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. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
I’ll take the bagel, and none of that “whole wheat” or “mini bagel” nonsense. Give me a good old-fashioned regular bagel, and toast that bad boy up! And get some Trader Joe’s Chive Cream Cheese on there, too. ?
2. Makeup or skin care?
YO, at this point in my 40-something life? I’ll take ALL OF THE SKIN CARE. All. Of. It.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
Oh, that’s easy (but hard to finagle). I love it when I can spend an entire day only doing things that make me happy.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
Marie Kondo so she could help me de-clutter, LOL! Nawww, only kidding. I really wanna hang out with Jonathan from the Queer Eye Netflix reboot so we could chat about cats, hair and the final season of Game of Thrones. I half-jokingly tell El Hub to nominate me for the Queer Eye show. I want the Fab 5 to come fix my hair, my house and my life.
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
Here’s mine: You, just as you are, are enough. Also, your hair looks amazing today. ?
Deep thoughts on books…
Hiya and happy Monday. How goes it?
OK, I’m trying something new this week.
Get ready.
Hold on to yo’ seatbelts…
I’m reading — not one, but two fiction books at the same time! HA HA HA! I don’t know why this seems so scandalous to me, because back in college, I was always reading multiple books for multiple classes all at the same time. I just don’t do it ever anymore. Nowadays, when I actually do read for pleasure, it’s usually focus on one book at a time.
So this is “crazy,” quote unquote, for me.
The first book is called Transcription, by Kate Atkinson, and it’s really good. It’s about an unlikely British spy in World War II…
And I’m also listening to an audio book called Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter, which is just OK… I’ve been trying to get through it for almost a year now. The narrator is a dude, and while his voice is just fine when he reads the men’s parts, it gets artificially high-pitched whenever he reads a woman’s dialogue, so every single one of his lady characters sounds the same…like a man pretending to be someone’s grandma, and it wears on me.
I’ve stopped and started it how many times now? Ugh. But I’m taking another crack at it again… We’ll see how far I get.
Anyway, I’m reading two books at the same time, which feels rebellious to me for some reason. ?
How do you handle your reading for pleasure? Do you go at it, one book at a time, or do you read multiple books? And while we’re at it, what are you reading these days.
Soooo…Monday! I hope your morning has been good to you. Talk to ya soon.
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. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
2. Makeup or skin care?
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
This one is hard! I love fruit and I love carbs…I think I’d choose the fruit!
2. Makeup or skin care?
Skincare, because if your skin looks good you shouldn’t need much makeup.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
I agree with you by having a whole day just doing what you want!
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
One of the Kardashian’s! They are my guilty pleasure!
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
Ok!
How do you handle your reading for pleasure? Do you go at it, one book at a time, or do you read multiple books? And while we’re at it, what are you reading these days.
I can only read two books at a time if they are different genre’s. Like a fiction and non-fiction at the same time. Right now I am reading Abbi Jacobson’s book “I Might Regret This.” It’s good! I am a fan of her on Broad City.
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
Yoghurt with fruit! And some nuts tossed in, too.
2. Makeup or skin care?
Makeup that is skincare! I’m into a few things from juice beauty right now.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
Be patient with myself. Also, new lip gloss. And a nice meal out.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
I never watch reality shows! Honestly, I’m struggling to name anyone except the K family. So I guess I’ll say one of them, since I don’t know any others!
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
You are awesome, Karen! I love your new tee!!
Happy Monday! I’m a one-at-a-time book reader these days. I’ve been on a bit of a book lull lately and need to get back into reading. My biggest challenge is retaining because I’ll often read 3 or 4 books in a row and then, years later, think “have I read that?” because I’ve forgotten most of the story. Especially if it’s a series.
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit? Absolutely a bagel. Veggie cream cheese for me, please.
2. Makeup or skin care? Skin care.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself? Weekend nights on the couch with my comfy sweats, a glass of wine and the Hubs, watching movies.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose? I know you’ll be a bit ashamed of me but I don’t know any reality TV personalities. Oh, well, except the Impractical Jokers. I’d choose Sal. HAHA!
