You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”
Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past seven years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
- What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
You mean, other than what’s left of El Hub’s two-week-old birthday cake (which has very likely gone bad, but he refuses to throw away)? This: two Bath & Body Works Body Splashes. LOL! Putting them on just feel so friggin’ good when it’s hot…I used to also keep an eye serum roller in there (Clinique’s All About Eyes) for hot days, but I recently used it up (NOTE TO SELF: Get a new eye serum roller for the fridge).
- Some of the best moments in life are [FILL IN THE BLANK].
Quiet. And they usually don’t seem epic or significant at the time, but later you realize that they were. - [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy.
Perfectly applying false lashes in one try without having to adjust them brings me major makeup joy. Just dropping them down and then whoomp! — there it is! - [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated.
Being a grownup is overrated…As are pants. Pants are terribly overrated.
- Shimmer or matte?
GUUUUURL, you know I love the sparkly stuff. 🙂 But as I get more “mature” (air quotes), I find myself increasingly reaching for mattes. They’re great for defining the crease and carving out cheekbones while not calling out mah pores — all that good schtuff.That said…I could never pick mattes over shimmers. I just couldn’t (I mean, I lived through the ’90s), so consider me part of Team Shimmer, but I’ll be on a sub-squad called Team Very Subtle Sheen.
Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK].
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy.
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated.
5. Shimmer or matte?
One of the things I do first thing on a lot of Monday mornings is scour my favorite productivity websites for a new tip or technique to latch on to that week… Something to help me focus and get things done.
I was doing that this morning when I spotted this: Schedule Your Day Backwards to Get Everything Done in a Timely Manner.
Interesting… I do a lot of different to-do list-type things, but I can’t recall ever trying this.
Here’s my concern, though: what if I don’t do one of my scheduled tasks at its predefined specific time? Does that throw the whole thing out of whack?
I wonder…
Most of my to-do lists don’t have structured times. They’re just a list of things, and I do it that way so I’m free to pick and choose when I do each one throughout the day, like, the creative stuff when I feel most creative, and the monotonous stuff when I feel…most monotonous, LOL! 🙂
Eh, what the heck. I’ll give it a try… I like the idea of knowing when you’re supposed to stop.
Yeah, knowing when I’m supposed to take Tabs for his afternoon walk promises to keep me in his good graces, and that’s a very good thing.
Good luck this week, babe. Let me know how you’re doing today.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
My day is also a to-do list without time scheduled in. I like to roll with the punches 🙂 But I’d like to give myself an amount of time with the to-do’s so I don’t spend more than necessary.
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? This is gross… rotting spinach. I don’t want to smell it in the trash so I’m waiting until the trash fills and is ready to go out before throwing out the spinach.
2. Some of the best moments are UNPLANNED. I feel like there is so much pressure from the world to plan every moment of every day to maximize fun/joy/beauty/health. I say live and let live.
3. AN AWESOME LOW COST BUY brings me major makeup joy. It’s getting harder and harder to find quality beauty products at a low cost. I mean the *really* good stuff, not just the “this is nice” stuff.
4. SOCIAL MEDIA is overrated. There’s a time and a place, but people spend so much time on social media they forget to nurture real relationships. Put down your phone at the dinner table. Have a “phones put a way at 8:00pm rule.” Don’t worry about throwing a Pinterest-perfect birthday party for your kid. Just do you and make sure you’re appreciating face-to-face time with those you love.
5. Shimmer or matte? Matte. I’m testing out Becca Ombre Nudes eyeshadow palette and have a big thing for matte lipsticks right now. I’m sure it won’t last long 😉
Oh man, Alison! YES! I second your thoughts on social media so much! It drives me nuts when we’re out somewhere having dinner and I look around and EVERYONE is on their phones. People are missing out on actual relationships and activities by being glued to their social media accounts 24/7! I think there’s going to be a major “unplugged” revolt soon when people realize life is best when it’s lived offline. <3
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
Lush Fresh face masks and batteries (although I know it’s actually a preffered place to store them, I still feel weird when I reach for my veggies and instead I find AAAs, lol).
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK].
Spent with friends.
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy.
Getting new makeup. That’s quite obvious but I am always super excited when I get something new, especially if it was hard to get or I wanted it for a long time.
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated.
