Infertility - "Thank-you-Hormones"

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for six years now. As it turns out, I have endometriosis.

We have tried a lot of things and tried giving up, and attempted adoption as well.   Though we had been against it in the past, we decided last fall, to try IVF (in vitro fertilization) - the most aggressive type of fertility treatment. 

We have not had success with it yet, but it is a long process of trying things and then trying different things, lots of hormone shots, and various treatments and procedures.  

Being a Tired Girl and being a Not-So-Fertile Girl does not mix well. For me, as a Tired Girl, it is a full time job for the months we are actually in treatment and the months we are waiting for treatment to begin again.  I am not great at normal life, let alone jacked up on hormones life.  I spend the little energy I have trying not to become I'm-Going-To-Cry-And-Then-I-Am-Going-To-Get-Mad-About-It Girl.  

More than we want children though we want no regrets. We want to feel like we tried everything we could, and if it's not meant to be we will consider our other options or choose to happily live child-free.  I am excited to move through this part of my life and come out the other end being done with it, no matter the outcome and hopefully not murdering some innocent person in the meantime who unwittingly says the wrong thing to me on the wrong day and I become Rude Girl instead. 

I mostly hate infertility blogs. If the writer is too chipper, too sad, too bitter or too sassy it is annoying to me.  I don’t enjoy reading about any of it and rarely find information that has been helpful or comforting.  I think maybe infertility is generally not a very interesting topic. 

I don’t tweet very often, but I love to write hashtags in my head all day long.  Things like #dinnerfail, #dontwanttodomywork, #targetisdangerous, and #messybuntooneat.  These aren’t clever, I just like the way hashtags  sum up a whole situation.  Lately, after every overly dramatic thought or cry from a song I hear (thanks to my IVF hormones), I hashtag to myself #thankyouhormones.  

So I decided I would occasionally write about this process and just put them in my “thank you hormones” section.  I may not post very often, but when I do I will call them "thank you hormone Thursdays."  I will not post them on the main page, in case, like me, you aren’t that interested.  

I would assume everyone can relate to hormones in some way or another. Either you are lashing out because of them or you are on the receiving end.  

Joe, my husband, immediately goes for the "dangerous" comments on this chart and then quickly gets himself together and switches to "Here is my paycheck."

My favorite is:  "I've always loved you in that robe!" 

I'd HAVE to be  wrecked from hormones to even consider watching "Two and Half Men" in the first place, but that is possible.  I got addicted to the show "Reba" at one point, and there is a Ke$ha song that is so moving, I cry - so hormones are real. 

This is true if you have too many hormones in you, or not, frankly.  

Live an iron-free lifestyle -

This is one of my earliest posts, but I have re-posted today - 

I don't like to iron, so I try not to do it.  Easier said than done I know, but I rarely iron my clothes, mostly because the clothes I own don’t HAVE to be  ironed too much.  They may look better with a fresh press, but whatever.  

I RARELY buy clothes that need ironing.  Done.  I also say things like – “Oh I don’t iron,” it feels great.  I do have some tops and shorts, and especially in the summer some linen, that I bust my iron and ironing board out for (but of course I wear them a few times so one iron job lasts a while).

Here is my advice about ironing – don’t do it much.  Give away the items you have that need ironing unless you really really - really love it.

Instead, dry-clean occasionally (for special items or seasonal cleaning) or pull things out of the drier fast if possible. Sadly I do not even follow my own advice with this - some things make it out of the drier but they don't get folded, just put on and smoothed down while they are on my body.

My husband often looks band box neat however and most of that is not thanks to me.  I do iron some of his dress shirts (or just pull them out of the drier mega fast and throw them on a hanger even faster - it works better than you think). I don't think he LOVES my strategy, but he seems to like me so he goes with it.  He also gets some dress shirts dry-cleaned.

In his casual world though he is just as wrinkly as me.  

It’s survival of the fittest in my closet – if an item requires too much energy and I don’t LOVE it, I donate it.  My life style is wash and wear. 

source   This girl has it all figured it out.

I found this tip online - I feel skeptical about it:  

"Mix 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup fabric softener and 1/3 cup of vinegar in a spray bottle with fine mist nozzle. Spray onto clothing then tug and pull the item to smooth it. Hang or lay flat to dry. This really works." source

A Perfectly Imperfect Home -

Years ago I visited a friend of mine after she had gotten married, and the new couple had moved in to their first place together. We were all quite young still  - this was the first couple my age to get married. I walked in to their apartment and saw a huge paining of hunting dogs or ducks or something over the pretty sofa she owned, and my first thought was "Oh my God she loves this guy."  