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post! It’s just you and me, sister, but that’s OK. I’ll tell you that you’re appreciated. Just knowing I can click here, read something fun and educational and REAL and get to visit with such a genuinely kind person makes me really happy. All the work you put into testing products and photographing them and writing about them? When I think about it, *I* get exhausted. Thanks for always being here for us, even when things are cray in your life. <3
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
– 1000% the bagel, with whipped chive cream cheese. Yes!
2. Makeup or skin care?
-Hmmm, that’s a tough one. Although, I’ve only just got into a little skin care (serum and moisturizer with a usual cleanser and when I remember a gentle scrub) and although it’s nice, it will never replace what a face of make up looks like on me. So I’d chose makeup.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself? – To do whatever I want at the pace that I want. I hate being rushed, even if I’m doing something I enjoy.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose? – Reality TV? I honestly have no idea, I don’t watch any.
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
– You matter. You are important. The world is better with you in it.
1. Yogurt with fruit. Yum!
2. Makeup. Give me all the lipstick. I’m still of the belief that most of skin care is expensive snake oil but maybe I’ll change my tune in 10 years! I wear sunscreen daily, sunglasses, am mindful of the sun, wash my face with regular soap twice a day, and that’s it.
3. I’m currently struggling with this. After the election I went into major “fix the world” mode. I volunteered with half a dozen organizations while also being a mom to 2 young boys. I’m starting to hit burnout after not taking care of myself so I’m trying to focus on the right balance. Right now that the weather is warming up here in TN i love sitting on the porch with a mug of tea.
4. Since you already stole Jonathan I’ll pick Karamo from QE. He seems like a really excellent listener who asks the perfect questions to help ppl face, deal with, and rise above their issues. Plus he’s really hot and seems like a lot of fun to hang out with. ?
5. I’ll pick Rachel. Your skin looks great, babe!
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit? Lactose free yogurt and fruit not much of a bread or bagel person.
2. Makeup or skin care? I so need both at 51 but more so skin care love the pixi brand u don’t even feel the gel moisturizer sinking in so love
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself? Buying new clothes or make up jewelry fav lol
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose? Bethany from housewives of New York she is so much everyday kinda lady
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post! I think that everyone here is beautiful inside and out.
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit? Bagel
2. Makeup or skin care? Skin care although I need to more consistent about it
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself? Mani-pedi although I went on one of my husband’s business trips and spent the afternoon alone at a Smithsonian museum. It was heaven – no one needed me & I could take my time looking around
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose? Can I say no one? Avoid reality tv at all costs
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post! You are fabulous just the way you are!
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
All the carbs! Do you have Panera out there? My fave is the asiago cheese bagel, toasted with cream cheese. I might have the yogurt and fruit for second breakfast. 🙂
2. Makeup or skin care?
Skin care. Having a good foundation to work from makes a difference when applying makeup.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
Being an introvert, I need some alone to recharge.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
Hmm…I’m not sure. I don’t watch a lot of reality TV.
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
Hang in there. This too shall pass. You are amazing and strong.
Speaking of books…I was browsing for eBooks on my Overdrive app and stumbled upon the “cozy mystery” category and found the Cat in the Stacks Mystery series by Miranda James. I’ve only read the first one – Murder Past Due and it was good read. The kitty is just a secondary character – he’s not solving mysteries or anything. 🙂 But I enjoyed it enough to check out the next one in the series.
It is gray and rainy here, so a perfect day to cuddle up with a good book. Happy Monday!
But wouldn’t it be awesome if the kitty was actually figuring out who done it? ?? I can see Tabs being quite the detective. Which of your kitties would be the crime solver?
It’s raining here today too! I caught Connor’s cold and now Tabs is nursing me back to health (hahaha, I wish).
Haha, I would love to see a kitty in a Sherlock Holmes outfit! 🙂 Louis is definitely the most curious and adventurous of the three. Hope you feel better soon!
