You Go, Girls!

I am acutely aware of all that is happening in this world around us. I hesitated to write such a "light and frilly" blog, but decided maybe we could use a laugh or two. I am dedicating this blog to my dear friend Bernie, who passed away of cancer in December. In spite of the changes that were happening to her physically, she found a way to adapt. She embraced the wigs, the false eyelashes, the removal of her acrylic nails and still remained the beautiful lady that she was on the inside and out. I can hear her telling me, “you go, girl!”

So some of us have just began to assess the damage of Thanksgiving, and Christmas of 2009. That would be me. I spent four weeks away from Utah and any routine schedule, and have been in denial since arriving back to my home. I can weigh myself in many ways at my house. I have a professional scale like those that used to be in doctor’s offices. I have a digital scale that weighs two pounds light that I love, and I can weigh in stone from the scale I brought home from Norfolk, England. (Yes, it was back when you could actually carry things onto planes.) No one ever asks me what is wrong with that scale when they come out of that bathroom, but I can tell it has been used and moved! Weighing only 12 is not a bad thing! I was brave enough to finally use the one that weighs 2 lbs. light. Denial is a beautiful thing. It is time to get started again, girls. Remember we are not about to go down with the ship. We may cruise on them, but that is it!

I would love to preach to you the benefits of exercise and diet, but you already know all of that stuff. Pick something that motivates you. I have been exercising forever and I do try to eat healthy. (Except for the carrot cake that Grant, Betsy, and I shared many times this holiday season. And then there was the peanut butter fudge……………..My sister shared the recipe, but made me promise to take it with me to my grave. If I keep making it, there won’t be room to put it in with me!

Here are the things that I like to start the year doing. It is time to throw out old makeup and to try new things. (Bernie actually cleaned out her makeup drawer before she passed away.) Proves you are always a woman clear to the end.

Take a look at your wardrobe. Do you need to donate some of the things that you are not wearing? Do you need to eat healthy and exercise before you try to wear the spring things? I do!!

I found some wonderful new products for you to try. One is “C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve” for your dry lips. It is $6 at Bath and Body Works. It even smells amazing! (I clear up my dry Utah skin by leaving town!) It is usually back to healthy after a trip to Nebraska or Indiana! The climate in Utah is very unforgiving.

For those of you that have fine hair, try “Fekkai Full Blown Volume” Lifting hairspray. It isn’t sticky and it adds lots of volume. Fakkai.com $20

If you need Valentine gifts for your daughters or granddaughters, Ulta has the most wonderful eye shadows that are in little round boxes that have pictures of Parisian landmarks on them. Ulta $14

Try Givenchy Phenomen’ Eyes mascara. It makes lashes look very long! For those of us using Rapidlash, ours are very long! (Rapidlash.com……..amazing stuff….$49 and lasts about 4 months.)

I got one of the greatest compliments this summer while I was floating around on a “noodle” on a friend’s private lake in Nebraska. We were covered with sunscreen, sun hats, sunglasses and anything else we could use to prevent sun damage while the teenagers looked at us horrified! We said “wish we hadn’t baked in the sun with iodine and baby oil," but each generation needs to learn it themselves! Those were the days. (I once bought a bikini in Florida that fit like a second skin. I also got sun poisoning wearing it!) Loved that suit………I wonder whatever happened to it?

Oh, and back to the compliment, she said, “You are high maintenance, but you know how to do all this stuff yourself, so you never have to leave the house to have anything done.” I take pride in that…..and that I teach others to be self sufficient too!

Have a wonderful journey! It is in the journey, you know……."you go, girls!"