Setting the Tone for 2020

As I write this at the end of January, I find myself reflecting on this trial run of a month because where January usually lasts roughly three years, for me it flew and I'm trying to decide if that was a good thing or not. See I spent a good portion of the month running around helping out some family that had been in the hospital and then a rehab hospital afterwards. Thankfully everything turned out well and I had some time to do what I procrastinate to do which is clean out my email.

Way way way back in the day I wrote a post on cleaning up my email from coupons and offers in an effort to not go overboard on the spending, especially with store credit cards. I'm also pretty sure that was the last time I had a good clean up on it. But while going through and unsubscribing and things, I found out that I had Torrid cash to use. 

Now I usually have to order online but the city I was in, steadily getting a bit of cabin fever, there was a store I could go into. So while someone went off to therapy, I took it upon myself to get some therapy of my own. Low and behold there was also a massive sale on clearance which happened to include workwear. If you are of the curvy and/or plus size variety, you know that: 1. It's hell to find good office wear; 2., It's expensive as hell; And 3., it NEVER goes on sale. So I was on it!

I found a few great pieces for work and a BEAUTIFUL coat that was well over $130 but good old clearance sale had my back and I was able to get it for about $30. The blazers being on trend were a divine intervention because mine never quite fit right and the one good one I have needs to be dry cleaned where these are machine washable and look fantastic even when I'm not wearing a "good bra" and that says something. 

Even more so, the store associates were wonderful. I had questions on the regular sale, the clearance sale, the when-are-swimsuits-coming-in questions. I talked to a different person each time and they were not only helpful, they were super nice about it. That's not always the case for me at Torrid. I have a draft from a while back talking about how I don't get to shop in store that much but when I do, the experience is horrible and I stick to online. Around that time I'd been to 4 stores in three states when I was travelling and my memory is when I stopped an associate to ask a question, she looked at me as though I killed her dog. I dropped my stuff and left. 

So having this great experience made me want to hug these people and thank them for really just being nice especially when they weren't aware about being interrupted by hospital staff at all hours of the night and day. It renewed my faith in especially the plus size community because out here in rural communities, you have a small town, small mind mentality a lot of the time and I hope to encounter more of this wonderfulness this year as I make some decisions for the year, so stay tuned for that. 

Have you had an instance like this? Good or bad? Tell me because I want to know. 

Check out some of my other posts...

 My Medical Guides - 1 ~ http://bit.ly/DrRxtips1  and 2. ~ http://bit.ly/Med2appt

Good Reads and the Like ~ http://bit.ly/Yareads22

Hello I'm Shrill Too ~ http://bit.ly/ShrillToo

Give a girl a follow on the Instagram

http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

and on Bloglovin

http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

Medical Guide Part 2 - Making the Appointment

If you're new to me, Hi and welcome to the new roaring twenties. Not going to bombard you with new year new you shiz, the algorithm will do that for you. Instead I'm here with another entry into my medical guide to hopefully help someone out there to go to the d@mn doctor be it, medical, eye, teeth, etc. What I do when I go the doctor is in Part 1 but then it also occurred to me that not everyone is comfortable talking to people in phone or in person and by some, I mean a lot.

Social anxiety is a thing for tons of people to varying degrees and if you're like me living in a rural area where you're lucky if you can find your doctor's office online let alone book an appointment. Sometimes it's inevitable that you have to talk to a person and I understand that is uncomfortable, but it must be done so I hope this lays some details out for you in order to get it done in the least amount of time/ slash conversation possible.

1. Preparation is key. Why are you calling? What symptoms do you have or do you recognize a sinus infection that you get every season that you know you'll need antibiotics? This is why part one is up first. The more you know and have written (or typed) the better you can spout it off when you're on the spot.

2. When do you have time to go? Everyone is busy with life and work but strep throat doesn't care if you have a final or a business meeting. So find out how soon you need to make an appointment. If you're already home sick, you want to get in asap. If you're not home yet maybe you need to plan on your lunch break. I know with my general 9 to 5, it was easier to set it for the morning then go to work late and stay if necessary than try to get off at a certain time to not be late. But that depends on your schedule.

3. What insurance are you using and is this office in your network to hopefully get a smaller copay and overall a smaller bill. There's 2 ways for this to go. You can do the research, beforehand, in your prep to talk to your insurance and they will find an office in your network or for lack of better words, someone they prefer to work with. Or you can talk to the doctor's office you're wanting to go to and they will run the info from your insurance card to let you know the details so keep it on hand.


