So…what is the Monday Poll?
Good question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll. 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 gazillion years (more than 10!). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a great start. ?
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
I mean, it’s gonna sound so cliché, but senior year in high school really was great.
OK, I didn’t drive, but all of my friends did, so I never had to take the school bus, which, in our district, was a lawless land. So, driving around with my friends at lunch was a lot of fun.
Plus, that year there was the anticipation of what the future held, but not knowing yet where my future was going to lead me, and I think that seeing all of that possibility, you know, when you’re young, makes the future seem so wondrous.
Academically, it was hard, but I think there was actually less pressure than the first three years of high school, because I’d gotten pretty good grades through that point, so I wasn’t too worried about getting into at least one college.
I was also lucky to have really good girlfriends, and, like, I kinda knew my place in the world, if that makes any sense.
That was also really the last year I felt completely steady and sure…because right after that real life happened and all hell broke loose!
2. Can you fake any accents?
Man, my grumpy Filipino old lady accent is ON POINT.
(Maybe that’s because I am a grumpy old Filipino lady, ha ha ha! I recognize that.)
I can also do a terrible wannabe bougie English accent, like “Ellow! May I offuh ew a coppa tea?”
Wait a second, that sounded more Austin Powers.
3. How do you like your popcorn?
I have a patented Karen method for movie popcorn. I do what I like to call a Kettlecorn Sandwich, where you do one layer of regular popcorn (no butter), then a thin layer of Kettlecorn in the center, and then a layer of regular popcorn on top. Then I add as much salt as I can get away with before El Hub catches me. 🙂
4. A recent unexpectedly great makeup, skin care or beauty find?
Burt’s Bees Baby Lotion. I got it for Connor originally, but I used it one night because I was getting hives… It’s just that time of year when my skin has allergic reactions to what I’m assuming are dead and dying leaves and stuff… I don’t know. It just always happens in the fall.
Anyway, the lotion’s great. It’s very moisturizing, affordable, absorbent, and it smells juuust enough like babies (powdery).
5. Costco?
otherwise known as “the happiest place on earth.” I’ll go if you’re driving, ’cause I am a savage in that parking lot.
By the way, if you’re going, get a box of Sabatasso’s Gluten-Free Cheese Pizzas (in the frozen section). The cheese tastes completely fresh, and I would never have thought that the crust would actually be so good as it is because it’s gluten-free, but it’s DELICIOUS! Flavorful and salty, and delightfully chewy. YUM! Best frozen pizza out there now, IMO.
The world wouldn’t be itself without you
To partially quote Ace of Base, I saw the sign! Well, I saw a sign at Starbucks yesterday that said “The world wouldn’t be itself without you,” and I couldn’t help but wonder who the nice person was who took the time out to draw it and put it on the community board. Whoever you are, thanks. You made a stranger smile.
Side note: my drink of choice at the moment is still a Venti Passion Iced Tea, no sweetener with a splash of coconut milk… It’s a less sugary version of their Pink Drink and it’s YUM.
What’s your drink of choice on this beautiful Monday?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Question time! Here are they are to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to you soon.
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
2. Can you fake any accents?
3. How do you like your popcorn?
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find?
5. Costco?
Happy Monday! Drink of choice is still Cherry Zero.
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it? 11th grade. I loved everything about it.
2. Can you fake any accents? I thought that accent was a bit more cockney and less bougie, too. HAHA! When I want to make the Hubs cringe with embarrassment for me, I’ll trot out my Sean Connery Bond “do you ekshpect me to talk?”. No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die! (horrifies him every time). 🙂 The only “accent” I do well is a local one because I’ve heard it all my life.
3. How do you like your popcorn? I’m not a fan so I rarely eat it. When I was young, I had to have a ton of melted butter (so it was almost soaking wet) and some garlic salt.
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find? I guess Replica Beach Walk. I’m not very into perfume but I do love this for summer.
5. Costco? I wish we had one nearby. We have a Sam’s Club, which I also like. But I’m a terrible impulse shopper and warehouse clubs are not the best place for that!
