ALL DRESSED UP AND NOWHERE TO GO

It was 8:45 in the morning when my doorbell rang.  A friend of mine had kindly agreed to take my son to preschool so I wouldn’t have to load all three kids up to do so.  I answered the door in my nice jeans, grey sweater, cute hat, and favorite necklace.  Her response, “You’re dressed up.  Where are you going today?”  I paused for a moment, tilted my head up, and pondered that question.  You could actually see the little thought bubble over my head reading “To the grocery store if I’m lucky.”

Gone are the days where women actually dressed up when they had nowhere to go.  Looking put together as if they were headed to a dinner party but really just doing laundry.  That generation is still committed to that mentality.  When visiting my great-grandmother, I could always find her in a nice blouse and jewelry to match.  Walk across the street to the local grocery store and I’d find women still wearing their pajamas and slippers.  Seriously, they muster up enough energy to put their keys in the car and drive to the store, but can’t put their shoes on?  Maybe the 1950’s housewives did have it right when they wore their pearls while vacuuming.  Most of us grow up wanting to be a princess…become one on our wedding day… and then when we get back from the honeymoon it’s back to Cinderella scrubs.  Please hold your feminist thoughts right there…. Sure, burning bras was a way to “stick it to the man,” not sure how men tricked our mothers into that one, but I feel better when the ladies are hoisted up.  Maybe those housewives weren’t looking good for their husbands… but for themselves.  Did we ever consider that?  Don’t you feel better when you look good?  There’s an extra little strut in our walk when we are looking our best.  Please join me in starting a new women’s movement.  The, “I still look put together even when my day is falling apart” movement.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking…. “But I’m covered in peanut butter, spit-up, poop, or all three at any given time. Wearing sweats is just my way of dressing for the occasion.”  To which I respond… cotton is cotton.  A nice pair of jeans or pants is made with the same kind of fabric sweatpants are.  You pull both up one leg at a time right?  I have to admit that I didn’t have this attitude before using Norwex laundry soap.  That stuff really gets stains out.  Allows me to be a little more carefree about my clothes.  Contact your Norwex consultant to get “the scoop” on that product.  But I digress.        

Next you’re probably asking, “I don’t have the time to stare at my closet and put something nice together.”  But alas! I wouldn’t suggest something to you without providing a solution.  Get a personal stylist to help you pick out outfits.  Then getting dressed is like putting on a uniform.  Except that you look fabulous.  Did I lose you at personal stylist?  This is where I let you in on a little secret.  There is personal stylist in Federal Way, WA who styles regular people like you and me.  She charges $20 an hour to make you look amazing.  I have found that this has actually SAVED me money.  Before, I would spend a little here and there on clothes, and then get home and end up regretting my choices.  Soon after I stare at my closet and say, “I have nothing to wear.”  After meeting with stylist, Krista Olufson, I know exactly what to wear and feel great wearing it.  The BEST PART….she can tailor your closet with your wallet.  You can do one or all three of the following services.

1.)     A New You.  Krista will meet with you and find out what your needs are.  She researches what would look best on you and provides you with some shopping suggestions.  I loved this because she gave me pictures of items that I could take with me shopping.  Also, my list had ten items on it that included everything from hats to shoes.  This allowed me to buy one thing at a time as I could afford it.
2.)    Coming Out of the Closet Session.  Krista will go through your closet and suggest what to donate and what you could be pairing together to make a new look.  I also enjoyed this because I was holding onto clothes I knew didn’t look good on me but couldn’t bring myself to give away.  Having another person give you their honest and professional opinion freed up some closet space.

3.)    Group Therapy.  I absolutely hate to shop and hate spending money to do so.  Not to mention the fact that I get a little bit of anxiety as I stand in front of a clothing item and wonder if it would look good on me or not.  Shopping with Krista and a friend was such a fun experience.  I think I ended up spending $150 on the shopping trip and was able to get several different outfit pairings.

I share this information with you as a friend and have no financial stake in this recommendation.  Krista has not purchased add space and I’m not getting a discount of any kind for writing this.  This is something I just had to share with you all since it really impacted the way I felt after hiring Krista.  Feeling put together when days spins out of control still leaves me with a good feeling at the end of the day.  Since I am seriously fashion challenged, I plan on using Krista’s services twice a year.  Once in the Spring/Summer and once for Fall/Winter.  Sure your husband, children, and eventually your work will benefit from this new look…but do it for yourself first.  This is the part where I add a disclaimer.  There is a time when you may excuse yourself from this new women's movement. Like when you’ve been up all night with the baby, cleaning your oven, doing your laundry, and writing a blog. (Hypothetically speaking of course)  Then by all means, throw that Nike hat on.  But other than that…. The next time I see you in running clothes I’d like to think that you actually went running.

To assist you in this new women's movement, contact Krista Olufson. 253-815-1987 or Krista.olufson@comcast.net

YO MAMMA

It seemed appropriate this week to give a shout out to moms everywhere for the wisdom they bestowed on us.  So, here are five things your mother said to you growing up that still apply today.