Our homes are a reflection of who we are and who we love, and none of these are perfect.

A few months ago my mom gave me this towel.   Pretty much sums it up around here.

And a few weeks after that my mother-in-law gave me this towel. 


Clearly I am blessed to be surrounded by women who 
a) really know me
b) accept me as I am
c) love me
d) know my house is messy

Phew! 



Thinking about homes that are slightly askew made me think of a book I read that addresses just that.  Homes that are lived in, decorated, messy, loved and sometimes a little off.  

The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well by Deborah Needleman.  
(Deborah Needleman is/was Domino Magazine, which I loved and was temporarily despondent when it went under.)





This is a super fun book that not only gives you permission to have a whacky house, but helps you turn that whack in to a well done and beautiful home.



It also has enchanting illustrations by Virginia Johnson.  


I of course checked it out at the library and did not purchase it.    

"A Bit of Quirk" is one of my favorite chapters - it helps me come to terms with the stuffed bobcat and fisherman lamp I have acquired through marriage.

 Many of the things in my house that add "charm" belong to my dog or my husband.  Nothing says "home" like a plastic squeeky that has been torn from the fluffy limbs of a toy and left where it died. Only to be stepped on later for heart stopping joy.  Or a doodad of some kind from some relative who served in some war that has been lovingly placed on a side table for me to admire. 

I am pretty sure I add some whimsy as well but I cannot identify my own whackiness, all my stuff looks beautiful to me.  But I am messy, so maybe my addition is not so much "decor," but just stuff hanging around.  I have a hard time, for example, helping my shoes in to my closet - would rather just leave them around for when I might need them again.  My dad used to say he felt like he lived in a shoe store. 

There are lots of blogs and books and pinterest pins to help us decorate and organize and all that crap.  But I find most of them to be not Tired Girly enough and basically unrealistic for me to create or maintain.  My baskets and mailroom feel awesome and about as good as it's going to get here. 

My roundabout point is that, realistically, our homes will be messy and jumbled.  And finding ways to love the charm, and in our own way, corral the clutter is the only way Tired Girls will make it.  

If collecting toilet paper rolls to put in to a drawer to divide something into tiny groups works for you ( I would die) then go for it.  If your husband's prize mounted swordfish is his most valuable possession, then that's part of the deal, and we need to make it work.  

I am happy to embrace the idea of a perfectly imperfect home.  To have a bin of pulled a part dog toys in the family room, a jar of homemade hot sauce permanently residing on the kitchen table and baskets full of stuff everywhere. Sometimes picking up all the shoes for a few shoeless days and sometimes letting it slide and stepping over them to do something fun instead. These things reflect the family that lives here and the life we have built together.  

 This doesn't mean we don't negotiate all the time.  I mean some things or amounts of mess are a deal breaker, but as my husband likes to remind me "you knew me when you married me."  Also "charming," but true, and luckily I like the person I married and the perfectly imperfect house and dog hair we are surrounded by. 

Here are a few "bits of quirk" from around my home.

My husband and I almost share a birthdate, and one year we bought each other the same birthday card.  So I framed it and hung it up.

This is my mega Eiffel Tower that sits on a side table in my kitchen.  I heart the Eiffel Tower, though this is a super lame photo of it.  It's hard to capture it's charm.  Just pretend it looks awesome. 

Roar!  This is the bobcat my husband's grandfather shot in self defense and taxidermied himself on felt a long time ago. Sir Bobcat (he actually does not have a name) lives in the media room now.  He loves Downton Abbey.

And my biggest bit of quirk is Ralphie dog, and the fact that my whole house is covered in blankets to protect itself from him.  Here he is on the guest bed, perfectly centered on "his" blanket.  He has good aim thank goodness.

My attention to detail, good photography skills and editing are all lacking in these photos.  Just want you to know that I know it too. 

What are some things that make your home perfectly imperfect? 

How to Power Nap -

I am not a very good napper, but as I am whooped by the end  (or middle) of the day I have been trying to teach myself how to Power Nap.

In the past it took me so long to come down and turn my brain off, that once I went to sleep I stayed asleep for an hour or more, and then felt worse afterward.  And I felt super lazy.  

An old picture of Ralphie dog who took his nap into the bed this day.  It's easy to get in the nap mood with this guy around.

