The Midlife Woman » pamper

Carving Out “You Time”

thatgirlmegan — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:58:11 +0000

Every year, you find yourself saying that you want to do more things that make you happy.

But, instead, you spend your days working, catering to the needs of others, running errands, paying bills, filing taxes and completing all of life’s endless obligations. There will always, always be tasks to finish. Putting them off for just a bit won’t hurt. They’ll still be there when you get back.

Check out these simple ways to indulge yourself for free, or even cheap, and enjoy a little ‘you’ time more often.

Movie Marathons or a Television Series

Snuggling underneath a blanket with a bag of popcorn, a few chocolates and your cat or dog, turning on a movie and staying put for a few hours is one of life’s simple pleasures. Do your best to block off one Saturday afternoon a month to spend reconnecting with your favorite movies, watching new ones, or going through a television series on Netflix or Hulu Plus. Watching TV and eating snacks for hours on end is incredibly fulfilling. It’s also nice to be spontaneous and spend time relaxing that you would’ve spent running errands or doing something responsible. The next time you wake to a rainy or snowy Saturday morning, skip your run or morning workout just this once, and enjoy life.

Baking Initiatives

Baking is a pretty time consuming task, and a bit of a luxury. You don’t have 2 hours in the middle of the day to make a pan of cream cheese brownies, right? Maybe not. Stock pile recipes that you’d like to prepare, and then spend an afternoon a month baking with friends, listening to music and sharing the latest gossip. You’ll be rewarded with plenty of delicious treats you can sit around and enjoy with a bowl of ice cream and a good movie. It’s a great, cheap way to spend time with friends on a personal level.

Crafts or DIY Projects

Crafting, much like baking, can be incredibly time consuming. Even for those who enjoy crafting and DIY projects, they often require an entire weekend, tons of supplies and a lot of energy. Choose a craft or project you’d like to complete around the house and then spend the month purchasing the supplies, getting things ready and arranging a weekend you can spend getting it done. Do the project with a friend or spouse for added fun, and buy delicious teas or hot cocoas you can sip on while you work!

Weekend Getaways

Nothing says, “I’m taking some me time,” quite like packing up a bag and getting out of town for the weekend. Pick a close place you’ve always wanted to visit, or a special spot you’ve been meaning to go back to and make it happen! Plan ahead or be spontaneous, whatever suits your style! Whether you travel alone or take a friend, you’ll come back feeling refreshed, renewed and ready to pick up where you left off.

Streamlining To-Do Lists

All of those little tasks you have to complete on a daily basis add up to make for one big headache. Anything you can do to streamline your list of things to do will give you more time to enjoy doing things you want to do. Services like automatic bill pay, online banking, grocery delivery, or laundry service can help save you valuable hours each week.

This year is the year where you should finally learn to carve out time for you. Every now and then, be selfish and lazy for a few hours. When you return to the ‘real world’, you’ll be surprised to find it’s just the same as you left it.

Megan enjoys cycling, blogging on behalf of MyGofer.com and spending time with her adorable Yorkie puppy, Alexa. You can find her on twitter (@thatgirlmegan) or online at www.thatgirlmegan.com

thatgirlmegan

Megan Brown is a social media networker at Slingshot SEO. When she's not at the gym attempting to multitask while on the treadmill, Megan spends her time cycling, cheering on the Milwaukee Brewers, blogging, and catering to every need of her yorkie pup Alexa.

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Gift Ideas for Mothers Day

guest post — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:57:06 +0000

Mother’s Day is that one day of the year where the mother gets celebrated for all that he does for the family. When considering gift ideas for Mother’s Day, it’s important to make sure that gifts stand out. Finding the useful and meaningful gift for the hardest working mother can be a challenge for some.

A great gift for a mother would be a day of pampering. For example, purchasing a spa package for a mother would be a great way to honor her. Make sure that the spa day package includes the things that any woman would enjoy such as the facials, massages and pedicures. When purchasing such a package, make sure that the expiration date is far enough in advance to allow her the opportunity to take advantage of it.

Several months of maid service cleaning packages would also be useful and helpful to the mother. It is quite common for the mother to perform the bulk of the cleaning and cooking for the household, so this type of break from the household chores would be well-received. Make sure that the maid packages are purchased from providers that serve the area she resides in.
An all-expense paid night out on the town would also be a good gift idea for Mother’s Day.

Many mothers simply get caught up in the day-to-day activities of being a mother, and their lives often revolve around their children. Giving the mother a night out on the town could be long. A night out on the town could include theatre, dinner reservations at an upscale restaurant and a limo. In planning this incredible evening, it’s important to be mindful of any potential scheduling conflicts.

It may very well have been years since the mother has had a childless vacation. Planning a weekend getaway for her would probably be just the thing she needs. If the woman is an avid shopper, make sure that the location has plenty of shopping opportunities available like outlet malls or major flagship stores. If she has always talked about ballroom dancing, consider planning a vacation that would allow her the opportunity to take lessons.

