Toiletries Of The Aging Thriftnerd: Lip Care

When I was younger, I had nice, full, rose colored lips. That's one of the special gifts of youth.

As I've aged, the skin on my mouth has gotten drier, and......whiter? REALLY? Who wants white lips? I mean, NOT for Halloween!

When you're younger, and your lips are dry, you can just whip out your tube of Chapstick (if you can find it) and voila! Problem solved. Not so much when you're older.

For one thing, Chapstick can add your moisture back, but not your color. So, unless you want soft lips the color of Casper The Friendly Ghost, what are your alternatives?

I carry lipstick everywhere with me, but it's not the same, and the color (on the moisture wear lipstick, anyway) just doesn't stick around. It becomes annoying to reapply lipstick about every 15 minutes.

Revlon Lip Butter is about the closest compromise out there (budget speaking) for a successful cross between lip balm and lipstick. Alas, it too wears off way too fast.

I saw a commercial recently for Blistex Lip Vibrance. It's moisturizing lip balm, plus a hint of color, and SPF 15! At $2.99 a tube, a truly good deal......if it works.

I bought a tube this morning, and I am SOLD! Soft lips that stay soft, and color that harkens back to my teenage years! WOOT! Plus, you can reapply just like a Chaptick, and not every 15 minutes. The color and moisture last much longer.

My task for February will be getting a tube of this sweet stuff into every purse, pocket and place I haunt. It's that good. If Blistex would like reimburse me for my jubilent advertising, that's perfectly ok with me :)

Toiletries Of The Aging Thriftnerd: Skincare

Let me start out my blog today with a reinteration of thriftnerd's mission statement. We don't speak for those who spend without a thought. We speak for those who are on a tight budget, who have their priorities straight and would rather pay their bills on time and provide for their families than take a spa day or a exotic vacation......yet, in doing so, have no money for the things they themselves would love.

There is no reason these deserving folks can't have nice things, too. We just have to work harder to find the lesser priced alternatives. It's always worth it.

Besides, it's more important to have an adequately stocked emergency fund and provide for your children's education. If you're spending money like water and don't have either of those? Boy howdy.

This week, I'm writing a series of blogs on saving money in your personal care areas. Skincare, haircare, nailcare. These are the areas we let slide (I'm guilty too) when things are tight. The older we get, the more important it is to at least spend the minimum on personal upkeep. Besides, we mamas need to look put together when we go to school events. It's never a good sign when your kids are avoiding you in public.

At almost 50, I'm dealing with drier skin that needs hydration, even more so now in the winter. When you're my age, and your skin is dry, you look......OLDER. Sorry, there's really no nice way to say it.

Let's start with your insides. Preached about until our eyes glaze over, but totally necessary: DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Sure, pop tastes better, and often alcohol does, too, but what you put in the inside is reflected on the outside. Healthy, glowing skin is often the result of proper hydration. Coffee, pop, and tea are all dehydrating. I'm not saying cut out the fun stuff entirely, but just cut back. I have one cup of coffee in the morning, and rarely have caffeine any other time of the day. I used to drink a lot of Pepsi Next, but I don't keep it at home anymore, as I will be tempted to drink it instead of water. Don't like the taste of water? Put a few spritzes of lemon juice in it. I didn't think it would make a big difference, but it really does! I find I drink more that way!

Eat healthier food. Eat more greens. More fruits and veggies will result in a healthier complexion. It's far easier to eat a bag of chips, I know. Your skin will suffer if you make that choice over healthier options more often than not. Again, don't become a food monk. Chips, cookies and other yummy snacks can be enjoyed on a limited basis. Moderation, yo.

So, we're eating and drinking better. What about actual skincare?

Ladies, please don't sleep with your makeup on. I know for a fact it's far easier to fall into bed at the end of a very long day, without cleansing your face, but your skin will look far better if you take that extra time to remove the vestiges of your day. Baby wipes are fabulous for taking off makeup. They have made a real difference in how my face looks as opposed to leaving the gunk on overnight. Your skin needs to BREATHE, and it can't do so all clogged up with foundation.