TV. I could easily live without one and be perfectly happy. When I am home by myself because my hubby is away I hardly ever turn on the TV, unless I am bored out of my mind.
5. Shimmer or matte?
That won’t come as a surprise, but of course SHIMMER all the way. Although I am quite excited about the new Urban Decay Nakes 2 Basics palette that’s coming out soon. I never got the original Basics one and colors in the new one are really pretty.
Have a great Monday, Karen. Tabs must be super happy that you’re back! It’s raining and thunder storming here really bad but I have had a very productive morning so far!
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? Let me go check! *checks* A bottle of praliné cream liqueur. Shaped like a chocolate sea horse.
2. Some of the best moments are the ones you live every day without realizing that they’re actually the best.
3. Finding a foundation that makes my skin look ahmazing brings me major makeup joy.
4. Lip liner is overrated.
5. Shimmer or matte? Depends, but in general I prefer matte finishes.
LOL! OK, the fact that the praline cream liqueur was in a chocolate sea horse bottle takes it to the next level. 🙂
How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? If the freezer counts, I suppose the denim jean rice “ice” packs my friend made one year. They make great ice packs for kids because you can put them directly on the bruise/whatever and they don’t get too cold. 🙂 Plus she recycled all her old jeans to make them for her friends!
2. Some of the best moments are sharing laughter, quiet mornings outdoors, waking up at night when camping and seeing the Milky Way.
3. New lipstick and unusual eye shadow colors brings me major makeup joy.
4. Contouring is overrated.
5. Shimmer or matte? I’m a shimmer girl (started first applying makeup in those late 90s/early 2000s days when EVERYTHING was shimmer!) but I’ve recently started appreciating all-matte looks so I’d say BOTH (cheating!)
Hi Ashleigh!
So tell me about these jean ice packs. Do you just cut up the jeans and then stick them in the freezer? Or do you soak them first in water, and, like, put them in a plastic bag? I’m training for a half marathon right now and cold ice packs come in handy! These sound like I could really use them.
My friend made them so I’m not entirely sure of the process, but they look like she took both pockets of the jeans and then sewed them together with sections for the rice. Nope, you don’t need to soak them in water, they stay nice and cool on their own. Since they’re not actually frozen they’re not going to last as long as a real ice pack, but they feel nice and gentle on the skin and hold their cool fairly long. Here’s a picture if you wanted to get crafty and make some for your sore muscles 🙂 Good luck with your marathon!
http://i.imgur.com/DJoopt5.jpg
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? Kat Von D’s Tattoo Foundation – I wear foundation only in the winter as I am pale then (lol) and I had more than 1/2 the bottle left & didn’t want bacteria to grown in the heat over the summer. 😉 Hope it works!
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK]. ‘Spent discovering something on your own’ – I’m a single girl that embraces being single & doing things on my own – like spending 14days in Peru in October!!
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy. Gotta agree with you Karen – 1st attempt at fake lashes is a happy moment for sure.
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated. Being thin.. I’m chunky/fluffy/pudgy – but I am healthy & have the Dr’s tests to prove it. Be comfortable in the body you have, not the one you want.
5. Shimmer or matte? a 50/50 mix of both.. I fluctuate between them, depending on my mood of the day or function.
Hi, Karen! I’ve been needing some motivation lately. As you know, it can be hard when you work from home. What websites do you go to?
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? Hmmm. I’ve got a jar of “garlic finish” in there, which is basically a BUNCH of sliced garlic and basil in olive oil. I’ve been finding every excuse to put it in everything.
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK]. “Full of laughter.” You know those times. When you laugh so hard that your face and sides hurt and tears are streaming down your face. I need more of those.
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy. “Bright colors!” An eye shadow palette full of bright colors will always make me giddy.
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated. “Gluten-free.” Sorry, guys.
5. Shimmer or matte? Toughie, but I’ll say shimmer. I love matte, too, though!
Gluten free is not overrated when you have Celiac disease and gluten destroys the lining of your small intestines. It is an autoimmune disease and causes a person to almost constantly stay sick (while having severe GI problems). Some people do eat gluten free who do not have to and this can taint the view of the general public. I know that given your comment you probably do not know that many people eat gluten free for medical reasons, but people with Celiac disease and gluten sensitivities have enough problems without people being insensitive and hurtful to them. Discrimination comes in many forms, but is always painful. If you have not guessed, I suffer from diagnosed Celiac disease and it is a daily struggle. Eating in public is not even worth it to me because of preconceived notions about gluten free eating.
