Changing Habits

If you know me well, you know I am most certainly not a morning person. I typically don't speak first thing in the morning. It's a struggle every day to get up and get to work on time. The only time I'm awake before my alarm goes off is when I'm looking forward to something going on that day and can't wait for it to happen--like a child on Christmas morning! Thankfully, I don't have to clock in or be in a classroom at a certain time, but I'm trying to improve my morning habits nonetheless. 

For the past few weeks, I've really been trying to get up when my alarm goes off. Doing so gives me an hour to get ready and thirty minutes (or less) to get to work with an additional thirty minutes to spare before I'm "technically" supposed to be at work. Getting up when my alarm goes off is the optimum situation. However, until recently, this never happened as I have a terrible habit of walking across the room, hitting snooze and going back to sleep. 

I've been so busy at work lately that getting to work early is the only way to survive. Somehow, my subconscious seems to know I need to wake up since I usually wake several times during the night and have to reassure myself that "No, you didn't turn off your alarm. It's still dark outside." It's really quite annoying. 

I'm trying to make an effort to be in bed relaxing or trying to sleep by 10PM. I can manage on less than 7-8 hours sleep, but the cumulative effect of sleep deprivation is not pretty. Exhibit A: How I look and feel on April 15th. 

I'm also trying to pick out my clothes for the next day the night before. That definitely saves time out of my morning routine. 

I always manage to get a little bit of extra restful time after my alarm goes off and I get up. One of my very favorite things about my house is that my bathroom has a large window and I can start getting ready in the mornings without turning on the lights. This is a weird quirk I've had since childhood, but was unable to do in college or in my apartment here. I don't ever turn on the lights until I start my makeup!

Let me know if you have any advice for getting up and going in the mornings. I'm all ears!

It's getting close to 10 o'clock and I can't keep my eyes open any longer. Lets hope I have good start to the day tomorrow and get up on time! I've got too much work to do to sleep in. 

Overly Emotional

It must be the long days I'm working leading up to the September 15th deadline at work (or my terrible sleep lately from worrying about work projects--or oversleeping and getting to work late), but I have been an emotional basket-case today.

The waterworks started when I watched this video that I saw on my Facebook page.  This little man reminds me so much of Grandaddy and his sweet relationship with my Grams.  Even looking at him reminds me of Grandaddy--except Grandaddy doesn't have near that much hair.  He always said he didn't have much hair as a result of playing "beauty shop" with me when I was little.

I thought I was finished crying when my phone notified me that I had been tagged in a picture from Instagram.  One of our sweet sitters, Betsy, posted the sweetest three pictures of Grandaddy with her 6-7 month old son.  Grandaddy's face was lit up in the pictures and they made my heart so happy.  Most of the time I feel like Grandaddy is just existing in this life until he is reunited with Grams, but these pictures were proof to me that he can still find joy even though his body is feeble and his mind is confused.  **I can't figure out how to save the picture from Instagram to put here, but feel free to friend me on there if you want to see it!**

Seeing him with Owen makes me think back to when I was little and saw Grams and Grandaddy at least six days a week.  Grandaddy worked until I was in middle school, so when he came home for lunch or at the end of the day, he would open the back door and whistle.  His whistle was very distinctive and no one has ever been able to replicate it.  Sadly, he doesn't remember it now.  As long as I heard his whistle, I would come running for my hug from Grandaddy. 

Grandaddy made sure I got to play while I was at their house.  I had a play set, a swing hanging from the pecan tree in the backyard, a slide he handmade for me and, best of all, he restored Mom and Beth's fort for me.  They couldn't have a tree house, so they got a two story fort when they were little.  I remember playing drive-through from the second story with Grandaddy.  For some reason, I threw the pretend food down to him instead of him "driving through" to get it.  I don't know why I thought that was the thing to do?!  We also gave Grams a fit when he let me help him re-shingle the fort.  Helping basically consisted of sitting up there with him while he did the work, but Grams was absolutely certain something bad would happen to one or both of us.  I wasn't worried--there was no reason to be afraid of anything as silly as falling off the roof when Grandaddy was there to protect you!