There was a time when I could get away with plain old Ivory soap to cleanse my face. Now, I have to invest a little more. The Olay Regenerist line is a good, budget priced skincare line for those of us who don't have the $$$ to trot off to the Clinique counter. Shown above, my Olay Regenerist Exfoliating cleanser rocks for $6.99. The dollar store brush is my answer to a $150 Clairsonic cleansing system. I really, REALLY wanted one of those for a long time, and did an immense amount of research into them, but I'm a crusader for looking as good as I can on a budget, and so I picked a manual brush instead. I wet my face, rub my cleanser all over, and then do 20 seconds each with the brush on my forehead, nose, cheeks, chin and neck area. I do this 3 times a week, because more often will ravage your face. It is very important to exfoliate, as old skin cells will age you. Plus, I work in a lawnmower shop, amid the toxic smells of engine oil, carb cleaner, etc. That all needs to come off my face! Even if you're a stay at home mama, you need to exfoliate, too.

After cleansing, my older skin needs a good moisturizer. I don't dry my face, letting the skin drink in the moisture from my shower. At night, I apply Aquaphor Healing Ointment, especially under my eyes (carefully), and on my lips. In fact, I apply Aquaphor to my lips often during the day. It is a heavy cream that is better suited to drier skin. If you have an oily complexion, it will just clog your pores. Before makeup, I apply Gold Bond Ultimate Intensive Healing Cream. I put that on about 15 minutes before I start my makeup, to give it a chance to soak into my skin. It's lighter than the Aquaphor, but again, not for oily complexions.

To round out my 'age and budget appropriate' skincare advice, I recommend using Bare Minerals foundation. Now, it's not the most budget friendly makeup, BUT.....using the wrong foundation can really wreck your skin. If you use dollar store foundation and end up having to go to a dermatologist, it's not budget friendly! Taking better care of my skin, and budgeting a little more for skin friendly foundation, is a better course of action. Besides, Bare Minerals is light and really makes my older skin look luminescent. Avon makes a similar line.

Speaking of Avon, they are the only 'special order' makeup I will recommend on my blog. I have nothing against Mary Kay, Shaklee, Jafra, or Melaluca, but because I speak for those who are watching every penny, often these companies are too expensive for those on a tight budget. I respect their products, but they don't need my endorsement.

Along with proper diet, cleansing, moisturizing and makeup, older faces need to be especially vigilent when it comes to brow care and facial hair removal. My daughter, the aspiring cosmetologist, plucks my brows and my chin hair (yes, I have chin hair now!)for me. If you aren't blessed with such talented offspring, invest in a good magnifying mirror and do it yourself! They aren't that expensive. I recommend one with a light, as we with aging eyes need all the help we can get! You really can't neglect your brows. Nothing ruins a good makeup application more than stray hairs!

So, there you have it. The thrftnerd face over 40. These are just basic guidelines, but if you want to do a little more in depth research on budget friendly facial products and techniques, check out Youtube for a plethora of videos on just about anything beauty related. Plus, the fine ladies at Livingonadime.com have wonderful recipes for making your own facials and scrubs. I highly recommend them!

Don't let beautiful skin be the sole property of the well to do. With just a little effort, we budget minded beauties can enjoy healthy skin, too!

Can A Tightwad Eat Healthy?

Having had major surgery within the last few months, and also turning 50 (gulp) this year, it was inevitable that my attentions would turn to eating healthier. Spending my life eating at The Big Buffet, often without limits and abandon, is drawing to a close. I don't advocate cutting all gastric delights out of my life, but I do need to WATCH IT. A LOT.

Last year, I did do better in the healthy eating department. However, due to my health problems and the fact that I couldn't exercise, I packed on a serious amount of unwanted pounds. I don't have the best health background..........my father and grandfather were both diabetic, and there is more heart disease on both sides than some folks have. I honestly have no clue why I don't have high blood pressure or diabetes, especially at my age. My father was diagnosed as pre-diabetic at 40. His first heart attack was at 45.

