A Checking in Checking out post

Hi all ! Sorry I have been MIA, seems to be happening a lot lately. Money has been very tight, so no real shopping trips to share ...yeah I am disappointed too! Not been going on too many new day-cations to speak of. And as was discussed a while back, have been rather uninspired. Life really has me in the pits of near disparaging feelings and I did not  want to burden you my readers. Surprised? Yeah me too! Cause I know you are here for me!

Just everything is piling on. Health is worse , it seems daily, making it simply near impossible to function, but doing it anyway. My husband's job that was to make things easier, and it has to some extent is not making easier enough ( lousy grammar I know) and so the money woes and stress from them are building again as lack of insurance or being able to afford the premiums and the copays, credit card bills we are spinning wheels on ( once 100% paid off , actually above credit limits from when he was unemployed and it kept the lights on)....rent goes up on the first so it is about to get tighter. Oh and we are going into the slow season for car sales so money coming in will dip, so we will be giving up day-cations and I am cutting back on my gas station coffee as well. Since I can not work, I need to do what I can, do my part. I need to find pleasure in life again, and on an even smaller budget. After all that is what this blog originally started out being about , finding life's pleasures, even on a small budget and then musing about them. So it is a goal to get back to simpler things that do not cost as much as even the low cost things we have been doing.

I am listening to the Nate Burkus show...talking about ruts, wanting to redesign one's life. The set up sounds right, but the actions just are not in the cards for me, but I definitely feel that way. I really can not afford to do anything drastic, but something tiny often helps, at least for a short time. So yesterday I colored my hair to a dark auburn. No more black, no more black brown...but something warmer, figuring maybe it will help with my washed out complexion.

I tried a new product, to me anyway, Root Rescue. I do not have much hair at the moment , having cut my hair to a short , very short pixie cut.Actually went a bit too short and with my hair thinning as it is , I now have to comb it creatively EEEKKK! So now need to go the opposite way again by an inch or so LOL !!  All part of "re-designing" things I have control over. Me and how I see myself . I know my issues run deeper than hair color, first to admit that, but it is a beginning and done at home, cheap. Especially with coupons! YEP! I am a clipper !

So here is the kit all opened. I am not liking the gloves. I hate the loose fitting, food service style gloves! So note to readers, if you buy these , buy a pack of rubber gloves from the beauty supply and they will last you awhile, and are not pricey. Makes it nicer to NOT get water in the gloves when you rinse.

I am liking how for my short hair there is just enough to do the whole head, even though it is meant for just root touch up. I like the easy mix up and the soft application brush....UNTIL I go to use it. You have to squeeze the bottle very hard to get to flow out and then too much comes out. Again, if you will be coloring your hair on a regular basis, I would say go to the beauty supply and buy a bowl and brush, they are cheap, wash up easy and make application so much less of a chore and mess. 

I applied Vaseline around hair line, not onto the hair line mind you , it helps get color off the skin, and I went to work.....

Gutsy are I not??? Oh well I have looked worse, and in public salons so why not??? besides I can use this for part of the checking in, in an update about the face creams.... Also in use all the Loreal products and so far really liking them. *Check out the original blog here

I see some difference from the week before I started with the skin creams to now, how about you? Given I am smiling a bit more in this photo below, but not by much. It has been about a month or just over . I think I shall stick with them! Besides I love how my skin feels! OH and a great tip for those of us gals with slightly longer nails...to get cream out for your face and NOT have it under your nails ( what a waste!) I use a small rubber spatula; the kind you use for baking. I LOVE it ! I can get the cream off the sides of the jar, there is no waste , and I just rub any residue on the back of my hands! So give it a try!

But back to the hair coloring...so after the 10 minutes pass and I rinse and dry, this is the result..I tried to stand in the sun so you can see.....

 

Still looks dark brown, but was told by my daughter it is bright red in sun , also the color is more even than it looks, it is just how the sun is hitting the thinner spots in my hair. It is as I said a beginning to a new look. I once had copper colored hair, so by next Summer you never know. But this makes her happy as she does not have to create new avatars for the blog LOL ! 

So on to other checking in , checking out subjects....
I recently tried out Ponds new morning face wipes.

I am loving these! Very refreshing when you first wake up and are not quite willing to wait for the water to warm up, or not willing to shock yourself with cold water. My skin feels toned and fresh and it feels more ready for my morning face creams.So I recommend it!

Another product I recently checked out , was this one....

These are wonderful to take off the mascara ! The pads are nice and thick and not oily, and they smell wonderful! I place the pad over my eye, hold for ten seconds and start wiping, comes right off. Any little bit of residue is so easily removed without tugging my skin or lashes with a make up wipe...Ponds makes a night time wipe to go with the day time one and plan to get those soon as I can finish out the wipes that I have now.Yes, it is a bit more expensive, than wipes alone, but at least my eyes do not sting and the lashes stay in! Not the case before. Plus love the lack of oily residue that other removers can leave behind. As long as I can nip and tuck here and there in the budget I shall by them.

The next product that I have been using is a new mascara. I am always trying the newest. I have used pricey ones that run me an entire months allowance and have used ones that cost a 1.00...I think my eyes are one of my best features, so love to layer on the mascara. I HATE clumps and I want, NEED thickness and length, age has really robbed me of both, so am always on the hunt. So the latest:

Maybelline's Falsies. For the price, and the effect I am really recommending you give it a whirl. No need to curl your lashes, but of course I always do, but the curved brush will do it for you! I of course always use the very black. 

So those are a few of the checking out things. Now onto the "Checking in" portion...

Still battling the scale roller coaster. I was actually down to 124.5 !! I was so excited! But then Mother Nature came along and the scale jumped 2 pounds. We will see if that comes off or if I have to tighten up on how many sweets I have been eating and lengthening my walk. I really would like to see that number again..and perhaps it will motivated me to walk even when it is raining! I did buy a new umbrella and a rain poncho and of course I have some darling duck boots to wear! 

I have heard from many of you that you have written into Ellen on my behalf, I feel so loved and blessed by that fact. Keeps my hopes high that maybe she will take notice eventually! I have also continued writing into her. I am sure her staff consider me a stalker between the letters, Facebook and Twitter! If she never responds, never grants my wish, I will at least KNOW I gave it my best, and well I will always be a fan and keep watching her show. There are days when the smiles and laughter I get from doing so means the whole world to me and makes my day! Be sure to tune in yourself, you will not be sorry!

I have also been filling in every contest form, writing into Oprah( she is so inspiring and I also have been a fan of her/her show for years)  , and all the other talk shows. Oprah has her own network launching soon , January . Carson Kresley( do you not just love him??)  will have his own show and so there was a form there as well to fill out and tell one's story, so of course I did...you know always great to have a back up plan ! I still enter Publishers Clearing House each and every day as well!

So I guess that is about it for now ....I have a stack of make up and beauty tips I am considering sharing with you...are you interested? Let me know! Would love to hear from you !