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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 five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start. ?

Hi, my friend. As I’m sure you’re aware, because you’re probably living it and seeing it like I am, there’s a great deal of uncertainty and unrest around us in the world right now. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, angry, saddened, off-kilter and/or concerned about the future, you are not alone.

Every day, I try to do something to brighten the world around me a little. Sometimes it’s nothing. Maybe one extra smile or a compliment to a neighbor, but I feel like every gesture gives a little nudge in a positive direction.

I’ve always liked to think that the silly questions in the Monday Poll spread some positive energy, and I hope they brighten your day a little. This is installment #630, which is incredible!

Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Please remember, you’re doing great. Hang in there, OK?

1. Hot rollers or a curling iron?

Curling iron — large barrel, preferably by GHD (they’re $$$ but so good).

2. Scrunchie or hand cream?

Hand cream. Hands down.

3. Would you rather wear crop tops for the rest of your life, or wear capri pants for the rest of your life?

Crop tops, because capri pants and I don’t mix (lesson learned the hard way).

4. Have you ever clogged the shower drain with your hair?

HECK YEAH. The worst was in the last apartment I lived in. It took forever for the poor maintenance guy to get through the pipe, and when he was finally able to, he pulled out a massive ball of hair.

I was strongly encouraged to purchase a hair trap after that…

5. Low, middle or high bun?

High bun. The messier, the better.

6. When you get your hair cut next (whenever that is!), what style are you going to do?

It’s been over a year… I need to serious choppity-chop-chop! I’ll probably end up with a lob, and I know I’ll regret it immediately afterward and start growing my hair again, ha ha ha!

7. Colorful brows or green lipstick?

Colorful brows.

8. High pony or sleek french twist?

High pony! (Fewer hair pins.)

9. Would you rather have free lipstick or free nail polish for the rest of your life?

THIS IS TOUGH… Lipstick.

10. Bronzer or eyeshadow?

Eyeshadow

11. Lip stain or eyeliner?

Eyeliner

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. Hot rollers or a curling iron?
2. Scrunchie or hand cream?
3. Would you rather wear crop tops for the rest of your life, or wear capri pants for the rest of your life?
4. Have you ever clogged the shower drain with your hair?
5. Low, middle or high bun?
6. When you get your hair cut next (whenever that is!), what style are you going to do?
7. Colorful brows or green lipstick?
8. High pony or sleek french twist?
9. Would you rather have free lipstick or free nail polish for the rest of your life?
10. Bronzer or eyeshadow?
11. Lip stain or eyeliner?

P.P.S. Hope you’re having a nice day so far. ?

Hi, friend! Happy Caturday. To get your weekend started right, here’s a shot of my torbie girl’s toebeans:

I’ve made it my mission in life to accurately capture the colors of her toebeans in pics, because, quite frankly, they’re pawsome. The bottom of her feet are calico! How cute is that!?

Speaking of my girls, this week Connor Claire had one last “hurrah” with her former classmates from the honeybee class at preschool.

They held a social distance graduation for the four-year-old class in the parking lot, and gosh…it’s amazing how fast kids grow at this age. They all look so different than they did a few months ago! The girls who had long hair have even longer hair now, and everyone looks taller.

Preschools and summer camps are starting to reopen here now, but El Hub and I still aren’t sure what to do or how to handle it. Like so many families across the country, we’re weighing the risks and our own family circumstances. It’s hard to plan when there are so many things out of your control.

Sigh… Just taking things one day at a time.

On a lighter note…I tried a new dinner recipe for sheet pan baked sweet and sour meatballs, and the fam LOVED it. 🙂 Connor kindly offered her sous chef expertise by mixing the sweet-and-sour sauce and rolling the meatballs! If you’re looking for an easy dinner you can make with a little one, this one’s perfect. VERY KID FRIENDLY!

The dish was so good that I forgot to take a snapshot beforehand, LOL! I ate my meatballs with Trader Joe’s Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry, and El Hub and Connor had it with white rice. I’m going to make some more today and double the recipe so I can freeze some for later.

