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 more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them?
Leave ‘em, because for some reason I just can’t get them to stay on my face without holding my head at a weird angle. They always end up sliding right off. Give me a good old fashioned face mask that you squeeze out of a tube and apply with your fingers any old day!
2. How’s your holiday shopping going?
It’s actually going great. I’m almost done!
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O?
Oh gosh, cheesecake, 100%. I like Jell-O but it’s not like I’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night craving it. Cheesecake, though, is another story.
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter?
Heck ya, girl! I’m on that sunscreen train 365 day of the year now (it’s a hyperpigmentation thing).
5. Fiction or nonfiction?
Fiction, if it’s for reading solely for pleasure.
6. How did you do your hair today?
Messy dutch braid on one side that leads into a low pony. I couldn’t deal with my hair in my face today, ugh.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like?
The Nevers on HBO. It’s pretty good.
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products?
Avene XeraCalm A.D. Replenishing Balm. I totally recommend this cream for super dry spots on your face and body! Great for dry hands, too.
9. Something you’d like to do this week?
Wrap a few Christmas presents and pop ‘em underneath the tree.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them?
2. How’s your holiday shopping going?
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter?
5. Fiction or nonfiction?
6. How did you do your hair today?
7. A show you started watching recently that you like?
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products?
9. Something you’d like to do this week?
P.P.S. Good morning, sweet girl! I hope your spirit feels light and your heart feels full today. 🤗
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them? Never tried one but they seem tedious
2. How’s your holiday shopping going? Only need to grab some stocking stuffers
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O. Don’t crave either but would go with cheesecake
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter? Every day
5. Fiction or nonfiction? Both but non fiction is usually true crime
6. How did you do your hair today? Same as always – short pixie cut. I need a haircut
7. A show you started watching recently that you like? Succession – they are all the most horrible people but so entertaining
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products? Facial & body oil. Never thought I’d say this but so true
9. Something you’d like to do this week? Haircut – going Friday. And start decorating for Christmas
I keep hearing good things about Succession! I think I’ll try it after I finish The Nevers.
BTW what face and body oil do you like?
Succession is bonkers – I keep saying how horrible they all are but I can’t stop watching. It’s like a car crash. I’ve been using rose hip seed oil from the Ordinary on my face and usually Neutrogena for a body oil. Although I brought something back from our vacation to Iceland this summer and I’m hoarding it since right now I can’t get it online
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them? I find them to be very convenient even though I know they are probably not good for the environment.
2. How’s your holiday shopping going? Luckily, I don’t have to do that much holiday shopping. I only have to get a “Secret Santa” gift for a colleague.
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O Definitely cheesecake, especially Juniors from Brooklyn!
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter? Most of the time I do.
5. Fiction or nonfiction? It depends
6. How did you do your hair today? Down
7. A show you started watching recently that you like? Ted Lasso
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products? I go for anything uber-hydrating in the winter because my skin is soooo thirsty. We did start using a humidifier this week because we have an old house with an old heating system. Hopefully, that will help.
9. Something you’d like to do this week? Clean the bathrooms and maybe get a manicure.
So Chanukah has come and gone. Zack will be home again in two 1/2 weeks and then 5 semesters of college will be behind us! How fast it flies!
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them? love them
2. How’s your holiday shopping going? umm for myself , great. for my family not so good
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O cheesecake
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter? yes when I go out
5. Fiction or nonfiction? fiction
6. How did you do your hair today? nothing
7. A show you started watching recently that you like? sacred games , its an indian tv show
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products?lancome tonique confront and cosrx advanced snail mucin essence
9. Something you’d like to do this week? go to bed at 11:30
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them? I love them, but they’re terrible for the environment, so I leave them and use a product from a tube.
2. How’s your holiday shopping going? Slow, but I’m making progress.
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O? Cheesecake. I will never ever choose Jell-O, ever. It is not for me.
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter? Yes. I wear it every day. I feel naked without it.
5. Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction for reading, non fiction for podcasts.
6. How did you do your hair today? Down, it’s crazy today, I should have washed it last night but I wasn’t feeling it, and today it’s a little droopy.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like? I really liked “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu. So much.
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products? The Vaseline stick. I slug with it every night after skincare. I love it.
9. Something you’d like to do this week? Clean out my car, it’s time. Too many receipts and empty sparkling water cans.
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them?
