Acupuncture -

I have tried acupuncture and I like it.  It's complicated, and I am neither endorsing nor discouraging this whacky and awesome idea of sticking needles in your body as treatment!  A a Tired Girl though I am open to things that will make my life a little less tired. I am going to tell about my experience, in case you simply want to know more about it from someone you sort of know (me!).

My experience:

- I had the name of an acupuncturist that had her own practice, but she never called me back after two calls, and obviously that was not a great sign.

- I found a group that was close to me, with no idea if the office or acupuncturists were "good" or not. I decided that driving a shorter distance would be beneficial to the experience and I was just in the mood to go for it, with little research, frankly.

- I stopped in one day to get a feel for the office and make an appointment. The group I chose also did physical therapy which made it seem more "medical office-ish." There were people in the waiting room, but they could also get me in in a timely manner, and that felt like a good mix.  I did find myself discussing personal matters through the window of the receptionists, so a phone call could be a good idea instead of going in. "Fertility and Allergies" I said loudly so she could hear me when she asked me what my health issue was. It just boiled down to that - if they could "fix" or help either, I would be pleased.

This is a Lichtenstein that I took liberties with. 

- They gave me paperwork to fill out and bring back at my first appointment - general health and history along with other things - how I sleep and eat and things like that.

- My first appointment was fun. I was in a small examining room with a massage table, sink and 2 chairs. I brought my fertility file with me and the acupuncturist looked over it and we discussed lots of health things - big and little things. It almost felt like therapy. She was totally interested in minute details of my life. Then she felt my pulse for a long time - they "listen" to your organs.  I always ask what they hear and they often say similar things - "Oh, you are tired today!"  Ha!  "You are depleted." Or, something about my poor circulation.  Stuff like that. One time I was told that "something was in my throat" which I was told meant that I had something to say, but wasn't saying it.  Always something to think about it.

 

- Then she looked at my tongue for a little bit and wrote some stuff down. I was never totally clear about what my tongue said - there was always a lot to take in.

- The first few months we were focused on both allergies and fertility - they (you know "they") feel that everything in your body is connected so if one area is off everything can be.

- So some days I would take off my clothes leaving on my underwear, but not bra and put on a hospital gown open in the back. They leave the room for you to get settled. Then I would lie on a massage table with the opening cut out of the head part so you can lay your face down in and breathe. She would put a towel over my toosh and legs and open my gown in the back. She often massaged my back a bit and then put acupuncture needles in different spots in my back, back of my legs, feet, and sometimes my ears and the top of my head.  She would tear open a new package for each needle and kind of tap/hammer them in to me.  It sounds horrible, but it really isn't.  It does hurt when they go in, but just a tiny pinch. Sometimes I wince and osmetimes I don't even notice.  Once they are in they rarely hurt.  All of my acupuncturists would ask if any of the needles hurt, and if they did they would adjust them.  Certain times of the month the needles hurt more - weird right? I would assume there are variations for men as well. Once they are in you can't feel anything.

- Some days I would leave all my clothes on and lay on my back on the table. I would lift my shirt up just a little and undo the button and zipper on my pants and the acupuncture needles would go in my stomach and abdomen area, my ankles, feet, hands, head and ears.

- Almost every time a few of the needles were hooked up to a little machine.  I was told which needles to feel for and when I felt a slight pulse I would tell the acupuncturist and they would leave the pulse there. It was just a slight vibration and after a minute or so I couldn't feel anything at all. Then a warming lamp was turned on over me - which felt awesome! Who knew? The lights were turned off and I was left to lay there and have the best 20 minutes of crazy great relaxation.

There is more to say - so my next acupuncture post I will discuss cost, effects, other variations in treatment and my overall view of my personal experience and acupuncture in general. 

