Weekly Therapy: 26 Weeks Left in my 30s!

November 11, 2016 - Mel

What an unfortunate typo when I first typed out this post subject! Does this mean I have officially accepted being 40? LOL So, yeah… Half-Birthdays and Stuff.

happy-half-birthday

the week:
Wooooo, four-day work week (still up by 6am today though)! From last week feeling like it was the longest.week.ever.com to this one being a short (albeit, not-so-fun) one, I’m ready to put some of this sadness (and PMS) behind me, have a little relaxation, and do some good this weekend.

I’m getting a massage this morning and FINALLY have a hair appointment this afternoon. Yep, haven’t had my hair done since February when I lived in Pittsburgh, and this shit on my head is a hot mess.

weekend:
Boyfriend and I are going to our first Iowa Wild hockey game tonight and dinner beforehand at Magnolia.

Saturday, I’m volunteering for the first time with Girls on the Run 5K as a Running Buddy. I’m so excited about this! I was looking to get involved with the organization before I left Pittsburgh, and so happy that I connected in time to participate in the fall race. Can’t wait to meet my Buddy!

And it’s back to Long Run Sundays (at least, for this weekend); I’m joining up with some Turkeys to do some trail running.

seven things, seven days:
1. Put my name in (and credit card info, eeek) for a chance at Chicago – so maybe-possibly, I be running two marathons in 2017?
2. I’m also officially registered for the Illinois Marathon I-Challenge (Half Marathon + 5K) — and running for BibRave!
3. And for your HOLY SHIT IOWA IS NOT COMPLETELY FLAT MOMENT: Check out the elevation/course map for my half marathon in December.
4. Why you can’t help but act your age — this is so fascinating!!! {via Nautilus}
5. Great post about meal plans (spoiler alert: they usually suck!), with some great suggestions on how to transform your meals for the better in small, achievable steps.
6. I feel better. {via Science of US}
7. One of my favorite topics to study in psychology (and focus of my senior research project in my undergrad) — BURNOUT (and how to beat it) {via HBR}

Weekly Therapy: what is your greatest fear?

October 29, 2014 - Mel

the week:
I finally went to Scarehouse! Four years of being in Pittsburgh, and a friend who works there took me. We also did The Basement, which… well, I’ll leave it for you to experience.

Question for you to ponder: What is your greatest fear?

While we were visiting Scarehouse, we were asked to participate in a research study about fear emotions. The researcher hooked us up to an EEG headset, and as a pair, we took a series of “tests” before and after touring the haunt. Interesting addition to an already-interesting evening, nonetheless.

scarehouse bunny selfie
Scarehouse is scary.

weekend:
Friday night was the season opening of Pittsburgh Ballet, with Sleeping Beauty. How awesome for the boyfriend, to celebrate his birthday with me and the ballet? *wink* Have I mentioned how much I want to do adult ballet classes? I think I’m going to start soon, especially since we get a discount with our subscription to PBT. We had dinner before the show at Grit & Grace downtown, which I am just in love with — and I can find multiple items every visit that are gluten-free! See also: ONION RINGS (!!!)

Otherwise, I’ll be getting a head-start on assignments, so I’m not concerned with them while I’m traveling next weekend (ha, right).

seven things, seven days:
1. I ran five miles. Does that deserve an exclamation point? Less than a month away from my 15k. I had to query other runners about nipple chafing, btw. So…
2. Apparently you make a lot of friends on twitter when you ask people about nipple chafing.
3. We cleaned the fridge TWICE and cannot find the source of a deathly smell. The boyfriend and I will be flipping a coin to see who opens and cleans the ice maker.
4. 90% on my Statistics mid-term. WHO AM I???
5. Non-petroleum jelly does NOT effectively combat nipple chafing. TMYK.
6. Finished Redirect: The surprising new science of psychological change. I don’t think I’ve highlighted so much information in one book!
7. A topic that I’ve been talking a lot about lately with friends and family. Because, I don’t think many of us are prepared. We’re older, but not wiser about menopause. {via

Every 30-something needs… to feel beautiful in her own skin.

September 17, 2013 - Mel

My blogger friend Terra of Stylish White Female started a great idea: to show off the bare naked faces of women to show that we ALL are beautiful. (follow along on twitter too: #barenaked)

She requested her female readers reveal their bare-skinned faces — no makeup, no fancy filters, no hiding behind hair — and I submitted my picture. Along with a horrible list of all the things wrong with my bare face. What’s weird is that I’m not self conscious about my body at all — but my face? Zero confidence. I see enlarged pores and saggy, sullen skin and under eye circles and red eye lids and sun damage (and sadly, now skin cancer scars)… and age. Even when I showed off my skin cancer scars and surgery pictures, I was hiding behind a mess of bruising and bandages.

The truth is: I DO NOT LIKE myself — my face — without makeup. Even less so as I get older.

Terra started an amazing project that hopefully prompts more women like me to love the skin we’re in. I’m trying… and her thoughtful response back to my list of negative comments honestly made me cry. I don’t know why I hate on my face so much — or why I’m struggling emotionally so much with aging — but her praise and encouragement made me reconsider how I see myself.

I’ve got some work to do, but I’m forever grateful for her doing such a project.

Off, Spot!

November 27, 2012 - Mel

Age spots. Sun spots. Livers spots. OFF, SPOT!

Spot removers and skin brighteners: yet more treatments in the arsenal of beauty products aimed at our age bracket. The promise? Younger, brighter skin that’s free from discoloration, age spots and uneven tone. These anti-aging creams promise to reduce, fade and prevent freckling and splotching of discolored 30-something skin caused by sun damage, acne scarring and those lovely (lovely!) hormones. If only a magic serum were that easy.

My skin has become a MESS over the last couple years of my mid-30s: blotchy areas, loose skin around the eyes (including my first few wrinkles), enlarged pores, the eyebrow “parenthesis,” dark circles, adult acne, and age spots. While aging is an ultimate concern in the physical sense, I didn’t realize how hard this stage would be mentally. And financially.

Besides regularly visiting an aesthetician for facials, I’m currently enduring a months-long wait for a dermatology appointment (completely separate from my wait for my skin cancer screening) to see what else can be done — how I can FIX and PREVENT more of this from happening. Meanwhile, I’m trying out a sample of this Murad Age Spot & Pigment Lightening Serum to see if I can be part of the 33% (of users to see a difference in 1 week; a couple weeks in, I’m having limited success in reducing redness scars, not yet on brown pigment spots).

Have you found a spot remover that works? Tell us about it in the comments — or on our Facebook page!