Leave them.
2. How’s your holiday shopping going?
I opted out of participating years ago and never looked back. It was causing way too much stress.
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O?
Jell-O, I guess. I don’t like either, but I could swallow the Jell-O like a pill and be done with it.
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter?
Yes, every day.
5. Fiction or nonfiction?
Nonfiction.
6. How did you do your hair today?
It’s back in a hairband, as I’m cleaning.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like?
The Indian Doctor.
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products?
The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Whipped Body Butter. Yummy.
9. Something you’d like to do this week?
Get around to vacuuming, reorganize the bedroom closet, watch a Fred Astaire movie marathon.
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them? Leave them.
2. How’s your holiday shopping going? Done, except for gifts for Dear Daughter. Sigh.
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O? Cheesecake. Was fed way too much Jell-O growing up in the midwest.
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter? Heck yeah!
5. Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction
6. How did you do your hair today? Blow dried to a semi dry state then brushed under.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like? Two of them. A French show called Inspector Magellan. And Hit-Monkey on Hulu.
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products? Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. Not quite as soothing as the discontinued Clinique CX Soothing Moisturizer.
9. Something you’d like to do this week? Finish decorating the tree and have the carpeting cleaned.
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them?
Leave them. For exactly the reason you mentioned. I feel like I have to sit in one position to get one to stay on!
2. How’s your holiday shopping going?
Pretty good. May even get something I’ve been eyeing to me from me this week.
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O
Gotta go with cheesecake. This is coming from someone who doesn’t generally like cream cheese!
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter?
Every day of the year.
5. Fiction or nonfiction?
Both!
6. How did you do your hair today?
I washed it yesterday so this am I just combed and applied a little dry shampoo at the roots.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like?
I’ll say Dexter New Blood but that’s mainly b/c that’s the only new show I’ve watched in forever!
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products?
The CeraVe cream that comes in a tub. Also French Girl Organics cuticle oil. While not a skincare product, I’ve also recently discovered when the temps drop I have to drop the temp of my shower or my skin gets so irritated. And I love a hot shower.
9. Something you’d like to do this week?
Drag myself to Madewell to return some jeans I ordered online. I keep putting it off.
Hope everyone has a great week!
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them? Never used one before🤔
2. How’s your holiday shopping going? Almost done!!!
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O Cheesecake….preferably with chocolate drizzle
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter? No…weather can get icy and snowy here
5. Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction
6. How did you do your hair today? Down and straightened…I have a haircut later and I prefer it cut like that.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like? Amazon’s The Wheel of Time and Marvel’s Hawkeye (Disney)
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products? DHC Olive Virgin Oil 🥰
9. Something you’d like to do this week? Christmas cards…I hate filling them out
1. I’m the sheet mask Grinch. I loathe them!
2. I need 1 more gift for my son and something for my husband then I’m done! Whoop whoop! I look forward to enjoying the rest of the season *mostly* stress free!
3. It’s a sign of my old age that I would now prefer Jello-o to cheesecake!
4. You bet your bottom dollar! I’m also in the sunscreen 365 days a year club. <3
5. Actually, I'll take both. I run a book club and we go back and forth between fiction and non-fiction every other month and I really enjoy that mix.
6. I washed and dried it with a hair dryer. I wish I could do braids! I need to invest the time to learn.
7. Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix! I just love Samin, we could totally be friends. She has such a bright personality and I'm learning so much from watching her show!
8. Hand cream. I go back and forth between the really thick stuff and regular hand cream but man, winter does a number to my hands!
9. Draw. I have a goal to draw 1 portrait a week for a year. I haven't started yet because AHHHH but I think if I stuck with it I'd actually be pretty good. Starting is the hard part, though!
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them? When she was a toddler my youngest grandchild liked to take her slice of New York-style pizza and wear it like a hat. That’s sort of me when I try and put on a sheet mask.
2. How’s your holiday shopping going? All done, ALL online.
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O. Cheesecake. Unfortunately, we have a local dairy that delivers (along with the usual dairy) freshly made individual-sized cheesecakes in assorted flavors. Dangerous.
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter? I wear it year-round. Currently Badger Clear Zinc SPF 40 cream. One of the few that doesn’t break me out and comes in a tin that will NOT leak in your purse.
5. Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction. It’s nice to read for a while. I wrote six books in six years, on hiatus other than the author radio interview stuff, and really enjoying catching up on reading.
