Monday, July 27, 2015

*Sigh*

I'm stressed. Not just a little stressed either, like a whole bunch. There's a LOT going on and it involves all aspects of my life.

My first born has to complete about 100 tasks before starting college near the end of August and quite frankly, we are behind on about 75 of them. We are also preparing to move her into her first apartment this weekend and we ALL know what fun organizing a move can be. Let's not forget the new I-pad the school said she HAS to have, along with a new laptop and let's not forget that tuition bill either.

My 9 to 5 is ramping up, including having just done mid-year performance reviews, which quite honestly, could have gone better. The federal government is breathing down my neck, as are some of my co-workers.

I'm working on spreading the word about my new book, while boosting sales of Wands and Gloss, while also attempting to organize my records and documents.

Oh, I need to get my son his annual exam, sign him up again for flag football, pretty soon start to do reserach for his 10th birthday party, go for my mammogram and figure out why the dr's office is just now charging me $200 for an exam I had in January.

My house looks like a Febreze commercial and the dog smells like one big Cheeto. The laundry is piled to the ceiling and there are dishes in the sink.

I am doing my level best to stay calm, cool, collected but it's hard. My mind wanders all day and lands on all kinds of lunacy. What if I packed up one of those bandanas on a stick and just walked down my street like a hobo, off to see the world, with my strip-less debit card and my license?

I'm not usually a complainer. I handle times like this with an SVU marathon and a locked bedroom door but I want to share in case you feel the same. In case you feel that every single way you turn, someone is asking you for something, or to do something. Yes, some things are a joy to do, like hug your babies and grow your business, but some things are just a pain in the ass. I feel your pain. I know what it's like when there's too much on that to-do list.

I need a personal assistant...and a steak with a little pink...and a pear martini....and a #$%$% break.


As always, thanks for reading. You're my fave. :)
Nikki

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Keep it simple silly....

My skin started going awry long before I was a teenager. I think I was 9 years old when the first pimple showed up and they just kept on coming.  It turned into quite the emotional roller coaster when I would find what I thought was THE product to heal my skin, only to discover,  it too would fail.

I was always mesmerized by those with invisible pores and a flawless complexion. They were always so casual about it,  never understanding my awe. This perfect skin was simply what they were used to.  I continued to stare and must admit, still do  til this day. 

If I had a dollar for every treatment I've tried,  I'd be able to go back to my new love,  St. Thomas and stay a few weeks.

Twice, I did a round of Accutane which is so powerful that you had to have a pregnancy test before going on it to ensure you weren't pregnant because they flat out told you that it caused birth defects. From that first pill of Accutane,  I didn't get another breakout. It worked by drying up the oil on your skin,  which unfortunately also dried up your whole body,  including your lips and tears. Yes, sounds extreme but I was gorgeous honey and for the first time,  I could look people in the eye without makeup.  It was a wonderful feeling.

Well,  as it turns out,  the effects of the Accutane wear off, plus it was taken off the market and I began to break out again. I got it under control and accepted that this was just my lot in life.

So, I was back to trying every formulation out there.

The acne had been extremely annoying recently because I thought. "I'm 43, almost 44. When exactly am I going to stop breaking out? When the first wrinkle arrives? "

Well,  one day while in my daughter's bathroom, I noticed she had some lemon juice and baking soda on the counter.  I also noticed that her skin (yes, I passed on the acne curse) had drastically improved.  Well,  she told me she was mixing  those two to scrub her face each morning and night.  I immediately went to the store to spend about $3.00 on baking soda and lemon juice.

Well,  I'm happy to report that my skin has improved drastically.  I barely need to use any makeup at all and that's exactly where I want to be at 43 years old. 

Sometimes the simplest things are the ones that truly work.

As always,  thank you for reading.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Be kinder...to you!

2015 has been a year like no other.  There have been so many new and wonderful things happening. Biz partner and I finally feel like the business is hitting a stride and our creative juices are really rolling. You know how it is when you get that first A in a hard class?  You now know that you can do it so you're determined to keep that going.  We've had some phenomenal wins so far this year and as the corporate folk say, we need to "leverage" that experience to facilitate more successes.
So we've been talking a lot about next steps and they are exciting!
Personally,  my first born is now a high school graduate and about to embark on a whole new journey.  She is maturing and ready to take the next step in life.  My grandson has two little pieces of rice (teeth) emerging too. Life is moving and growing and changing. All of this activity is exciting but can also be exhausting. If you don't stop sometimes and recharge you will surely burn out and fail to be productive to anyone.

At this very moment,  I am lying in a bed, in a beautiful suite, listening to the ocean and feeling the breeze. The fan is circulating that ocean air and all is well.  There are no thoughts of tasks or obligations. My entire job while on vacay is to rest, rejuvenate, and relax.  I'm enjoying my Philly family and feeling their unconditional love.  This experience will be what I think about if someone tells me to go to a happy place in my mind. 

The message of this blog entry is simple.  If you're going to give OF yourself to everyone, all day long,  then you had better be sure to give TO yourself too. This trip was a gift to ME because I'm learning everyday to be kinder to myself.
Please be kinder to yourself.

As always,  thanks for reading.