4.This brings us to the moment of truth and the best thing you can do is to be nice to the receptionist and everything will be smooth. They will ask you questions and chances are you'll have the answers because you wrote them down in step 1. If this is your very first appointment to this office or doctor, you can say something like this:

"Hi. My name is ____. I'm needing to set up an appointment as a new patient." or if you already go to that office just drop the "as a new patient" and add " with Dr. _______."

There will be questions they HAVE to ask you and 98% of the time are also handling people in person as well as stuff going on behind the scenes on their end, so be nice and they'll move you right along and get you in a good spot. I've rarely run into a rude receptionist or nurse but it may happen, just get the information you need and be done as quick as possible. And remember to say thank you no matter what.

QUICK NOTE: ALWAYS GET THEIR NAME. It's always good to get a name so if you talked with them and clicked, had chemistry, made a good connection, etc. It means that you have a point of contact to ask for in the future. On the other hand if, they aren't for you or you just don't like them, you know who to avoid. Write It Down! That's the same for the office staff and especially the nurses.


This helped me get into the swing of things when making appointments especially in the beginning of my spoonie journey. Take the new year into a new decade to be your best self and that includes your health so please cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, wash your hands, and go to the doctor.


In the meantime, here's some other posts that aren't medically related...

Good Reads and the Like - http://bit.ly/Yareads22

Planners Gonna Plan - http://bit.ly/HLPlanner

Adulting Win - http://bit.ly/Adultwin



And follow me if you please...

Instagram...  http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

Bloglovin...  http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

Adult Win - Planning

Here we are in the tunnel of April that tripped into May without me looking, I am holding strong into a trend that hasn’t gotten old and that is planning. Now I may even teeter on the crazy side because I have a planner for my day to day, aka, regular life and I also have one for work.

Sounds kinda crazy but it’s actually quite nifty because with my work, I handle a certain amount of info that is confidential and it’s definitely not something you want to run around town having it scrawled in an unsecured day planner.

I have no choice but to blame my mom for starting me on this. We have a thing and it’s called Hobby Lobby. It’s a treacherous place of pretty things that give you a hopeful feeling that everything can work. I have yet to leave empty handed. Well last year, my mom bestowed upon me this beauty... which now have the following stickers on the stripes.

This quickly became used and has grown with some new additions for the New Year. The pack it came with was pre-printed and therefore, needed to be adjusted. So I’ve added these little folders and
bookmarks to help things move along.

I honestly didn’t think I would be able to keep up with stickers because who uses stickers at my twenty something age? The answer is... the same twenty something who also uses adult coloring books….who is also me. They are so much fun and even on my down days, my slow days at work, my time where mental capacity is not an option, I can still be productive and plan.

The trick is for all of this, is never pay full price. The good Lord knows this is not a sponsored post, but if down the line when I have my shiz together they want to look in that direction, I will gladly sacrifice. But back to the obvious is never pay full price. Hobby Lobby is notorious for having sales and especially the Paper Studio brand that does everything for my planner, it will go on sale 40% or 50% off in most cases.

If by some reason you don’t go in when they are on sale, then follow these instructions:

1. Pull out your smart phone.
2. Go to the Hobby Lobby website.
3. Get 40% off coupon.

I lived under a rock for a long time not knowing this neon sign of a secret. Yes, Hobby Lobby always has a 40% off coupon for any 1 regular priced item. It’s always there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used it for stickers, other planner things, gifts, Christmas décor, etc. So use it, love it, plan it, all the things.





Check out some of my other ramblings...

Streaming FOMO - http://bit.ly/streamingFOMO
Hello I'm Shrill Too - http://bit.ly/ShrillToo
Successful Adult Win - http://bit.ly/Adultwin

and while you're at it, give a girl a follow on:

Bloglovin - http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg
Instagram - http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

Hello, I'm Shrill Too

So Shrill has hit the Hulu and I had no idea. I was on the Instagram as one does after the Grampocalypse that, at least was, for me, just slightly annoying but some people really lost they shiz. But one of the peeps I follow, Marge Hudson aka @areyoutheregoditsmemarge, opened my eyes to what is happening on the interwebs and I had to be apart of it.

Thankfully, I have a day off of work and was planning on totally and completely taking advantage of it. So I had to see what was going and oh my sweet eleven pound baby Jesus, this was phenomenal! The main character is Annie, Aidy Bryant, and she is the me and the many others who have gone through anything similar who doesn't fit in a sample size. It was shocking and beautifully done. I also want so much to have a Fran, Lolly Adefope, in my life just FYI. 

From episode one, the story is on the move and things are moving very quickly. But I could relate to this show if you haven't figured that out. Now, I don't know if her wardrobe was modestly chosen on purpose because she likes it but feels the need to 'cover up' or what. I just watched the season and here I am so don't @ me. However comma, I felt it because I know in high school, I drove my bff and my mom crazy because my standard wardrobe were jeans and a t-shirt of darker tones. I upped my makeup and accessory game where I could but always double guessing affections from the opposite sex. I mean, hell, who hasn't been called a flipper when your supposedly bisexual boyfriend cheats on you with a guy friend? (For the record, I was the last girl he had as a girlfriend and there's no confusion about the intentions in hindsight and in true Ariana fashion, I'm thankful for him because I now have my ride or die, my person, my best friend for life who is also his ex.) 

I've had the thoughts where I've thought that a going-on-the-back-door-better-than-nothing feeling was as good as it was going to get. And the mental change that Annie has starts to resonate as the season goes on and that is something that some people have at different times in life and if someone hasn't, I have a feeling that it will help someone get to that point to where they can start loving themselves and stop apologizing for taking space in the world.

Even now with my new position, I'm again the biggest person in the building of about a dozen-ish and while it's not intentional most of the time, it's noticed that one does not belong or one does not mesh. Even our personalities are quite a bit different and I've seen clients do a double take for crying out loud. 

So it's there, it's not just a show catering to the plus sized community about empowerment but it's also shows the ugly parts that come with it. It happens and people on the internet are cruel but confronting enemies in person, you find how much they hate themselves because you don't have to hate you and they can't handle it. Let that sink in, they, who hate you, can't handle you loving yourself because the standards of the world have always said that you shouldn't, so they don't. Can it still hurt? Abso-f*cking-lutely. Can it suck that your crush in school calls you a hog to your face and your choice is to cry or pull it together and attack verbally because you are not about to be suspended? Hell to the yea. But here we are, being represented anyway on the internet in a show that will definitely take off because in case you haven't been bombarded, the average size of a woman in the US is 14 or 16, can't remember at the moment but it's not a 2. There are more of us than they know what to do with so someone has decided that if you can't beat them, because let's be honest they can't keep us down if they tried, join them and realize that we are human and we are not going away. We are gorgeous. We are fashionable and stylish. We can and deserved to be loved for who we are regardless of our size. We will stand and bring each other up more than those who are determined to bring us down. 

So I will add that this to a couple other faves in my book that remind me that I'm here and need to live my best life with the good and bad because it's all I got:

Also a book - Just saying...

Gumption - nuff said

And it's a book. You can bet your butt I'm buying and reading!

Also thank you Marge, I sent you a DM about it, but I wanted to do it again because I've also not posted on my blog since, like, August and my first thought was to do this. I'm going to ride this euphoria as long as I can. Until I can get more up, look at some of my older stuff.

B3 is my motto - http://bit.ly/The3BBBz

Adulting - http://bit.ly/Adultwin

Follow me on Blogloving if you wanna - http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg

OR

on the Insta since it's back up - http://bit.ly/MyIgJazz

 

Monthly Mess of Goals

Talk about a month just flying by. So if you hadn’t read about June, check that out here and it’ll fill you in on how I decided to go with this type of posting. Even I had to check it back out to see what I had and see how I did.

For my June goals, the plan was (in short):

·         Read 2 book

·         Meal plan 2 weeks

·         Clean out winter clothes

·         Change my sheets every week

·         Get my laundry under control

Seems reasonable and doable, so looking back at my progress…

·         Read 1 ½ books, left a book I was reading at home when I had to go visit the parentals and this one wasn’t on my kindle. (go Figure)

·         I successfully planned out 1 week at a time and it was only lunches – to the peeps who can do all your meals for weeks on end, you are the real MVP because it’s hard, it’s tedious, and I don’t even like telling myself what to do and even less what to eat.

·         Full Success! – Gold star for me. It’s been well into the 90-100s weather wise in the good ol’ New Mexico area, literally going through a cold front right now and it brough the expected high down from 106 to  mid 90s.No risk of needing winter clothes. At. All

·         I can say that I, honestly, had this about 50% of the time. It’s still been really hectic and I feel that my house is still fairly imploded but we’re working on it.

·         Laundry is better controlled. It was just dirty laundry that was everywhere. And Now it’s clean laundry. Most of it is folded and just needing to be evaluated and put away. That part feels pretty good.

Now for July, I did have to make some adjustments. Got a new position and my morning commute to work has gone from 2-3 minutes (less than a mile) to 30 minutes (about 17-20 miles). Organization and time management are going to be key in this transition, I’m a little late getting this going as well so here it goes.

July

·         Read 2 books – and no my half one doesn’t count

·         Plan out my lunches and snacks weekly

·         Changing sheets every week

Coming out of July, we're making progress. 1 3/4 books not counting my half one but I'm almost done with it. Lunch and snacks are getting easier than dinner for sure. And fresh sheets are on point.

Thank you Google and your searching wisdom...

Since everything was kinda thrown there in June and July, we're going to throw in August to because here we are...like right now.

2 BOOKS IS HAPPENING
PLANNING LUNCHES, SNACKS, AND DINNER WEEKLY - HAPPENING
CHANGING SHEETS EVERY WEEK - MAKE THAT HABIT HAPPEN
MAKE IT TO THE GYM 3X A WEEK - MAKE IT A HABIT

Luscious Hair is Back!

Hello all. Allow me to introduce you to my soap box. It's no podium nor pedastal but it allows me to take that step up and project all the feels on a proper stage. It's not all bad or ranty I promise but sometimes there's a point that needs to be made and here's mine for today...

THANK YOU INTERNET!

Yes. Simply thank you to the internet. It's been almost a year since I was diagnosed with Lupus. My medications are doing their things but what I wanted to thank the internet for helping me regrow my hair. One of the biggest symptoms I had was hair loss. I trimmed my hair to help with the thinning and essentially just had to be patient. Thus came the internet and research. Between straight up Googling, Youtube vloggers and the Blogosphere, I was able to find the help to get my hair back.

MEANWHILE...

 I'd gone to a couple hair salons in the last year. When I trimmed my hair before I was diagnosed, I told the girl I had started going to that I wasn't sure what was happening. She tried to say that she didn't really see the difference and that was that. After I came back from the edge I really noticed how much hair I lost and tried to get some kind of shaping done so that way I didn't really look like a sick person who lost a lot of hair, especially at work. I had one really overpriced trim and recently a better trim by two different hair stylists.... ladie....., people who cut and handle hair for a living and I asked them about what they would recommend for volume, hair growth, hair health, etc and literally had a deer in the headlights expression from both.

First came back to work with the least amount of hair (before)

Almost 8 months later (after) Still a ways to go but it's a bit fuller now

And honestly, it's disheartening because I'm not going to this professional to get my hair done for prom or to drop some dollars for highlights or extensions, I am actually wanting help with my hair. With both trips I explained, I got really sick and lost a lot of hair, how can I help it and how can I maintain the hair I have? I guess I expected to find a great person who was like Queen Latifah in Beauty Shop where she's suggesting vitamins, products, advise....yes I know it's a movie. But I would think that when you work in the industry, you'd have an idea or even a direction to go in.

Gotta love that wood pannel right?

The only person who actually physically, in person, gave me some help was actually my mom's coworker. Love her and her concern. She found the dermachange shampoo and conditioner that I've been using and so far it's been great and I've noticed a difference. It's gentle and cleansing and leaves my hair feeling soft and smooth instead of straw.

So thank you internet, and thank you people on the internet who led me to castor oil, biotin, and other products that have helped me regrow my hair and now I feel that my hair is full again. It's still short but an even short. A full short and now I can really say that I feel a bit more like me.

On the other hand, if you have any other suggestions for hair health...
let a girl know on the hurry up side please!!!!


Check out some of my other posts...

My best of 2017 - http://bit.ly/17BestYa
Smell Good Stuff - http://bit.ly/2vT879v
Boyfriend Valentine Gift Ideas - http://bit.ly/10BFGifts

Best of 2017 - I Lived

2017 has been the complete definition of a roller coaster. Not just the ups and downs but the kinds that go underground. That's truly been my year. The New Year started and I couldn't walk without help. I spent a couple weeks in the hospital before I could get some actual answers. I went back to work part time and then finally full time and now here we are at the end of the year and not to be super corny but someone needs to play Martina McBride because I have been blessed. I still have bad days and I know that they'll happen so I've really tried having a good outlook and working on a lifestyle change and these things have helped me make it through this year.


Victoria's Secret Body Butter - after having shingles when I came back to work, it was a process to get through. So afterwards, I had and still have a big patch of now scarred and dry skin. This helps. So to my little brother who has no shame in going to any store, thank you for this because Lawd knows I don't shop at Victoria's Secret.

Quality vs Quantity - a concept that seems very common sense but now is making more sense. (who knew?) But coming back to the home I'm renting rather than my parent's home really made me realize that I have way too much shi!t. I knew I had a lot of stuff but now I see it as sh!t that is not going to help me and I can't keep up with it anymore. I can't defend it anymore. I'm not in college anymore so I don't need $2 flats or a ton of cheap sheets or bad makeup that will last for a month or two... I need something that will last a while and if that means seriously saving and investing in good quality insert blank, then that's what I need to do.

Bath and Body Works Sugar Scrub - I know that VS and BBW are owned by the same peeps but I would rather go to the B.B.Dubs any time and even more so when my girl, Vero, is working. She keeps me in the loop and it really helps that she's knowledgeable about the products other than just the scent and the packaging. Also getting rid of the dead skin is a big plus.

Water - ask anyone that knows me, I hate drinking water!!! My boyfriend was a camel in a previous life because he can literally slam almost a liter of water first thing in the morning. He's always on me about drinking more water and I thank him for it almost as much as I give him the 'eye'. Ladies, you know the one. So even though I hate it, I do whatever I can to make me drink more water which has done wonders for my water bottle collection. My body needs it, especially my kidneys, and the rest will follow.

My Backpacks - My medical one and my new-ish love - I had a post a while back in my Tale of the Tank series about my backpack. Read it. I treat my purses as artillery and they have to hold up. In my Tale of the Tank I had this backpack that helped me so much especially when I was still on a walker and a cane and now I have this gorgeous bag from Betsy Johnson that looks small but has so much space to still be a tank.

Self-care - I'm not a consistent blogger, that's obvious. I'm also not a consistent self-care advocate unless it has to do with sleep because if anything I know I need sleep and actual rest is a must or else. But in real ways. I have done a few baths but can't really do bath bombs and my tub is hella narrow so it's not the most comfortable but I'll do a great smelling candle and a face mask. I've learned that epsom salt can be great for inflammation and if I can lay off pain meds with a salt soak be it my feet or my entire body, then I'll do it. I don't mind medication but I'm definitely not opposed to finding other alternatives. Other alternatives also include food. I'm a tried and true New Mexican. I grew up on rice, beans, Allsups burritos and hotlinks and pretty much anything fried and covered in chile (not chili) and cheese. I can't do that anymore so I'm trying newer and healthier options to care for the body I have now or I won't make it physically or mentally.


What has gotten you through this entire year? Please let me know, I'm all for suggestions :)





In the mean time, check out some of my other posts...
The Blues of My Life - http://bit.ly/2wnrtRc
Bra Talk - http://bit.ly/2ezvzOM
Office Decor - http://bit.ly/OfficeDe

Secret Santa Gift Guide

Whether it's a familia decisions since life is more and more expensive or work life has everyone in the office filling out a form about likes and dislikes. Secret Santas are awesome. I love me some Christmas and I enjoy gift giving even if all I can afford is a candy bar.

So some peeps have one day to give a Secret Santa gift. I know for many families it's just the Christmas day or celebration, but I love the situation I have at work. We usually do 4 or 5 days or what ever days lead up to our Christmas party dinner.

Day 1. Drink
Day 2. Candy
Day 3. Random thing (if we don't have our party)
Day 4. Actual gift at the party

Typical Secret Santa rules are:
* of course, no sharing of giftee - takes the fun out of it
* no need to be extravagant - there's usually a price limit decided for the final gift.
* have fun with it

I understand that not everyone does Christmas.... whether its for different religions or preference, etc. This season regardless of the technicalities is about good intentions. We should be kind throughout the year but think about it. It's the end of the year and the end of everything that the year has thrown at us.

I like to do a little extra when I can at work to let my Secret Santa know that there's at least one person who sees them as a person and not just a coworker. When you work full time, you end up spending more time at work than at home or with others, so it helps when you get along and why not say hey, you're a cool peep and I appreciate you. Sounds corny but I mean it.

SO for actual gifts, most work circles revolve around $20 which gives you plenty of stuff to work with whether the giftee is male or female. Now I don't mind gift cards but they're too easy. I understand having someone who is hell to buy for. I'm looking the guys in my life, dad, brother and my wonderful but difficult boyfriend. I have an old post on some gifts if you wanna check those out but here's some ideas in general via my love for Amazon under $20. (but it's sooooo not sponsored because duh)

Can you say practical!?!? 

Phone Selfie Ringlight por favor

Even a few for sharing

Who doesn't need hydration in a glass bottle??? 

Samsung specific sorry Apple peeps

I've be an Amazon Prime member for a long time and have no problems going page after page into the depths of the lists of stuff because that two day shipping pays for itself throughout the year.

What do you usually look for for your Secret Santas?

In the mean time, check out some of my other posts....

Office Decor Must Haves - http://bit.ly/OfficeDe

This or That Tag - http://bit.ly/ThisorThat17

The Blues of My Life - http://bit.ly/2wnrtRc

The Blues of my Life

As I'm writing this,  I realized that I went all day without mascara and part of me is apalled because if you read my super old post here, you'd understand. And then the other part is ok with it because my allergies have my eyes and nose and face all kinds of itching and runny and ew. But it made me remember that I hadn't done this post yet and I really needed to.

So a bit of a backstory with my mascara, I was not allowed to wear makeup until I was 15. My Quinceanera was a big milestone for me and anyone who's familiar with Hispanic culture knows that the doors open when you turn 15. And when I did I joined the sisterhood that my mom and aunt started. Blue masacara....

Now I know that you know that colored mascaras were a pretty decent trend for a while but from what I found nothing came close to my first love, my ride or die, my forever...AND IT WAS DISCONTINUED!!!!

What Maybelline didn't realize that I tend to stock up on the Great Last mascara in Royal Blue. I know it's not the best thing to have and do but it's a thing and I will not regret that because for a long time I had no idea that Maybelline discontinued my all time favorite mascara that me, my sister, my mom and my aunt wore FOR YEARS as our signature! And I felt blindsided to know that I finished the last bit of my mascara and couldn't restock until they came to their senses and brought it back and I bought two the first day I found them.

In that time before the heavens reopened, I tried a couple other drug store mascaras and had mixed results.

My first was from Covergirl that featured Katy Perry. I don't know if I got a bad one because I swear the moment I opened it, the brush came out clumpy and dry and scratchy even before I attempted it on my eyes. The color was more navy than anything and didn't really show up on my lashes and didn't do much at all. I know I've enjoyed the Covergirl foundation but obviously the eye side needs work.

The second was better. L'oreal Voluminous is pretty awesome anyway and they came out with a blue mascara. I had some real hope for these because I do enjoy the Carbon Black but it has to be waterproof or I am straight raccoon status. In all honesty it was pretty good in terms of the Voluminous quality that I'm already used to and while the color was not as bold when it's dry as my Royal Blue, it's still pretty good and I'll still use it. Now the Voluminous line also has a white mascara primer and if you're using it beforehand, the blue is brighter and it's nice as long as you make sure you cover all the white before it dries.

Now I know that people have mixed feelings about Maybelline and the Great Lash line itself. I've never used the black mascara and for me brown mascara is pointless. I used to use the clear Great Lash on my eyebrows but you can NOT understand my love for the Royal Blue mascara. It's my signature eye makeup. It's my thing. I get compliments on it just about every time I wear it. It is not waterproof but the formula is great enough to where it stays on my eyes until I wash it off. Even when I wash it off it doesn't take an act of Congress and a virgin sacrifice to clean it off without pain and a ton of pulling.


So on that note, it may be time to start restocking.


And in the meantime, check out some of my other posts....



For those with da ta-tas - http://bit.ly/2ezvzOM

Smell Good Stuff - http://bit.ly/2vT879v

Some Summer Favorites - http://bit.ly/2uD9o4o

Bra Talk

There are days...... and then there are days where circumstances dictate what has to happen for that day. As a plus sized woman, there are certain standards that society will always be violated and for those that are offended, sorry your life sucks. It took me a long time to be comfortable with myself and every now and then, sometimes I gotta smack myself and remind myself that I’m fabulous. I had one of those moments this morning.

Aside from being B3 (Big, Bad, and Beautiful), I have always enjoyed the size of my chest, my bust, my rack of power if you will. I was a B cup in 6^th grade and have only leveled up from there. But like any great power comes greater responsibility and I take it very seriously in the bra department. These girls need the support to be properly and tastefully on display and for that, I don’t mind spending a decent amount of money on quality bras from Lane Bryant. Nothing against Victoria’s Secret, but they don’t carry my size in store and if I’m going to spend an arm and a possible leg on bras, I want to be able to try them on before I buy them so thank you Lane Bryant for taking my money willingly in exchange for great bras that don’t stop working and are pretty too.

Since learning about and dealing with my new disease, I’ve been trying to keep an open mind and a closed wallet, however, my biggest complaint about losing weight is that my bras don’t fit right. I prefer padded and underwired and anyone who wears this combo knows that if it doesn’t fit, you will most likely be in pain. And I have been because with all the changes happening to my body and lifestyle, I can’t afford to replace them and then find out that I’d need to change them again. So I went to the only store I would and could go to and made a choice to try a bandeau bra slash bralette.

maurices carries straight sizes and plus size bralettes!

I’ve seen them everywhere on the interwebs and they are all the rage, but I’ve always been under the impression that they weren’t for me because I’ve normally seen them on smaller women with smaller busts. Finding these in my size at maurices was a surprise and a sign to bite the bullet and not knock it til I try it, especially considering these cost, literally, a third of what I would pay for a regular bra.

With the inflammation in my joints, there are some days where I can’t put on a bra because my hands can’t and won’t grip it. So here I am trying these little barely padded, no wire, basically tube tops and half of me is wanting to smack myself for going out in public for fear of rejection and ridicule. The other half was the half I listened to because I was able to mentally smack myself harder with the fact that if it feels good and it looks good, then it could be a beautiful relationship.

This style is cute and probably the most comfortable thing to wear on my ta-tas

And guess what? As I'm writing this.... this is my first day not just wearing it in public, but at work in a professional atmosphere and so far it feels wonderful.  I’m comfortable and the girls aren’t going wild without wires. My mind is going, if it feels great now, what about in other outfits for regular wear like sleeveless, razorbacks, scoop necks, off the shoulder, spaghetti straps, etc????? The possibilities are endless so take it from me, take a chance and try it, whatever ‘it’ may be.



And in the mean time, catch up on some of my other posts....

Smell Good Stuff - http://bit.ly/2vT879v

June in Summertime - http://bit.ly/2uD9o4o

Modern Window Shopping - http://bit.ly/2sG527o

Thou Shall Smell Good

This may seem trivial but I kid you not, my best friend and I had a legit long discussion about this topic and I found that this was a situation that I need remedied. We’ve finally come to terms with the fact that we are closer to thirty and yet still don’t feel like we’ve met many of the traditional adult milestones yet let alone feel like adults.

I had that smacked on my forehead recently while cleaning out some drawers. I’m really working on downsizing and while the idea of minimizing is kind of appealing, I don’t think I could go all the way. But I know I have way too much junk. In that same area, I have a rather deep drawer for my makeup and my smell good stuff. That’s when it hit me….I have one bottle of perfume. Of actual perfume. It was a Christmas gift in college, I think, because it’s one of the Ed Hardy perfumes.

So I have this one bottle of perfume and I remember only using it for special occasions because it was the only one I had. As a person in the arts, for rehearsals, recitals and performances I had to smell good. My mom had always told me that there is no reason to not smell good. Also with being a larger than the average girl both width wise and height wise, smelling bad was a stereotype I wanted to make sure I didn’t fall into. So I had body sprays. My store of choice as it is for many youngins and ladies of the like, Bath and Body Works. And from the looks of my drawers, it looks like it’s the only thing I do wear. Japanese Cherry Blossom, Paris Amour, A Thousand Wishes, as well as a few that have been discontinued like the Wild Madagascar Vanilla, Twilight Woods, and my Blushing Cherry Blossom circa 2009. I don’t have to tell you that I’m a fan of the buy 3 get 2 free sale…or sales in general…..or knowing when the sales come because one of my best girlfriends keeps me in the loop or lets me know when my current addicted scent is going to be discontinued….(Thank you Bona and I love you so much :D)

Obviously it’s a lot and it’s not that I don’t use them, it’s just a lot. In high school, I had one at home and one at multiple places in school. In college, I had one in my car and backpack as well. Now I have a spare at work, a mini in my purse and car. I’m also not a person just to do one or two spritzes either. Ya gotta do the body, the pulse points, the nether region and the hair. It’s ok to do that because it’s not as strong as a perfume and doesn’t last as long, especially when you had dance class, marching band, swim practice, theatre rehearsals under stage lights, etc. I used it like my life depended on it and for performances I’d use the real deal.  

But now that I’m not in school, a lot of my extracurricular activities graduated to extinction with my academic life. I still wear them and have no problem wearing it but I don’t feel as great when I’m working the Tahitian Paradise body spray while my boyfriend is wearing Versace Cologne and I’m 3 whiffs from attacking him, just saying. Ladies who know, will know that there is nothing wrong with a man that smells good.

But I’m not a kid anymore and I’m not a student anymore. I’m finding myself in between young lady and lady (insert throwback to Brittney's Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman). So why does it matter? Everyone’s seen the memes about starting from the bottom with Lip Smacker and now we here at Mac Lipsticks.

Gotta love the power of the Google

I kinda feel like I’m missing out on that part so to help me out I’m experimenting with some scents. Helping my bff in the estrogen department by going to Ulta to get a refill on his Dolce and Gabana Light Blue cologne, see the trend?? I picked up a roll on perfume from Kate Spade. Small enough to not cost an arm and a leg and for now I like it as a good summer scent so we’ll see how it goes. But I think it’s time to grow up a bit.

I've Got That Summertime June Favorites

Well interweb peeps, June is over. Half of the year is already gone and I’ve got some serious whiplash. My bff and I were talking about what we’ve done in the last six months. I won’t get you with the details of the entire past, we are here to see favorites. And for June, there’s a few. Literally because these had been rocking my month. They may be few, but they be awesome.

