know it is Monday. But when your vacation ends on a Monday, the weekend ends on Monday too. What a week I have had!
I will be writing about that in a guest post as soon as I can. I am waiting for pictures from family members to put into that post, and what I write will be determined by the pics they send.
I can tell you that I went home. I went swimming and spent a fair bit of time between visiting with my family and one of my best friends. It was a full week.
I was supposed to be writing at this time. I have not yet started my book. I was very busy on my vacation while being able to relax and have fun at the same time.
This weekend was also busy. I was on the road for most of Sunday, after staying Saturday night at my friend’s house. We stayed there most of the week. It was nice to spend time with her at her home.
Today was a day to make phone calls, and get my driver’s license renewed. Then the first step back into my routine, back to Zumba class. I go back to work tomorrow. So this is the end of my vacation right now.
I did have a hard time in Zumba. It has been a while since I have gone to class. I am not looking forward to going back to work, and back to normal tomorrow. So I was in my head in class. I broke free for a few minutes, but it was with a heavy heart that I worked out in class today. I have a hard time saying goodbye, and there were more than a few this weekend. It was good to see the people I was able to see and hard to come home.
I was ready, though. It was time to come home and feel like I was home again. I love my friends and family, but being home is also a feeling that is good. Another weekend has ended. Back to life in the real world tomorrow.
by Tish MacWebber | Jul 6, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name. If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story. The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors. I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.
This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.
Here is Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 20
Vacation. It is that time of year when people are travelling and going to celebrations with friends and family. Vacation time can be a tricky thing on days when you aren’t in control of the food and drink that you may consume. This can pose a difficult problem if you are committed to your plan and goals.
You want to be invited to all of the events. You want to participate in the fun. For me, the fun includes eating and drinking the same things as everyone else. So it is a tricky tightrope to walk on when you are trying to fit in, even though it may not be the best way for you to stay the course.
I have to constantly check my blood sugars. That is helpful. I can adjust the insulin I have to take to adapt to what I am eating. But as I have written before, sometimes that dosage is a guessing game, at best.
I experienced a low last week. It was a bad one. Maybe more because it caught me by surprise, and also because of how long it has been since the last time I had a low. It isn’t a simple fix, it takes time for my body to recover from a blood sugar low. This time it took me two and a half hours to feel normal again.
Highs are no better. I feel really tired, to the extreme of me not being able to physically stay awake. There are times that I am literally fighting with myself to stay awake. It is not because I am needing sleep, this too is a side effect of the high sugars, and it is a little hard to explain. The closest I can come is that it is not something that you can control, only fight it. I am usually aware of what is happening at the time it is happening to try and recover. But it is not an easy thing to do.
When you have to think about the effects of everything that you eat and drink, it makes it hard to fit in at gatherings. A lot of them have sweets and cake and even alcoholic beverages are a source of empty calories. So what is a person to do when faced with all of these temptations?
Think about the occasion. What would be acceptable to participate in? What choices can you make? Skip the cake or the ice cream? Or eat salads earlier in the day so you can indulge a little at the celebration?
After all, only you control what you eat or drink. It is up to you. It doesn’t matter to anyone else whether or not you eat that cake or not. It really only matters to you. When you are planning a vacation, keep in mind that sometimes you will have complete control over what you eat and drink, and sometimes you will have to go with the flow. The trick is proper planning and to not go overboard when you do participate in celebrations. Remember to drink your water too, it can help speed up the recovery time of eating or drinking off plan. Really, it is all about balance, both on and off the scale.
#TrustYourGut