How to deal with a serious zit -

*I hate that I had to use the word "zit "in the title of this one.
Sometimes I have mega skin breakouts and I still have to go out in public. Why do I have tiny eye wrinkles of a 35-year-old and blemishes of a 15 year-old?  I don't know, but I can't wast energy on that.

source

As you know I work from home, but recently I had to make a good impression with people I don't know very well.  As Karma would have it I was also due for a serious face breakout (I knew I should have been nicer to someone as some point - that Karma is picky). Like the kind of breakout where the "blemishes"  actually throb and hurt. Gross, I know.  Having the good life is not for the feint of heart.  So a spot on my chin and jawline  (thank you hormones) decided to erupt 2 days before I had to exist in public. Blurg.



After I tried a few attempts to make them disappear I realized I was in deep and this was happening no matter what, and I better just settle in or make a plan. I'm pretty sure other people do not notice my skin imperfections - probably everyone is thinking about their own bumps or whatever to notice other people's.  But since I believe that when "you look good, you feel good and when you feel good you do good" - I knew I needed to make a plan to still feel good with my face in this condition with the inability to hang out at home.  Who can call in "zitty" to work anyway?

So I thought about all the things that, in my opinion, improve a breakout (or some face imperfection) when you can't actually fix the blemish. Please note that I have no formal training in blemish camouflage, but lots of experience. Please follow these ideas at your own risk and know that if you google "how to cover up a zit" you will get completely conflicting advice from what I am about to share.

She doesn't look very happy about this dress, but I would be.
I am open-minded to this color block trend and I LOVE Trina Turk.
This would make me feel better about a breakout. 
This one is cute too.

1) Clean hair - always my plan for when I need to feel better.  I feel infinitely more confident, smarter and shinier, in a good way, with clean hair.

2) Make your hair look simply nice-   no complicated up and back do's or sideways braids on these days, no messy bun - just very simply washed and done. Some people belive in distraction - I do not.

3) Less make-up.  This seems counter-intuitive I know.  But in my opinion the only thing worse than a big chin zit is tons of make up all over that face and concealer gunked on a big zit. I think it looks messy and low-class and kind of dirty. Unless you have a professional do your makeup, chances are things can sometimes shift and smear and such.  Less is more on zit days.
I just use my usual base or BB cream, a very small amount of blush or bronzer, and a teeny bit of my lightest eyeliner. I do touch up my eyebrows and curl my lashes every day, and on these days I would add a little mascara.

4) A concealer that matches your skin (easier said than done) and use it sparingly.  I have two - one is a Mary Kay something or other that is very light. I would rather go too light than too dark - dark looks dirty and as I mentioned clean is always my goal. I dab a smidge of that cream stuff on and gently work it around the blemish - it's important to use a sponge or something to get all in there.  Zits are 3-D afterall.  This is such an uncomfortable subject for me.  

Then I have a Sonia Kashuk Take Cover concealing stick in "Daylight."  It matches my skin color perfectly (harp music) and I take a q-tip or my clean finger to work this over a blemish as well.  A very little bit. I would rather show up looking really nice, healthy and simple and have a big red zit on my chin, rather than a big red zit on my chin and gobs of makeup to try and cover it.  There is no covering. It is there and big and red and you can't really "hide" it - in my opinion. The smidge of concealer just makes it a smidge less red.


kind of a creepy drawing,
but also kind of interesting

5) A really nice outfit. Frankly, something more simple and more expensive is put on on days like that.

6) Small or no earrings - less attention at the face; less is more.


7) A 1000 watt smile (that never fails actually - just do that all the time).

8) Being friendly, keeping the topic on the other person, never mentioning the unbelievable thing(s ) residing on your face.

On a side note - this product, in my opinion does NOT work: Neutrogena Skin Clearing Blemish Concealer.
 It works the first two days - shrinking and covering up the zit, but even if you stop using it the zit turns to a dark spot - like a scar - and also the area is so dry that it then peels. So then instead of a zit you have a a peeling brown spot that lasts longer than the zit.  That's my experience with it and so no thanks.



I am all over 11, 12 and 13 - Thank you hormones - you jerks.