How is the GF going for El Hub? It’s great that you’re on the lookout for things he’ll like. It makes it so much easier when you’re in it together. 🙂 I hope Connor is still loving school. I’m going with Mayor over Mob Boss. HAHA!
Hi Kim,
Thanks for asking. You know, poor guy… It hasn’t been easy. Especially with bread. And he really, REALLY misses Pop Tarts. He’s been told by gluten-free co-workers that eventually we may have to completely clean the kitchen out of any and all gluten products. I’m really not looking forward to that, but we’ll do what we have to do. I’ll probably end up driving to the French bakery at odd hours and gorging myself on bread, OMG!
Connor didn’t have school today but will have it tomorrow, and she’s already excited. Whenever we walk or drive by the campus (the preschool is part of a bigger school that runs through eighth grade), she says, “That’s my school!” 🙂
How did you stumble upon Replica Beach Walk? Sephora find?
You probably know this, but it’s easy to make GF muffins! Really good ones. Quick breads and muffins can help!!
Also… maybe your next baking project can be GF pop tarts. Amazingly, there are some good recipes out there. If El Hub’s birthday or your anniversary is coming up… slam dunk. 🙂
That’s actually fantastic about Connor’s preschool being part of the larger school. It will make things so easy for her! 🙂
Poor El Hub – it’s so hard to give up (so many of!) the things you like to eat. Has he had his official diagnosis yet? You were waiting for the results of the celiac testing, correct? I do hope that his sensitivity isn’t severe enough that you’ll have to make those changes in the kitchen but I do agree that you have to do what you have to do. You’ll definitely have to sneak out to the bakery! And I love Amy’s pop tart suggestion above. You’d be the hero of the year if you pulled that off! 🙂
Yes, it was a Sephora sample (that and Commodity Book, which I thought I’d love but really don’t care for as a perfume). Since it seems very summery to me, I just got a Beach Walk rollerball. The full bottle was a bit spendy for how much I think I’ll wear it.
He took a blood test and it said that he was positive for it, but he hasn’t taken the real deal invasive test yet. He wants to try going gluten free for a while to see if it helps. Oh, and I just put “google pop tarts recipes” on my to-do list. 😀
Thank goodness for rollerballs! I think they’re a better idea than a full-size bottle because you know you’re going to actually finish it.
Do you any plans to get anything from the Sephora sale that’s coming up?
Oh, yes, sorry, it was the invasive test that was the next step. I do hope he’s able to feel better with some simple dietary changes (though, I know it’s not so simple when you’re the one who has to make them). 🙁 I can’t wait for your pop tart experiment!! What’s his favorite flavor? It’s a very divisive thing in our house (between the boys). HAHA!
I agree 100% on the rollerballs, esp for someone like me who doesn’t wear much fragrance. I think I might stock up on a few staples. I’m getting low enough on most everything to reorder. I usually try to grab a few lotions to add to xmas gifts, too. How about you? Anything you have your eye on? 🙂
I’m a strawberry with icing kinda Pop Tart girl. Everything else ceases to exist (the brown sugar cinnamon ones are the worst!). El Hub will pretty much eat any red Pop Tart, LOL! So strawberry, cherry. What do your boys usually like eating?
My Sephora list is super basic! A couple bottles of Kate Somerville Anti-Bac, Rita Hazan Root Concealer, some moisturizers by Clarins. I might get some Estee Lauder color products, because I’m on an EL kick!
My favorite year in school: a tie between my sophomore year and my senior year.
Sophomore year because I had gotten heavily into theater and we just had so much fun doing our school plays and the musical.
Senior year mostly because it was a relief to be nearly done. High school was not easy for me for many reasons and I was happy to be done with it.
Yes, I can fake an accent, an English accent. My friends in England have actually asked me to do this, super embarrassing lol.
I like my popcorn cooked butter free and then I like to add hot sauce. It is SO GOOD! Or sometimes parmesan cheese.
