Author: Mel

How to Take Better Care of Your Feet (Easily and Quickly)

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*Don’t worry, I won’t be posting any pictures of my tootsies on here, I promise.

My feet carry me through my months, transporting me along in all my adventures. I walk a lot during the day and my feet usually conform without much fuss. Occasionally they get a little tired and sore, but that usually means that I’m ready for a break anyway.

I’m sure it seems rudimentary, but I value my ability to move and what my feet allow me to do. In order to show appreciation for my “paws”, I have developed a quick and simple weekly pedicure routine.

Step 1

While in the bath (or more awkwardly, the shower) I use a pumice stone or fine foot file to gently remove the dead skin cells from the bottom of my feet. Because I do this routinely, there’s no need to be rough, a light exfoliation does it.

Step 2

Right after bathing I trim and shape my toenails. I then apply a coat of either a clear or lightly colored nail polish. This means that even if I don’t apply my polish perfectly (as it is a bit awkward painting one’s own toes), it won’t be strikingly obvious should I opt to wear sandals during the week. My long time favorites have been Essie’s Mademoiselle and Dior’s Nail Glow.

pedi polishes

Dior Nail Glow and Essie Mademoiselle

Step 3

After the polish dries (I only use one coat so that I can get out the door quickly), I apply and massage a bit of either a cuticle oil or a vitamin E oil into my cuticles. I never, ever cut them…just can’t, personally.

Step 4

I apply lotion to my feet and lower legs. If it’s nighttime I’ll usually use Aquaphor and if it’s daytime I’ll use a lighter lotion. I ALWAYS put socks on right after; too easy to slip on linoleum if I’m wandering the house afterwards. Cotton or cotton blend socks seem to work best as I find that polyester socks can make my feet feel kind of gross after this regimen.

And that’s it!

I feel fresher and more put together when I keep up with this routine; add a candle and a cup of tea and it makes for a little pampering time as well.

Hope this is helpful. Stay cozy!

 

 

 

My Simplest Dinner Plan

/ Mel / 2 Comments

 

Over the course of a decade I have developed a few VERY simple dinner plans that are both a breeze to prepare and mostly nutritious.

This meal includes a protein, a carbohydrate (our household nutrition needs demand one), and a green vegetable (yes, I insist it must be green).

Tonight I cooked some boneless pork chops in a skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I steamed some simple white rice (though I usually prefer jasmine or brown) and used a steamer bag of mukimame. This meal, especially with the help of the steamer bag, took 20 minutes to prepare, tops!

simple meal

I added my favorite Hoisin sauce tonight as well- Soy Vay Garlic Hoisin, yum! There are countless ways to modify this meal plan, below are our favorites.

Simplest Dinner Plan(s)

Protein– pork, chicken, beef, or veggie patty sautéed in frying pan with your choice of oil and salt and pepper.

Carbohydrate (optional)- rice (traditional or steamer bag), sweet potato done in the microwave, couscous, or quinoa.

GREEN vegetable– I don’t care what it is as long as it’s a vegetable and it’s green (I often let my son choose for us).

I find this to be an easy formula on nights when I just don’t know what to make for dinner or if I have very little time. I adore the simplicity of it in preparation as well as flavors; although, I do sometimes add any sauces we happen to have on hand when I need to jazz it up a bit.

Hope this is helpful! Stay cozy.

 

 

 

My Favorite Concealer

/ Mel / 3 Comments

I have tried a lot of concealers in my life. I seem to have developed perma-circles after decades of chasing the almighty degree/job/promotion. Having a child probably added to the sunken blue half moons that usually make their home under my eyes as well. And so, over my life I have probably tried and tested about 20 different concealers.

Lately, this is the one I have liked the most. My skin has changed a lot from the skin I had in my teens and twenties, and so my concealer of choice has had to change with it. In the last several years the quality that has become most important to me is to not excessively dry (or make appear dry) my under-eye area. Something that doesn’t gather to badly in the well-deserved crevices on my face is nice too.

concealer 2

The Maybelline Superstay Better Skin concealer in ivory has been my jam of late.

