Karen

OK, I think we’re finally starting to get the hang of this dance team competition thing!

Things to expect include:

• A long day with lots of sitting around and waiting with short bursts of activity when it’s time for the little ladies to dance.
• Hauling around plenty of snacks, especially ones with protein for the moms.
• Putting together a list of the costume details. Spreadsheets and screenshots will be involved!
• Researching places to eat if you think you’ll be there for more than six hours.
• Researching the parking situation before I get there.
• Practicing hairstyles way ahead of time.
• Comfortable shoes you can run in because you might need to sprint from the stage to the dressing room; quick-changes are no joke!

I’m thinking that if she’s in it for the long haul, I’m eventually bringing camping gear. I’m serious! At the last competition I saw a pop-up tent for changing and a handful of lightweight travel chairs and thought, “Well, that mom is a genius.”

The girls did really well! They had two dances, and they placed at a high gold for tap and a platinum for hip hop. (I’ve been told this is a good thing.)

Can I just say, it’s a trip to see Connor evolve as a dancer. Her confidence seems to grow with every routine, and I think her teachers notice it, too.

My hope is that she keeps at it for a while because dance seems to make her feel special outside of school. I grew up in a strict family where grades were the barometer that defined your worthiness, so school was the only thing that mattered. The only sanctioned non-school activities were quiet ones that seemed to make you even more studious, like playing piano. Never mind if you hated it! Dance or sports were generally viewed as something that would get in the way of your studies.

I don’t really think that’s the case, though. I think activities outside of school teach discipline, how to work with a team, how to express yourself and process emotions, how to handle disagreements with others and how to manage expectations – life skills that come in handy down the road.

Anyway, I’m happy that Connor still likes it!

Oh, and so this post is somewhat makeup related, she still absolutely refuses to let me put any eyeshadow on her, sigh.

She likes bright pink blush and red lipstick. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The name of this holiday is kinda funny to me as all moms are constantly working (for real, though), but hey, we’re gonna go with it because apparently it’s a thing!

On that note, here are five things that help me as a working mom.

1. Prepping as much as I can for the next day

I like to do as much as I can the night before so that my morning goes as smoothly as possible, which usually means making lunches for the next day, ironing my clothes, packing my work bag, and getting all my writing done.

I do have to say, though, this is something I strive for but don’t always achieve. There’s usually something that doesn’t get prepped, and I’ve learned to just go with the flow as best as I can.

2. Wash lunch boxes and water bottles immediately when I first get home

I don’t know why this helps me so much, but it does! Right when I get home and walk through the door and start putting down bags and settling in, I try to get this task done as quickly as I can.

If I have the time and/or energy, too, I’ll also pack the next day’s lunch before I make dinner. If I can’t do it then, then it happens immediately after dinner.

I think that something about completing this task early on gives me momentum to do all the other things. It also makes my brain happy and calms my nerves. I know, it’s weird. But it works for me so I go with it!

3. Accepting that I’m never going to get control of the laundry

A mom friend who also works and I were joking the other day about how laundry is so devoted to us and will never break up with us. LOL! I’m always doing laundry, ya’ll. I’ve come to accept that it will forever never be done.

4. Focusing on my biggest priorities

Right now my biggest priority is to spend as much time with Connor as possible as she moves through childhood and her teenage years, so I recently took a very stable job with part-time hours and good benefits. It’s not really in my usual lane, and I kinda miss writing every day as a job, but at the same time, a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel more present and less stressed in my non-work life, and I’m available to watch and parent Connor right when she gets out of school.

5. That said, I still try to find space for the things that fill my cup

For me, it’s writing and doing creative things, like MBB! I’m really looking forward to being more comfortable with the new job, so I’ll have even more space mentally to pursue the fun creative endeavors that make my heart sing.

Kudos to all the moms out there, especially those who are balancing family and job life at the same time, today! Happy Working Mom’s day. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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. Bucket hat or a fedora?

I’ve worn both and have no business in either. LOL! I would go with the bucket hat if I had to purely for the nostalgia of it.

2. Someone you’d like to hang out with more often?

My friend Corey. She gets my jokes, and I like her three sweet daughters.

3. A piece of makeup you’ve been wearing a lot lately?

Chanel Malice Blush, an oldie but a goodie!

4. Something you find a little silly?

A room in the house that’s solely devoted to storing a child’s toys. Oh, and teeny cropped jackets.

5. Besides your wallet and keys, what’s something you usually have with you in your purse?

Hand sanitizer. Trader Joe’s Green Tea Mints. Miscellaneous receipts that could easily be thrown away. Lip balm.

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. Bucket hat or a fedora?
2. Someone you’d like to hang out with more often?
3. A piece of makeup you’ve been wearing a lot lately?
4. Something you find a little silly?
5. Besides your wallet and keys, what’s something you usually have with you in your purse?

Just a quick hello because we’re off to a dance competition. It’s going to be a day filled with leaps, turns and athleticism–along with plenty of hairspray, red lipstick and sparkles!

We’re supposed to put their hair up in a french braid into a high pony, and I’m officially a mom fail, LOL! What’s weird is I can french braid my own hair, but Connor’s hair is so different. It’s much more slippery and hard to get a grip on.

This is one of my 10 attempts, and one of the dance moms said it looks like one of those episodes of “Nailed It.” HA HA HA!

Anyway, wish us luck, with the braid and with the dancing. 🙂

Have a great Saturday!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

1. How fleeting it was to feel at ease in my body.

It happened early on, too, before I even had the language to describe what it was. All I know is one day I was a kid looking at myself in the mirror and feeling fine, and the next day all I could see were things that needed to be “fixed.”

2. Sometimes it’s just really, really, really uncomfortable.

Both physically and mentally. Lower back aches, cramps, migraines, extreme mood swings, bloating–I swear dudes could not handle it.

3. How these damn hair ties will always disappear no matter how hard I try.

I officially give up. I consider all my lost hair ties as offerings to the goddess of the universe! LOL.

4. How truly challenging it is to balance work, raising a child, keeping a house afloat and having a life of your own.

I struggle with it daily, sigh.

5. That the fear I had about being a “bad” mom is more common than I thought.

I delayed having a child because I worried that the hands-off style of parenting I received as a kid would echo through me. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to connect with a little one. Turns out I was wrong, as motherhood has been an unexpected source of joy.

One last bonus item…

…which is something that I’ve only learned within the last few years. It’s very helpful when I’m having a conversation with another woman to say, “Do you want me to listen, or would you like me to help you find a solution?” Sometimes you just want someone to lend an ear while you process, and it helps to set that expectation early on.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy International Women’s Day!

I think there may be a cat lady who’s running the show at Marshalls right meow because when I was there last weekend there were so many kitty related things!

Of course I had to pick up this hilarious orange tabby version of one of my favorite artists, Vincent Van Gogh.

These kitty chair lips were awfully tempting.

Oh, in case you were looking for some cat-themed pillows, Marshshalls has got plenty of them to choose from, so take your pick.

I’m thinking I should bring this one to work, ha ha ha!

This one’s my favorite, though, because of the beading and the embroidery, although the cat mom in me can’t help but wonder if all of these plants are cat safe, hmm.

See anything you like?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy, happy Thursday! This is the point of the week whenI start to the rapid process of devolving into a ball of useless mush. HA HA HA! This is why I now front load my week to do errands on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. By Thursday I’m worn out… It’s going to be takeout tonight, for sure.

Hope you have a wonderful day!