My Weekly Review: Jan 12 - Jan 18, 2015

Hi there!  I hope you had a good week.  I'm still having trouble coming to grips with the holidays being over.  But it's time to move on!

This week was pretty busy.  It started off a bit miserable, as I had a migraine for almost two days. That was not fun.  I haven't had one in a while, so I'm not really sure what brought it on.

I had quarterly reporting to do for work, and that took the whole week and a little bit of the weekend. I really like doing it, so it's not a burden.  But I know next week will be tough catching up with the tasks I had to put aside.

Schools had a two-hour delay for two days due to freezing rain.  Honestly they could have gone in at their regular time on the second day, but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.  I've really been hoping for frozen precipitation, although I prefer that it snows.  Unfortunately it doesn't look like it's going to be cold enough for the next week.  Bummer.

Friday we went to a "regift" party hosted by a friend.  It was so fun!  The idea of a regift party is that you take a gift you received for Christmas that you don't particularly like or won't use.  All the gifts are put in a pile, and everyone draws a number.  As each person's number comes up, they either get to choose a gift from the pile, or they can "steal" a gift that someone before them opened.  I've heard it called by other names:  White Elephant, or Crazy Santa.  Anyway, the party was really a lot of fun!  I got to see friends I haven't seen in a while, and met some new ones.  It was great.

The weekend has been pretty quiet.  I had a little bit of work to do, and have been catching up on laundry.  Tonight there are football games to watch.  The two teams I usually route for:  Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys are done for the season, so I don't know who I'll pull for now.  It doesn't really matter.  I just like to watch it!

That's about it for now.  I hope your week was productive and fun.  Did you get any snow where you are?  How much?  :)

My Weekly Review: Jan 5 - Jan 11, 2015

Hi there!

My plan for this blog is to have a weekly review every Sunday.  This is where I'll just touch on what I did over the past week, what I accomplished, that sort of thing.

The week has been fairly harmless.  I've been really busy at work, especially coming back after the Christmas and New Year's holidays, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.  

My meal planning did not go as I had planned, but it wasn't a problem, as we were able to readjust and just move plans to next week.  It's really all about making a plan so that we know what to purchase at the grocery store.  Ideally I would like to go to the grocery store only once a week, but we end up going to the store every other day or so.  Since we live in an apartment on the third floor without an elevator, it's probably best that we don't shop once a week!

I don't really have the progress on my goals since I really just started on that Monday.  My plan is to report my goal progress once a month, so you can look for that at the end of this month or the first of next month.

I'm still finding my footing on writing here on the blog.  So far I've written eight days in a row (including today) which is a huge accomplishment for me.  But I'm really motivated by my commitment to write here every day, and I told you guys about it, so I can't let you down!

So this weekly review is going to be a little bit sparse, but I think it will get better going forward.

Hey, if you have something else that you're rather see on Sundays, let me know.  I'm always open to your feedback.  I want to provide the content that you like, so let me know!

I hope you've had a good week.  Anything special happen for you?  

Daily Planner Pages - January 2014

Hi there!

Part of my monthly review and planning includes removing the previous month's pages from my planner and archiving them.  I usually do that during the first weekend of the month.  (For example, during the first weekend of April, I will do my monthly review for March, which will include taking the March pages out of my planner and archiving them.) 

I thought it would be fun to show you how I use my daily planner pages.  Because I use two pages per day in my planner, it's just not practical to show photos of each page.  So I filmed a quick video (really quick -- only 3 minutes long!).  Check it out!

Do you use a paper planner?  I'd love to see how you use your pages.  If you're not a paper planner user, what do you use to keep track of your day-to-day?  Please share in the comments below!

Until next time, be well.

My Filofax - Week #27

I got nothin'.

I have had planner fail, big time.  I completely shut down, and wasn't using my Filofax at all.  And my life was suffering because of it.

For the past several weeks, I have been using Google Calendar for my appointments and reminders, but my task management went out the window.  I wasn't writing them down, I wasn't keeping them electronically, and for the most part, they weren't getting done.

I've been in Overwhelm for the past few weeks.  I started a new position at The Bank; something completely different and unknown to me.  I looked forward to the learning experience, but quite frankly, it turned out to be nothing like I was expecting.  That experience has kept my brain on overload and I've been fighting back the fear and the disappointment every single day.  But that's a story for another day.

I did try to get back in the swing of things with my trusty Personal Chameleon.  (Yes, I've set my A5 Malden aside for now.  More about that later.)

And today I'm regrouping by working on my planning for the coming week.