Wouldn’t that be great? It would have to have a tiny faux pipe, too!
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit? Yogurt with fresh fruit, please. Bagels on the west coast are just awful. I miss a good NYC bagel.
2. Makeup or skin care? Skin care. The older I get the more important skin care becomes.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself? In general, spending the entire day doing what I want. Which usually means getting to The City somehow and spending the day at one of the art museums and spending time window shopping or just plain spending shopping.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose? Uh, Tim Gunn? He’s the only person I know of from any reality shows. Don’t watch a ton of TV unless it’s the Warriors. But if they’re considered reality TV, I’d want to hang out with Coach Kerr. Ok, and Klay and Steph and Draymond.
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post! I appreciate everyone here for their kindness, thoughtfulness and helpfulness.
I have a hard time just reading one book straight through. I get so distracted that I always need one or two other books to go to.
I want to hang out with Draymond and his kid. His son is a toddler and adorable!
Hope you’re having a good Monday. I caught Connor’s cold and am hanging on (just barely).
I’m sorry you caught Connor’s cold. She’s going to be bringing home germs from pre-school and school from now on. Try and nap while she’s at pre-school or if and when she takes a nap. Yes, you have tons of stuff to do, but getting some extra rest will help you more. I used to nap all the time when Dear Daughter was little.
I’m still recovering from the weekend. Dear Daughter took me up to Napa for the weekend and paid for the entire thing as an early mother’s day present.
Yeah, Draymond’s little boy is really cute. Oh heck, all of their kids are cute. Little kids are just cute. So is Connor Claire.
I just hope we’re not messing up this planet too much for them.
It was time for another cold, sigh! Connor had been healthy for about four weeks so it was only a matter of time before she caught another one. Allegedly the cold seasons tapers off in April!? I really hope so.
I actually slept in today to give my body a little more rest. 🙂 Thank goodness for sleep!
Suggesting you try to nap when you can made me think of this book we read to Dear Daughter when she was young. The late Marilyn Hafner was the illustrator. https://www.amazon.com/Mommies-Dont-Sick-Marylin-Hafner/dp/1564022870/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=mommies+don%27t+get+sick&qid=1553610914&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull
Also I got the title wrong on one of the earlier books I recommended for Connor. It’s https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Case-Stripes-Scholastic-Bookshelf/dp/0439598389/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1553610993&sr=1-1-fkmr2
and not A Serious Case of Spots. Don’t know why I remembered the title like that.
Thank you! I have a list of books to buy her and no joke, it’s about three pages long. LOL! We’ll be re-doing her room soon (she’s picked out purple paint!) and we’re going to put in a book shelf and I want to fill it all up with books.
We moved into this house when Dear Daughter turned nine and she chose purple paint for her room too. It’s still painted shades of lilac and lavender. So I think Connor made a good choice.
She also wants to paint rainbow on one of the walls! (Again, her idea.) It may or may not happen, because I can see it going very wrong very quickly, ha ha. Maybe I’ll get one of those stick-on rainbow decals?
I’ve also been looking for kids furniture and it’s really hard to find items that are built to last. We have a set of dresser drawers we got from Toys ‘R’ Us just before she was born and it’s literally falling apart. I’m so over buying throwaway furniture!
Definitely go with a decal for the rainbow, unless you can find a professional painter with experience in painting mural type decorations in the room.
For furniture we went to Ethan Allen and got a twin bed in maple with a cute matching nightstand and dresser. It was a bit expensive, but it is solid hardwood and has held up 23 years. Also we got my daughter Ikea furniture when she moved into her first apartment. It has gone through an interstate move, plus another from the south bay to just south of SF and up and down stairs and been in storage twice. It’s 7 years old now and I’m really impressed with how well the pieces have held up considering we assembled them ourselves. In retrospect it would have been easier to hire someone to assemble it for us. There are usually cards of people who are experienced assemblers on the bulletin board near the furniture pickup spot in the stores.
