Just For Fun

OK, cat ladies, I need to know how far you’d go in your purrsuit of cat lady-ness. Would you go so far as to lick your cat? ?

[INSERT AWKWARD PAUSE/PAWS HERE]

This thing is insane! It’s the LICKI Brush, and basically it’s a large silicone tongue-shaped brush with pointy nubs on it that you use to…lick your cat.

Uh…

I don’t know if this is the coolest thing ever or one of the most disturbing things ever. I believe it’s supposed to be a kind of bonding experience?

So my question for you, dear fellow members of the Crazy Cat Lady Tribe, is this: would you do this?!

Yes or no? WOULD YOU LICK YOUR CAT? ?

I’m on the fence, but I’m leaning toward yes…or at least secretly giving it a try, LOLZ!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Time management issues.

What? Me?

OK, yeah…I’m not the best at time management. I’m challenged in the time management department. I tend to lose track of time when I’m working on a task, be it blending out my eyeshadow or cleaning my office. Sometimes I’ll think, “Oh, this should take me about 10 minutes.” Then I’ll glance over at the clock in shock and dismay to see that two hours have gone by. 🙁

It’s one of the things I struggle with almost more than anything else.

But I’m always working on it. In fact, I just started a new time management trick that’s been pretty helpful. What I do is set a timer for ⏱ 20 minutes, and all I do is work on one specific task — just one — for that full 20 minutes. No multitasking or doing anything else. I just do the one thing for that 20-minute block. Then I take a 5-10 minute break.

Twenty minutes doesn’t seem like a lot, but my gosh! — you can get A LOT done in 20 minutes if you just focus on one thing. You totally can! It’s kind of amazing.

I don’t know what it is about 20 minutes, but I think the key is the break at the end. I’m always tempted to keep working when my timer ⏰ goes off and I’m in a groove, but the breaks are REALLY important, especially if you’re doing something you kind of dread. Like, for me, that’s cleaning on the weekend.

The last thing I want to do on a Saturday afternoon is scrub the bathtub, but I feel like I can handle it for 20 minutes. It’s a sprint, and it’s enough time to make a dent in almost any project.

It even works for long-term projects like planning a trip. If you spend 20 minutes every day researching places to stay or checking flights… I’m serious, you’ll be amazed how well it works. Even 20 minutes is way better than not doing anything at all.

Give it a whirl. It’s helping me a lot, and not just with work stuff, but with everyday life stuff too.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy hump day, my friend. ?

I can’t be the only person out there who thought that Trader Joe’s Pecan Pie Filling in a Jar was…like…something you ate straight out of the jar. Like peanut butter?

Newsflash: you’re not supposed to do this. 🙂

I found out while sitting in my car with the jar and a plastic spoon. That’s when I read the back of the bottle and realized, much to my dismay, that you’re supposed to actually, like, ya know…mix it with stuff, like eggs and butter and pie crust, and thus, my hopes and dreams for portable pecan pie heaven were dashed. 🙁

I’m still going to try actually using this properly, though, to make an actual pecan pie with it because it sounds lovely.

Thank you to all the gals who recommended the Rainbow of Honey sampler set. I haven’t busted into it yet because the full bottles are so pretty! They’re very hefty, too. Very collectable. I think they’ll make cute little vases.

I can see them sitting on my kitchen window shelf in the summer with a single white daisy in them.

The honeys in the set are all from different parts of the world, and I think the idea is that the bees all fed on different flowers, so they’re supposed to have different flavors. I can’t wait to drizzle them on fresh fruit and try to ascertain the flavor profiles. Yum. 🙂

I also snagged a box of this Organic Hot Cocoa Mix because I’ve been craving a really good cup of hot chocolate since the mocha debacle last week…

Also, these O Tannenbaum Crispy Potato Snacks are the stuff! They taste kind of like Christmassy Pringles (i.e. festively delicious).

And I also grabbed a box of TJ’s (Bomb. Dot. Com.) Chocolate Chip Waffles, but I forgot to photograph them (here’s a good review though)…

Maybe I’m secretly keeping them away from you because I want to hoard them all to myself. Because they’re REALLY GOOD. They’re only 90 calories each, too! Of course, then I put a little peanut butter on them — just a touch — but two of them like that hold me over from breakfast till lunch.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

So..what is the Monday Poll?

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 NINE (!) 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. 🙂

1. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being super chill and 10 being full-on meltdown, how much does the thought of cutting your hair freak you out?

It freaks me out a little…so about a 3. Like, I couldn’t handle a pixie cut right now. There’s just no way I’m emotionally prepared for that, but a spur-of-the-moment bob or a-line wouldn’t cause me too much undue stress.

2. Scroll through your pics, and tell me who was the last person you took a selfie with.

Hmm, let’s see… It was Connor Claire Bear a few nights ago (I sent a picture of her in her PJ’s to my mom and brother).

Before that, I took a pic with Tabs in my bed. He’s taken to sleeping next to me again at night… I think he’s getting a little more jealous of the baby.

3. While we’re on the subject of selfies, do you know what a “belfie” is, and have you ever taken one (no judgement!)?

LOL! Yes, I know what a belfie is, and no, I haven’t taken one. 🙂 But if I were 21, unattached and on the manhunt, it would totally be a different story, hahaha!

4. What would you like for lunch today? And for dinner?

I’d love a tostada salad from Blue Barn in Corte Madera. It’s my favorite salad in the world. Romaine, chicory chop, toasted corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, jicama, scallions, herbs, pumpkin seeds, tortilla strips, white cheddar and chipotle-agave vinaigrette, OHHHHH!

And for dinner, a bowl of homemade tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

5. What are some beauty trends you’d like to see less of, and more of, in 2017?

Less: Contouring (so over it), and super sharp brow tails (although I’ll be the first person to admit I’ve rocked the look before).

More: Diversity, on so many levels. Like, I’d love to see a wider variety of makeup styles in glossy magazines and big brand social media accounts (is it just me…or is everyone on Instagram starting to look like the same drag queen?). I’d also love to see more women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and up represented. I mean…there’s no cutoff age for having fun with makeup, right? There’s no rulebook that says, “Oops! Sorry! You’re 60 now so you can’t play with blush.” It’s just makeup! And, of course, women with different skin tones and facial features.

We’re all so different and beautiful, and we should celebrate that sh*t. Often.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy and paste…

1. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being super chill and 10 being full-on meltdown, how much does the thought of cutting your hair freak you out?
2. Scroll through your pics, and tell me who was the last person you took a selfie with.
3. While we’re on the subject of selfies, do you know what a “belfie” is, and have you ever taken one (no judgement!)?
4. What would you like for lunch today? And for dinner?
5. What are some beauty trends you’d like to see less of, and more of, in 2017?

P.P.S. Have a surprisingly easy, yet remarkably fulfilling week, my friend! 🙂

It looks like the Coywolf is rockin’ a Chanel lippie in these pics, but she’s not. The lucky duck has built-in coral lipstick! ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen