This makes me feel stupid

I just bought one of these. Because I was getting tired of buying ridculous numbers of swim diapers for Lion. And since Monkey is doing "pre-team" (when you're too little for the real swim team - adorable, I know), everyone will be spending a lot of time at the pool this summer. Except me, of course. I'll be working. See yesterday's post about wanting to be my kids' nanny.

Back to the point. It came in the mail yesterday - super fast shipping as always, courtesy of diapers.com, and I have no idea what to do with it. Do it go over a regular diaper? Stand alone? Serve as a swim trunk? Go under a swim suit?

I got nothing. Anyone know how to use this?

Seriously, people, I have master's degree from a top tier university, but I'm stumped. Maybe if I'd gone for the PhD?

Blog Challenge - Day 8.

Have a beauty secret (e.g. hair tip, make up tip)? Share, please!

[Note from the editor - I'm now officially caught up from the weekend!  Yay, me!]

Back to business.  I'm not really a make-up guru.  I do wear it everyday, though, and I do NOT leave the house without it.  But my generally feeling is that if you know I'm wearing makeup, I'm wearing too much.  I'm pretty fair, with light hair and light eyes, and without eye makeup you can't even be certain I have eyes.  At all.  So my morning routine involves under eye concealer (thanks, kids!), neutral shadow, dark liner, and mascara.  Plus light cover up to even out skin tone; otherwise I look like I'm wearing too much blush every day.  Or a circus clown.  No biggie, right? 

That sounds like a lot of makeup to many people, but it's how I feel comfortable presenting myself to the world.  I thought that made me superficial until a good friend cited the old "You look good, you feel good" cliche.  And she's right.  Confidence means so much, and people do treat you differently depending on how you look.  It's not right, on principle, but it's true.  

I use a variety of department and drug store brands, and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear if anyone has a liner that won't smudge.  My eyes tend to water throughout the day, and even though I present the challenge to every makeup counter I find, no one has yet introduced me to a liner that won't make me look like a racoon by 6pm.  I'm tired of traveling with the supplies I need to touch it up.  Truthfully, I have a stash at work, but I only use it if I have somewhere special to go in the evening.  So most days are not pretty by the end.  I'm sure I'm harder on myself and that people don't actually notice, but it has to contribute to making me look tired and unkempt, right?

That doesn't answer the question at all, does it? 

Honestly, my best tip is dry shampoo.  Oscar Blandi.  My personal vanity's cross to bear is that I have very fine and thin hair.  Flat and limp.  Not only does it buy me an extra day between washes, it increases the diameter of each hair, and my hair looks *better* on day 2 than freshly washed.  Amazing.  I've actually thought about using it EVERY day.  Maybe I'll try that tomorrow.

Blog Challenge - Day 4.

Day 4. Style 31. Post a pic of you in your favorite outfit.

I said upfront I wasn't doing pictures of myself.  So there.  Plus I'm still losing baby weight, so there is no such thing as my current favorite outfit.  Getting dressed everyday is stressful and demoralizing.  I'm getting close, though, and can finally wear my old suit pants again.  That's been hugely helpful on weekdays.  Summer is coming quickly, though, and very hard to get through gracefully without my old clothes fitting well.

So instead, I'm going to post you some things I've, uh, acquired recently in anticipation of finally wearing NORMAL clothes this summer.  Yay! 

Kayce Hughes Green Tile Print Tunic

 

J. Crew Stripe Drawstring Dress



Boden Jersey Top Dress

  

J. Crew Cotton Cady Aveline dress



Boden Stripey Tunic


Cute?  Me thinky.  I'm pretty heavy on these three retailers, mostly because I can get clothes for the kids and myself in one fell swoop.  Very simplifying.  Very excited for warmer weather.  Now I just need to indulge my fantasy of spending the entire summer at the beach.  Hubbie says I'm crazy.  I say he doesn't have to come.  And a job that gives me three months of leave is a good life/career goal.

I just realized my computer is fried and I won't be able to post this weekend.  So I'm going to liberally reinterpret the 31 day blog challenge to include only weekdays.  If I manage to do some writing this weekend, I'll try to update it retroactively so I can still finish in March.