Yeah, that’s probably what I’ll end up doing. There’s a ton of those decals on Etsy and when she goes through the next phase we can swap it out for whatever she’s into at the moment!
I was thinking of doing either Ethan Allen or Pottery Barn Kids because I don’t want to put any furniture together, LOL. Did you know there’s a Pottery Barn outlet in Alameda? It’s out in the sticks in a warehouse. Although the items are hit and miss sometimes you can get decent deals there.
I had no idea there was a PB outlet in Alameda. Need to check that out. Now that Nora kitty is no longer with us, I thought I’d replace our sofa. I have a club chair from PB and I’ve had it for a good 23 years now and it’s still in great condition, (except for the underside where Nora and Nibbler liked to claw) so I would say their quality is rather good.
The temptation to buy “kids” furniture is there. But we found buying an adult looking bed and dressing it up to be more childlike with the bedding worked for us. The classic bed lasted and when my daughter got tired of colorful dinosaurs, we swapped it out for purple ponies and when she got tired of that… You get the picture. Kids change A LOT as they grow older and so do their tastes.
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
Everything bagel with whipped cream cheese in the fall and winter, yogurt and fruit in the spring and summer.
2. Makeup or skin care?
Makeup, because skin care is so tricky with my sensitive skin.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
Spending the whole day reading. Or buying books. Or reading about books on my favorite book websites. Or listening to my favorite podcasts about books. Or all of the above!
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
Samin Nosrat from Netflix’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. (And the game-changing cookbook of the same name.) I love her warmth towards other people and enthusiasm for new experiences.
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
We live in a society that expects women to do all the things and do them perfectly. Forget that. Society doesn’t get to judge you. Ladies, if you’re just barely getting by right now, be proud of that. Because you ARE getting by, despite whatever hard times you’re facing. That’s called courage.
Thank you for that, Suzanne. ❤️ I needed it.
Re: cooking. I watched that series on Netflix and really enjoyed it. Have you made many recipes from the book?
I haven’t finished the book yet. I’m really poring over each section, then watching the related episode on Netflix.
Girl, the toddler years are hard! They talk about the terrible twos- that’s nothing compared to an opinionated three year old. Some days, success is simply getting out of bed, putting on clothes, and not getting back into bed until at least 8 pm. Other days, it’s resisting the urge to hide from your child.
1 – A bagel with cream cheese or yogurt with fruit – Definitely the bagel, but skip the cream cheese. Butter please.
2 – Makeup or skin care? Skin care, because if your skin looks nice you can do without makeup, lol, what am I saying?
3 – What’s the best way to treat yourself? A spa day.
4 – If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality tv show who would you choose? Hm, I don’t really watch reality tv. Maybe have someone from HGTV redo my house.
5 – Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post. Have I ever told you, Karen, how much I appreciate you? You have given me so many tips and tricks over the years. Thank you for who you are!
Thank you, Linda. I appreciate you too! ❤️
I actually put yogurt on my bagel w a tomato ?
Skin care . If I’m not going anywhere I don’t where makeup .
Best treat is shopping ?
Not sure who I would hang out w but I love Queer Eye ; they are brilliant
I’m reading Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit? Yogurt with fruit for sure! Those are staples for me and I could take or leave a bagel!
2. Makeup or skin care? My skincare routine is pretty basic since I feel the less is more works best for my oily acne prone semi sensitive skin so I will take makeup. It brings me so much joy and can be such a creative outlet!
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself? A steaming cup of coffee or espresso drink and cuddling under a blanket to binge watch something on Netflix or Hulu
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
Tbh I don’t watch too much reality TV. I’d say the guys of Queer Eye but I fear I’m not fab enough for their company:)
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post! I just appreciate all of the unique and thoughtful responses I’ve read in the comments. Such a joy to read!
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
It’s the lesser of two evils for me, yogurt with fruit.
2. Makeup or skin care?
SKINCARE. I’m skincare obsessed.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
Doing something you love and makes the hours fly by in minutes.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
Can I take the Scott brothers please? Please, please, please?
