Tag Archives: favorites

Some of My Favorite Things

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You guys. Since Clay has been away, I feel like my life is very routine. This is a good thing – I like routine, I thrive in it, I enjoy knowing what my life is going to look like day to day and I really like going to bed early.

That said, my routine means that I’m not doing anything toooo exciting. Work, gym, home, food, bed. The gym is probably the most exciting part of my day. (Because whats NOT exciting about the gym?!) I’m not training for anything specific right now – though the CrossFit Team Series just started and I am participating in that… standby on how much that effs me up.

Since my routine is pretty well set, I’ve been hermiting hardcore. But in that hermitage, I’ve been able to dig in to some of my introverted interests. So, I figured I’d pull an Oprah and share some of my current favorite things with you!

Listen

My Favorite Murder – Murderino here. If you’re like me and you’ve harbored a seemingly taboo interest in the slightly macabre, serial killers, or true crime, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are the gals you want to listen to. Every week they share… you guessed it… their favorite murders. They are hilarious and sassy and advocates for mental health, among a great many other things. Dark humor abounds. SSDGM, fam.

Serial – Season three is live y’all! This time, Sarah Koenig and crew head to Cleveland: “A year inside a typical American courthouse. This season we tell you the extraordinary stories of ordinary cases. One courthouse, told week by week.” I’m two episodes deep and it is SO good to be back. I’m ready for more.

Read

The Hate U Give – This might be the most genuine story I’ve ever experienced. I say experienced because it so accurately captures what America has been living through – not just recently, but for a long time.

This book should be required reading. Like “To Kill a Mockingbird” or “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” are required reading for students because of their literary merit and important social and racial commentary, so too is Angie Thomas’ story of race, poverty, gun violence, and learning to use our greatest weapon: our voice.

If you read one book this year, read “The Hate U Give.” I have a copy – borrow mine. It’s too relevant/important/beautiful/horrifying to ignore.

WatchThe Good Place – Holy forking shirtballs. I’m a huuuuge KBell fan, have been since Veronica Mars, and you guys, this show is so good. Creator Mike Schur (of The Office and Parks and Rec) puts Bell’s Eleanor Shellstrop (who is dead) in The Good Place. But is she really? Hilarity ensures.

This show has filled the void Parks and Rec left – it’s hilarious and smart and creative. And Kristen Bell is delightful, per usual, and Ted Danson is Ted Danson. If you’re not watching this, there are two seasons on Netflix, so quit wasting your time and get on it!

The Great British Baking Show – The most pleasant reality competition show to ever exist. There are five seasons on Netflix and each one is just delightful. Not to mention these home bakers create some of the most incredible and delicious-looking bakes. I’m so impressed by their skills and jealous of their kitchen space. And I want Mary Berry to be my grandma.

So, that’s where I’m at these days. When I’m not at work or at the gym, I’m embracing my introvertedness. Fortunately, there are a lot of things to do when being around people is exhausting. What are some of your go-tos?

That Thirty-ish Year Old Glow (You know you want it)

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I spent most of my weekend sitting around like this:

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I’m not sure what happened, because I felt okay after the AC half last weekend. I had a couple of rest days and then ran four miles at the gym. Still feeling fine, I took my littles to the play gym and when I bent down to put my daughter’s shoe back on, a shot of pain went up my shin and I literally limped around for the rest of the afternoon. Compression and ice feel like old pals after spending all weekend together.

I don’t know what to think. I guess it’s still shin splints? I’ve never dealt with prolonged pain from running, so I have no clue how long it will take to heal. Boooo. Over the weekend, I was a bit sore in the mornings but once I got moving, I felt better. I haven’t done any cardio (I had planned on the elliptical but a busy weekend got in the way), but I’ve been fine during my strength workouts. I even did legs/butt on Saturday (my fave right now is the Malibooty routine by the Tone It Up Girls, mostly because it’s fun to say “Malibooty”). I’m going to try to run a short distance today-slow and steady- and see how it goes.

During one of my icing sessions, I received the following text from my best friend:

“Have you heard about the ‘toddler glow’?”

Now we both have toddlers, so I thought it might’ve been some new toy, but noooooo. Apparently, it’s a new makeup technique to make women look younger. Specifically, like a two year old. I mean, really. Really? REALLY?!

I researched this “toddler glow” and it seems that what you are supposed to do is wake up at 5am demanding to nurse in the big bed, ask for a cookie, break it into tiny pieces and rub the crumbs in your hair, and get someone to carry you everywhere. Unless you want to walk. Then you scream.

No, wait. That’s just how to be a toddler.

For the toddler glow, you are supposed to apply highlighter everywhere the sun hits, so you look like a a dewy JCrew model. Or like this girl:

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And I want to be like “Eff you, makeup industry. Stop telling me that I should look younger, younger, younger.” It’s so unfair. Just last week, Mer and I were texting about our day (like what we were doing right that second) and I told her I was researching botox. Which is insane, because I’m in my early thirties, and I’m pretty sure Mer fell out of her chair before typing “Whattttttt?!” But I’ve lived in Florida my whole life and I have these forehead wrinkles and the elevens between my brows and I don’t know. I guess maybe I want to look like a toddler? Or I should have been wearing sunglasses since I was one, at any rate. But really, what is next? Should I aspire to look like this?

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For the most part, I embrace my age. Sure, I miss having a perky booty and boobs that didn’t require a push-up bra (it’s crazy to me that there was a time when I could go out sans bra. Madness!). And as I’ve mentioned, I sure do miss that metabolism. But I love my life right now. All these years and choices and life has lead me to this time; with my husband and kids and so many wonderful things. But you know what? I am also a little bit vain and would like to get rid of the elevens.

Anyway, I am a girl who loves makeup and even though I think the name “Toddler Glow” sucks, I already sort of do this stuff.

My friends often ask me what I’m using on my skin. Just last week, my daughter’s dance teacher asked me if I’d recently had a chemical peel because my skin looked so great. (No, ma’am. My baby just started sleeping through the night. And I just got home from a girl’s weekend. I highly recommend it.) Here are some of my suggestions for glowing skin:

My arsenal of illuminating makeup.

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From left to right: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Miami Strip, YSL Touche Eclat, Clinique Airbrush Concealer (I AM OBSESSED.), Stila Illuminating Foundation (I mix this with bb cream and apply only where needed), Clinique Chubby Sitck Shadow in Bountiful Beige, Girl Meets Pearl by Benefit, Watt’s Up by Benefit.

I use some combination of these every day. The Clinique concealer is my absolute favorite. It makes me look like I’m Sleeping Beauty, waking from a 100 year nap.

I also recommend actual sleep. Little Dude started sleeping through the night three weeks ago (Yes, he’s 16 months. Yes, that’s a long time to go without sleep.) I feel like a new woman.

Drink your greens.

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It’s supposed to help. My skin has never looked as good as it does when I regularly drink something green.

Get laid. Be safe about it.

Exercise! Obviously.

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Take that, Toddler Glow.

Drink water.

Spend time with your friends. Laughing with your girlfriends is the best.

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Tell me your favorite makeup product. Any tips for youthful-looking skin? Or we can talk about shin splints. What should I do?