Kind is the New Pretty – Tarte – If you read my last month’s favorites, which you should here, then you’ll know that I bought this little set on sale during the Ulta megasale of awesomeness. Of course, with my lowered immune system, I was getting sick and wasn’t one for wearing makeup. But now that I’m semi-sane, I’m so glad I bought this mini pallet. It’s easy to get to and has everything great shades that I can literally wear everyday. I’ve made a few trips back home and have had to make super early trips to the doctor so this little pallet plus a couple brushes and some mascara and I’m set.

I had to get rid of a lot of makeup after my stent of being an incubus of plague so between lack of money and the amount of makeup I tend to wear on a normal basis, I've really wanted more of an all-in-one situation and this little pallet has it.

I will admit that I didn't expect it to be this small. It fits in the palm of my hand. The bronzer works really well for my skin tone as it's not too warm. The blush is a bit more on the orange side but I strangely like it. It's buildable for me because I can imagine overdoing it, especially at home where my lighting is terrible thanks to wood panelling, so it's always a bit darker in my house than I like. Now the highlight....It is pretty fabulous. Granted when I put too much so that I look like a unicorn licked my face, it can be a bit much because it's white. The picture doesn't do the sparkle justice and in the words of YouTuber Nicole Guerriero, "Sir, can you see this highlight?" It definitely packs a punch but somedays I wanna be chill and not punch people with my highlight. 

Sally Hansen Instadry Nail Color – Petal Pusher – I hadn’t painted my nails in a hot minute. I haven’t had my nails done in an even hotter minute. Despite everything going on with me, my nails to tend to grow pretty fast so acrylics and gel can get pretty expensive. So instead of a super bold color I grabbed this for a little color and I am loving it. It’s subtle enough to not clash with everything and it doesn’t take forever and a day to dry.

I'm not kidding when I say it's a literal quick drying nail polish. If I have a solid seven minutes, the brush is wide enough to cover most of my nails in one swipe and opaque enough to not be entirely streaky. I can still do two coats, have them dry and pop a quick top coat and dry in roughly that time. So don't be too heavy on the hand and it'll all be well with the world.

Zuchini boats – Pinterest recipe – one of my best girlfriends and I have been working on newer and healthier recipes and once a week we make them and have a chance to catch up on life. Since we both were raised in a way that didn’t always include a lot of veggies like zucchini and squash, I’ve strayed away from them mainly out of ignorance. NOT the case anymore. This recipe she found on Pinterest from thewholesomedish.com called for ground chicken but we used ground turkey and lemme tell you, I’ve made it again and it’s pretty fricken awesome and surprisingly filling. So go check out my Food board onPinterest and test it out yourself.

So yes June be few but I can honestly say these have been consistently happening all month which is not always the case for lots of people, I've noticed. But even though the month is halfway gone, here's what I've been up to, what have you been up too or been loving lately?


In the meantime....


Give a girl some follow love on Bloglovin
http://bit.ly/MyBloglovinPg


and check out some of my other posts...

Window Shopping - http://bit.ly/2sG527o
Office Decor - http://bit.ly/OfficeDe
Travelling Can Be Ugly - http://bit.ly/2travelwoe

B3 - Big, Bad, and Beautiful

So even though I've had this blog up for a bit, I still feel like I'm really new. One thing I know I'm still working on is my niche, my thang, my spot in the blogosphere. While I think that will still be a work in process, I know one thing that I can look to and that is the B3.

My aunt actually came up with this a long time ago and it has stuck with me. She said girls like us are Big, Bad, and Beautiful. And as someone who has kinda been an outlier to societies standard, it was really awesome to have someone say that yes, you're taller and a bit bigger than the average girl but that is ok because you are fierce and strong. I've taking those and looked at the women in my life, my mom, aunts on both sides, grandmas, and it needs to be said.

I am not a small woman; seriously, the smallest things about my body are my ears. I've known it my whole life, people have pointed it out to me in a backhanded compliment or just straight up rude comment or a seemingly innocent comment about when I'm due.

I have this friend and to be honest she's one of my best friends; she's the bubbliest person I know with a shape to kill for. She encountered a comment from a guy about her size and was told she should be ashamed of her body and she just took it and said how dare you?! I'm rocking my body because I love it.

Me being the kind of person I am, was like gimme da signal and you have back up STAT but she said no, she wasn't gonna let one person's opinion affect how she sees herself and the world. THAT is being Big, Bad, and Beautiful. Love yourself, stand up for yourself and let your sparkle shine.

I may not know where my niche will come from in order to point my blog in that direction but it will revolve around the three B's and I hope you'll come on this journey with me. 







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My last post on July's awesomeness http://bit.ly/DJuly16Faves

For all my fellow nerds http://bit.ly/10PokeWalk