This concealer blends easily with fingers or a brush and doesn’t make my eyes look older or more crepey than they already are. It’s not oily or greasy either, and is probably one of the most natural looking concealers that I have ever used. This is one concealer that would work for any skin type, in my opinion.

I also happen to have mild, but persistent acne (when will I ever grow out of it?). I don’t have a lot of spots, but they can be quite noticeable. This concealer does a fair job of making them look less apparent. It is not a thick concealer though, so I would not categorize it as full coverage. For me, just blending the spots away a bit so people will look at my eyes and not immediately be drawn to the spots on my chin is enough.

I have repurchased this concealer at least three times since it was released and have been loving it.

This is the first in a series of my favorite makeup items from my 5 Minute Makeup post.

Hope this is helpful. Thanks for stopping by, and stay cozy.

Bad Day…

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Today was a bad day, a really bad day. Today was the kind of day that defined the term “put through a meat grinder.” By the time I got home my feet were sore and my head was both throbbing and exhausted. I had one of those rare moments when I began to question what I was doing with my professional life and considering a job change (which there is absolutely nothing wrong with, if you have the right reasons).

I work in a small office. We work very closely in an intense environment for sometimes 12 hours a day. Dealing with life and death, really.

Today was a day when things were going wrong personally and/or professionally for almost all of my coworkers. The day was filled with tragedies, both real and imagined. A mood crept over us all, one of desperation and hopelessness. I understand how dramatic this description sounds, but some of these people are going through really terrible things.

After I got home and tried to ready myself for the transition from work life to family life, I realized something. Nothing terrible was happening to me. Not to say that I haven’t had my fair share of despair in life, boy oh boy. But today, nothing was going terribly wrong for me, personally.

Except for maybe the fact that I am what some people refer to as a “highly sensitive person”, or “HSP” for short. I’m not going to go into particulars here, but I will tell you that the reason I think MY day turned out so awful was because I tend to empathize rather than sympathize. Mind you, I do not at all believe that we can EVER really know how someone else experiences anything. But for whatever reason, other peoples’ sadness can be quite contagious for me. Am I the only one like this? Maybe, maybe not.

Below is a short list of things I have found to be helpful when the world just seems wrong.

Stop

Just for a moment if you can, give yourself a break. I find that simply being able to stop doing a task for a short time allows me to feel that I have some control.

Breathe

No really, this has got to be one of the most highly underrated coping strategies ever. Take a big, long, deep breath. Feel your lungs fill with air, straighten your back, and let your shoulders fall.

Learn to Sympathize

Unfortunately, there are dreadful things that happen in the world. It’s easy (especially for some of us) to feel like the world is hopeless, especially when interacting with individuals who are facing life’s biggest and baddest obstacles. Learn to give the appropriate condolence and help each other where you can, but try not to “absorb” other people’s sorrow. If you need justification, know that people who are experiencing terrible things often need strong people around them. You can’t be strong when you’re feeling their misery for them.

Take Care of Yourself

It sounds trite, but it’s true. It’s a great deal more possible for anyone (HSP or not) to lose control of their emotions and mood when their basic needs aren’t being met. Water, food, rest, and a safe environment for yourself should be high on your priority list.

Hope this is helpful. Stay cozy.

 

 

 

 

My Guide to The 5 Minute Face

/ Mel / 10 Comments

make up back picture

I won’t go into all of the gory details, but I’m pretty busy. Not necessarily because I want to be or because I am in anyway important or special, I’m just very busy. But then, I think most of us are these days…

I’m not a makeup artist, but after a couple of decades playing with makeup on myself and others, these are the tricks I’ve learned to create a (literally) “5 minute face” for myself.

My Essentials

Concealer: I look very, very sick without it. Like, hospital sick.

Blush: My absolute favorite make up item! Cannot live without this. I feel like this adds to the vital vibe that I’m going for (not always achieved, but going for).

Lip balm/Lip gloss: Healthy, non-chapped lips, my heaven! (Lipstick for special occasions, like a day off.)