I'm hoping that returning to my planner will help me feel more in control of the things going on around me.  In fact, I know it will.  That's what has helped me to stay focused so many times in the past.

Sometimes I guess we just have to falter a bit to be reminded of what works.

Here's to a great week ahead!

How To: Weekly Planning in My Filofax

jakebourna

Hi there!

Not long ago I posted a YouTube video on my weekly planning process in my Filofax.  Since then, several folks have asked for the list of my weekly planning steps.

So, here's the list of things I do for my weekly planning each Sunday:

• Add important events of the week to the monthly index page.
• Clean out my planner and move old items to the archive.
• Review goals, update the status and schedule the next steps.
• Journaling:  Where am I in my goals?  What new ideas have come up?  What decisions need to be made?
• Write out tasks for the coming week.
• Review the past week to be sure no tasks have been left unaddressed.
• Review monthly list of things to do and schedule one or more for the coming week.
• Review planner setup things to do and schedule for the coming week.
• Review master task list and schedule one or more for the coming week.
• Add appointments in my Filofax to my Google Calendar so my husband can see them.  Put a check mark next to the appointment in the Filofax to show that it was added to Google Calendar.

There you have it.  It seems like a lot, but it really doesn't take too long.  I probably spend about an hour on my weekly planning each Sunday.  I think that's a small price to pay to make sure that I'm organized for the coming week.

Do you have a ritual for your weekly planning?

A Week in my Filofax #6

Hi!  I've fallen a little behind in my weekly review posts, but I'm ready to get back on the bandwagon.  So let's get started.

Sunday, Feb. 3:  Not a very productive day, as it was Superbowl Sunday and we met friends late in the afternoon to watch the game at the Tilted Kilt.  We didn't really have a favorite in the game (ours is a Steelers household), but part of the fun of the Superbowl is getting together with friends and watching the commercials, right?  By the way, the "farmer" commercial was by far my favorite.

Monday, Feb. 4:  Fairly productive day, even though I took a half-day off from work to go to a much awaited doctor appointment.  Nothing of any relevance to report.

Tuesday, Feb. 5:  Spent the day at home sick, partially related to the doc appointment on the previous day.  Not cool.

Wednesday, Feb 6:  Pretty productive day.  We also found out that a good friend of several years passed away suddenly.  Most of the evening was spent in shock and reaching out to mutual friends. 

Thursday, Feb. 7:  Another productive day, including several high school related activities in the evening for Sarah.  She's already planning her schedule for next year!  Time really does fly by too quickly.

Friday, Feb. 8:  Average day with nothing  major to report.  I was really exhausted in the evening, and fell asleep on the couch at 8:30.  I woke up at 9:30 and went right to bed.

Saturday, Feb. 9:  Pretty busy day.  I was up early to have my annual mammogram, and then did a bit of shopping at Staples and Walgreens.  After that, I went home to pick up the rest of the family and we did some more shopping for guinea pig supplies and a stop at Bath and Body Works, and lunch at Panera.  (A half bacon turkey bravo sandwich and broccoli cheese soup is my staple there!)  I finished off the night by going to a girls get-together with a friend.  That was much fun!


I've been thinking of my friends in the Northeast who are buried in snow.  I love the white stuff and pray daily that we get some, but I don't think even I want THAT much!  :)

I hope you all had a great week.  Did you do anything fun and exciting?

A Review: Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Beauty Balm

There's been a lot of talk recently about BB creams. You haven't heard the jabber?  Let me give you a quick review.

First off, the "BB" stands for "blemish balm" or "beauty balm."  It originated in Asia, but has quickly become the latest up and coming cosmetic product in the West.  Their claim is to be an "all-in-one" cosmetic product that replaces serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation and sunblock.  It can be used as a tinted moisturizer for those "no makeup" days, or as a foundation.

I first became aware of BB balms when I received a sample of Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Beauty Balm in my very first Birchbox in June 2012.

I prefer not using a lot of products (yes, I'm lazy) and I don't want to spend a lot of time applying makeup (yes, I'm busy), so I was excited to have a "one stop shop" type of product to try.  I began using it right away and have used it off and on since then.  I just squeezed out the last little bit this morning (sad face).  A little bit goes a long way, and that, combined with my somewhat infrequent use, is why the sample size of .33 fl oz. has lasted me until mid-October.

This BB balm is good for those days when I don't want to take the time to apply a whole face full of makeup.  It provides a fair amount of coverage.  I don't have much acne, but I do have a few dark spots and an uneven skin tone that I like to cover up, so this product works fine for that.  On days when I am going to work, or out on the town with Mr. Babycakes, I do prefer to use a heavier foundation that provides a heavier coverage.