Hi Samantha! I actually know all about Celiac Disease and how horrible it is. I was actually going to add that I meant people who eat gluten-free for the fad, and not people who actually need it, but I left that out for brevity.
Sorry if I offended you!
It is alright. I understand that everyone has different life experiences and you did not mean to offend anyone. No harm here.
Hi Trisha,
About working from home, I feel your pain. Sometimes I wish Tabs was a better boss, and by better I mean more involved. 🙂 I have lots of favorite motivation sites, but some of the top ones are:
zenhabits.com
lifehacker.com
99u.com
lifehack.org
One thing I like to do is mine the archives of these sites. I’ll do a google search using the “site” operand, like this, which will only return results with the word “writing” in them from lifehacker.com.
writing site:lifehacker.com
Thanks, Karen! I hadn’t seen 99u.com. I’ll totally check it out!
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
hmm… probably shrubs. Not the green, leafy kind – but vinegar shrubs, which are a syrup that you make from fruit+sugar+vinegar. I add em to soda water (and sometimes cocktails) and drink up! Soooo tasty. 🙂 But, admittedly, a little weird!
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK].
shared with the people that matter to you. Like, watching my sister get married, or holding my niece at a family gathering. I especially treasure those moments, since I live about 3,000 miles away from most of my family these days!
(I really liked your answer to this one, Karen 🙂 I had to will myself not to steal it!)
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy.
dry shampoo. y’know why? dry shampoo means more sleep in the morning, thankyouverymuch. And that brings me lots of joy. 🙂 (haha does that even count?)1
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated.
stress. I feel like stress can be a badge of sorts, but I am NOT about it. I function so much better when I’m not stressed!
5. Shimmer or matte?
oooh…. if I had to pick one or the other, I think I’d go with matte, but I love the occasional shimmer!!
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
I have veggies, vegan chorizo, homemade lentil soup in my refrigerator…I guess the weirdest thing would be jalapeño raspberry jam.
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK].
spent with my husband.
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy.
MAC
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated.
Cream eyeshadow
5. Shimmer or matte?
Matte
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
There’s a jar of “something” in there that has gone bad and is no longer identifiable. Yeah, cleaning out the fridge needs to get on my “to do” list for the week.’=
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK].
Spent with loved ones, preferably accompanied by music.
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy.
Shiny coral lips.
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated.
“Normal”
5. Shimmer or matte?
Shimmer, shimmer, and more shimmer!
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
Various home brewing supplies that my husband uses when he makes beer!
2. Some of the best moments are when we’re away in Maine for a long weekend. 🙂
3. Eyeshadow in chubby pencil form brings me major makeup joy. (I love not having to use brushes!)
4. Going to Cape Cod during high season is overrated. (I’m more of an off season gal).
5. Shimmer or matte? Shimmer for eyeshadow but in general I prefer matte (especially for bronzer and lips!)
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? A jar of (expired) Chinese burn healing cream. Still works well though, so I don’t see the need to throw it away.
2. Some of the best moments are _the ones you spend alone_.
3. _Duochrome shadows_ brings me major makeup joy.
4. _Instagram_ is overrated.
5. Shimmer or matte? Shimmer eyeshadows, matte everything else.
Scheduling your day backward is an interesting tip! Not sure it would work for me, I schedule my day “as things come in,” with the thing I want to do least/that requires the most concentration first thing in the morning, as that’s when I’m most productive.
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
Nothing really– lots of bacon and beer.
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK].
When you laugh so hard you can’t breathe.
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy.
A clear face. I hate putting on concealer, so when I can avoid it, it’s awesome!!
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated.
Beyoncé. Yup, I said it. I don’t think she’s a great singer…
5. Shimmer or matte?
Shimmer all the way baby– cheeks, eyes, and lips. Sometimes I need to tone it down majorlyyy!
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
Hmmm. I’m frightfully ordinary. All I have is the usual stuff. But I do confess to looking there if I can’t find my car keys…you know, one of those ‘senior’ moments!
2. Some of the best moments are : when the grandchildren have gone home!
3. New make-up brings me major makeup joy…don’t you just love it when you bring home a haul and can’t wait to try it!
4. Kate Moss is overrated. I really don’t get why everyone thinks she’s the bee’s knees. She’s always three sheets to the wind!