I wish we could do all the good times all over again...my memories will always linger on...

Now I'm going to start crying again!  I think it must be pretty obvious to anyone who knows me how much I love my precious Grandaddy and what an amazing influence he has been on my life.

Birthday Recap

Even though today is my actual birthday, the festivities began last weekend. 

Saturday, I had a hair appointment first thing. I was a week overdue to have my hair done and I was seriously starting to go crazy. After my appointment, Mom and I went to a few stores looking for birthday presents. I ended up with a monogram door hanger and a pair of earrings. 

We ran a few more errands before going to Ford City to eat at Stanfield's. Surprisingly, it wasn't crowded and we were headed back to Florence in just over an hour. We visited with Grandaddy, Mother's sister and her older daughter before heading home for cake. Mom put two candles on my cake and I joked that they might be trick candles. I don't think Mom intended it to work out this way, but they were trick candles and I blew them out four times before finally dunking them in water!

Sunday, I went to early church with my parents before choir practice and 11 o'clock church. My sweet choir friends sang Happy Birthday to me before we went upstairs to the Sanctuary. After church, my friend Becky, her sister, Teresa, and I went to lunch after church. As I said on Facebook, if the three of us had enough time together, I think we could solve all of the world's problems--or at least catch up on everything worth knowing in Florence!

Today, my sweet work friends definitely made sure I had a good day. My friend (and work mentor), Melissa, picked me up on her way to work so I wouldn't have to drive myself. My other close friend at work, Sandy, brought donuts for our department and even brought a special one for me! (I might or might not have eaten my cinnamon sugar donut and then a chocolate one several hours later!) We had a baby shower during lunch, so these sweet girls took me to Chuy's tonight to celebrate. I'm so lucky to have both of them in my life and I'd be lost without either of them!

Another friend from work made an interesting discovery lately. The Publix she shops at had pieces of the Toomer's Corner trees on sale. When she mentioned it, I thought that it had to be fake. This morning, she came in with a gift for me--my very own piece of the actual Toomer's Corner trees--certificate of authenticity enclosed! How funny that pieces of the tree would end up at a Publix in Goodlettsville, Tennessee!!

Mom and Dad weren't able to come see me today as we originally planned. I have to admit that I was quite upset when I found out about this. I have spent every birthday with Mom and only missed one with Dad until today. There just wasn't a way to make it work this year.  We talked several times today and I know they both would have been here if it was at all possible. They sent a beautiful arrangement of flowers to my office which certainly brightened up this gloomy, drizzly day. 

I'm at home next to Emma now. It's been  a full day of celebrations interrupted by a little bit of work here and there. I've had many birthday wishes on Facebook and sweet texts from dear friends. 26 doesn't feel any different than 25 so far, but it's been a great reminder of all the special people that make my life so much fun!

10 Years Ago...

...I was nervously awaiting taking my driver's test the next morning.  The weather forecasters were predicting rain and it was also the first day of my Junior year of High School.  I practiced with Dad in the days leading up to my birthday, but, being the last in my class to turn 16, I'd heard plenty of horror stories about the awful people at the State Trooper's station and was basically petrified of them.

Roses from my Aunt, Beth

On the morning of the test, it was raining.  Mom and I were there an hour early to be at the first of the line, but they would not let me take the test until the rain stopped and the roads were completely dry.  Shortly before lunch, I finally managed to take my test.  I have no idea what the tester said at the end, but the sentence ended with "pass", so I was happy.  I dropped Mom off at her school and drove to Bradshaw and checked in just in time for the first half of French III and lunch.

I was a baby!!

After school, I picked up Mom and her friends took me to Trowbridge's for an Oh My Gosh--a brownie with ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce and cherries on top.  It's a plate full of sinful deliciousness that's best shared with 4 or 5 people.  I think I'd go in to a diabetic coma if I ate an entire serving by myself!