I tend to have a challenging time matching foundations to my skin tone (I'm fair skinned, but prefer a slightly tanned look).  Dr. Jart matches me perfectly while still giving me that slightly made up healthy glow.  In my opinion, it is fool proof, and I really like it a lot.

Another plus to this Dr. Jart product is that it did not cause me to break out.  I'm in my mid-forties (yeah, I'm not afraid to say it) so I don't have many breakouts.  But there have been a few products out there that made me feel like I was back in my pimple-laden teen years.  This, thankfully, is not one of them.  This made my skin feel moisturized and supple and beautiful.

The price is more steep than I would typically pay for foundation (I use a range of drugstore products, from Cover Girl to Maybelline to Rimmel), but I feel that it is good for my skin and is a worthwhile investment.  The price from Birchbox: $39.00 for 1.5 fl oz (includes free shipping); Amazon sellers have it listed for $37.95.

I have really loved this product.  And now that my sample tube is empty, I'll place an order for a full size tonight!

Have you tried any BB creams?  What's your favorite?





See also: 
Wikipedia BB Cream

A Review: ImPRESS Press-On Manicure

I am forever working on my nails: trying to grow them, trying to make them healty, trying to make them look pretty. I've tried everything from the yucky tasting liquid that is brushed on the nails to keep from biting them, to years of on-again-off-again acrylic "false" nails.

I have reached a point in my life when I've outgrown the nail biting, and can now enjoy the beautiful nail polish colors that are available.

I was excited to receive the ImPRESS Press-On Manicure in my Mom VoxBox from Influenster. This was something new I had not tried -- a flawless, no-dry-time manicure. Just what us moms and busy women need. Who can find the time for their home manicure to dry appropriately, right?

I sat down on a Saturday afternoon for my weekly home manicure, and decided to give the ImPRESS Press-On Manicure a try.

Right away I discovered that the product was very similar to the press-on nail products that have been around for ages, and not the nail polish strips that are all the rage now (and what I was hoping for). My hopes dimmed right away, because my experience with the press-on nail kits in the past has been less than stellar. The ImPRESS Press-On Manicure is supposed to last up to a week.

I moved forward with the manicure, as I wanted to give the product the benefit of the doubt and really give it a good testing.

Applying the nails was fairly simple. After laying out the size needed for each finger, I moved along quickly by peeling the adhesive off the back and pressing the nail onto my own nails. The entire process took about 10 minutes, including choosing the size of each nail.

One of the nails tore a bit while I was removing the adhesive. That was probably because of my heavy hand, but a good indication that the nails may not stand up to heavy duty use.

I also had a hard time matching up the sizing of the nails to my own fingers. I have small nail beds, and even the smallest sizes seemed to overlap my natural nail. Some of my natural nails were also a little bit longer than the ImPRESS nails, which gave me heart palpitations. I really didn't want to trim or file my own nails after I'd worked to hard to grow them out! But in the interest of the product testing, I did.

The color of the nails was pretty -- like a raspberry pink shade -- but was not really my color. There are 36 colors and styles to choose from, though, so I don't think I would have any trouble finding one that I would like.

In the end, I removed the nails after a little over 24 hours, but not because of the product. I had a meeting at work on Monday, and I didn't want to have to worry about whether or not a nail would fall off. To be honest, though, now I don't think that would have been a problem. The nails were a little difficult to remove. The adhesive backing seemed very strong, so I feel like the nails would have lasted up to a week as promised.

Overall I was fairly happy with the ImPRESS Press-On Manicure. I think I will go out and purchase it to give it a better try. I would recommend the product to my friends for a quick and flawless manicure.

Have you tried the ImPRESS Press-On Manicure? What did you think?



Hey, I did receive this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. But my opinions are my own.

I Received My Mom VoxBox Today!

I received my Mom VoxBox today from Influenster!


I was selected a couple of months ago to receive the Mom VoxBox based on a profile I completed at Influenster.com.  Based on your profile, and how active you are in social media, you can be selected to receive products to test, evaluate and recommend.  


Here are the products I received in my VoxBox:

• Ivory Bar Soap

• DenTek Comfort Clean & Fun Flossers

• Stash Tea Superfruits Tea Sampler and Nektar Sweetener

• Quaker Soft Baked Cookie

• ImPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails

I'll be testing these products over the next couple of weeks and will post my reviews, so stay tuned.  


Have you received any VoxBoxes from Influenster?  What was your favorite sample?