Weekly Therapy: Happy bellies, happy hearts.

November 27, 2015 - Mel

the week:
I’m giving a lot of gratitude this week: to a holiday-cooked-for-two, and full bellies, and convalescence from this cold that’s been dragging me down all week. I was too sick to run the Turkey Trot this year. And I guess in hindsight, though disappointed, it was the right thing to cancel our travel plans for the holiday. We stayed home, and the boyfriend smoked a small turkey (even though neither of us eats/likes it that much, it was delicious!) and made all the Thanksgiving fixings (enough for a week’s worth of leftovers for 8 people, for sure).

weekend:
Work gave us an extra holiday today, and I’m using a vacation day on Monday. A five-day weekend sounds like perfection right now. I might be crazy enough to go out shopping for some deals (since I have a couple gift cards still yet to use from my birthday/graduation), since I am nowhere started on my Christmas lists yet. At some point this weekend, I’ll get back on my exercise plan that’s been wholly derailed because of this sickness (I’d really like to do the Ugly Sweater Run on Sunday).

Make no mistake, my cats are NOT happy about all this coughing!

52 books in 52 weeks:
#45 Life and Other Near-Death Experiences by Camille Pagan — Quite different of a book that I usually go for, but thanks to Kindle Unlimited for the title suggestion and pulling me out of the non-fiction shelves. Enjoyable, guilty-pleasure sort of read, despite the main character’s cancer diagnosis and (without giving away plot lines) other life shit. Considering the circumstance — her circumstances — the book provoked some optimism in an otherwise tragic story.

seven things, seven days:
1. I found out this week that my favorite face cosmetics brand (the only powder that has ever matched my skin tone and not changed color when I get oily!) has discontinued stocking in the US. So, currently stalking eBay and Australia beauty sites for Napoleon Perdis camera finish compacts. Apparently they ship internationally, but OMG $69 for a compact is a real sticker shock… and I can’t get my checkout order to process anyway, and their customer service is downright awful. DAMMIT IT ALL TO HELL.
2. I was detecting a funky smell somewhere in my kitchen and as I walked around looking for it, I smacked my face right into the side of the table. YEP.
3. Pre-Black Friday Deal: Finally purchased an Apera performance duffle during an online sale this week. Hopefully my search for the perfect gym bag ends here.
4. We started binge-watching The Leftovers on Thanksgiving… and ZOMG. Only 5 episodes into Season 1, so NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!
5. I realized when clearing boxes out of my front closet that my marathon shoes were a half-size smaller than my training shoes in the same exact model. That’s… interesting.
6. Everybody needs to read this: Exercise is not punishment for eating. {via Nia Shanks}
7. The technology that created a whole new generation of runners {via The Atlantic}

Weekly Therapy: sweater weather (!!!)

October 25, 2013 - Mel

the week:
The boyfriend’s birthday was yesterday. He was excited about buying a second house for his big day — the vacant property behind us that is currently listed in the treasurer’s sale, to eventually use as a guest suite-slash-investment. I’m still warming up to the idea of taking care of two houses, what with the difficulty we already have with one. But soon enough, I’ll be back in school, making my own financial mistakes. LOLZ.

Anyway, the treasurer sale was this morning, and I received a text message around 11am that read: We only own 1 home.

I can’t wait to hear this story! You too?

weekend:
I have to work all weekend, so… hashtag, annoyed.

We have a Halloween party scheduled for Saturday night, but I honestly don’t think we’re going to go. How lame is that? I’ve been alternating days on feeling well, then being sick again, and repeat. We’ll just use our costumes for trick or treat next week… WHICH IS ALSO OUR TWO YEAR HOUSE ANNIVERSARY.

seven things, seven days:
1. Brownberry sandwich thins are my new favorite thing. NO CRUST is where it’s at.
2. I surprised the boyfriend with tickets for a lecture series featuring Steve Wozniak. He was pretty psyched. AND the tickets were free. WIN.
3. Birthdays mean SUSHI! My favorite sushi is still House of Hunan in Akron, Ohio (thanks to the boyfriend for that one). So glad that I made that part of the boyfriend’s birthday plans this week.
4. I found a sweater organizer (finally) for my closet. It’s coming together, even if it’s still over-packed. I don’t want to talk about when I was putting it INTO the closet that the other hanging organizer in there collapsed and ALL OF THE THINGS went tumbling to the floor. Sigh.
5. I have to return 2 out of 3 items from my recent World Market order because of wrong and/or broken items. Ugh. #dumb
6. ~~We’re not allowed to dress up for our Halloween event at my part-time job. Whomp whomp~~. LIES! Now we are allowed!
7. Remember the #barenaked campaign from Stylish White Female? A reporter from Point Park News Service wrote about it. And published my no-makeup selfie.

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.