Eyelash Curler: I know that they look like torture devices of the medieval era, but trust me, curled lashes mean that I can go without mascara most days (read: no flakes, no smudges, no stinging eye makeup remover).

Eyebrow Brush: I don’t personally like gels or pencils, mostly because I’m so clumsy that I usually end up with a mustache, but I can usually handle a quick brush-up.

I hope you enjoyed a peak at my pared-down make up routine! I will do a short series on my current favorite products soon. Was this helpful? What do you do differently?

 

My Favorite SPF Ever!

/ Mel / 2 Comments

Ok, I apologize for gushing about something so TOPICAL, but this stuff is really great.

kissmyface

Ever since I severely sunburned the skin on my face in my teens (blisters, scabs, general horror) I have worn sunscreen. Daily. Period.

Now, as I’ve entered and nearly left my third decade, I have found that my skin has become increasingly sensitive to various known and mystery chemicals. Years ago, I started searching in earnest for a sunscreen that my skin could tolerate without rashes, bumps, or any kind of dermatological trauma. In my hunt I found many natural brands (and a few drugstore brands) that rely on mineral sunscreens in combination with some chemical sunscreens. Certain chemical sunscreens seem to irritate my skin, cause increased oil production on my face, and break me out. No fun.

This one by Kiss My Face is my favorite, and I have used it for nearly a decade now. There is no sunscreen smell, no odor at all really, and it feels super comfortable on my skin. It is a happy amalgamate of non-greasy and yet moisturizing. It does not claim to be a primer, though it does work as one with many (though not all) foundations. It does not erase pores by any means, but the gigantic holes in my face (I exaggerate) do appear slightly softer when I wear this sunscreen.

My skin has a bit of an attitude and can be bone-dry in winter and frying pan-greasy in the summer; this is the single sunscreen that works for me in all seasons (though I concede it would probably be far too greasy for those with permanently oily skin types). It doesn’t appear to clog pores or cause acne, which I attribute to the generally skin-friendly ingredient list.

I am not a dermatologist or aesthetician, and I certainly can’t say whom this would absolutely work for, but this is one I really like (after experimenting with MANY). If you are looking to try a new SPF I very much recommend this one!

Stay cozy!

Greek-ish Tacos

/ Mel / 3 Comments

What do you do with a few items from two seemingly very different cuisines? Put them together of course!

greekish tacos

My family has had Taco Tuesdays installed in the meal plan for awhile now. Although we always stick with a few regulars, like shells and tomatoes, we try to jazz it up a bit now and then. This week it was simply a matter of what was left in the fridge, I’m ashamed to say.

For reasons that will have to be hashed out in another post, I happened to have ground lamb and feta cheese in the fridge. As experiments go, I was pretty happy with this one!

Greek-ish Tacos

1 pound ground lamb

1 packet mild taco seasoning (I prefer McCormick’s)

1 diced tomato

feta chunks or crumbles

taco shells

Simply brown the meat and stir in the taco seasoning mix per the package directions. Then assemble, or let your hungry family create their own Greek-ish Tacos.

We tried a few of the usual suspects, like salsa and sour cream, and they did add some nice flavor. A few sliced cucumbers or some Tzatziki sauce would go nicely too. A quick, simple meal with a twist to keep those taste buds guessing!

 

The Beginning…

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Life has its ups and downs, its side to sides, and its round about way of getting us there. However, where “there” is doesn’t really appear to be the point. This collection of experiences that we gather along the way color our varied perspectives on life. It is these experiences that shape the way we see our world and each other. Experiences, in the form of relationships, events, food, the things we find beautiful, and the activities we find fulfilling, are all shaping us, just as we are shaping our world and each other.

This blog will attempt to delve into the cozier side of life; as in beautiful things, delicious food, and fulfilling experiences. It will also investigate a sager side of life; as in making a clumsy try at wisdom, though I hope to explore the spice as well!

Join me, if you like, in one interpretation of life, love, and happiness.

(please pardon my dust, as I get underway…)