Clinique #3 toner lotion! I have super oily skin and adult acne which is so much fun to have at age 40, lol. Anyway, this product has been amazing and has really helped.
I think I have only ever been in a Costco once. This is probably a good thing, however, because I think I could do some serious damage in there and just buy everything.
Hi Jennifer,
I’ve suffered through adult acne and it’s not fun. Have you tried Kate Somerville Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion? I swear it changed my life! It was the only thing that helped clear up my skin.
I will have to try it! Thank you! I have heard wonderful things about that product line.
1. I don’t know? 3rd grade was really important in my life because it was the one and only year I had a best friend and she changed my life. No joke.
2. Zero. Not even a little bit. The best I can do is adding an “eh?” at the end of sentences to attempt a Canadian accent.
3. Kettlecorn! Although I love your popcorn sandwich idea. So funny!
4. Invisibobbles for your hair. You know, those hair ties that look like phone cords. I just bought some and so far I kind of like them! They really hold my hair in place.
5. Hell no. I hate that place! It is a zoo! I make my husband go.
On this hot 90* day my drink of choice is iced tea!
Also your cover photo is really great. My first thought after “sigh, she is so pretty” was “blush is on point!”
Hi Jaclyn,
You have to try the kettle corn sandwich next time you go to the movies.
And thanks for the nice compliment on the blush. I’m wearing the BECCA Chrissy Tiegan palette; I mixed the blush and the bronzer together with the same brush and applied it on the apples. 🙂
P.S. Third grade was monumental for me, too. That was the year I met one of my fave teachers. Do you still keep in touch with that girl?
No, she moved into another school district after 3rd grade. I found out through the grapevine that she turned into kind of a b*tch. I didn’t believe the rumors until I ran into her at a football game and she was kind of a B! I’m still grateful for her impact.
I’ve never thought to mix blush and bronzer, nice idea!
Have a great rest of your week.
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it? I loved grade 7. I decided that year I wanted to go into Advertising when I grew up (Mrs. Don Draper? LOL). I interviewed after college (majored in communications) at a PR firm and thought I had the job for sure. They wanted to hire me the day AFTER I started another job. So me and advertising or PR were not meant to be. It’s all good though. I had 14 years in technology as a result, got an MBA and switched to insurance (yep, 8.5 years in at this point).
2. Can you fake any accents? Not really but I have a problem that when someone starts talking to me in a real accent I start talking back in the same accent! It’s a problem!
3. How do you like your popcorn? Cheesy smartfood goodness.
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find? I tried the gel mani again, Karen and I’m hoping for the best when it comes off (no peeling). Fingers crossed!
5. Costco? None near me. We have BJs which is kinda the same thing but with a SERIOUS lack of organics. My work pays for my membership!
Hi Leah,
OK, so funny you should mention taking on accents in your answer to question 2 because my hubs does the exact same thing, and I had no idea anyone else did that! One of my fave things to tease him about was the time we took Virgin airlines to England; everyone working on the staff had British accents, and when the flight attendant asked what he wanted to drink El Hub answered back “toh-mah-to” juice with a British accent. It literally came out of nowhere, LOL! Oh gosh… Just thinking about it cracks me up.
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it? Don’t think I had a favorite year.
2. Can you fake any accents? Dear Husband says I do a pretty good French accent. Not sure anyone in France would agree with him. We went hiking Sunday morning and when we were coming back down the trail there was a French family walking towards us. Since we had already passed at least a dozen other people who said good morning, I gave this group a “bonjour”. We got a very startled and surprised bonjour in return.
3. How do you like your popcorn? Does Cracker Jack count? Don’t often eat popcorn. I like Newman’s Own microwave occasionally.
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find? None that I can think of. Pretty sure I already own all the makeup on earth.
5. Costco? Nope. Not a member. Can’t think of a reason to go there.
Hey Tatiana!
Hiking on a Sunday morning is always a good thing. 🙂 Where did you guys go? I’m lucky in because I live less than 5 minutes away from some awesome trails in Indian Valley here in Novato.
