Fresh Summer Skin

I've received the question: "How do you keep your skin so fresh during the hot summer months?" several times. My key is keeping it minimal. I am a sweater (yes eeewww gross), and for me lotions and foundations are not good.

My summer time skin regimen is very simple, and quite inexpensive. I've been using this regimen since I was a teenager and can count on one hand the times I have had breakouts during the past fifteen years. I use the equate brand of cold cream to wash my face before bed each night, followed by three cotton balls of rubbing alcohol to get all the residual dirt and make up off, then if I need to I have started using Aveeno Simply Radiant moisturizer. I never use foundations during the summer time unless I am going somewhere at night and I know I will be in air conditioning, for me there is nothing worse than putting on foundation, going outside, sweating, and having it cake and crack...so gross!

My morning skin care routine for summer time is quite similar to the night time routine, skipping the rubbing alcohol unless I am oily or sweat during the night. I usually forgo the moisturizer as well.

Remember, right now your skin is adjusting from winter dryness to summer time humidity and heat. Baby your skin during this time and take time to do something special for your skin once a week. I enjoy mud masks on my face, and use the St. Ives products when I want to do something special for my face.

When washing your face, don't overkill with scrubbing. You should rub cleanser into your face for no more than 15 seconds and rinse with warm water.

Baby your face, as you get older you will be grateful you did.

Now,let's move on south from the face. I become very reptileish during the summer months, kind of scaly, most likely because I am constantly in chlorine or salt water and dry off via Mr. Sun! Bath and Body Works has sugar scrubs I absolutely love, they exfoliate the skin wonderfully (sugar scrubs are better than salt scrubs because if you have a scratch on your legs the sugar doesn't sting like the salt does). Exfoliating prior to shaving opens your pores and allows shaving to be more effective. After I exfoliate and shave and do all else I need to do in the shower, I apply moisturizer before I am completely dry, doing so allows the moisturizer to be sealed into the skin and I tend to have less scaliness. I recommend Nivea Firming Gradual Self Tanner, it has a wonderful scent, moisturizes terrific, and it tans gradually so it won't leave streaks...I love it, I love the added color that no matter makes me feel a little sexier.

Take care of your skin in the summer, wear lotion with a little spf to protect it from harmful rays, and enjoy showing it off!

Summer Time Hair and Makeup

I live in the deep south, seriously, I'm less than ten miles from the end of the United States. Today it was 95 degrees and it felt more like 115 degrees to me. I am forgoing most make up for the season and my hair, well, it is growing out and I have some cute highlights in it for the summer.

I spend my days during the summer time between the pool and the beach. I love being in the water, the salt water is amazing to my curly hair and I love the way it feels post-beach day. The chlorine in the pool, surprisingly, doesn't effect my hair except for the drying out part. My hair is naturally curly, so post-beach or pool the easiest thing to do is put a little curl gel in it and bobby pin the sides back. On days where I want to feel sexy, I straighten my hair. My hair is to my shoulders now (yay!), but my bangs arent quite below my ears. I am getting kind of tired of bobby-pinning the bangs back, but what's a girl to do?

Now, let's talk about summer time make-up! I am in love with Clinique's Copper Penny eyeshadow, I line my eyes with Avon's Emerald eyeliner over the copper penny eye shadow and put on some mascara, I am good to go! I love the way the combination makes my green eyes pop and how it makes me feel so pretty. For days I don't want to hassle with too much make up, I generally put some cover girl waterproof mascara on and some Avon Cheekers to make my tan cheeks a little pink.

I find it easy in the summer time to forget about doing anything to my hair. Moment of horror this week was when I realized I didn't wash my hair for six days!! It was very gross to think about....I must take time for myself even during the summer time.

So,all you mamas out there who need some summer time help as you go out for fun in the sun....keep it minimal, but keep it pretty.

Remember, you are a mommy, but you're a lady first.

XOXO,
Rebecca

It's even in magazines!

Image by Andreanna Moya Photography via Flickr

I was reading the May issue of InStyle, a magazine that I think combines both high and low end looks fairly successfully, when I stumbled across an article that capitulates what we're talking about here!  Mom's need makeovers!  It's not for other people, though there are critics who will always argue that fashion is "for other people" but rather for yourself and to remind you that, yes, there still is YOU under all that grub.  While the writer obviously has a budget that I don't have for new clothing right now she did manage some practical tips.