Short naps are beneficial for lots of reasons and as I have been getting better at them I have found that I feel good (not gross and groggy and angry) after a SNAP (short nap) of about 15-30 minutes, and I am way more productive throughout in the day.  I still sleep well at night, but don't have that overly tired-my-body-weighs-a-thousand-pounds-I'm-going to-die-if-I-don't-get-to-sleep-this-instant feeling.

Since I work at home I can SNAP at any part of the day, though the 2 o'clock hour calls my name.  When I taught school I would often get home, do a few things and lie down for like 15 minutes and close my eyes.  Even that little bit was beneficial for the rest of my evening.

Some days don't even allow a 15-30 minute break - I get it. Some days go by and I wonder if I brushed my teeth.  

But on the days that do allow a short break, here are my thoughts to get you going.

1)  Don't feel guilty - this is going to make you more productive, and probably nicer.

2) Turn the ringer/sound off on all phones (All it takes for me is one small bing somewhere in my house and I assume the best news of my life has just been emailed to me and who can rest then!)

3) Find a good nap spot - I like napping in my bed, but many people prefer a sofa or guest bed or their desk chair.  It's helpful to have one spot you always nap in.  

4) Get a blanket - even when it's hot - just in case. Your body can rest better if it's a little warm.

5) Get the right audio- I like quiet, but my husband likes sound.  Noise canceling headphones with spa music could be good.

6) I think it’s a good idea to nap in a different sleep position than you normally sleep, so I make myself lay down on my back.  It’s comfortable, but a less deep sleep for me.

7) Don’t get too comfy - stay in regular clothes, don’t have it too dark in the room, etc. 

8) Have a thinking strategy to turn your brain off. This is vital for me. I count backwards slowly starting at 40. Sometimes I don’t make it past 30, but if I get all the way to zero then I just start over from 50 or something.

To me the hardest part of a nap is to concentrate on relaxing and to NOT think about what else I should be doing or what I need to remember to do when I get up and oh yeah I have to email that girl and oh crap I have to get those clothes out of the washer before they get stinky and I wonder if I bought feta cheese when I went to the store and oh man this lame nap is over and I didn't even rest.  I HAVE to turn my brain off. 

Here are a few ideas from the internet that I don’t love, but found interesting enough to share.

 - Drink a few sips of a caffeinated drink before you power nap. It will take a smidge to kick in and help you wake up and feel alert when the power nap is over.

 - Hold on to your car keys while you nap. When you go deeper asleep you will drop them and ideally wake yourself up. OR, my Dad's "good idea,"  to hold a cup of water on your chest when you lie down and... I think you see where his plan is going.  

In a perfect world, that I do not live in, I would like to exercise AND power nap every day without exception.  A short nap, on the days it is possible, help me feel human though.  I can make it to 9:30  at night this way instead of eyeing the clock at 7:30.  

I think Tired Girls can relate - when we get too tired (or too hungry actually) - we are all Robin Williams in this Snickers Commercial - we get a little loopy.  My thoughts make about as much sense has his idea for balloon animals. A power nap could help this guy.  And a Snickers always sounds good as well. 

 Any good tips for successful power napping?

Ten Minute Rule -

Sometimes 10 minutes is all you need.  
I often give myself 10 minutes to do something.  10 minutes on the microwave timer to clean up the kitchen and family room for the afternoon, so I can enjoy a clutter-free evening. 

I can get a lot done in those 10 minutes.

10 minutes to clean the whole downstairs.
10 minutes to neaten up my bedroom, bathroom and closet
10 minutes of ebaying (this can easily turn in two hours if I am not careful)
10 minutes to lay down and close my eyes
10 minutes to spruce myself up in some way
10 minutes to make myself move around the house, walk up and down the stairs, get on the treadmill, use my hand weights, or do an ab workout
A 10 minute dog walk

Obviously most the time you need more than 10 minutes to do any of these things well, but on those days when you have gone in every direction, or you are pooped from just being alive a 10 minute kitchen clean up is more than sufficient.  

Most of the time I use my microwave timer, but in other spots I have a little handheld timer leftover from my days in the classroom.  

If the timer goes off and I don't feel done then a couple more minutes pulls me home.  I trick my brain to believe that if I need more time I can have it - but I rarely need much more.  Most of the time whatever doesn't get done in that time is fine with me.

If you google "10 minute workout" you will get more than enough work out information to ignore.   