Apparently, I didn't smile with teeth back then.

 Ten years ago, the biggest thing in my life was getting my Driver's License.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself living the life I do now.

Favorite Products

Last night, when I was taking off my makeup and getting ready for bed, I started thinking about all of the products I use on a daily basis and which ones I would not want to live without. 

You see, I have a bit of a problem with beauty products.  I find something I like and use it forever and ever and then add a few more things in along the way.  For example, I currently use 5 different products on my hair per day.  It's quite ridiculous, really and I promise I'm not really that high-maintenance.

Starting off the list of things I don't want to live without...

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap in Mild

 

I've used this product religiously for about three years.  I like it so much that I have a bottle by my sink to use at night and another bottle in the shower for morning use.  I can't go to bed without using this to remove my makeup.

 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

 

I've used both the gel and the lotion.  Right now, my face is extremely dry from some topical medication I'm using, so I'd go with copious amounts of the lotion.  This product doesn't seem to cause breakouts and definitely helps to make my makeup go on smoother.

 

Now, getting into makeup...

Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen

 

I thought this product was a little silly when it was recommended to me at the Laura Mercier counter.  However, I was amazed at how much more resilient my eyeshadow and eyeliner are after using this product.  I've had a problem with my eyeliner appearing at the top of my eyelid in the past and this prevents this from happening.  It's also great to use on days that you don't want full eye makeup.  It almost acts like a very neutral shadow and works perfectly with eyeliner and mascara alone.

 

Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

 

This is a fairly new product for me since I've only been using it for about two weeks, but so far, so good!  I've been using a black liquid liner with a navy pencil on top for about a year.  I like that the black line helps to emphasize my lashes while the navy accentuates the color of my eyes.  This liner is very easy to apply (even for people with somewhat unsteady hands like me!) and lasts all day.  Like I said above, I don't sleep in makeup, but I think this could make it through the night if I tried it.

 

Next up...hair products...

 

Tresseme Tres Two Extra Hold Hairspray



 

This is one product I do not ever leave the house without.  I personally use enough hairspray annually to be responsible for a new hole in the ozone layer directly above Brentwood, Tennessee!  I've used this particular hairspray since college.  It keeps my bangs in place without feeling crunchy or sticky like I remember from the hairspray Grams used.  It's also pretty inexpensive and often on sale at CVS.  I got two cans for $7 this past weekend at CVS and would have bought two more for the extra care bucks (ECBs) had they had more in stock. This is one of the things I stockpile since I cannot go to work without a good spray to my hair.

 

Tressemme 24 Hour Body Foaming Mousse

 

This is another must-have any time I blow out my hair and is also something I have used since college.  I have very fine, very straight hair and if I do not use this product, it will lay completely flat against my head.  Again, this mousse is often on sale and I snag it whenever I can since I can't go to work without using it!

 

 

 

Well, those are the most essential products I use every day.  I also use Laura Mercier Luminizing Primer, Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer and foundation in combination with Bare Minerals powder foundation.  The combination of a dab of tinted moisturizer thins the foundation and I've found that I need the lighter moisturizer combined with the slightly darker foundation to mix a better shade for my complexion.  Bare Minerals foundation is a good product to blend out any remaining imperfections and to cover up any shinyness.

 

Now that I've made public how much I like beauty products, let me know what your favorites are.  I'm always up for trying something new!



 





What a week!

It's been a ridiculous week and its only Wednesday night. I'm afraid if the rest of the week continues on this trend. The first part of the week was busy, but fun. The rest of the week has been busy, but not remotely fun. Here's the recap...

I went to Florence for the weekend and stayed through Monday. I took full advantage of my day off and crammed as much as possible in to that day. 

First, I had a dentist appointment. I cannot stand the dentist. I guess it's from all the teeth I had pulled as a child and two oral surgeries. If you know me, you wouldn't believe that I really have a small mouth! 

