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. Tote bag or fanny pack?
Tote bag because I am compelled to bring all the things, all the time. Ha ha ha! Hey, I’d rather be prepared than not. It’s a blessing and a curse.
2. Something about the ’90s you loved?
I really enjoyed the fashion. The long floral dresses, the chunky boots, the nods to the ’70s. It was such a vibe! I also vividly remember jeans not being annoying during that era. But jeans have irritated me pretty much from 2000 until now.
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed?
It was a difficult decade for me. I was so young, and I had very little emotional support, and it was so hard for me to get through all the growing pains by myself. During the decade, I went from being a teenager to a 20-something, and it would’ve helped to have a mentor or someone who loved me without any ulterior motive who could direct me in a positive direction. I would often put on a false sense of bravado to hide the fear, and it did not always serve me well.
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days?
Between five and 10 minutes? I think that it looks at least semi-decent when I leave the house, but I dunno. I saw myself on camera for a Zoom meeting last Friday and was like, whoa, so much bronzer!
5. What’s for dinner tonight?
Honestly I don’t know. This question plagues me daily, and it’s annoying me more now that my work schedule has shifted and I’m not at home for most of the day. Something has to change. I’m thinking that I’ll have to start ordering take out on a couple weekdays for the sake of my sanity, even though it’s the last thing I want to do. Anyway, back to the question. I think tonight we’re eating sandwiches. That’s all I got, LOL!
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. Tote bag or fanny pack?
2. Something about the ’90s you loved?
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed?
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days?
5. What’s for dinner tonight?
1. Tote bag or fanny pack? Tote. I also carry ALL the things. Hair ties, Epi-pens, inhalers, hand sanitizer, bandaids, handwipes, toliet seat covers, doggy-poo bags…
2. Something about the ’90s you loved? Overalls…so comfortable. Cargo pants…pockets😊. Scrunchies…I wish I had all the options they have now.
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed? Chokers….I can’t stand anything on my neck that tight.
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days? Too much. I need at least 30 minutes. I wish I could come up with a faster routine.
5. What’s for dinner tonight? Oh man! I totally feel your pain on this one. Working full time and managing the kiddos schedules…when are you supposed to cook? Tonight is not planned out 🤪. We try to make things a head that last a few days or that can be frozen. This week…we were too busy.
1. Tote bag or fanny pack? Tote bag. I’m an everything but the kitchen sink kind of person. Also I’ve never seen a fanny pack I consider attractive.
2. Something about the ’90s you loved? We lived next door to some family friends. One of their granddaughters would babysit for us. Another grandson would play with our daughter. And they built a swing set for dear daughter on their property so dear daughter would often go over there to play.
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed? There was one month, either Jan or Feb of 1998 where it rained Every. Single. Day. That combined with high tides caused the creek near the house we had to back up and over flow. I went to leave the house in the morning and the water was half way up our drive. We were lucky it stopped there, but folks living closer to the creek had their houses flooded.
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days? It took me 15 minutes to slap something on before we went out to dinner last night. Foundation, cream blush, cream eyeshadow stick, liner, mascara and lipstick. Most of it was trying to get the mascara on without it going all over my hooded lids.
5. What’s for dinner tonight? Leftovers. We went out for Korean food Friday night and I’m looking forward to eating the remainder of my pork rib kimchi jiggae. My girlfriend said she’d coach me through making a pot of pho later this week.
1. Tote bag or fanny pack? Tote bag. I was a teen in the 80s for the first fanny pack go around. Also, I can’t call them belt bags – they are all fanny packs
2. Something about the ’90s you loved? I met my husband & got married. We met in 92, graduated in 93, moved in together in 94, married in 95 & bought a house in 96. I’m exhausted just thinking about it 😆
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed? Low rise jeans – they do not work with my shape & back then, that was the only option
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days? 10 minutes unless we are going somewhere fancy
5. What’s for dinner tonight? No idea – I’ll figure it out after work
1. Tote bag or fanny pack? tote bag during the week , fanny pack on vacations.
2. Something about the ’90s you loved? being a kid and having fresh laundry done by my mom.
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed? being a kid and being told you could not visit your friend on a school night
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days? 30 minutes , too much time has gone by and i race around like a chicken with my head cut off.
5. What’s for dinner tonight? soup
1. Tote bag or fanny pack? I tend to carry lots of stuff—old habit from when my guys were little and I felt like I had to have everything “just in case”. I loved a good tote back then and love a good tote today; preferably one that has a few compartments so everything isn’t all jumbled up inside.
2. Something about the ’90s you loved? To be honest, the 90’s just wasn’t all that remarkable a decade so there’s nothing I particularly loved or loathed about it. We had very busy lives and were all healthy and happy, but I don’t attribute that to any particular decade.
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed?
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days? Light and casual, about 15 minutes. Full and more glam, about 25-30. Those times don’t include all my skincare prep.
