Less Hustle More Coffee

Bedtime is something I look forward to every night now. Once dreaded as a child, the peace and rest, and self-care threaded into the night time routine has now become something I depend upon and enjoy. I notice that my picture above has something missing from my bedside table and that is my iPhone. And it does not include the bathroom routine of teeth brushing and face washing of course. Let’s go back in time and see.

I do not usually spend a LOT of money on make up or cosmetics. But I have bought a couple of regimens that were expensive because they were MLM – multi level marketing, but they worked really well on my face. I just refused to continue paying those prices and sought the same ingredients in other products as much as possible. More on that in a minute. But I say that about the expense, because you will see here just how basic my cleaning routine is.

Cleansing Towelettes. First of all, these cleansing towelettes that Target has have been wonderful for my face. I no longer hang my head in the sink basin and splash my face and rinse with soap and then water again. No longer is water going everywhere, all over the counters, down my elbows, lol. I had always washed my face the old fashioned way until I went on an overnighter to Oregon and they had little packets of face wipes. They were another brand, but I fell in love with them. I have bought many different types when I see them on sale, but I’m always going back to these because they are just the right width and do not seem to lose their moisture, they are gentle on my face and they remove the oil and make up, are not oily, leave no residue, and do not seem to strip my natural oils. I use one or two a day depending on how much make up is on my face. I can even get close to my eyes with them. This is my favorite night time product!

Of course there is the toothpaste. I love Aquafresh Extreme clean because I like the aftertaste and freshness it leaves and getting the toothpaste out toward the end is easy. I keep some type of sensitivity toothpaste available when I begin having any sensitivity with cold against my teeth as this helps with that tremendously. I’ll use for a couple of nights and then go back to the other.

I have absolutely loved the Publix Eye Makeup Remover. I noticed this had been on the sale bin. And so I’m wondering if they even have it any more. I absolutely love how it is NOT oily. The Clinique one that I am using next and have already tried it is oily. I’ll use it but I’ll dread it, lol. I’m going to find a non-oily one when that is gone.

I have a few necessary items that I have added to my nightly bedtime routine over the years as I’ve gotten older. Live and learn lessons there. That includes water, probiotics, Isagenix IsaFlush, and Isagenix Sleep Support. These are the two Isagenix products I am having a hard time giving up or switching over to a non-MLM brand. I have found a sleep support alternative on Amazon to try. I also notice that Isagenix products are on Amazon also, surprisingly. Not at the customer pricing with Isagenix but by the time you consider the shipping fee, Amazon might be the way to go as long as the product is not expired. I just downgraded my Isagenix site to preferred customer to avoid annual membership fee (rolling eyes here) and so my discount decreased. I had stopped the auto ship and was surprised by the membership fee. Geez. So the fee – it is supposed to be returned. I called yesterday and made them reverse the charge which is to happen in the next 3 to 14 days. I am keeping Isagenix open though as an option because these two products have worked so well. They really are not that expensive either until you start adding shipping on it.

CeraVe Night Cream. This has been the best night cream for me. It truly is restorative to the skin’s surface. I don’t know about what is in and what is not good about night creams. I just know that this had some ingredients in it that one of the MLM (expensive regimens) had so I tried it. It’s on Amazon but my first one came from Walmart. I am laughing remembering how George and I were shuffling through all the night creams looking for the same ingredients. And he found this one. I really don’t even know which ingredient it was of ALL the ingredients in this cream that was the deciding factor, but this one is it. I can tell a difference and it makes my skin soft. And seems to regulate it so it’s not as oily or dry. I also try to use a mask every now and then, but I’ll admit I’m not too good at taking the time to do that. The down side is that– it IS, of course, on your face when you lay down and I hate putting my face against the pillow with it on- but I’ve gotten used to that now so it’s only a second. It doesn’t get all over the place, it mainly just stays on me. You can’t even tell on the pillow. And it doesn’t get in my hair.

Isagenix IsaFlush. This supports digestive regularity. It’s very gentle with natural ingredients so I have felt comfortable taking it every night. It’s mainly magnesium as the active ingredient. But the propriety blend along with peppermint, hyssop, and other ingredients have kept me coming back to this. I suppose I will try to find a lesser expensive magnesium (meaning free shipping on Amazon) and see how that does. I am convinced this also helps me with leg cramps but nothing is proven, lol. Isagenix does not cure any disease or illness. I usually don’t even mention their name as since we have lost our freedom of speech in the last year, they offered to close my account for me if I even mentioned their name in the same sentence with….you know….that thing we’ve dealt with for two years that made everyone wear masks. However, is wrong for me to put in writing I think it has helped me? Probably, the way the world works today.