When shopping for a gift for the mother, keep in mind any complaints she has made in passing about being tired. Consider all of the things that she has ever expressed interest in doing or wanting to try. Remember the places she has always wanted to go or see. And think about how memorable this day would be for her if presented with a gift like no other.

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Articles submitted by guest authors from around the world.

Over 40 Hair and Makeup Advice

Kathleen — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:52:42 +0000

Image by Natashalatrasha via Flickr

Make up and hair style becomes a completely new experience for women over forty. Make up applications women practiced for twenty or more years no longer seem to apply. Hairstyles and colors we once wore so well are capable of adding years to the face. By practicing a few short and simple applications with make up and hair, a woman can look about five years younger.

Makeup artists and beauty experts emphasize applying the correct make up products and methods to seize five years off your face. According to Jessica Liebeskind, this can be accomplished in three minutes.

3 Minute Make Up

Powder Makeup, Not

Too much powdery makeup draws attention to fine lines, thus adding five years to your face.

Apply a light moisturizer or makeup primer. This layer is predominantly important after 40. The moisturizer acts as a barrier between your skin and the makeup, preventing foundation or concealer from filling in fine lines.

Experiment – Try a serum that offers instantly moisturizes skin. These generally have a long lasting effect and reinforce a skin barrier to bind in moisture.

Conceal It First

Most women were taught to spread foundation from hairline to chin first, concealer application followed. Many experts say to reverse this routine after 40 and focus on your under eye area. Use a narrow-tip makeup brush to dab a creamy concealer from the inner to outer corner to hide darkness. This instantly brightens the whole face.

Even the Skin Tone
If you have very even skin tone, your face has lost five years.

If that is not the case, apply a very thin layer of tinted moisturizer or an equal mix of moisturizer and foundation. Mixing the two tends to sheer out the foundation a bit. This final step minimizes any blotchiness while leaving your complexion dewy, not dry. For any blemishes that are still apparent, finish by dabbing concealer only on those areas.

Powder is not necessary after 40 unless except for cases of the still shiny t-zone. Then lightly dust only there.

Youthful Hair

Love Your Hair

TLC is essential to youthful hair. Heat styling and chemical processing make hair porous and prone to breakage. Healing masks from Bumble and Bumble along with high-quality hair-repair products, for example Shu Uemura, are an absolute must. Professional stylists and salon owners recommend using hair treatments, as you would wrinkle creams.

Regular brushing through to the scalp with a first-rate hairbrush stimulates the blood supply and promotes healthy growth. According to a top rate Seattle salon Mason Pearson brushes reach every corner of the scalp and perform a superior job including sweeping away dandruff.

Coloring Away Years

Gray Hair
Natural gray may not be best. One of the best-kept secrets of stylish gray-haired women is the addition of fresh, ashy highlights to improve the color and reduce the age.

Stay smooth. Straighter hair reflects light, and distracts from lines and creases in the face. Silicone serums and a deep-moisturizing shampoo, and a ceramic-coated flatiron designed to dry wet hair can make it shine.

Blonde Hair
Bangs, layers, and highlights are youthful. Tousled pieces hide re-growth. A choppy cut with long bangs and bold, sunlit streaks is an immediate year reducer!

Image via Wikipedia

Thinking red, choose blonde. Red hair is tough on mature skin tones, unless it is natural. It tends to exaggerate blotchiness, brown spots, or yellow undertones. A honey blonde color with golden tones works better every time.

Brunette Hair
Your twenty-something shade does not work at age 50. Extremely dark hair looks hard and fake next to mature skin. Select a softer shade, perhaps a maple or chestnut, this will certainly help erase years.

One professional hair stylist advises makeup tells you if your hair shade is right. If the hair color is too dark, piling on concealer to erase shadows and circles will be required. If makeup appears to fit naturally, the hair color works. Brown-gray looks more natural and dimensional than a flat, permanent color.

This simple advice from experts in make up and hair care eliminates those lengthy make up regiments, the point I appreciate the most. Women over forty should go light on the face make up, moisturize effectively, and opt for quality hair care and colors. Easy enough to look five years younger, wouldn’t you agree?

Vibrant Veggies Improve Womens Health (asiteforwomen.com)
Makeup Application Series: Primer (bizchickblogs.com)
Jill Stuart Spring 2011 – Backstage Beauty (stylelist.com)

Kathleen

Hey, there I'm Kathleen. My friends call me Kathy; to my kids I'm Momia. Life has afforded me many hats: Mom, wife, sister, friend, business owner... and most recently a midlife blogger. From college to marriage and babies, in the midst of business and wealthy boomers, midlife retrospection validates this extraordinary journey called life.

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