Treasuring Me

Treasure Yourself.

It's my favorite thing to remind women of... and I too often forget to do it myself. So today was treasure me day. I blew off all those things I wanted to get done that are frankly, just not as important as taking care of me... and I went and played.

First off I actually got outside instead of being locked up in front of my computer all day. Hey! It's spring out there! The fluffy clouds were floating across the clear blue sky. Flowers are blooming everywhere and their smell in the air is grand.

So I took myself out to breakfast. Stopped at the bank for a brief moment of taskiness and errand running. Then it was off to the movies, then off to a pedicure. I stopped off at CVS and bought me some new red lipstick to wear out tonight.

Now I'm getting ready for my favorite men to come over then its off to social hour dinner and I get to wrap it up with an evening of my favorite rocker. Ahh, I love life!

13 Simple & Smart Skin Care Steps to Reduce Wrinkles

Avoid sun exposure. Try to wear white or light colors, and wear a hat when you’re outdoors. Also, don’t use tanning booths, which can be worse than the sun.

Wear sunscreen. For the best anti-aging protection, Dr. Gerrish strongly recommends, “Apply sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 (sun protection factor) thirty minutes before sun exposure to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Look for one with zinc or titanium oxide in the ingredient list.”

Avoid environmental pollutants. Ozone, smoke, and gasoline fumes are just a few of the pollutants that can age skin and cause premature wrinkles.

Start an anti-aging skin care program. June Breiner, MD, an internist in Maryland suggests, “Consult with a non-surgical skin care doctor. There are many products available that thicken your skin and reduce wrinkles.”

Avoid smoking and second-hand smoke. Smoking takes away oxygen and nutrients, and it also increases the number of free radicals in your body’s cells, a main cause of skin aging. “The amount of cigarette consumption and the number of years you have smoked are correlated with an increase in premature wrinkles,” states Dr. Breiner.

Wear sunglasses. Other than staying indoors and away from windows, sunglasses are the best way to protect the thin, sensitive skin around your eyes from UV radiation.

Sleep on your back, if possible. Sleeping with your face pressed against the pillow can cause sleep lines, which can turn into wrinkles. Satin pillow cases can also help in the anti-wrinkle fight.

Use moisturizer. A good moisturizer will keep skin hydrated and soften wrinkles.

Exercise regularly. “It gets your cardiovascular system going, which is great for getting needed nutrients and oxygen to your skin,” Breiner explains. “You should get cardiovascular exercise for your heart and skin health, and weight strengthening exercises for muscle underlying your skin.”

Eat a nutritious, anti-aging diet. Drink plenty of water and teas, and get eight to ten servings daily of fruit and vegetables. Eat fresh caught Atlantic salmon three times a week or another fish high in omega 3 fatty acids, such as herring, mackerel, trout, or tuna. Foods have a tremendous ability to fight the aging process as they are chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that your body needs to combat wrinkles, says Breiner.

Avoid processed and refined foods and sugars. They contain chemicals that can cause your skin to age prematurely.

Try Retin-A or Renova. Gerrish recommends, “See your doctor for a prescription of Retin-A Retin-A, a cream that has been proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and thicken thinning skin, which is part of the aging process.” If your skin is very dry, ask about Renova , a gentler formulation of the anti wrinkle cream.

Avoid stress. When you’re stressed out, your body releases a powerful aging hormone, cortisol, into your blood stream. “If you have chronic stress, take yoga, write in a journal daily, sing, take a walk, meditate. Do whatever works for you to reduce stress,” suggests Gerrish.

Making Time for Me.

"Wash my car" - It's been on my list of things of things to do for months now. Yet I always find a way to push it off to some other time. Excuses like "it doesn't matter...no one will notice...I should use the money to pay bills, etc." keep coming to mind. The thing is that I want my car cleaned because I feel good when I'm rollin' 'round town in a shiny ride. It's not for anyone else, just me.

I believe that is why it hasn't gotten done. I clean the kitchen for my husband, clean the laundry room for my cats, clean the garage for my employer, however when it comes to cleaning a car for me, it always seems to end up on the bottom of the priority list. Why am I last on my list...?

This is something for me to ponder while I get my car washed today :)

Its Amazing what happens when I get out of my own way

I'm going into business with my father. Yes, that's right. My father. And I haven't even lost my mind. I was just returning his call from a few weeks ago and it all unfolded. And yes, it was an unreturned call from a few weeks ago. That should give you an idea of how fabulous our relationship has been.

I'm learning things about me and in realising that have discovered how easy it is to do things differently. So I called my dad and instead of tuning him out for saying things I didn't want to hear - I just changed the subject. I know. This isnt some crazy cool novel concept. Its just that I've spent so many years just letting him drone on that it had ceased to occur to me altogether that I am in control of my life and can do something as simple as change a subject.

So instead of chanting in my head "I don't want to hear this", I stopped an thought what do I want to hear. It was just that easy. The subject matter changed. We started having an actual conversation for the first time in years. Ideas bounced back and forth and next thing you know - a business was born. We even got thru negotiating percentages painlessly and in four minutes flat.

Its amazing what I get when I remember I'm in charge of my life and my experiences.

Shoes, Shoes, SHOES

I've never been much of a shoe shopper. But lately I've been bitten by the bug and I'll find the slightest excuse to go shoe shopping. The day before yesterday I was at the mall, clothes shopping, and the time got away from me. I looked up to realize I was supposed to be arriving at my destination in the next five minutes and I had just loaded up a dressing room with 30 things to try on. So I rushed thru the batch, made my purchases, put half of them on and stopped at Payless next door for some emergency shoes. I mean, I had to, it was a matter of practicality since I no longer had time to go home to change as I planned. And lucky me, there were some cute earrings to match too! So you see my dilemma, you see what I've been reduced to, emergency forced shoe shopping. Or maybe it was all just an excuse. Maybe I've just turned into a shoe whore.

Support Works!

I've just been contemplating the glory of having the other Divas in my life. I am so very appreciative and grateful for who they are and how they are with me. This space we have created is blooming because we are learning how to support each other better.

I have always had a hard time asking for help or letting people help me. That hasn't changed completely by any long stretch of the imagination. And I'm learning. I'm learning in my marriage, I'm learning in it ending, I'm learning in my friendships and even with my acquaintances. I am discovering its more than ok to ask for help - its necessary. And in letting people help me I am creating room for them to let me help them back.

There is a symmetry, connectedness I feel in the process of relationship building that is just critical to my make up. As I said to someone recently "I run on relationships", I really do. They are what make me tick, what energizes me and brings joy to my life. And in the last few years I have learned this new component of relationships called support. I haven't quite got it down, but I'm learning. And it works.

And some day it might even be easy.

Thanks Divas!

Treasure Yourself - Have an escape weekend

Ah, so relaxing! Nothing like being away from home and having nothing that needs to get done to bring about a state of complete relaxation.

Checked into the hotel after grabbing a bite to eat. Unpacked a few things and settled in for a nice nap at 3pm. Nothing quite like climbing into a well made bed in the middle of the day.

So here's my recommendation to you. Go drive an hour or two away, check into a hotel and do nothing. It feels great!