If you have to pop it (for many reasons we just really won't discuss). I recommend wetting a clean washcloth and zapping it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. Then holding the warm towel on the spot until  the cloth gets cool. Then unfold to find the hidden inside warmth and press some more.  If you have a magnifying mirror crank that up and see if it is easy to pop.  If not then let it go, and if so then do it gently.  I recommend doing this at night before bed obviously so it can heal and de-swell overnight.  

What an ick topic this is.

This girl is so stinking cute I'd probably listen to anything she shared.  She has several vlogs about covering blemishes, but I liked this one the best.  She believes in more makeup to distract which obviously works for her - again with the cuteness. 





On a last side note, my breakout last week was so heinous I actually chose seating at my conference where people had to sit on the OTHER side of me. I am not totally neurotic, I just want to have nice skin. I can be a out of shape or grumpy or self-deprecating, or not the smartest person in the room. I am cool with my Wal-Mart top or disorganized nature - but I want clear skin dammit. And now I am on the floor in the fetal position.

Seriously if you have a miracle product you better stinking share it.

If you look good -

"If you look good, you feel good -  you feel good, you do good."  I like to say it real fast.

My high school friend, Cissy, shared this famous quote with me a long time ago.

Obviously the proper grammar is to say "you do well," but that would ruin the rhythm.

In college there were a few times that I forgot to actually prepare, and instead I rolled my hair up, put on some lipstick and headed out to bomb a test - looking good.  So it doesn't ALWAYS work - sometimes you have to know stuff.

But I actually do think this theory is pretty powerful. As a Tired Girl, sometimes I don't have what it takes for certain tasks, but frankly if I look good, then I do feel good and when I feel good - you see where this is going.

Looking good is all relative of course. I bet I look pretty similar on most days, but sometimes I definitely feel like I look better.

My point that I am slowly making is that, as Tired Girls, we sometimes have to approach a situation with less than is in us that day, and we have do well at it anyway.

Here is my list of looking good resources (just to share, but obviously yours may be way different):

- Clean hair (even if I don't have tons of time to make it look great). When my hair is dirty I feel ick, and I feel like I look ick.

- Clear skin. This is not always possible (thank you hormones) so I can't rely on this at all. 

- Clothes that fit well - not too tight; not too loose; accentuating the good.  I would rather choose something overly simple, less trendy, or less appropriate (a tad under-dressed) and wear clothes that fit my body that day.  

- Accentuating  my eyelashes. I say yes to mascara when I want to do well at something.  Don't judge or over think this one for me.  Find your superpower that you can accentuate.

- A special piece of jewelry that has sentimental meaning that makes me feel awesome. 

Here is my list of I-feel-good clothes that I like to have on hand:

- Jeans that make me feel great - especially if I feel bumpy or swollen (and thank you hormones again).

- Atleast one fantastic professional ensemble. (Presentation, interview, trial, award recipient, observation, or kick-ass worthy).

- A cocktail dress that I can wear normal underwear and tired girl bra with, sit down in, don't have to suck my stomach in, and no matter my current weight, swelling or hormone levels I feel good in. (This can be a tricky find, but it's worth the hunt).

So go buy expensive clothes and makeup!  (said in that high pitched Oprah way).  Not really, but it is great - no matter our body shape or current skin condition or sleep deprivation - to have an outfit, a lipstick, a pair of shoes, a hair style, whatever - that make us feel good. Make sure you have some resources like that.

So that when you want do well at something, you will make sure and feel good, and one step to feeling good is looking good.

I am interested to hear what your "I need to look good and feel good and do good" resources are.  So spill it.  

A good spouse -

As a Tired Girl, my life is easier, because of the support system I have.  A family that loves and accepts me. They know sometimes my Tired Girlness is totally inconvenient, and they also work to help me out.

My parents and my husband are both brilliant at this - they love love love me and they also hold me accountable. They love love love me and they both tell me it's not cool when I pay the bills late, because I forgot (translation: in the weeds of life, which also translates to: too tired after doing other things to remember other other important things). 

A serious Tired Girl tip is that I highly recommend surrounding yourself with appropriately supportive, loving, non-toxic people.