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
You are loved. You matter. Your opinion matters.
On the subject of books, for Christmas I got the book, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons From the Crematory,” by Caitlin Doughty, which is a memoir from Caitlin’s time working in an LA crematory and what she learned about death. I asked for it as I’ve been on this road trying to understand why my grams’ death disturbs me and part of it was that I never saw her dead. So, I really wanted to know, “What did dead people look like? Why wasn’t I allowed to see her? Why couldn’t I see her before cremation? What happens DURING a cremation?” (Ever the child that asks a million questions.) This led me to Caitlin’s Yourube channel and then her books. It’s SO ENLIGHTENING (but, you know, grotesque in parts as you might imagine.) I have a newfound respect for morticians.
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit? Just a toasted whole wheat bagel. No cream cheese. No yogurt. I’m lactose intolerant.
2. Makeup or skin care? Definitely skin care. The reward is life long beauty and confidence. No makeup; no problem.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself? I love people and enjoy being out and about, but I need periods of solitude to renew my spirits. It’s a wonderful treat to be able to spend a day or two entirely on my own; doing only what strikes my fancy.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose? I don’t watch “reality shoes” per se. I do watch a lot of news, though, and I’d love to spend a day with CNN’s Cris Cuomo—bright, articulate, cheeky, sincere, always respectful even when interviewing people with opposing points of view—not hard on the eyes, either! LOL
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post! All of you wonderful ladies who share your responses make me smile and keep me grounded.
Books! I’m always reading two or three books at a time. Which one I pick up at any given time is dependent upon my mood or how much time I have available.
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
I don’t love cream cheese (butter all the way!) so yogurt and fruit! I do have some of the Dave’s Killer Bread Cinnamon Raisin Remix bagels around though, which are sogood!
2. Makeup or skin care?
Skincare! I’m askin care junkie.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
A nap in a sunbeam with the cat after a good bath, maybe some Lindt chocolate bunnies.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
Jonathan Van Ness from Queer Eye, 100%. I could use help from all of them though ?
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit?
Bagel with cream cheese, lately. I like the Wegman’s Black Russian bagel – it’s basically a pumpernickel everything bagel.
2. Makeup or skin care?
Makeup. I’m an “old” but skincare just doesn’t spark joy for me the way makeup does.
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself?
Taking some time out in nature, or, if it’s not nice outside, alone at a museum. Pure bliss.
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose?
Lisa Rinna from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I haven’t watched the show for a hot minute, but she seems like a hoot and I cannot turn down a chance to ogle Harry Hamlin.
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
In my best Joe Cocker voice, “You are so beautiful to me, Can’t you see
You’re everything I hoped for
You’re everything I need” ?
Unfortunately, I’ve been between books for a while. The last fiction I read was pretty disturbing, and lately there’s enough confusion going on in my life that my concentration just isn’t there. For now I’m sticking with crossword puzzles. ?♀️
I love that song, btw! 🙂
Isn’t it the best? ??
I am headed to Wegmans because I love pumpernickel and everything bagels .
Yes, please do — those bagels are delicious!
I usually toast them, then top with whipped cream cheese and halved Zima tomatoes and some cracked pepper. Zesty!
sounds great. thanks for the suggestions.
1. A bagel with cream cheese, or yogurt with fruit? a bagel with cream cheese
2. Makeup or skin care? skincare
3. What’s the best way to treat yourself? buying skincare or sunglasses
4. If you were required to hang out with someone from a reality TV show, who would you choose? tanya sam from real housewives of atlanta. she really comes off as a sweet person. very positive and genuine
5. Please say something nice to someone else in the comments on this post!
Btw, You guys I live for reading your comments , it really brightens my Mondays and your sharing really exposes me to things i never thought of
Hi Karen,
I also read 2 books at the same time, I mostly read in English since I am a conference interpreter, so I am currently reading Becoming by Michele Obama in English and a book in Spanish by Jorge Ibarguengoitia. I guess now I’m not the only one.
A fan from Mexico City.