Let me just state something that ticks me off. It's cheaper to eat junk than it is healthy, at least at first glance. That's why there's rampant obesity in this country. If you're hungry and watching your funds, and a bag of chips is a dollar, and a bushel of fresh spinach is $5.........yeah.

Let's think long range, Thriftnerd-herd. As with thrift shopping, you must plan ahead. It's the same with healthy eating. You can't just go to the grocery store without a plan. You must shop sales and do your homework. Some stores do a better job of putting healthy food on sale than others. Find those stores. Your wallet and your health will both be much appreciative.

Now, I know there are some twentysomethings (or younger) reading this blog. You say, 'I am at my optimum weight, and I eat Cheetos for breakfast every day! I do McDonald's several times a week, and my freezer is stocked with real, full fat and sugar ice cream. Yet, I'm in the best shape of my life! Besides, I HATE tomatoes.'

Well, congrats. You truly are living the dream. However, if you change your eating habits now, when your 40's hit, your belly gets jiggly and that scale isn't so forgiving, you will be miles ahead in the area of taking care of your health. I don't want you to cut out the fun stuff, though. Life without ice cream has no meaning. Just make better choices, trade some of the junk for healthier alternatives, and make those Cheetos a once a week treat.

I know it's not as convenient to eat healthier. It will pay off later in lower health care costs and less RXS for high cholesteral and sugar control. Just like thrift shopping saves your clothing budget, eating more fruits and veggies saves in the area of medical expenses.

By the way, I also wrote a dandy blog post last year about exercising and saving money. You CAN lose weight and get fit without an expensive gym membership.

Let's live 2014 healthy, wealthy and wise!

In Praise Of Short Nails

They don't look so bad........I guess :/

Besides the obvious health benefits of having my hysterectomy, I got 3 other nice 'bonuses'......my hair grew longer, my nails grew long and strong, and I lost some weight. BOOYA!

Well, a little over a month of being back to work, my hair is still nice and long. However, I gained back 2 pounds over the holiday season (even thought I don't eat as much as I used to, go figure), and all 10 of my nails snapped within 2 weeks of being back at the salt mines. Sigh. I really liked my long nails.

I have written before on this blog about the continuing battle I have with my nails. How I had gel nails for about 15 years, until the cost of monthly upkeep got outrageous. My nails aren't the thickest things, and now with our weather being THE MOST FABULOUS EVER (please read with sarcasm dripping)I'm also battling rough cuticles. Good times.

As I have filed my nails down, and continued to use Sally Hansen 'Hard As Nails' strengthener, and Aquaphor for my cuticles, I have discovered that short nails have their merits. Easier to type, easier to keep clean (I DO work in a lawnmower shop, lest anyone forget). Short nails seem to be in style now, too. Natural and not fussy? Who knew I was riding a trend?

I don't have the most delicate looking hands. I grew up envying girls who had unlined palms. Having long nails made me feel better about them......they took the focus off my flaws.

But, as in every other area of my life, I am bound and determined to find frugal alternatives that make me feel as good as the high priced perks. I don't have the luxury of just popping into a nail salon and having them do all the work, but I do have an easy chair in the front of the fire and the tv, and a table where I can keep my nail implements.

Life is all about the trade offs. I can live with this one :)

Too Early For Prom Shopping? NO!!!

This picture is of Claire, in 7th grade, getting ready to go to the Jingle Ball with some friends. Yes, this a thrifted, $9.99 gown, one of her first........and as long time, Thriftnerd readers know, definitely not her last!

We had a family birthday party last night, and several people asked Claire and I if we'd started shopping for her prom dress. We'd actually found it last July! I had said that, since it's her senior year, I wouldn't mind finding her a brand new dress, but we happened upon something perfect, second hand.........and it will be unveiled sometime in April :)

This brings me to an interesting question: when SHOULD you start shopping for prom? My answer: NOW!!

One of our recurrent themes on this blog is the importance of shopping ahead, if you desire the best deals and selection. Think the mall stores are picked clean a couple weeks before prom? Same goes for the thrift store! We Americans have a real 'last minute' mentality, and often it's to our detriment.