5. What’s for dinner tonight? Greek meatballs, lemon roasted potatoes, tzatziki, and a salad of some kind. I haven’t gotten that far yet. Lol
If you find a good tote bag with some compartments please let me know, Eileen!
Oh, and your dinner sounds delicious.
That dinner sounds so delicious. You got a craving going for me now. Lol.
Seriously! Let’s go to Eileen’s house for dinner.
1. Tote bag or fanny pack? Fanny Pack, I travel light, and it’s easier to get on and off the commuter train to the city when I go there.
2. Something about the ’90s you loved? My career was progressing and I bought my first house. I remember the census guy stopping and he asked to see my parents. I said “this is my house” and he looked at the big pool and the baby grand piano and his jaw dropped. If he only knew how many bowls of ramen and oatmeal I ate to pay for college and flight school before I made Captain at the airline.
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed? The constant “when are you going to get married and have kids”.
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days? Less than 3 minutes. Honua or Blissoma mineral sunscreen. GXVE by Gwen Stefanie eye pencil, taupe brow pencil and “Screen My Phone Calls” lip color and Ilia color stick for cheeks and eyelids (In the City). Finally, Ere Perez waterproof Avocado mascara (even the high end Chanel and Dior mascaras smear on me, this does NOT and it’s vegan, natural and removes easily without drying out my lashes).
5. What’s for dinner tonight? Crispy Mango Tofu with Fried Rice (new cookbook from my favorite Vegan chef, Lauren Boehme (creator of Rabbits and Wolves website)
Hi Brigid! Which GXVE eye pencil are you using? I have the navy one and I love it!
The two I use the most are Thunderbolt (a shimmery taupe) and Greener Pastures which I really like. It’s not artificial looking green but sort of an gilded olive/bronze hue that works really well with green or brown eyes.
1. Tote bag or fanny pack?
Tote bag, usually cute ones that reflect my interests, like reading.
2. Something about the ’90s you loved?
I didn’t appreciate it then, of course, but being relatively pain-free, physically.
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed?
I hated how it was an acceptable part of culture to discuss female bodies in such pejorative and dehumanizing terms. Like how they couldn’t talk about a tv show or movie without the female actors’ bodies being one of the biggest topics of discussion. People still do it, but not to the same degree of blatant cruelty; it was terrible back then.
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days?
When I do, lol, 10-20 minutes, depending on what it’s for.
5. What’s for dinner tonight?
Great question.
Re: your answer to #3. It was terrible back then. I especially notice it in late ’90s/early 2000s teen films. 🙁
1. Tote bag or fanny pack? Tote bag with lots of pockets inside and one of those key fob tethers
2. Something about the ’90s you loved? I’m a 90s girl. I loved the music, the vintage store fashion, all the new experiences in college, my first real job, and opportunities to travel for fun and work!
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed? The lack of GPS because I swear I got lost a lot when driving up and down California for my first job
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days? About 15 minutes if it’s just to drop off my son and run errands in the morning
5. What’s for dinner tonight? Leftover ga kho (Vietnamese caramelized chicken) with steamed rice and baby bok choy
Yum, I wish I could come over for dinner!
1. Tote bag or fanny pack? I used to love a Fanny pack, but I’m a tote bag girl these days.
2. Something about the ’90s you loved? The music, I got married in the 90’s, the fashion, my metabolism.
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed? 90’s movies that insulted women, heroin chic, not having a clear path in life.
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days? Between five and ten minutes. I wear very little, just enough to enhance everything.
5. What’s for dinner tonight? We had bbq chicken, rice pilaf, and kidney bean salad.
1. Tote bag or fanny pack? Tote bag.
2. Something about the ’90s you loved? The return to a natural hair and makeup look – the Eighties were ridiculous, with the large perms and day-glo makeup.
3. Something about the ’90s you loathed? Brown lipstick and foundation that leaned too yellow/warm for me. I also had work problems – I was forced to move into a job I absolutely hated and literally barely survived. If I hadn’t had a really wonderful dog, I probably wouldn’t be here now.
4. How much time does it take you to put on makeup these days? 10-15 minutes.
5. What’s for dinner tonight? I had a “Cornish hen” fixed in a small airfryer. Not too bad, but I won’t buy any more after I eat the second one from the package.
Addendum to #3: That wonderful dog died in 1999, setting off the most profoundly deep period of mourning I’ve ever had until just recently, when my mother died. I still think about him every day, because he was about as close to perfect as a dog could be, and my ideal companion.
Sending you a big hug.
P.S. I still think about my tabby boy all the time. I really miss him.
Hi Karen, this is more of a comment about jeans and the annoyance factor. I’ve learned later in life that I have some sensory issues around comfort. That being said – I’ve discovered that Agolde makes a style
Of Jean called the key mid rise with a little distressing. The wash is called notion and it has 66% lyocell and they feel like butter. The least annoying Jean I’ve ever worn. You may be able to check it out in person at Amour Vert or I did pick these up and a nice bougie boutique in downtown San Anselmo- forget the name. The other washes with 98 %cotton/ 2% elastane not nearly as comfy.