Five Minute Face for Six Dollars

One thing I have struggled with as I am simplifying is keeping a feminine professional appearance for work while saving money on expensive cosmetics and skin care products. I have always had sensitive skin and had to be careful which products I have used. I have tried just about everything, department store lines, drug store brands, mail order products, sensitive skin care lines, natural ingredient lines. I kept coming back to the same inexpensive drug store brand I have used since I started using skin and makeup products when I was a teenager. Lately that brand has almost double in price making what used to be incidentals into purchases needing planning.

I recently discovered E.L.F. cosmetics where the majority of their cosmetic line cost only $1 per item. I went out to investigate the website and was skeptical that the deal was really a deal. I compared the colors and sizes to the products in my drawer and they were similiar. E.L.F. has a limited range of colors for each type of cosmetic but they do cover the basics. Other than their bath products, kits and mineral makeups, their items are all $1.00. They offer a flat rate of $6.00 for shipping. If you were to order several months worth of products at a time, that would offset the shipping cost per item. E.L.F. has all the usual makeup components- foundation (including an SPF 15 tinted moisturzer that I have fallen in love with), powder, eye shadow, lip glosses, blushers, eye and lip liners, make up brushes, applicators, and nail polish.

Being an discount-aholic, I did a search for coupon codes for E.L.F. and found one active that day for 50% off. I purchased twelve items for $12 including shipping. The same drug store equivalent brands would have cost $36-$48 dollars.

When my order arrived, I was pleasantly surprised with the pretty colors and the quality of the products. E.L.F. products have simple light fragrances that are not too cloying and their lip products have a light flavor which is not too distracting. I was especially fascinated with the nail polish.

I have not regularly worn nail polish in years. I usually wear my nails short and shape and buff them using a four-way nail file to give them the gloss of a clear polish without the mess, bother and expense. With the price and pretty colors offered by E.L.F., I decided to experiment with nail polish again for a more professional appearance as I am embarking on a season of job hunting. Choosing their dark red color polish, I applied two easy coats. The polish was smooth and dried quickly without being sticky or too transluent. With a top coat of clear, the polish lasted five days without chipping and with only slight wear on the nail tips. The polish has not made my nails split either, a common occurance with other brands. I am enjoying the "girly-girl" look of polished nails with the added fun of knowing I did not pay too much for the polish.

Now for the hook, I applied what I call my five minute face. After cleaning my face in the shower with a simple skin cleanser and applying an ultra sheer SPF55 sunscreen that doubles as my moisturizer, I applied the E.L.F. foundation ($1), eye shadow ($1), eye liner ($1), blush ($1), face powder ($1), and lip gloss ($1). The result was a fresh go-anywhere look in five minutes for $6. The product sizes with adequate but conservative use should last me 2 months.

How have you simplified your beauty routine lately?

Do you know where your voter registration card is?

I heard on the news that the local primaries are next month. It reminded me that I moved a year ago and have been meaning to update my card. Surprised that it was not lost, I located it, followed the instructions and will drop it in tomorrow's mail.

Are you registered to vote? Is your card up-to-date? Do you know when your local primary is?

The Design of a Personal Notebook

Years ago, I read a book by Anne Ortlund (The Gentle Ways of the Beautiful Woman) in which I was introduced to the idea of a personal notebook. This idea is actually reiterated in several popular organizing websites. Flylady (http://www.flylady.com/) recommends a type of book and journal for routines, to do lists and such and several other sites have suggested and offered ideas and print outs for home journals. The most important concept is to collect all the bits of information that you can carry with you at all times in a manner that works with your personal habits and tendencies. The personal notebook should become incorporated in your routine to be an effective tool to make you more productive and to help you simplify, rather than becoming another task/chore to get done.

A personal notebook, however, has the best value when you create your system yourself.

Three Steps to start a personal notebook:

1. Analyze which areas of your life you would like to organize by collecting information in your book. Make a list. Decide which to include in the personal notebook.

I have included book lists, shopping lists, addresses and phone numbers, quotes to remember, website information, to do lists, Important pieces of Information (i.e. main Flylady routines, low maintenace shrub list, recipes, gift lists, Things to look for at Yard Sales/Thrift stores, insurance and account numbers), and my checkbook register in mine.

One important thing to consider is also what not to include to keep your main personal notebook simple and effective. I use a dollar store journal for my Bible study, sermon notes and prayers. I use index cards and an alphabetical card file for making notes from reading. I use an 8x5" recipe card envelope recycled from a cooking DVD insert for meal planning, and a separate notebook for budget planning. I use my business planner/calendar, purchased by the company, to also record events for my personal life. More copious information and lists end up in the planner to leave more room in my personal notebook so it weighs little and fits in my purse.

You may want more of a system of a few notebooks or everything in one simple notebook. Again, it depends on your style and tendencies. Be sure to include a page for your contact information should you misplace your book.


2. Decide on a format for the book itself.

Ideas: store-bought planner, binder of one size or another with dividers and looseleaf paper, recycled notebook with a new homemade cover, index cards and a small case with dividers, dollar store journal, simple composition book, index cards or small format paper and a photo album

The notebook should be appealing to you. Make it pretty or stylish. Personalize it. This can be done with pretty papers, ribbons, fabric book-style covers, a piece of salvaged embroidery, anything that looks like you.

3. Start it today. Just start from where you are. There is no need to make a huge effort to develop it at once. Let it evolve over time with you. Let it grow with you. It should become your tool for living and being organized.

Now that I use a personal notebook, I am less stressed to remember things, I am more productive, and I feel focused without a lot of additional effort. I can use the energy I used to do just to keep it all together or deal with not having information I needed when I needed it to do things I really want or need to do.

Winter Sowing

I am about a month late in getting my winter sowing containers put together but I am going to attempt to do them anyway.

I have been saving various plastic containers to sow the seeds in so I am recycling a lot of plastic that would have ended up in the trash. I have collected cake containers, deli containers, plastic milk jugs, anything "found" that would allow sunlight through, close, and hold dirt.

I am still a garden newie but the value of winter sowing as I understand it allows the seeds to follow nature's normal process as if the seeds had been naturally planted where they fell from the original plant. The seeds are sown in the containers and set outdoors in a sunny spot and left until spring. Supposedly the seeds will germinate sooner and with a higher yield.

We will see.....