Since this is Claire's senior year, we have about 100 things going on in regards to what shapes and makes the last year of high school special. I try very hard to plan ahead, to avoid the last minute snarls. Having Claire's prom dress is a huge load off our shoulders, and allows us to shop for accessories at our leisure. At this pace, her ensemble will be a snap to finish. We also have the shoes, clutch and earrings.......however, should we find something better, there will still be time to swap things out.

So, if you're looking for something fun to do on a cold, snowy Winter's afternoon, grab a coffee and head on over to the thrift store.

Come prom season, you'll be so glad you did.

Give Until It Hurts........A Little

Purging your closet is a big topic on Thriftnerd. The less you own, the more you use of what you've got. Plus, donating helps others, and really.....isn't that what we like to think we're all about?

Ok. Say you've finished a good closet cleaning and purge. You believe you've given away every single item that you don't need or want.

Now, I want you to step back, and be completely honest with yourself. Have you REALLY cleaned out every single thing you can?

Perhaps you think I'm being a bit obsessive at this point. Not really.

I'm speaking from experience (again!). I know what it's like to hold onto that one last......purse, pair of shoes, top......because, well, you paid a lot of money for it! Or, someone gave it to you, but you really don't like it.

Now you understand my question!

Let's be honest. We're NOT Karsdashians. We're not even Kathie Lee Gifford. Do we honestly need to hoard goodies in our closet that we don't wear, when it could be doing a lot more good in someone ELSE'S closet?

That gorgeous Coach purse we never use, because the style just isn't right, could be the centerpiece of someone else's purse collection. What good is it doing YOU, stuck high up on a dusty shelf? Ah, but it's a COACH purse.

Well, big whoop de doo.

Queen Elizabeth could have bought it for you, but you're still not using it. Unless you charge admission and view your closet as a museum, GIVE. IT. AWAY.

The author Anne Ortlund, who is one of my favorite Christian writers, talks about having 'just enough' in your wardrobe, so that you can get dressed quickly and get on with the more important things in life. You know, like mothering and volunteering and working. How can you see the outfits you CAN wear, if there's layers of other things in their way........things that you don't wear, but can't bear to part with?

Here's another thought. When you donate your designer goods, someone else who might not have your financial resources gets a chance to own something truly special. You know how you feel when you find a designer label at the thrift store......something that fits YOU, but at a much reduced price that you can afford. You feel like a million bucks. Wouldn't you love to give that feeling to someone else?

I know there are women out there (and men) who can't bear to part with unworn wardrobe items. Sometimes there's comfort in viewing an overstuffed closet......until Monday morning, when you honestly can't find a thing to wear.

So, my sweet Thriftnerd-herd, step back. See that beautiful animal skin clutch? The one you've NEVER, EVER worn to ANY event? Why not donate it so someone else might be able to enjoy it?

And you can use that spot to store the things you DO use.

Forever 21 Rocks

Claire got a Forever 21 gift card for Christmas. So, last Friday night, she and I went on a date to the mall! We enjoyed our favorite orange chicken at the food court, then got our shop on.

I know I've blogged before about the fabulous, CHEAP jewelry Forever 21 sells. Here's a recap: if you love jewelry, especially yellow gold, but don't want to pay for the real thing, and you don't want gold that looks cheap, or is off color, hit F21. Their stuff is on the mark all the time! I got the above ROCK ring for $4.80. Yes, $4.80. Now, I have no delusions that this ring will retain it's color for years, but at that price, who cares? A replacement is easily had! Jewelry starts as low as $1.80 here, and there's always a great selection, not to mention fresh stock for return trips, as the stuff flies off the hooks!

Forever 21 specializes in merchandise that looks amazingly like designer brands. I have my eye on a black, quilted bag with a gold chain, that looks incredibly like Chanel. $20 is a lot more realistic, don't you think? An added bonus for me......I don't have to have a designer label, but I do enjoy the look! There's clothing, bags, shoes, jewelry and even makeup and skin care. I got two large tubes of body lotion in an intoxicating grapefruit scent.......for, you guessed it, $4.80!