I have also been giving myself 10 minute face lifts.  Don't get too excited - it's good, but it's still hyperbole.

I have tried a new product from my favorite skincare line (that is sold in Lakeland, Florida - though I buy it online as well) - Rafa Natural. 

It is a "Glycolic and Rose Masque", it's $15, and it works.  

I like to use this if I am about to go somewhere - so my new uplifted face gets use.  So before an evening out, or if you have time in the morning (I have never heard of this personally), or if you have time on a Saturday.  It is good for your skin though - that's the point - so use it whenever.  

I use the Rafa Natural Clarifying Cleanser with my Clarisonic for a quick cleanse - but you can use any mild face wash - and then I squeeze two or three pumps of this glycolic mask in to my hand to spread on my face. 

It soaks in to my skin and then I clean my bathroom or put my clothes away for 10 minutes.  Then you rinse it off with water and apply moisturizer.  The directions say to only leave  on for 5 minutes the first time you use it, but then I leave it on longer after that.

My skin looks extra smooth and subtley uplifted - it looks tight in a good way.  I look rested.  I look thrilled!  I look wealthy!! Well I look rested anyway.  The rose of the mask is also a  pretty smell. 

The only two glycolic products sold at Neiman Marcus are $90 and $300.  Nordstrom's has a alot of "glycolic" products of ranging prices, percents and uses.  This mask has 10% glycolic acid which is the amount you want as well, AND it's all natural. Sold! 

My mom, who is in her sixties, uses this as well and gets the same results. Her skin is very dry to my oily and we are both pleased with our glycolic mask.

Here are some women who probably had more than a 10 minute glycolic acid facelift while they clean up their bathroom or something.  Whatever they have done is working for them though - they are aging well and beautifully.  

I chose these photos, because they were snapshots from events, and "appeared" to be not too edited.

Sometimes 10 minutes is all I need.  Maybe I will become an accomplished woman in just 10 minute increments of my life. 

Here is info on glycolic acid if you are procrastinating doing something important and would rather read this:


"Glycolic Acid is an exfoliator. It safely removes the outer layer of dead skin cells on the surface your skin, bring fresh new skin to the surface. This is beneficial for those who are looking for ingredients that help with anti-aging. Glycolic acid can also help lighten discoloration of the skin, such as sun spots or age spots and help those with acne-prone and blackhead-prone skin."  http://skincare.about.com/od/skin101/qt/Glycolic-Acid-Skin-Benefits.htm

Gluten free brownies and gelato to eat by the handful -

My mother-in-law has been gluten free since before it was cool. Eating certain things made her sick, so she didn't do it, and now that there are lots of "gluten free" products we have enjoyed trying some of the items. 

She made these brownies for me and we were both pleased at how delicious they were.  Simply wonderful.  They taste like a homemade, from scratch, brownie - nothing from a mix.  These are not health food in anyway though. They will blow weight watchers points for the day - but they do not have gluten in them, so I figure if I am going to eat something bad for me at least it can not be AS bad.  Maybe I will die slower and later.

My mother-in-law also ices these brownies using the recipe from the Hershey's container - which is also delicious - but I try not to add that extra layer of sugar if I can help it. Maybe for a special occasion or event.

The times when I have had to be on restrictive diets I have tried many of the alernative items at the health food store and healthy sections of Publix and Wal-Mart. There have been a few good finds, but generally speaking I prefer the real thing to the alternative.  I know quinoa will save the world, but I would go hungry  if that was my only option. Bleh.  I tried to do it, but I could not. 

I have added these poorly executed photos to show you -

I sampled these before the photo shoot.

This is a Tired Girl recommended product because it truly tastes good and is ever so slightly better for you, because of the lack of gluten. And this way you don't have to waste time and money wondering about some of these items on your store shelves. 

My Publix carries some Hodgson Mills products (do NOT try the buckwheat pancake mix, unless you like things that taste horrible), but it did not carry these brownies. My local Wal-Mart does carry it, on the baking aisle, in the "healthy/alternative/organic section.

Be aware that with a lack of gluten there is also a lack of them staying fresh.  This wasn't a problem for me as I ate them all in the first two days.  So these brownies would be a good thing to take someplace so they can all get eaten up at once.

If you want to combine something mostly bad for you with something else mostly bad for you I suggest the Talenti line of gelato.  

This combo is especially great if you are going to friends' house for dinner or a party and want to bring a dessert,  OR if you want to sit alone on your couch and pig out.  I like to do both.  