5. Shimmer or matte?
Don’t follow the rules: it stops you being creative. Do whatever makes you happy. I’m much more senior than you, and yes, I have curbed the shimmers, but a famous make-up artist said don’t go overboard with the mattes or you will just look flat. Mattes for the crease, shimmers for the eyelid. If you follow the rules and aren’t happy, what’s the point? But don’t worry, you’ve got pleeeeeeeenty of time before you need to worry!
Happy Monday! I like your reverse list idea. I get a lot of drop in “need this now” type of things daily so I’m usually pretty flexible. I can tell you what’s not productive, though. Looking at Pinterest for work and stumbling upon mac & chz recipes. Like a million of them. When you’re starving. Makes for a long afternoon!! 🙂
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? I’d say the jar of almond butter that everyone in the family hates but I don’t have the heart to throw out, just in case.
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK]. Snuggling! Kids, pets, special someones. What’s a better pick-me-up than a quick snuggle with a loved one?
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy. Chanel Malice (of course).
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated. Fashion. I’m sorry because it’s not a judgement on people who love fashion. It’s just overrated to me. I’d be happy in sneakers and a NASA style jumpsuit every day. 🙂
5. Shimmer or matte? Is there room for me on team “subtle, flattering shimmer?”. I hope so.
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? – I don’t even know! Which probably means it’s time to clean out the fridge!
2. Some of the best moments are – spent at the height of laughter! No matter who it’s with, or what it’s about, I don’t think I ever feel more capable, beautiful, or purely myself than when I’m laughing hard. Life is full of possibility and nothing can hurt you when you’re laughing.
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy. – A perfectly symmetrical cat eye! I applied one last night with my black L’Oreal gel liner, and I was shocked at how twinlike both wings were. I kept rotating my face back and forth to see if I could tell a difference, lol!
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated. – Miley Cyrus came to mind. I mean she’s great, I like her songs, but I don’t know that she’s doing anything so groundbreaking or important that she merits hundreds of thousands of likes on each Instagram picture. I say, more power to Miley, it’s great that she’s creating something and expressing herself, but I rate her exactly at where she’s at, whereas I think she’s overrated with most of her target audience.
5. Shimmer or matte? – I’m Team Matte with almost everything, but I can never resist some shimmer on the cheekbones and eyelids 🙂
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? Umm, I plead the 5th on the grounds that I’ll TOTALLY embarrass myself. Just returning from a month long stay in my home state. The fridge looks like I’ve been away for 30+ days. Haha!
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK]. Spent with my niece & nephews. They’re still babies, or at least still really close to it. They love to giggle, play, snuggle, & they love me to pieces. The feeling is definitely mutual!
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy. A good brow day! Yup, why can’t everyday be a good brow day?
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated. Being politically correct. I mean, I understand everyone has different sensibilities & sensitivities, but I don’t fancy the need to be PC all the time so as not to offend anyone. You can please some of the people some of the time but, oh well. You get the gist.
5. Shimmer or matte? Shimmer, baby. And lots of it!
Hi Kwmechelle,
I bet it feels good to be back home! Are you happy to sleep in your own bed again? That’s what I look forward to the most when I travel — coming home to my bed.
Yes, it does. Though it took me a few days to get back in the swing of things here. For some reason, I didn’t sleep great the first few nights back. But not to worry, I completely made up for it yesterday. When I finally did get up, my 6 year old niece pointed out that I’d missed breakfast and that it was way past lunch time. Gotta love kids for pointing out the obvious. 🙂
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? I don’t think there’s anything too strange in there right now! Just food 🙂
2. Some of the best moments are spontaneous! I did not plan on doing crazy things at trapeze last week, but it was awesome!
3. Good brow days bring me major makeup joy! Love having a good brow day, makes other makeup almost unnecessary!
4. Always doing stuff is overrated. It’s nice to have time to relax! (Also, I’m at home sick, so doing stuff sucks)
5. Shimmer or matte? You need both! I like some shimmer on my lids, but always use a matte for the crease to define. Cheeks, combining shimmer and more matte products looks amazing, especially if you contour.
You are so brave doing trapeze class! I think that would terrify me.
How’s work going? Oh…and I hope you feel better soon.