Let's be honest, Forever 21 is a junior girls' mecca. However, there's no reason why a mama my age can't go in and get some great swag, too. Besides, I want to be the only almost 50 year woman out there with a ROCK ring.

The Girl With The Dragon Pin

You know the feeling when you've lost something, and it's been gone so long you think you'll never see it again? Maybe you even buy a replacement, and then........VIOLA! You find it!

Such is the case of my beautiful dragon pin.

Years ago, when I was a single mama, I was getting ready to go to a friend's party. I had put together a very nice outfit that had an Asian flair, and I found this gorgeous pin to wear on my blouse. It was truly a statement piece, something you don't see every day. I don't remember how much I paid for it, but I do know it was second hand.

After the party, I carefully put it in my jewelry box, and never wore it again. It's not the kind of thing you get rid of, though. It's such a unique piece of jewelry, and you never know when you'll have another occasion to wear a dragon pin!

Not too long after I'd married Michael, and we moved to Delaware, little Claire eyed my dragon pin one day, and asked if she could borrow it. Of course, I said, knowing I might not see it again soon. You mothers of daughters know what I mean :)

Little did I know it would get THAT lost. Things get covered over with STUFF, but you clean and you organize, and you find it again. No such luck with my dragon pin. Through the years I have poked through my jewelry, scratching my head, wondering where that thing went. Claire swore up and down she couldn't find it, had no idea where it was, and had even switched bedrooms (with the ensuing deep cleaning), all to no avail.

No dragon pin to be found.

In December, Claire was assistant to the director on her school's Christmas pageant. One of her duties was wardrobe mistress, and she had been given, in her freshman year, a special tie that all the wardrobe girls wore. She'd not worn it again since, and she really wanted to wear it that night. We turned 2 floors of our house upside down, looking for that silly thing. In the process, guess what we DID find?

My dragon pin!

That, along with a very nice wristlet I had loaned Claire in freshman year for her first winter formal. I was really, REALLY happy to have both items returned!

I know I can come across as Ms. Organization sometimes, but those of you who know me and have been to my house, know I fight the same organizational battles as everyone else. It really pays to clean stuff out occasionally!

Your Input Needed!!

I have an idea thumping around in my head lately. It involves taking all the information I've written about on my blog, and possibly writing a book. Specifically, a book about thrifting a wardrobe through high school. Most of what I blog about concerns my lovely daughter, Claire's resale wardrobe, and many of you have expressed interest in doing the exact same thing. While some of you are doing so, others might be puzzled as to just how to begin.

That's where a book would come in handy. Learning what to look for in the resale market (as compared to buying brand new at the mall), looking for quality in used clothing, learning to store your aquisitions for the best outfit rotation........even the composition of the typical prom ensemble (by far a blog favorite; we get our highest 'hits' for those posts!).

Now, I do have quite a bit of material suitable for publication. However, I'd like YOUR help! If you guys could weigh in with what you have found the most informative in my blog (pertaining to the teenage wardrobe), and what you would consider important to be included in my book, that would help me a great deal! After all, this blog is nothing without YOU.

Your ideas, comments, even criticisms (both postitive and negative, I'm a big girl!) would GREATLY be appreciated! Thanks in advance, and thanks again for reading Thriftnerd!

The Happy Linen Closet

Unless you are Martha Stewart, you probably don't think too much about your linen closet. That is, until it's overflowing onto the floor every time you open the door, and a strange smell develops on your sheets and towels. Not that I'd know or anything.

Actually, our linen closet was stuffed to the brim, for some reason. I couldn't find what I needed in it, and kept saying, 'I need to clean that out........when I get a chance.' Oh yeah. After the usual cleaning and upkeep of our humble abode, we kept forgetting.

That is, until I opened the door and one of our cats walked out.

How long had little Hope BEEN in there? Why didn't we hear her crying? UGH!!

A deep freeze that kept me housebound was the perfect day to tackle the huge mess. While I am so persistent in cleaning out our drawers and closets on a regular basis, I felt a huge need to keep every single blanket, sheet and towel that had crossed our threshold in the last 8 1/2 years. They weren't all 'company presentable,' either. Blankets and towels with holes chewed in them from deceased pets......scrub rags that literally took up several shelves ('how many rags do you use to clean your bathroom, Claire?' 'Two.').