6. How did you do your hair today? I keep it shorter in winter so it dries faster, It’s naturally wavy to I let it air dry.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like? I’m seriously late to the party but love Downton Abbey.
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products? Me Time Botanicals Clean Slate. It’s a cleanser, an extra later of moisture at night, great on cuticles, and helps with those little flareups of eczema I get on my hands in the winter. That and their coffee scented “In the Buff” sugar body scrub. . .
9. Something you’d like to do this week? I booked a facial, taking a day off from work for pampering.
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them?
Love them, but I’m pretty picky about my sheet masks as I’m allergic to so much.
2. How’s your holiday shopping going?
I’m done.
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O
Um, cheese danish cake, please.
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter?
Yeeeees.
5. Fiction or nonfiction?
Fiction, but I like a good nonfiction book every once in a while.
6. How did you do your hair today?
Up in a ponytail.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like?
Been surfing the National Geographic (on Disney+) documentaries. Just finished a 4 episode (or so) on Egyptologists working on an ibu (where people are mummified and buried) near Saqquara which is located in a vent 100 feet underground with over 6 crypts. It was so fascinating.
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products?
I don’t really change anything up. I try to stay consistent.
9. Something you’d like to do this week?
Go to the barn!
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them?
Used to be really into them but leave them. They don’t do much for me and they’re so wasteful.
2. How’s your holiday shopping going?
Not bad! Except Zack and I keep giving each other gifts early LOL.
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O
CHEESECAKE
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter?
Yes! Ginger with rosacea!
5. Fiction or nonfiction?
Fiction for books, nonfiction for podcasts.
6. How did you do your hair today?
Down and messy, but I got a bunch cut off after work!
7. A show you started watching recently that you like?
I haven’t watched anything new recently.
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products?
Bioderma Sensibio Light cream
9. Something you’d like to do this week?
Do some more Christmas shopping.
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them? Leave them-I have a 5-step (6 on the rare occasions that I remember to wear sunscreen) daily skincare routine, and beyond that I’m not really into skin masks and other add-ons.
2. How’s your holiday shopping going? Not too bad-I only have one person in the extended family to buy for and think I have an idea for my dad-now all that’s left is figuring out my mom.
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O? Cheesecake, especially when it includes chocolate!
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter? No-I barely remember to wear it in the summer!
5. Fiction or nonfiction? I like both, but lately I’ve found that most nonfiction tends to be a quicker read than most fiction-at least for me.
6. How did you do your hair today? It was a good hair day, so I didn’t really have to do anything.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like? Freshman sitcom Ghosts, on CBS-a remake of a BBC Britcom. Sam and Jay, a young married couple from NYC, learn that Sam’s inherited a mansion in upstate NY and decide to convert it into a B&B. Sam hits her head and when she wakes up, she’s suddenly able to see, hear, and talk to the ghosts of various people who’ve died on the property over the centuries. The humans and ghosts live with and come to befriend each other, with Sam translating the ghosts’ speech for Jay.
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products? Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture moisturizer.
9. Something you’d like to do this week? Figure out what ornaments are going on the tree this year, other than the Property Brothers (my mom loves them!) ragdoll-style ornaments (sold a couple years ago as part of a holiday collection from their Kohl’s home goods line, Scott Living) that have gone on it every year since we got them.
1. Sheet masks: love them or leave them? Never used one, mostly because I can see exactly your scenario happening.
2. How’s your holiday shopping going? We don’t celebrate Christmas, and I’m glad when I see the madness that everyone else goes to!
3. Cheesecake or Jell-O? Cheesecake all the way 😋
4. Do you wear sunscreen in the winter? Absolutely, it’s the absolute best anti-ageing skincare you can use.
5. Fiction or nonfiction? Non-fiction for me, I like biographies.
6. How did you do your hair today? Just parted and clipped to the side, I have a hair cut booked for tomorrow, will get a bit taken off for summer but not too short, I like enough to put in a ponytail.
7. A show you started watching recently that you like? I don’t really sit down and watch shows.
8. What’s one of winter skincare go-to products? I use the same products year around, my skin is a bit fussy about switching. I really like Trilogy, but since moving to Australia have found it a bit hard to find, so have switched to Sukin and that seems to be as good.
9. Something you’d like to do this week? Finish my cleaning, and get some homebaking done.