It’s so much fun! And I’m getting so much stronger and better!
Thanks for the well wishes! Allergies turned sinus infection, I’m going to the allergist next week.
Isn’t exercising that doesn’t feel like work THE BEST?! I feel that way about surfing.
Aww…sorry to hear about your sinus infection. I hope it clears up fast.
It really is!
Thanks! I missed way too much work because of this!
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
Sparkly blue homemade lip gloss
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK].
With my husband and sons
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy. Huge, good-quality, makeup palettes. It’s like getting the 64-box of Crayola crayons when you’re a kid. Oh, the colors and the possibilies…
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated. Sanity. Some of the best people I know are completely bonkers.
5. Shimmer or matte? Shimmer…glimmer…sparkle…glitter…it’s all good!
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? Mini York peppermint patties. For some reason that’s been my treat of choice this summer, so I keep them chilled. 🙂
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK]. Simple. My favorite memories are of moments that I remember as filled with great love and laughter, without regard for place or any other details.
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy. Learning new skills (mostly thanks to YouTube!). Also my Too Faced chocolate scented products. They wake me up in the AM! 😉
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated. Fitting into one category. I love girly things like makeup and manicures, working out, super nerdy stuff and reading. It’s okay to be multi-faceted. 🙂
5. Shimmer or matte? Mostly matte these days, shimmer just for highlight. A simple neutral brown eye and pink lip has been my go-to for work for about a year now and it makes it so much easier to get ready in the AM.
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? a jar of Maraschino cherries …. I have no idea what they’re supposed to go with???
2. Some of the best moments are [ centered around my daughter ]–she’s no longer a baby anymore and this kid is just too hilarious for words!!
3. [ A *GOOD* Mascara ] brings me major makeup joy –that and perfecting the *PERFECT* winged liquid liner is the BEST FEELING EVER!!!
4. [ HEELS ] are overrated –yes, they are pretty to look at, but KILLER on my feet–NO THANK YOU!!!
5. Shimmer or matte? If we’re talking eyeshadow—DEFINATELY matte….for lips, I do appreciate a bit of shimmer!!
All I can think of is, yum, cherries! Time for an ice cream sundae. 🙂
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? I think the weirdest thing in my refrigerator right now is probably some rotten old groceries lol!
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK]. With my boyfriend 🙂
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy. Mascara
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated. Craft Beer
5. Shimmer or matte? Shimmer
1.What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
– Beeswax! Lol I refrigerated it long time ago to make my own body butter and lip balms.
2. Some of the best moments in life are [FILL IN THE BLANK].
– Spending time with my grandparents! I love them a lot.
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy.
– Getting my mascara right without blinking eyes right after application! Its a pain to remove the stain from my eyelids and the under eye areas if I mess it up. (Esp after wearing an eyeshadow) And I do it all the time.. err
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated.
haha. I go with you.. Being grownup is overrated 😛
5. Shimmer or matte?
Matte anytime! 😀 But I’ll go for a light sheen look.. very rarely
Have a great day! 🙂
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? Pickled okra! That stuff is delish. My husband is not from the south and thinks I’m a super huge weirdo for eating pickled okra.
2. Some of the best moments are [FILL IN THE BLANK]. unplanned!
3. [FILL IN THE BLANK] brings me major makeup joy. Several weeks of clear skin, mascara that’s actually visible on my paltry lashes!
4. [FILL IN THE BLANK] is overrated. Wow. I literally have nothing!
5. Shimmer or matte? Hmmm. For eyeshadows, I am solidly #TeamShimmer even though I love a good matte look from time to time, but for blush, I’m usually #TeamMatte. This is the problem with being a gemini. 🙂
Have a great week, K-Fab! <3 LYLAS! (there's a 90's reference for ya)
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now? Tofurky kielbasa
2. Some of the best moments are waking up and thanking the Lord for the day.
3. A new lipstick brings me major makeup joy.
4. Snow and heavy contouring are overrated.
5. Shimmer or matte? A little shimmer for the eyes , but for the lips I prefer matte.
1. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator right now?
Rose water.
2. Some of the best moments are when I sing loudly to Christina Aguilera.
3. Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner brings me major makeup joy.
4. Garlic is overrated. Yuk, I hate it. And also the Naked palettes.
5. Shimmer or matte?
Satin.