1. Shop your closet.  This is a no brainer but try everything on.  Put different outfits together.  You might surprise yourself with what you actually still have that's fashionable or can be updated with an accessory or two.
2. Start with little things.  If you can't afford a full on hair cut, coloring session, go in for a cheaper trim, and pick up a box of hair color that's the same shade as what you've already got. (If you have longer or thicker hair, you will need two boxes.)  Fresh color and even a trim can work magic on feeling dull.
3. Wear LESS makeup, but MORE consciously.  Practice a new look that has you pulled together and feeling confident, fast.  Go in and get a free makeover at a makeup counter.  Tell them what your lifestyle is and what kind of "look" you want to achieve on a regular basis.  Sometimes having a professional tell you how to get that "natural glow" is worth the time and then you can recreate the look, no matter what your makeup budget is.
4. Also do other little things.  Don't like wearing full on nail polish but your nails and cuticles are in shreds?  Once a week, file and shape your nails, put on a clear nail strengthener and then everynight before bed, use some heavy duty hand cream and/or cuticle oil.
5. Sell or donate what doesn't fit you.  Don't live for "but when I'm a size 6 again!!!!"  Dress for who you are now, be it size 00 or 16.
6. Create what you call you "uniform".  "The uniform" is unfailing.  It will get you though even the most fashion bleary days.  My personal uniform, now that it's spring, is a variety of black 3/4 sleeve tees, some lighter cardigans in bold splashy prints, and trouser jeans or trouser cut capris, and flats.  Small jewelry.  Your "uniform" should reflect the lifestyle you lead but take it one step up.  I may be a SAHM that freelance writes, but I take my kids places and I have my own meetings and life too.  So I choose things that suit me, work well in a few different settings and that can handle getting down and dirty with the kids.
7. Always have yourself in mind and not others.  If you dress to make yourself happy and confident, others will notice and take note or even complement you.  Case in point- yesterday I threw on trouser cut capris, black flats, a purple cami, and a purple & pink print cardigan.  I did my hair, put on a bit of makeup and threw on a necklace and bracelet.  Then I spritzed a bit of perfume on.  The first thing out of my husbands mouth, my husband who doesn't say a whole lot about my clothes? "Wow, you look great!  Let's go!"  I even got a little kiss and a pat on the tushie, so I'm thinking he was happy I took care of me.
   
   What can you do to start feeling better about you today?
   
   Signing off,
   
   Sara Rose

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In bed, eating and writing.

Uh huh.  Sara here.  We've watched The Princess and The Frog about 800 times in 3 days.  I have not showered.  I DID color my hair and paint my nails this weekend. That's where the lam ends, unfortunately.  My hair riht now is an awesome train wreck of bed head and probably lint.

Ugh. It's a good thing we rarely go on play dates.  Someone would institutionalize me.

I've done it....I've let myself go

It hit me on Monday - I've let myself go! I had an inkling that this did happen around November, but on Monday it was no longer an inkling.

On Monday we had a play date at a local park, I actually took initiative and got out of my workout clothes and into some decent clothes. Let's back up....in November I decided I would never lose the weight I gained with my last pregnancy, so therefore I gave away all of my clothes that were not fitting me that day, most of those being summer clothes. Well, lo and behold here I am in the size of the clothes that I gave away - 10 13 gallon bags of clothes I just gave away. So now I have two summer shirts and one pair of shorts. I wore my black bermuda shorts, an ivory sleevless shirt over a grey layering tank, of course I wore my flip flops. I even took my hair out of it's signature sad pony tail and put a head band in. As I was driving to the park, I reached down to scratch my leg and realized "way to go Bec, you didn't shave your legs" so I felt like a real loser. At the park I shared my woes with my girlfriends, they all laughed, but I think it was a pity laugh. One mom there was so cute in her Nike running shorts, matching t-shirt, and matching cap, she works at a gym so you can imagine what her body is like even though she has three kids. She told me I looked cute and that she looked homeless...my thought was, "uh-yeah, maybe I should start looking homeless". After hours at the park, we went home, on the way home I smelled something pretty rank - right in the area of saurerkraut...that's when I realized I didn't put on deodorant. Yeah - I've let myself go.

Yesterday, I stayed home all day and actually went from my pajamas to, yes you guessed it, my workout clothes. This is getting sad. My husband is even questioning my clothing choices, encouraging me to brush my hair, and telling me to bathe. My four year old questions now why I am putting on make-up, it used to be a part of daily life for me to put on make up and do something with myself.