My husband catered to my Tired Girlness in two big ways this weekend and it reminded me of a post I wrote a long time ago. 

I don't really get in to the zombie thing, but this is still a good idea. 

Me and my possible zombie killing partner.

Originally posted Tuesday November 27, 2012-

Choose the right mate. 
Ha – there I just solved all of your major problems – just marry or stick with the best person for you. Done! Seriously though, choosing a good partner will make you less tired. If you have already chosen a partner though then you’ll have to work with what you got. So good luck.

Partners fall into four categoires for me –

Tired-nice
Tired-grumpy
Awake-nice
Awake-grumpy

I choose the non-grumpy versions either way - I am not interested in bad boys. My husband borders on grumpy, but only situationally (he can get what is called hangry – hungry/angry – watch out – put some cheezits in his mouth, then he’ll be okay).  He is also a sometimes quite a serious person, but he actually fits into the tired-nice category.

Like me, he would prefer to watch a movie than play golf. I like this about him. We watch the movie together or watch golf together (I can't think of a time we have actually watched golf) or get in bed early together. He does not make me run marathons and we complain together about our messy house and then work together to make it semi-clean. We are tired together.

Having an awake nice husband could be handy, because I assume they would just do everything, but sometimes it makes me tired to even watch other people be active. Annoying to just witness their energy.

Tired grumpy and awake grumpy would need to be worked with in some way. Maybe someone can write a blog about that. If you are connected to an awake or tired grumpy partner, let us know your tips for being with them.

If you don’t have a partner yet then figure out which of these you would prefer and plan to fall in love with them. 

Tired Girl tanning -

I don't tan and I don't like skin cancer so I don't spend too much time trying to get tan. I do love the tanning bed a lot, but it is not good for me, so I put it in the category of doughnuts and wine and candy and things on infomercials, and maybe things that are even worse - something I want, but I do not do.

"Tan fat looks better than white fat" is something I wish I didn't believe, but I do.  I feel prettier with more glow and less doughy whiteness - don't judge.  So I have my own Tired Girl tanning regimen.  It's dumb, but that rarely stops me from sharing.

I have a tube top type swimsuit cover up that I use to work in the yard. I wear it as a shirt and loosely stick it in to the top of my work shorts, just so it doesn't hang down long.  It creates a blousy top so if my stomach feels like sticking out this way or that while I am in some weird weeding position (like twister without a spinner, but with bugs) I don't worry about it.  It also creates a lack of lines across my chest and arms.  The tube topness is cool, let's the breeze (if I am so lucky) be enjoyed, and creates a bareness for getting nicely sun-kissed.

I do spray my body with spray-sun-screen (I want tan not burnt), I grab my work gloves,  I enjoy the AC for a last fleeting moment, I think about how Princess Kate never has to do competitive weeding, and then I go out to get a mini-tan.

20 minutes on the timer and my yard and I look better and I have liquid (sunshine) energy pulsing through me.  It's a twofer which is this Tired Girl's goal always.

I have one like this - mine is from Wal-Mart, but this one is from Target. I highly recommend one with ruffles across the top - the ruffles are great camoflage if you know what I mean. If you don't  know what I mean, then you are probably a boy.  I also like the hot pink "Tired Girl pink," because if I go down in the yard my body (my awesome tan body) will be easier to find. 

Exercise to help anxiety -

*please excuse the look of my blog today - I am having some growing pains and haven't gotten everything to look pretty yet. 

When my sweet dog Ralphie died, my sadness manifested in anxiety.  The first day after his death my husband and I went on a long walk and sweat and cried out our sadness.  We have continued to take a walk almost every day since then, and sometimes twice a day. 

The days that I have not exercised in some way have been harder days for me this summer; they are the days I am more anxious and more upset.  So it doesn't take a rocket scientist to make this jump.  Exercise helps with lots of things - sadness and anxiety being added to the list. 

