Beauty blogger to be?

Probably not, however, I wanted to pass something on. I have always had red skin, I’m pretty sure I have mild rosacea, although I’ve never been to a dermatologist to find out. My skin is very sensitive. I break out from so many different things. Mary Kay is something I won’t touch with a ten foot pole. Many cheaper cosmetics. Cleansers especially, even some of the ‘natural’ formulas. It is very rare for me to wash my face and not have it feel tight or itchy or burning or all of the above. Anything specifically geared towards acne usually burns my face and leaves me with an awful rash. Even with some of the really mild things I’ve used in the past every now and then my skin would pitch a fit and have a reaction.

Physicians Formula is a brand that I have never had a problem with, although until very recently, they’ve only made make up. This past fall (2011) they branched out into the cosmeceutical skincare market. They have three different formulas in their line. Their Sensitivity & Redness formula caught my eye.

Physicicans Formula – Skin Concern – Sensitivity & Redness

I picked up the moisturizer, as that’s usually the safest for me to try first. It is a very light formula, non greasy, and tinted mint green. I was very surprised at how well it moisturized for how light it is. And, as advertised, I did notice that my skin was less red right away. My skin felt great and I woke up the next morning with super soft skin. So I went back and grabbed the cleanser. I figured I would give it a try too. It’s great! Seriously, I don’t care if it ever diminishes my redness or not. Just the fact that I can use a cleanser that actually:  cut through my make up, rinses clean without leaving an oily film on my face, rinses clean without leaving my skin feeling tight, is worth it. And it doesn’t hurt! This is the first time I can remember, even using the gentlest cleansers, where my face didn’t feel like I had scrubbed it with an S.O.S. pad when I was done. My face felt smooth, clean, and soft…and it wasn’t red. When I wash my face it’s always bright red when I’m done. Not this time. I think I’m going to pick up the rest of the line and maybe a couple products from the other formulas in the line. I’m curious to see if it will actually diminish the red in my skin over time. For now, I’m just happy to have something so gentle on my mug!

The only drawback is that you can only buy it online or at WalMart. WalMart is taking over the world.

A picture of me.

With the new FB timelines you get to add a snazzy ‘cover’ picture to it. A lot of people are posting pictures of things that interest them, family, places where the live. Here’s mine, a picture of me.

This took several tries to get it right, and I really do think it’s pretty accurate. Although, I wish I had put a tube of hair glue in their somewhere.

Cherish every *blessed* moment

You know how when you have kids, every now and again, someone will remind you to cherish each moment. Because the next thing you know they will be grown up, and you will be missing those days. My best friend and I were just asking if we really had to cherish every moment? Because there are some moments that I am so ready to not cherish. Like the time Finn wiped poop on the bathroom wall. Or when I put Finn in timeout and he’s crying and Seannan decides to come over and put his nose on the wall and I shoo him away and he starts crying because he *wants* to be in timeout. Or how about those days when you didn’t get enough sleep and your kids have you up at the butt crack of dawn and you just want to go back to bed. Yep. Apparently, women get really bored once their kids grow up, because you’ve got to be bored to look back on those moments and cherish them. Or maybe it’s just that at that point our children have turned our brains to Spam.

When life gives you leftovers

Make fried rice! I always feel bad for those lonely bits of leftover rice floating around in the fridge. It seems the only thing they ever get added to, other than the compost heap, is soup. How boring! Today, they got turned into a delicious lunch thanks to my new wok.

Oh man was it good. I literally just grabbed things out of the fridge/freezer and started tossing it in my wok. I started with some peanut oil and a few drops of sesame oil, and got my wok good and hot. Then I tossed in the rice and mixed it well with the oil. While I was letting that cook I dug out a tiny bag of frozen peas and carrots that was just hanging out in the freezer and chucked them in. Next went in a lone can of bean sprouts from the cupboard. I normally prefer fresh sprouts, but these weren’t too bad. I finished it off with some chopped green onions, garlic, soy sauce, a dash of hot sauce and salt and pepper. I have found that with food cooked in a wok, you really need to go big with the flavor. The food is cooked over super high heat, so it’s cooked fast, and you really don’t have a lot of time to let the flavors meld, as you do with other styles of cooking. It’s go bold or go home. Mmmm!

Would the real Tracey, please stand up

A friend commented to me last night, about how much I have changed since she met me several years ago. And I told her, this is more like the real me, than the person you met back then. It got me thinking, why do I do that? I try so hard to fit in with a certain group of people, or a certain lifestyle. I adapt all these things that just aren’t me, trying so hard to be something I’m not, because I think that’s what someone wants me to be or needs me to be. I keep going until I’m so frustrated and miserable that I blow up, shake it all off, and get back to being me. And the stupid part is, the people that I care about the most, are still there, when all that’s left is Tracey, The Original. The ones that fall away, never really mattered in the first place. It’s so stupid and I do it time and time again. I get so stuck in my own head, and try so hard to press myself into a mold. I just end up making myself miserable.

The thing is, I like me. Granted, I’m not perfect, and there are things about me that I don’t like. That’s normal, and ok, none of us are perfect, we’d all like to make a few changes in our life. I’m just tired of thinking that I need to be someone else, for the people in my life to love me. I’m me, either you like me, or you don’t. It’s time that I realize that, and be ok with it.