Needless to say, I filled a huge, black trash bag to the brim with stuff I had to throw away, NOT donate.

So, what do you need to have on hand in YOUR happy linen closet?

As in most areas of life, there's no hard and fast rule that fits every household. You need enough towels for not only your family members that live in the house, but probably 4 visitors. Depending on your extra bed situation, enough linens for overnight guests. At our house, we have regular sheets for warm weather, and flannels for cold. Several blankets to have on hand, not just for guests, but also for snuggling up on the couch, or doubling up on chilly nights, is a good rule of thumb.

We recently redid Brendan's old room into an office/man cave for Michael. We purchased a very nice futon bed, complete with underbed drawers. Having those allowed us to store the pillow, blankets and sheets needed for the futon, freeing up more space in the linen closet. So, we were able to also store our huge beach towel supply, two vaporizers, and our collection of medical slings, wrist and knee wraps, and shoe boots, plus our heating pad. NOW I can find everything!

Believe it or not, after the cleaning, I saw that I needed to buy a few items. We needed more guest pillows, and one set of guest sheets was missing it's fitted member. Not too shabby.

While I was cleaning out the closet, I kept the door open to air it out, and completed the cleaning by sprinkling carpet fresh powder on the floor (I am NOT storing ANYTHING on the floor of the closet!). Made for vacuuming up, I left the powder there, for an extra 'oomph' of freshness.

Because I'm a weirdo who doesn't get our very often, I then Instagramed my beautifully organized linen closet.

What fun is cleaning and organizing if you can't share the results?

Buying Memories, Not Things

I've always had so much fun buying STUFF. Whiling away an afternoon at the thrift store, loading my cart with goodies. Then, at the end of the year, when I'm cleaning out my closet and drawers and finding all of that stuff that went unworn and unused........ugh. The fun quickly fades.

It may be because I'm turning 50 this year. Or, I had a awfully long time to reflect as I recovered from 3 surgeries. Or, it just may be the clean out last year really got to me. At any rate, this year, my focus is spending on experiences, not things.

Many of you are fortunate to be able to finance both, while hardly breaking a sweat. You can go to the mall, enjoy a dinner at the food court, then buy your kiddo goodies from their favorite stores.....all while planning and financing a trip to Disney World.

I can't do that, and I'm glad I can't.

There was a time when I had that much money. I didn't like what went along with it. I would rather live my simple life, with my happy family and restful home, and live on the little God has provided for me. It could be a lot less.

However, in order to enjoy experiences, and the resulting memories with my family, I must plan ahead. I have to cut things out, in order to put that saved money aside, so we can have fun later down the road.

What would I cut out? Well, for starters, I can bring my lunch from home again. After I went back to work, since I was conserving my energy as much as possible, I was picking up a fresh spinach, fruit and nut salad for lunch, plus greek yogurt with oatmeal as a snack. Sounds harmless and cheap, right? I thought so too, until I added it up and found out my 'harmless' ready made meals were costing me $22 a week. At that rate, if I put aside the same amount of $$$ and brought my lunch and snack from home, that money could finance a trip to Canton to see Brendan, and take he and his roommate out to lunch. Isn't that incredible?

See, I hadn't been doing the math. I do it for clothing and things I can buy resale. I wasn't doing it so much for other areas. Will I go into bankruptcy by buying salad and yogurt at the store daily? No. Will I end up in a cardboard box under a bridge if I have a daily coffee from Starbucks? Highly unlikely.

Would I rather enjoy visiting with my 21 yr old kid who lives 2 hours away? Most definitely.

Taking my food from home means I must get it ready the night before. Oh my goodness, I might have to forgo that 1/2 hour rerun of 'Big Bang Theory' to do it, but isn't it worth it? YES!

For those of you who save easily, thank you for putting up with my epiphany. Stifling that huge DUH didn't hurt at all, did it :P