We went to Windy Hill Open Space Preserve here on the peninsula. We got the last spot in the parking lot when we arrived. There’s a retirement home that backs onto the trail and there were all these super seniors hiking up the hill like it was no big deal, while I gasped for air the entire way up. I didn’t even make it to the summit. I have no lung capacity. I told my doctor last week that I miss Nora and want another cat. She just looked at me cross and said, No you don’t. Your asthma is starting to get better.
I dream of being one of those super seniors someday. #goals
I would think that having another cat would force your asthma to get better? Or maybe that’s just cat lady logic?
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it? 12th grade , i was graduating
2. Can you fake any accents? no
3. How do you like your popcorn? sweet and salty or those tender white pop corn
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find? no. i am no buy
5. Costco? no. sams club.
Hi Ericca,
Good luck with your no buy. How long are you doing it for?
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
Fourth through seventh. My mom had to homeschool me because my school would’ve been in the ghetto. (No, literally. Two blocks away from the worst neighborhood in town, the one where every vice you can imagine was openly sold on the street corners.) Then and still, our county has the third worst public schools in the state, so those were the only years I actually learned anything.
2. Can you fake any accents?
No, I’m as bad at accents as Leo DiCaprio. (So pretty, so talented, but can’t do a proper accent to save his life.)
3. How do you like your popcorn?
European butter and Kosher salt.
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find?
Shea Butter and Coconut Oil Hair Mask from Trader Joe’s. Thank you, Karen!!
5. Costco?
We do Sam’s, because we just got a Costco. I’ve been debating the switch.
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
My Junior year of HS. I graduated at the beginning and went to college the next semester.
2. Can you fake any accents?
Quite a few and fairly convincingly.
3. How do you like your popcorn?
I choked on a piece a few years ago and almost clacked out. I’m not eating it really it anymore. Carmel, Kettle, Herbed, I like it all.
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find?
Maui conditioners at Target. I like them because they have a lot of good ingredients and a low cost. I chose the agave one in the red bottle. You don’t need much and it really seems to get deep in the hair and rinses clean (though you really have to rinse well). I went with this one cause it had ferments in it and I thought I could use it on my scalp occasionally to help it. I have and it didn’t leave my hair too flat.
5. Costco?
Yes! For the most part I love it. Mine is full of old people though so I get a little frustrated getting blocked by octogenarians that can’t walk faster than 1 mph.
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
Wow! High school was 24 years ago for me, so I can’t really remember it now…
2. Can you fake any accents? I can switch English (London) accent on and off. Mostly on during/after watching The Graham Norton Show. It helped that we lived there for 4 years!
3. How do you like your popcorn? Sweet and salty, just like me! ?
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find? I don’t have many of those. I am heavily reliant on reviews from you and other beauty influencers.
5. Costco? I have never been to one. We have one in our city, but just never been. ?
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
High school was overall terrible for me, middle school was awful for everyone, but college was great!
2. Can you fake any accents?
I don’t think so, but my accent while speaking in French is neutral enough they don’t assume I’m American, so that makes me happy. I mean they don’t think I’m French, but at least they don’t think I’m American, LOL.
3. How do you like your popcorn?
Buttery! Popcorn tears up my stomach though.
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find?
This Skin1004 Centella Extract Ampoule I saw recommended on Reddit! Really helped with some breakouts, and it’s literally just 100% the Centella extract, so no weird ingredients to give me allergic reactions (why is chamomile in EVERYTHING? I’m allergic 🙁 )
5. Costco?
Nah. I have a $10 CostCo gift card I’ve had for years that I haven’t gotten around to using, haha.
Hi Karen! Guess what!!! I GOT THE CAR BACK FINALLY! Yay! Oh, and the evil witch at my NFP finally figured out that oh, that’s right, Abby belongs to the barn I go to now and Abby is finally going back to my new barn! YAAAAAAAAAAY! I’m so happy. I haven’t seen her in literally three weeks and I can’t wait to see her again as I have cried every, single, day wondering about how she has been treated. It says so much as to how the barn I used to go to has changed if I am wondering how my rehab horse is being treated, right? I really just want to see her.
