Just For Fun

1. Mrs. Casual on Instagram

WARNING: Do not — I repeat — DO NOT visit Jenn’s (otherwise known as “Mrs. Casual’s”) feed if you’re trying to curb your Target habit. She has a knack for finding the cutest clothes, and she pieces together inexpensive finds into outfits that look like you spent some serious $$$ on them.

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Sale Alert!! Friday favorites on the blog today and this chambray maxi was one of the most popular items ?? it’s also on sale for $25!! PS also found some Tory Burch Miller’s on sale ?? All details through the link in my profile http://liketk.it/2CVVF #LTKsalealert #LTKshoecrush #LTKstyletip #LTKunder50 #targetstyle #mrscasual

A post shared by Jenn | Mrs Casual (@mrscasual) on Jun 28, 2019 at 4:49am PDT

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Anyone go to Target not needing anything at all ? THATS when it’s dangerous ? but if this chambray tank is what comes out of it I’m 100% ok with that ?? All details through the link in my profile http://liketk.it/2CpRf #LTKsalealert #LTKshoecrush #LTKunder50 #mrscasual

A post shared by Jenn | Mrs Casual (@mrscasual) on Jun 8, 2019 at 5:42pm PDT

2. Going up and down the ladder

We’ve been doing a lot of ascending and descending endurance training in that HIIT class I go to on Monday and Wednesday nights, and for the record…they’re both wonderful and terrible at the same time.

In the plus column, I feel like Wonder Woman when I’m done. On the not-so-plus column, they feel like low-key torture when you’re in the middle of them. Last night we went “down the ladder” by starting with 20 burpees (with a push-up!), followed by four approximately 200-meter laps around the gym parking lot.

Then we did 15 more burpees and three more laps, then 10 more burpees and two more laps, until finally five more burpees and one more lap to completely finish us off, and we only had seven minutes to do the whole thing… I finished just after the seven minutes expired.

I like the portability of a workout like this because you can do it basically anywhere. All you need is a timer, a sidewalk or some other flat surface where you can drop and do your burpees, and a parking lot or a cul-de-sac to do the running.

3. Having long lashes again

I quit using this stuff in May, right around the time Tabs crossed over the Rainbow Bridge (at the time, I could barely remember to brush my teeth, so a lash growth serum was not happening), and my lashes fell out and broke off from crying so much.

I’ve finally gotten it together enough to start using Lash Boost again on a nightly basis, and once again, I have long, luscious lashes… This stuff is gold.

4. Pantry organizers from Amazon

I’m currently convinced that one of the keys to life is having an organized pantry, so I’ve been purging and organizing mine because when left unchecked it becomes a kitchen-based black hole where bag clips, spice jars and everything else disappears. Case in point: I found a can of Trader Joe’s beans in there that had expired…in 2007!

If you want something to disappear into the abyss — your ex, credit card debt, mental baggage — stick it in your pantry, man!
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So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start.

1. Fictional character you’d like to hang with?

The former English major in me feels like I should write down any number of British literature heroines…but honestly, all I wanna do is hang with Elle Woods. We could go to the nail salon, do the bend and snap, talk about the election in 2020. It would be a hoot! I’d look forward to her advice on whether I should keep growing out my grays. I feel like she’d give me an honest answer.

2. How much is your significant other into skin care?

I’m pretty sure he washes his face with Herbal Essences Shampoo, SO YOU TELL ME.

3. What’s on your lips right now?

Hahaha, nothing but Bliss wax, since I’m de-fuzzing the ‘stash.

4. Your favorite Disney princess?

I guess Belle from Beauty and the Beast, because she loves to read. Sometimes, though, I wonder if she had Stockholm syndrome…

5. Describe your dream jeans.

Dark wash, high-wasted, with just a little stretch to allow for cake, but not so much stretch that I’m pulling up my pants every time I stand up or sit down. The length would hit just above the ankle, and I wouldn’t have to hem them, because — hello, dream jeans!

The “Purr-maid”

Drawing on the sidewalk with chalk is tons of fun! — especially when you receive a special request from a three-year old to draw a “kitty cat mermaid,” otherwise known as a Purr-maid.

There’s poetry in the fleeting beauty of chalk drawing, methinks…

Anyway, that’s not even the biggest cat-related news I have. Yesterday while Connor and I were drawing outside, we were visited by a gorgeous orange and white boy name of Milo.

Milo kindly supervised the art direction of our drawings, and then when he was done with that, he invited himself inside and patrolled our kitchen.

I ran into my neighbor later in the day, and she mentioned that Milo hung out at her house, too. Apparently, he’s a cat about town!

Hope you have a wonderful Monday and a fantastic week. Do you have any plans for July 4th?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Question time! Here they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to you soon.

1. Fictional character you’d like to hang with?
2. How much is your significant other into skin care?
3. What’s on your lips right now?
4. Your favorite Disney princess?
5. Describe your dream jeans.

Every time I roll up to Marin Coffee Roasters — no, seriously, I literally roll up because it’s a drive-through — I like to watch the other drivers in line, because most are white-knuckling their steering wheel and rocking back and forth in their seat with a crazed look in their eye, and I don’t blame ’em, because this place sells the best coffee in the county, hands down, and when you need your coffee…you really need your coffee. Lucky for me, I live five minutes away from ’em, mwahahahahaaa!

My go-to drink of late has been their iced latte.