• Puig, the Spanish company behind Paco Rabanne perfumes, just spent $1.5 billion dollars to acquire a majority stake in Charlotte Tilbury makeup. I wonder how this will effect the line, which is one of my faves!
• A brief history of the makeup looks that defined rock and metal music. (Insert head bang right *here*.)
• Never thought I’d ever type this sentence: How to adjust your makeup routine when wearing a face mask.
• After I read this article — “A Scented Diary of a Lockdown” — in The New York Times, I walked into my bathroom, grabbed EL Hub’s Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, and doused myself with it. LOL! Then I planned my perfumes for the rest of the week.
• Should you keep perfume in the fridge?
• If you’re looking to do a little shopping in the near future, may I suggest putting one of these 68 black-owned fashion and beauty brands on your radar? Or, perhaps one of the businesses on this list of 25 black-owned beauty and fashion brands?
• Don’t forget to bookmark this list of 10 black-owned nail polish brands while you’re at it (note to self).
• Speaking of nail polish, these brands are supposed to be some of the sturdiest around.
• Skin care products to avoid if you’re going to attend a protest.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, my friend. I hope you’re able to recharge your batteries.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

1. Printed leggings

I recently got these snake print leggings from Athleta on sale , and they’ve convinced me that, if one is committed to living life in stretchy pants, prints are the way to go!

Why? Because if you actually work out in ’em, prints hide sweat stains better than solid color leggings do. I’ve also recently discovered that prints do a better job of 1) hiding any wayward food stains and 2) underwear lines. If you’re as committed to wearing granny panties as I am, then you understand the significance of the latter.

2. THIS SANDWICH!

I am deeply enamored with this cheese, veggie and hummus sandwich.

So yummy, so satisfying, and so easy to make. You can have a meal on your plate in five minutes!

The beauty of this sammie is that you can tweak it. If you want to add a protein, add a few slices of turkey, or bacon, or turkey bacon, or both kinds of bacon. If you don’t like hummus? Substitute it for smashed avocado or spinach dip.

It’s just two slices of your favorite bread, cucumber slices (sliced lengthwise and cut thin), tomato slices, two tablespoons or more of hummus, a slice or two of sharp or medium cheddar cheese and a handful of greens.

Also, to make this sandwich all it can be, you need to do three things:

1. Dress your greens! If you skip this step, then your sammie will taste like depressing rabbit food. Whatever greens and salad dressing you have on hand are good, just as long as you like it. I do a handful of spinach tossed with a teaspoon or two of Trader Joe’s Pear and Gorgonzola Dressing.
2. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the sliced cucumber and tomato. Yup, this adds more flavor. I just stack the veggies, then sprinkle a little on top. If you’re trying to cut down on salt, then a salt-free spice mix works, too.
3. Choose a flavored hummus. Plain hummus totally works, but if you can find a flavored one, that’s even better. My fave is roasted red pepper.

My body also feels really good after I eat veggies, ya know?

3. Sweet Magnolias

I marathoned this entire Neflix series in three days, and once I finished the last episode, I immediately started re-watching it again. It’s like Gilmore Girls meets Virgin River, and it’s so good! The main characters are three lifelong friends who live in a small town called Serenity, and the show takes you through the ups and downs they experience while starting their own spa in town.

The show seems kinda old-fashioned in that the dialogue’s slower-paced than most modern dramas. The plots also focus on people actually trying to do the right thing and making choices that, you know, help themselves and the people around them, rather than celebrating cattiness and backstabbing. Sure, it’s a little cheesy…but it’s also refreshing. Who’d a thunk it? — a show that isn’t all about destructive friendships and relationships.

4. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

It’s thick and rich but doesn’t leave my face or neck feeling greasy, and it layers beautifully with serums and makeup. A big-ol’ 6-oz. tub of this super hydrating face cream is $34! It’s made for all skin types, even kids and babies.

5. Making a meal for the freezer

Lately, whenever I cook dinner, I try to make enough for an extra meal I can freeze and defrost at a later date. This works especially great with meals where you pour a sauce on top of pasta or rice!

Last week I made spaghetti sauce, and when I was done, I took an empty gallon-sized freezer bag, put it inside a bowl for stability, and filled it with the sauce. Once it was full, I removed as much air as I could from the bag, sealed it up, and placed it on a baking sheet, which I then stuck in my freezer. Doing this freezes the bag flat, making it easier to store.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. TGIF! 🙂