I've been thinking, what in the heck are the reasons I've let myself go:
1. I'm the only girl in my houeshold, nobody tells me when I look cute or downright wretched.
2. I don't have time to get cute and take care of myself
3. I go to the gym at 4 am every day, I don't much feel like getting pretty after I have sweated for two hours first thing in the morning
4. I just had a baby -- okay I need to stop using this excuse, my baby is almost a year old
5. I don't have cute clothes

So - as you can see, I have a arsenal of excuses as to why I can't take care of myself. Then I thought about how I used to feel when I did take care of myself and my reasons that I did do it, and came up with this list:
1. I feel more confident when I am dressed and have make up on
2. I deserve to do nice things for myself
3. I am the only girl in my household, I should be super-feminine to couteract the testosterone
4. I want other moms to admire me (hee hee, you know you think that as well)
5. I'm only at this age and this season in my life once, I might as well make it pretty
6. I just feel good when I look good

There, I finally admitted it, I have let myself go.

Now I need to get off my workout gear clad rump, look at my fashion magazines, make a game plan, and become a girl again!

xoxo,
Rebecca

Step One: Admitting You've Let Yourself Go.

Image via Wikipedia

Oh today has been a rough one.  Poor baby Owen is at a pinnacle of grossness- teething, drooling nonstop, blow out after diaper blow out, spitting food everywhere.  It's been a day.  It's also raining, sloppy, and miserable outside.  So do I look like I stepped out of the pages of J.Crew today?   Nope.  I did attempt earlier.  even though I knew I would only be at home, hanging out with Owen, cooking, cleaning, and writing- I threw on some comfy but cute jeans, a new camisole, and a cute zip up fleece.  I did the hair, spritzed some perfume, and got some concealer and mascara on.  Life was looking okay.

Then, all the grossness happened, and the second my husband got home, I raced through the house for some yoga pants and one of his big tshirts.  Now, I'm writing in bed, looking less like a fashionably comfy mama nd more like a professional lifer college student.  So, there in comes the question, "Why get dressed 'up' to be at home?"  It's a perfectly acceptable one too.  It's just that f I don't put SOME modicum of effort nto myself for the day, I am less likely to get anything done.  Some gals can clean, cook, work, play with the kiddos, etc., all in their pjs. 

I just slog through the day, galumphing from the bed to the couch in hopes of more Oreos and a Lifetime movie.  So, even if I m just casually dressed- say yoga pants and a tank, and a hoodie, I do need to get.dressed.daily or else I just end up in that black hole where a week later I ask myself when the last time I brushed my teeth was.  To me, just rolling out of bed and attempting the day is letting myself go.

I believe a lot of women feel this way but we get stuck in the "Why bother" rut?  Then there's the social pressure of "If you're just at home, why bother? You look fine!"  I'm lucky to have one of those husbands who thinks my bedhead and unbrushed teeth are just as cute as a little black dress and stilletos.  But it's the same argument we have with those people who don't "think you need to workout" and such- it's for me!

As a mom, a wife, a writer, an adult, I just have so little time that I devote to myself.  There's this pressure that everything should be about everyone else, but really, you have to fit you in there too.  Ten years down the road, I don't want to be the mom who never took pics with my kids because I was just unkempt or think "I wish I would have . . . "

There are some who even argue that conforming to a look or even just caring is anti-feminist.  I find that to be really baffling.  Since when is taking time for me to feel better about me, as a woman and a person, is part of my personal definition of feminism and also femininity.  I would rather be the mom who cared enough to put on some blush and a cute top than the woman who looks like she emerged from a black hole when you see me at the grocery store.

Admitting that you've let yourself go is hard and it comes in stages.  I'll have those fired up days where I get myself all together, then I have "one of those weeks" where at the end of it, I realize I wore the same shirt for three days.  So it takes a constant low grade level of alertness and a personal definition of what your minimums and maximums are of getting yourself put together.  You have to set standards in every other area of your life, and personal maintenance is not to be ignored.

From what I've seen in my own life, everyone benefits when I try with myself a little bit more.  Because I took fifteen minutes this morning, I got far more done than I have other mornings where all I do is wander around in pj's wondering what to do.  Sure, I had to change clothes and now I'm back in comfy pj-like stuff, but I'm still working away because of that extra bit of effort I gave myself this morning.

So, as part of step one, I'm embarking on a little creative exercise.  Outlining what my own minimums and maximums are.  What I need to be productive, comfortable, and pulled together every day.  I came up with the idea a couple days ago to start setting my alarm about fifteen to thirty minutes before everyone else gets up.  During these few minutes, I brew my coffee, hop in the shower, and get dressed for the day for me.  Then when everyone else is up, I can set about the rest of the day with a bit of extra spring in my step.  There is really no reason why I shouldn't care just as much about my own grooming as that of my kids.

So now that I've admitted I have let myself go in two blogs, now I need to focus on what I need to get back to being me.  The fifteen minutes is a start, but like I said, I also need to hash out what will be my "standards".  Join me so we can all get back to feeling fab again.

Signing off-

Sara Rose