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
You know, I don’t have a favorite year in school. I really struggled in school. I was always picked on and I couldn’t wait to get out of school! I did well, I got incredible grades, but it came at a great cost to my sanity. I have always found school to be incredibly stressful.
2. Can you fake any accents?
Eh, no. I can mimic ones I hear rather easily, but the Texan accent you hear when I’m emotional or tired…that’s all mine. There’s a story as to how I learned to cover that actually.
3. How do you like your popcorn?
When I *have* popcorn, it must be slathered in butter and covered in as much salt as I can get away with. It must be true theatre popcorn. Buttery and salty. I have no issues with my cholesterol or sodium levels and I so rarely have the stuff that darnit, I want it all. XD
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find?
Rosehip oil. Where has the stuff been my whole life? It’s fabulous for the face! I have no freaking acne!
5. Costco?
Stay far away from Costco. They are savages at Costco. They try to mow people over at Costco. There was a Costco on the same street as my NFP when I went there…chaos. CHAOS. You thought Equestrian Folks drove fast? Try Costco people.
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
Fifth grade, I had a great teacher (who was pregnant the whole year, so we got a mothers day party/babyshower), a great group for my class, it was the year I started cello and the year my class went to camp during the school year. It was magic, I think it was the last year of real childhood and not being a teen, and since it was 1996-97, it was also just 90s cool with the macarena.
Senior year was also amazing.
2. Can you fake any accents?
I’m from the middle of Indiana, so I wouldn’t say they’re faked, but I can easily sound like I’m from Chicago or KY/TN south, especially when around people who are, and when drinking.
3. How do you like your popcorn?
Kettle corn at a festival. at home I make something horribly ridiculous with coconut oil, lots of salt (including a bit of smoked salt), and nutritional yeast, it’s vegan but tastes smoky and cheesey on air popped popcorn.
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find?
Thrive Causemetics Mascara! A friend bought it because of an ad and forced the rest of us to. It’s good.
5. Costco?
We don’t have one in town, I wish we did.
My drink of choice this morning was my cold brew with a splash of almond milk plus my protein powder. Tried a new coffee to make my cold brew and it is a win!
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
Junior year in high school. It was the year a bunch of my friends were seniors which was tons of fun (so many shenanigans)…and I finally dated the guy I’d had a crush on for years (we broke up after a few months but stayed friends; even went to college near to each other which was convenient when neither of us was dating anyone else LOL).
2. Can you fake any accents?
When I was in a voiceover class in college I did a good Jersey housewife…which is more dialect than anything. I also could do a passable Russian accent for a character study. I’m terrible with accents otherwise.
3. How do you like your popcorn?
REAL butter and rosemary sea salt!
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find?
Semi-recent: one of the cleaning ladies at work suggested Black Cumin Seed soap (found on Amazon!) for my skin. Amazing! I was breaking out like mad and it’s totally turned my skin around. I’d get those super angry red zits that tended to scar my fair skin, and it cleared those up nicely.
5. Costco?
I’ve been twice – it’s been very overwhelming each time! I don’t have a membership and bulk buying seems like a lot for just two of us.
1. What was your favorite year in school, and what was special about it?
Sophomore year in college. Finally got to some great elective courses, and found a really nice friend group.
2. Can you fake any accents?
Yes, I can do a ridiculously exaggerated Cockney accent, as well as a couple snippets of 1940s movie snappy gangster moll type monologue before I crack myself up.
3. How do you like your popcorn?
Plenty of butter, a little salt.
4. A recent unexpected makeup, skin care or beauty find?
Nothing earth-shattering, but I picked up a Milani Rose Powder blush in Blossomtime Rose and have been using it daily.
5. Costco?
No. I have a membership at another warehouse that I’m going to let lapse. Buying in bulk makes no sense to this single vegetarian.