My three favorite flavors are these, but it's like picking which hundred dollar bill you prefer -they are all great.  And also there may be a chance that this gelato is all natural or something, I don't know, who cares. 

Chocolate and peanut butter of course. 

Not generally a big coconut fan, but this is a yes.

Just yes again.

Weird-room makeover

Our master bedroom has a little side room off of it. It is mirrored and I believe was designed to be a small gym. It, however, serves perfectly as a room for our dog, Ralphie, and for other necessities, that any room that has lots of activities, acquires.

The room does not have a door and both from the angle of the room and the uses it has, we are in and out of it all the time. This is going to sound really dumb to some of you and to others it will make perfect sense.  I was tired of looking at this haphazard hodgepodge space, and for my own peace I wanted it to look nice. When my house feels pretty and not chaotic I truly feel less tired.  I like pretty things - period.

So, a few months ago I started the first step in all my projects.  I THOUGHT about what I wanted to do in there. That's usually the most fun part.  I kept my eyes open for good deals on the supplies I decided I may consider, and I set a budget for myself.  As time when on and nothing was happening I decided it was time to move already and get it done so I could start enjoying it all.  I also decided my budget was like zero.  How can I justify a dog room/closet makeover? I actually decided on $20 max.

In the end I spent $15, but that could be justified as a supply I needed anyway. And the rest is sort of cheating because it was all stuff I already had.  

Get ready for slightly dull photos of pet supplies and ironing boards -

I took the fabric that I had draped over Ralph's cage and sewed seams to make it an actual cover and I added the trim that matched the window valance - just to give it a more finished look. I am not a fan of matchy-matchy, but in this case I was looking for cohesiveness. 

 I covered the earwash bottle in cute paper and put our earwash supplies in a basket. These were all supplies I already had.  Ralphie is a bloodhound and as a long-earred pooch he gets daily (sometimes hourly) ear cleanings, so these are supplies we use all the time.

I spent $12 on a new ironing board cover, which I needed any way.  I got this one at Target.  My mom bought me a cute ironing board cover a while back and of course I couldn't find it. I also spent $2 on the laundry basket fabric.  It was $1 a yard at Wal-Mart (!!!).  I liked the slight pattern, the classic stripe that looked like ticking, and the fact that it was sturdy and washable. 

Apparently if you just clean out stuff it makes the whole place look better. I threw out, grouped together, moved things to better spots in the house, and organized.  The black and white vases at the top were from elsewhere in my house. I bought these burlap bins at Marshall's with a store credit to keep store Ralph's stuff. They had some cute black and white patterned bins, but I wanted a warmer and neutral look.

I bought craft paint at Wal-Mart for $.88. I taped off the laundry basket and painted it up.  I think it went from cheapy and ugly to bold and happy.  I squeezed the paint right onto the basket and just spread it around with a big craft paint brush.

 These are the kind of activities that take up my time and energy and in the big picture aren't legacy-worthy. No one will say about me: "Wow, did she have a cute ironing board cover!" BUT these are the kind of activities that I enjoy thinking about and creating.  And when I plop in to bed at night (and my sweet dog plops in to his cage) it is relaxing to look in there and see a slightly more put-together room. 

Sometimes it's the littlest things that make me less tired. 

Ralph would not cooperate in posing for a photo of himself in his cage.  

Services for Tired Girls (and boys) -

One summer in college someone set me up with a guy. 
The idea that a twenty-year-old would even need to be set up is pretty funny, looking at it from the age of 35.  Twenty somethings don't need help in this department, the world is their oyster.  Anyway, I talked to him on the phone before we went out and he said something that really stuck with me and also totally annoyed me.  He said " Europe is really fantastic.  You should go."

I mean, ok!

Oh gee really?  Thanks.  It was like saying. "Diamonds are pretty you should have some." Or "Ferrari's are neat you should drive one."

Of course Europe is great and of course I was planning to go. His statement, from my view, showed a total  lack of awareness.  He didn't know me and what I had planned, or if I could afford to go, or had the time, or whatever.  Maybe I had big things going and couldn't get away.  He didn't know my life! And his "recommendation" of a whole continent, for whatever reason, did not sit well. My mother tried to convince me to chill the heck out and give the guy a break.  Needless to say I am not married to that guy nor did we even ever actually go out.  

The tip I am sharing today feels a little like "Europe is really fantastic. You should go."  I understand that sometimes Tired Girls do not have money falling out of their wallets and that they work their tails off just to maintain their lifestyle and maybe squirrel a couple of bucks away for a secret shoe purchase in the process.  I get it. 