CHEW YOUR FOOD
One of my children stuffs his face with food as if what he fits in his mouth is all that he will receive for dinner.  I am constantly telling him to take smaller bites and chew his food.  But then I proceed to shovel in my own food and swallow before it actually reaches my tongue.  You know exactly what I'm talking about mothers!  Racing to eat a meal before the next diaper change.  Or maybe you have one lunch hour to which you need to write a presentation AND run to Target to get new underware because you sneezed and had a little accident.  Either way, you're not chewing your food.  Besides the obvious of not choking, chewing your food is very beneficial.  When you chew the enzymes in your saliva help break down the food which allows for better digestion.  This allows the nutrients to be released better and reduces indigestion and flatulance.  A win-win for everyone.  So what does it mean to chew your food?  Well, I once read that you need to chew 30 times before swallowing.  I tried counting how many times I actually chew my food.... One, Two, Three, down the hatch.  I'd like to think the answer is somewhere in between.  The next time you eat try 15 chews times before swallowing.


DON'T PICK YOUR NOSE
You'd think this is an obvious one, and yet I still see people picking their nose at the stoplight as if we don't see what their doing.  Get a tissue people!  Our hands are not the cleanest part on our bodies and inserting them into your nose is like spraying bacteria up there.  This results in more colds and sickness.  Next time you get a twitch...reach for the tissue.
 
EAT YOUR VEGETABLES
Do I really need someone telling me to eat my vegetables at this age?  YES! I know we ar to get 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day but I still struggle with this.  See chewing paragraph above for reason why.  Try pre-cuting your veggies on Sunday for the week to come. Plan out your meals ahead of time so you can calculate how many veggies you're getting.

GO TO BED
My oldest son has grown out of naps and yet I have tried to grow back into them.  Sleep is so important for your health.  It effects your mood, immune system, and general well being.  Try to get 7-9 hours a night.  If this means DVRing your favorite show so you can get to sleep... so be it.  It's also important to get the same amount of sleep a night.  The more your body can expect what time it is to sleep AND wake up, the better rest you will get.

CLEAN YOUR ROOM
And by room I mean your house.  The purpose of having a clean home is not for the times when people stop by.  It's for your own health.  Fewer home accidents, fresher air, less germs, and that feel good factor are to name a few.  I recomend looking around the house at night and picking up a little.  Go crazy and wipe down the kitchen counter and sweep the floor.  You'll feel great when you wak up in the morning.  To learn how to cut your cleaning time by 50%-75%, contact your Norwex consultant.

Thanks mom for all the good advice.  My daughter sits on my lap while i write this. Maybe one day she'll appreciate all of this wisdom I am passing down.  For now she just loaded her diaper once again...gotta go.

"FACING" THE TRUTH

While seven months pregnant I was hovering around the Clinique counter trying to find something to fix those dark circles under my eyes. A very polite woman approached me and asked if she could help. “Do you have something that will fix these dark circles under my eyes?” I said. Yes, she replied. It’s called not being pregnant and having kids.” Hmmn. That wasn’t the answer I was looking for. She actually talked me out of buying the under eyes cream and said to just drink more water and try to get as much rest as possible. Nice thought as I sit here at 6:00 in the morning drinking my second cup of coffee and writing to you while the natives are not being restless.

After walking away from the beauty counter I did possess a secret weapon to combat the fact that I had kids. Turn around cream. Sure, I’ve read that there is some pretty bad stuff in there and that I’m bound to get cancer, but my vanity outweighed the environmentalist in me. At age 33, I don’t feel the need to have my skin “turn around” or “turn back.” More of a “Hold it right there or else” kind of scenario. Seriously, am I putting a gun to my face and ordering it not to age? Using the mainstream products to get these results isn’t too far off. Does the turnaround cream work? Absolutely. You can see results in a matter of days. But every night when I put it on my face I hear a little voice saying, “Don’t do it! Don’t you know what’s in there?” “To which another voice responds, “Yes. But there is no reasonable alternative.” Ok. So I don’t hear literal voices in my head just to be clear. But alas! There is an alternative, a lifting serum straight from the Swiss Alps.

Norwex, as part of their desire to reduce the use of chemicals in personal care and cleaning, created a guilt free serum containing high concentration of Swiss Alpine plants: Imperatoria, Marrubium, Edelweiss and Artemesia. These wonderful little plants might be hard to pronounce but at least I know I’m putting something natural on my face. This product is also ECOCERT certified organic. Meaning, a third party has certified this product as being free from formaldehyde releasers, preservatives, synthetic perfumes, and other bad stuff.
Now let’s see if it beats my, “Sure it’s good for me and the environment, but does is it worth the cost?” test. This plant based lifting serum costs $39.99 for 1.07 ounces. Clinique’s turnaround cream is $36 for 1.7 ounces. Although you’re paying four dollars less with Clinique’s cream, in return, you’re getting a combination of Salicylic Acid, Glucosamine and Cholesterol Sulfate. I’d pay an extra four dollars to stop hearing those voices lecture me about what I’m putting on my face. However, now that I’m using my Norwex facial cloths, I never have to use facial cleansers or toner again, saving me a lot of money. In fact, I gave away what I was using to wash my face because I have no need for it anymore. The cloths clean and exfoliate my skin like no other facial cleanser has done before. I rinse the cloth out after each use and it’s good for an entire week. Then I put cloth in laundry and it’s ready for another go around. Although this cloth has a two year warranty, people who launder it once a week report a 4-7 year effectiveness. Hmmn… I’m no rocket scientist but… great looking skin, saving money, and making the environment happy is a win-win.  If you would like to try these products contact me at michellestender@yahoo.com.

I’d like to go back to that Clinique counter and show that white robed, well rested, woman my skin now. Oh, and on a side note. If you see me out in public with my three children who are under the age of four, please don’t say to me, “You sure do have your hands full.” That’s stating the obvious...but at least my face won’t show it.