I have not lost any weight with all of this movement because it turns out when you are sad (or happy or hungry or tired) you (read: me) want to eat cinnamon rolls and hamburgers by the handful.  And when you are sad (or happy or hungry or tired) you (read: me) do it.

The beauty in this walking plan though is that I am moving and exercising because I want to, because I will feel better, not because I am forcing myself and then negating it by pigging out later and then feeling guilty - oh God the cycle!!

This is exercise for energy.  Exercise for a peaceful mind. 

The unexpected death of my dog represented more to me than just the simple loss of a loving pet, and as I said, anxiety took hold.  I have had mild anxiety before and I assume I will again at some point.  I also will move past this part of my life and I may slip back to my old habits of feeling happy to lay around more than less. It is good to know though for the days (or weeks) where I am sad, anxious, stressed, depressed or whatever that I have a tool at my fingertips.  So I am happy to be a Tired Girl if I am simply tired from this kind of therapeutic exercise. 

If you are going to make poor food choices, make GOOD poor food choices.  Sister Schubert's cinnamon's rolls are the best.  They sell them at Publix and not at Wal-Mart, incase it's an emergency and you only have time to stop at one store to get them.  Also don't eat these over the sink because when a big chunk falls off you will be annoyed that you wasted that chunk when you could have just gotten a plate.  Also see my post where I am trying to kick this habit - weight watchers. Sigh

This was found in the "cry for help" section on www.someecards.com.  Not cool.

This poorly taken photo is of one of my favorite moisture-wicking shirts that I walk in.  I got a few at Marshall's and this "Avia" top was like $7.99  It's moisture wicking-ness makes miserably hot walks more bearable.  Of course I heart Marshall's. 

The exquisite availability of scissors -

Sometimes it takes me a month to mail something. I write the thank you note upstairs in my office and then it sits there for a few days (or weeks), then it finally makes it downstairs where it gets addressed and stamped, but not put in the mailbox.  At some point I put a cute design or something on it, because I feel bad that it is so late, so why not make it prettier when it arrives.  Then I over think the mailman's time frame and put the note in my purse to get it mailed when I go run errands.  Then I forget about the note for a week, where I find it in my purse and finally walk it out to the mailbox.  Tired? Eh.  Lazy and unfocused?  Probably. 

So lately I have been trying to get better at FINISHING a project in one small window of time.  No more "I'll take that upstairs and put it away when I go up later."  NO!  I do it all right then - including clean up like the un-packaging of whatever it is and throwing the bag away and all of that.  Just get it all done at once.

broken-handled hanging with the makeup

This is going to sound so dumb, but I realized that I have scissors EVERYWHERE in my house.  Many drawers in the kitchen, several spots in the bedroom and bathroom, a drawer in the living room, and so on.  Apparently not having a pair of scissors is the one thing that stands between me and a totally successful life.   Sometimes the time it takes me to think about going to find scissors I am already over that task and have relegated for a later time (like three years away or never).  Dumb I know, but whatever.  And frankly having to look in two drawers in the kitchen is too much for me too - I just want a pair in each drawer. 

I wrote last year about the idea of having supplies in every room for just this purpose, but I have come to realize that scissors in particular are a non-negotiable for me.  

So from one Tired Girl to another I would like to recommend that you go buy out the discount school supply section of scissors, just in case it means the difference of actually completing a whole project.  A project in this case is something as humble as cutting the bag of green beans (or oreos) open instead of tearing in to them like a wild animal.  That is the type of basic project I am happy to complete without much effort.  

That is my second tip - set very low standards for your productivity levels and you will never be disappointed.  When your spouse gets home and asks how you are, you can share that you cut a bag open with scissors that happen to be in the drawer you were standing in front of and it felt pretty. darn. great. 

This is like a game of hidden pictures - except who cares if they find someone else's scissors in a photo?

Inspiring I know.

What helpful supply do you have stashed all over your house?  If it's cocaine, don't tell me. 

Tina Fey is right -

One reason some of us are Tired Girls - 

"Every girl is expected to have caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama and doll tits. This is why everyone is struggling.” -Tina Fey