I have a list of services though that I pay for that make my life easier.  My husband and I happily skimp in other departments to make up for these things.  

I once knew a guy that bought EVERY dvd that had been released. He went to Target on Wednesdays or whatever day it was and bought all the "new" dvds that had come out that week.  He built dvd cases in his house and he and his wife counted and catalogued them often and rarely watched any of them according to her.  Not my bag, but his business of what he wants to do with his money.  

Here are some services I happily spend my money on:

A bug man (or bug person) -  even dead roaches are not cool with me.  I need the whole block cleared of them and a professional amount of poison around me.

A cleaning lady (or cleaning person) - I mean, this is self explanatory.  We have one, she comes once a month (we have decreased from twice a month to save some dough).  She does the big stuff like dusting, floors, the bathrooms, etc.  I still do these things in between, but once a month I know they are going to get done "Lavonia style."  Which - is awesome. 

You can't feel the heat and the distance in this photo.

Yard maintenance - My husband and I patted ourselves on the back when we bought the corner lot with an extra big yard. And then my husband almost died the first summer here when he had to trim two miles long of two mile high hedge.  It was touch-and-go for him that afternoon.  We immediately outsourced that one huge yard task and never looked back. We eventually added mowing and edging to the plan.  We still spend one day every weekend in the summer in our yard and I reluctantly do my part during the week.  Weeding, trimming, more weeding - oh God! But we do not spend two 10 hour days like we could have, and our yard always looks mowed if nothing else. I would give up other stuff to keep this.

Eyebrow waxing - I tried it myself and it went okay, but it goes a heck of a lot better when a professional steps in. Plucking isn't enough for my brows, so I go about every 6 weeks and pluck in between.  If I ever made it big I would have my eyebrows neatened up every day like J.Lo. 

Haircut and coloring- again this is a job for a professional in my opinion. A good hairdo is worth a lot. 

The dentist - sounds dumb, but when I didn't have dental insurance I decided to pocket my $60 twice a year and floss well instead.  It's not the same and I don't want teeth that look like corn, so I think it's worth it.

Exercise - I do not pay for a gym or personal trainer, but I LOVE the treadmill we bought.  Money spent on health seems like a good idea.

Dream services:
a cook
a pool man, because it would mean I have a pool
a personal assistant (I'm not that important; I'm just that tired.)


I heart Jackie Kennedy for many reasons. She read - on average throughout her life - a book a day.  She also - on average throughout her life - had house help and did not cook or clean, etc.  
Think of what could be accomplished by alleviating just a few tasks! 

 I have a happier marriage when there are no fights to be had over aspects of yard maintenance (the grass growing can sometimes be blamed on me as it turns out), and the freedom I gain from the yard man is spent on admiring my dog for example. 

Jackie reading - probably while flying on a private jet to Paris, but whatever.

Tired Girl (me!) with one of my favorite past times:  Ralphie!  Notice I am not  weeding in this photo. I was going to change this photo to black and white  to match Jackie, but I just looked drab whereas she looks historic.

What services save your day, or life, or marriage?

Tired Girl messy bun -

I am tired (lazy), but I want to look put together.  It's getting to be that time of year where I like to have my hair up and away from me most of the time. Makeup-less, two day old hair and a lack of hair skills has me feeling super duddy though.

I SEE girls with their hair pulled up and it looks so cute and not horrible, so I know it's possible.  I went to my favorite resource - youtube!!! (sung in that Oprah high at the end kind of way) and watched several how-to videos on "messy buns."  I finally landed on this girl.  She shows how to create three different messy buns, and consequently my around the house hair immediately improved.

She's cute as a bug and clearly not professional, but the best part is the way she shows and describes how to put your hair in to a messy bun made it easy to do.





Here are some images I came across recently that inspired my obsession with easy, but cuter updos than what I was previously sporting around the house. I posted this first pic on the Tired Girl facebook page.

This sweet little bird  looks so worried about her adorable hair do. 

I mean I am not a fan of KK, but I like this hairdo.  (source)

Too cute  and just what I am looking for in a "messy bun." This girl's tutorial was good, but her bun required bobby pins and I'm not interested in that (source) 

(source)

I would happily have posted photos of my own messy updos, but it looked like I had gotten in a fight with my camera when the photos were shot - just chaos and eyebrows and hair and  half closed eyes.  Just no.