Now, most iced lattes taste like punishment to me — burnt, and almost sour — but MCR’s is buttery, smooth, creamy, and precariously easy to drink. Perfect amount of buzz juice, too, because they leave me peppy but not shaky, and, most importantly, they never give me a tummy ache, which has been happening more and more lately when I get something from Starbucks.

Last time at MCR, when I saw the barista walking out to my car with my drink, I felt the sudden urge to leap over the hood of my car like an American Ninja Warrior! Seriously, best dang coffee in Novato, IMO. Highly recommended.

Who makes the best coffee where you live? Hopefully, you have a cup to sip while you read this week’s Saturday Surfing!

• Are the intense multi-step skin care regimens that have been all the rage for the past few years starting to fall out of fashion?
• On that note, say “Greetings!” to the latest skin care trend: “Skip Care” , something I’ve evidently been sort of doing since I realized that the less I mess with my skin, the better it generally is.
• BRO, I thought these guys were a comedy act at first, but apparently they’re legit interested in skin care. Meet the Dewy Dudes!
• Meet the new ambassador of SK-II skin care: Yumi. She isn’t an actress or an influencer, or even human for that matter. Yumi is an AI collaboration between SK-II and Soul Machines, a New Zealand startup that creates digital humans that (who?) look and move like we do. (Side note: SKYNET, HERE WE COME.)
• The best over-the-counter retinol creams, according to Shape magazine
• A L’Oréal and Karl Lagerfeld collaboration will be hitting shelves in the fall.
• Analyzing hair is a frustrating task for forensic scientists.
• Nail tips and trends from Beyoncé’s nail artist
• If you have thin hair and are longing for curls, you might want to check out these hair curlers.
• Veterinarians and rescuers love these litter boxes for cats.
• My future second husband (sorry, El Hub) is having a cultural moment.
• Wait–are you telling me that other people also believe that Keanu Reeves as their Internet boyfriend?
• And just in case you really can’t get enough Keanu…!

You have a good day, OK?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Seeing a quick list of the skin care products you’re using at the moment, along with knowing your skin type, would be cool. That way I can be the nosy noodle that I am and virtually peep inside your medicine cabinet, ha ha! Also, I think it would be helpful to see what other people with a similar skin type use and if there are any products that seem to pop up over and over again.

Come on, you know you wanna play!

More recent skin care on the blog

• A Detailed Deep Dive Into My Current Skincare Routine
• What’s Your Routine for Washing Your Face?
• New Serums From Kate Somerville
• Product Spotlight: Clinique Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser
• First Thoughts on First Aid Beauty

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

1. Universal Thread High-Rise Destroyed Midi Jean Shorts

OH. SO. GOOD. The high waist on these jean shorts hits above the belly button and hold everything in, so I don’t feel like my tum-tum is hanging out the sides of my waistband, and the midi-length completely covers the cheeks and the very tops of my thighs. I feel covered up, but yet the shorts are still short enough to keep me cool and elongate my gams.

The material is a blend of 91% cotton, 7% Polyester and 2% Spandex, so it does stretch out a little, but I don’t mind because I don’t like my shorts to cling tightly to my booty. Keep in mind that because the denim stretches, the waistband starts to loosen after a few hours, so the shorts do slip down, but I just wear them with a belt and remind myself that they were only $17.99!

They’re also coated with something that’s supposed to repel stains? Thank goodness, because I need all the help I can get with white shorts.

I’m thinking of grabbing a couple more pairs!

2. Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50

I’ve had several friends recommend Aveeno Baby Sunscreen (about $13), and it’s really as good as everyone says it is.

The active ingredient in this physical sunscreen is zinc oxide, which works by sitting on top of the skin to deflect and scatter UV rays. It absorbs quickly, isn’t sticky, doesn’t feel heavy on my skin, and layers well with other skin care products and underneath makeup. It doesn’t sting as I’m rubbing it in and hasn’t broken me out (knocks on wood). There is a white cast at first…but it fades after about a half an hour, so I don’t stress about it. It’s sweat-and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, too.

3. Stretching

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Stretching is NOT my forte, as I’m about as naturally flexible as a plank of plywood. MY hamstrings are the WORST, and whenever someone in a fitness class or a workout video says “bend over and touch your toes,” I’m the person with her fingertips at the tops of her knees saying “NOPE! Not gonna happen.” But I’ve just discovered stretching videos on YouTube, and my life is forever changed.

I like doing stretching videos because it’s easier for me to have someone lead me through different stretching positions, rather than having to think about what to do next on my own (because why would I put my body into uncomfortable positions on my own?). It also really helps having someone tell me how long to sit or stand in whatever pretzel position I’m currently in; otherwise, I’ll just peace-the-eff-out after 10 seconds.

I’ve been doing a 20-minute stretch video while I watch TV at night before bed, and after less than a week, my body feels better in the morning (and throughout the day, really), and I sleep better at night because my muscles aren’t as sore after my workouts.

YAY FOR STRETCHING!

4. Air fryers

Air fryers mimic deep frying by using hot air and just a minimal amount of oil, so they’re supposed to be great for healthy cooking. I don’t have one (yet), but I reeeeeeally want one, because at my mom and dad’s house a few weekends ago for lunch, they cooked an entire Tilapia in their air fryer, and it was so tender and juicy that I inhaled the entire fish by myself in — I’m not even kidding — less than 15 minutes! (Side note: Don’t mess with a little Filipino lady and her yummy fish, man.)

Only thing holding me back is that the machines tend to be huge and take up lots of counter/cupboard space, which I don’t have at the moment, but is something I’m actively working towards, which leads me to…
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