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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.

1. How comfortable are you eating by yourself in a restaurant?

I can’t remember the last time I did it, but I’m totally, TOTALLY comfortable. Sometimes I prefer eating by myself and being able to sit quietly with my thoughts, which I don’t get to do very often. Sometimes I just want to eat a meal in peace. Oh, DARE TO DREAM!

2. Have you ever ridden in a police car?

Nope, and I have no plans to do so in the future, thank you very much.

3. How late did you stay up last night?

“Late,” in quotes, because late for me is anything after 9:15, and I was up till 10:30 watching All American and trying to unwind.

Such is life right now!

4. What does your makeup bag look like?

Well, I have quite a few makeup bags (big surprise!), but my favorite one right now is a clear bag I got from Wander Beauty. It’s plastic and rectangular and has burgundy trim on the sides, and it opens from the top, so it’s great for travel…but the only place it travels these days is from my desk to a drawer. Should I ever go someplace else in the future, I’ll be taking this bag with me because I can see everything in it, and I like that it opens from the top, so I don’t have to go digging around to find what I need.

5. How many blankets are on your bed?

Hmm… OK. This is an ambiguous question, I realize. Does one count a sheet as a blanket? Or a comforter? So, I’m just gonna count everything that rests on top of my body as a blanket, which means a sheet, a blanket and a quilt. So three!

Have a good day today, all things considered. Talk to you soon. ?

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. How comfortable are you eating by yourself in a restaurant?
2. Have you ever ridden in a police car?
3. How late did you stay up last night?
4. What does your makeup bag look like?
5. How many blankets are on your bed?

Good morning, my friend. How are you? ❤️ No, really…HOW ARE YOU? I hope you’re feeling well, and not just physically. This is a weird time right now, and you might be struggling to adjust to the new normal (I know I am).

So, this is totally going to sound nerdy, but I actually have a “self-care” section on my weekly to-do list, because if I don’t write things down, even basic life necessity things like remembering to stay hydrated, I’ll forget.

Ah… That’s better. ?

Some weekend reading…

• Your fellow attendees will be mighty impressed if you wear one of these 11 simple, fun eye looks on your next Zoom meeting.
• Across the United States and Europe, perfume companies are ramping up production of hand sanitizer.
• Sheltering-in-place is changing how we look.
• Did you know that Ruby Woo, MAC’s number one lipstick shade in the U.S., was a happy accident that MAC magicians/product developers stumbled onto while they were tweaking the formula for one of their other scarlet shades — Russian Red? FUN FACTS!
• Something I’ve known for a long, long time: Pets aren’t big on surrendering space to their humans for the purposes of exercise, so forget trying to do that downw dog, plank or push-up without a cat butt in your face. It ain’t happenin’, folks!
• This artist hides cats in his “catscapes.”
• One positive amid the coronavirus crisis? Pet adoptions have soared. ???
• 13 rules I’ll teach my daughter

Wise words from Missy Elliot…

Take care, my friend. Talk to you soon.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Looking for something fun, educational and interactive to do with your little one? Try showing them how to use the camera on your phone to take pics of the great outdoors while you’re on a walk. See the world through their eyes!

Every morning, rain or shine, without fail, during the stay-at-home order we’re under here in California, Connor Claire and I go out for a walk around the neighborhood, so we can get some fresh air, stretch our legs, and get allllll the wiggles out. We’re usually out about an hour, which is enough time to wear her out before her nap, and that nap time is golden! (I’ll usually do some work or squeeze in a workout.)

Sometimes, we’ll just casually wander around and check out flowers and say hi to the neighborhood cats, but other times I’ll try to do a more structured outdoor activity to keep things interesting, like this one: learning how to take pictures.

You definitely don’t need any fancy equipment. Your phone (ideally, with a sturdy case and a screen protector in case of accidental drops) or an old digital camera will work fine.

You also don’t need extensive photography experience. With phones these days, the pictures practically take themselves.

Connor’s hands are still very small, so I help her hold the camera while she takes her pics, but other than that, she makes all the executive art director decisions. When we’re walking around and she sees something she wants to take a picture of, she tells me to stop, and I take the phone/camera out. I help her decide if she wants the picture vertical or horizontal, then we frame the shot, and she pushes the shutter button.

A few things to keep in mind

• Still like statues: For a clear, sharp picture, you and your little one will want to stand as still as possible to minimize the movement of the camera. I’ll have Connor do a little “wiggle dance” or run a few circles, and then when it’s time to take the picture, we pretend to be statues and stand as still as possible.
• Choose a theme: Consider choosing a theme before you start your walk, like flowers in your neighborhood, dogs, or numbers. Our theme for our latest photography session was “signs of spring,” which ties in with what we’re doing for preschool homeschool this week.
• Crazy about collages: If you can print pics at home, print your child’s favorite pics, and have them glue the shots into a collage.

This activity isn’t just for the kids, either. How about stretching your photography muscles, too? Use your phone’s camera on your walks outside to document what moves you!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Well, it looks like I’ll be doing a lot of outdoor activities like this one with CoyCoy in the near future because the schools in Marin will probably be closed until at least May 1.