After the dentist, I visited some friends at my favorite clothing boutique where I might have snagged a few sale items! Then, I took Mom to the eye doctor and then we met Dad for lunch at Sam's Sports Grille (a new restaurant in Florence). 

Afterwards, I spent some time with Grandaddy before going to church. We had a concert that night and I went early to help prepare for it. The concert finally arrived and went well, but then my purse was locked in the choir office. I was having a panic attack until my friend Becky pulled out a spare key from her purse. I don't know what I would have done otherwise! 

Then, I had to start the trek back to Nashville. Needless to say, I was exhausted when I finally got to my house about eleven o'clock!

Tuesday was fun, but only on #OppositeDay. I had a sinus headache when I woke up, so I went in to work late. When I got to work, I quickly became overwhelmed in a huge project that had to be done ASAP. I ended up staying until 10PM, but I didn't finish. I was completely emotionally drained after struggling with that project for 12 hours. 

Then, I hit the ground running today to try to figure out what was wrong with the big return I had been working on. I almost turned around and went back home shortly after getting to work. It took some reassurance from my two work BFFs (one of whom is also the best mentor in the office) before I started to calm down. The three of us also went to lunch which helped me to settle down. 

I left a little after 5 to meet a repairman at my house. Not far away from work, I was stopped in rush hour traffic. While I was sitting stopped in traffic, a woman rear-ended me. I heard a bang and my head went forward. Luckily, I wasn't hurt, but as I tried to figure out what to do, she began to pull away. I took a picture of her license plate and decided to see where she was going. I followed her for a few minutes before she finally pulled over. I was on the phone with 911 all of this time. She was completely non-apologetic about leaving the scene, but stayed when I said the police were coming. While we waited, her son appeared. He had one beer in his hand when he walked up, he left for a while and returned with a new beer. Around this time, he became verbally abusive and I got scared. The doors and windows of my car were up and I called the police again, but still no one showed up. He finally left with some other people. Probably because he knew I called the police back. 

After all of this, it was 2.5 hours and 4 phone calls later before the police arrived. When they did, they were very apologetic and professional. I can get the report in three days. There doesn't appear to be much damage, if any, but I wanted a report in case something goes wrong tomorrow or even next week as a result of this. 

I'm physically and mentally exhausted and I'm going to hold Emma and go to bed. I'm a little afraid of being in a storm since lightning might strike me with the week I'm having. Hopefully, I've experienced all the catastrophes for this week and I can finally take it easy. I'm just grateful that neither one of use were hurt. 

Not So Comcastic

Today, I looked at my most recent Comcast bill. To my amazement, the amount due was approximately $220 instead of the expected (outrageous) $140. To clarify, I do not have movie channels and I do not have special sports packages. I do have 2 TVs with HD and one DVR. The total cost for these two "upgrades" per my most recent bill? $9.95. 

I have the so called "Triple Play" of cable, internet and phone. I don't use the phone, so I only got it since "bundling" makes it a better "deal". I definitely think $180 for this "deal" sounds absolutely reasonable. Or not...

I spoke to a "customer service representative" whom I hope was having a particularly horrible day since he was nothing but hateful to me from "hello". When I compared the cost of a month of service at this new rate to a car payment, I was told that the services I was receiving are worth a car payment. That was the point that I hung up. 

I was not happy with a $140 bill, but I kept paying it. However, somewhere between $140-220 is my breaking point. I have packaged up the cable boxes and other ancillary items to be returned tomorrow morning. 

I work in the customer-service industry. If a client of mine was unhappy with their bill, I know I certainly would not act as I was treated tonight. We are taught to respect our clients and try to keep them happy. After all, they are the reason we have jobs!

Thankfully, I have internet on my phone and don't require television to sleep. I'm definitely going to miss using my iPad, but I'm sure I'll figure out something before long!

Until then, I guess I'll read a book! Any good suggestions?