Probiotics. Somewhere I read that this works best at night. So I began taking it at night. Faithfully. This one is my favorite as it includes cranberry. But I alternate between 2 to 3 brands as I have discovered it’s best to switch up your probiotics a bit. I didn’t just close my eyes and pick one. You have to do some research on gut health, based on your own health issues, and then choose the probiotics that you need for that particular issue. I went for gut health and digestion and anything that will help prevent diverticulitis and constipation. Your needs may be different. But I buy the probiotics that puts what I need for my particular body to get the desired “outcome”. lol

Isagenix Sleep Spray. This is mainly melatonin with tart cherry juice, lemon balm, chamomile and a few other ingredients. I do two sprays a night. They recommend three. This lasts me a while, but it gives me a little something extra that helps lend to a good solid sleep. It’s under the recommended daily allowance. I can get melatonin spray on Amazon and will try that next to see if I like it – if it is less expensive. Again, it’s the shipping on Isagenix that sends me over the edge when I’m buying just one or two products. So I’m having a hard time letting go of these last few products but likely I will find substitutions as prices are only going up and it’s just outside of what I’m willing to pay with shipping.

Water. I keep a glass of water at the bedside and many nights I’ve drank the entire glass, if not I try to finish it off as I head toward the coffee pot, taking the glass back into the kitchen. Water is some of the best medicine ever! Just keep drinking it. We need it to filter out so much and we just don’t get enough intake. Buy a big bottle and keep filling it. Keep sipping. Add fruit if you need.

My phone. My phone plays an important part at bedtime. I have my sleep schedule programmed in and when I have the “bed time” set, it does not allow texts or phone calls. I did go in and fix it where Katy or Mom and a few close friends/neighbors can text or call though in case of emergency. At 8:30 bedtime routine is set – no more phone distractions unless I choose it. I also have my phone set to where it dims as bedtime nears, and I turn everything I can into dark mode as the sun goes down. I try not to look at my phone much but I admit I sometimes do look at weather, to see if Katy posted on Instagram, and to answer any blog messages – which I do all day as it comes in as an alert like a text message – so I just reply on the fly.

Thanking God and Being Grateful through Prayer. And I love falling back onto the pillow and heading into a good night’s sleep. It never takes me long to fall asleep. But I try to thank the Lord for all He provided for me during the day, for His protection and His presence. I ask Him to watch over my family and me during the night.

Weekly Update

So…..

• Katy and Cody and Little Roo have had the flu —I’m not sure how many times one family can get the flu, stomach bug, and other illnesses in one winter season, but my gosh they have been through it this year.
• Then there is the scare that we had rented a tree house in Hot Springs next week. It wasn’t – it was a house but some emails made us wonder for a few minutes. lol
• My flower vase is missing from work – the ones the Valentine flowers were in. I won’t say someone stole it as that sounds mean and accusatory to say, but it was there one day and gone the next and hasn’t been seen since. So you tell me. When reporting it I’ve mainly been asked “why would someone want your vase?”. Like someone asking a kid, “are you sure, something is not right about that?”. You tell me. I kinda got the feeling they didn’t want to believe me. All I know is it is no longer there. I haven’t missed anything else in the office other than a few packs of nuts. That I have noticed anyway. It was a vase I had since my twenties. You just feel so violated when something like this happens. I was going to bring more flowers in for spring, but nehhhh, I’m not in the mood now. We shall stare at the empty space for a long time. I told God that whatever went afoul He knows and saw it and can take revenge if needed. It is so strange. Was it made of crystal? I think it was given to me as a wedding gift. I hope it wasn’t THAT valuable. It was thick and heavy. It was my favorite of all my vases, mainly because of its size so I will miss it, but at least it’s not my car right? So…whatever.

You just can’t have anything nice anymore apparently.

And that is all I have for today. It’s just all work, very little play. I went to work early – maybe by 6 or 6:30 – don’t even remember what time it was. I left work after 5. So about an 11 hour work day with a total of 1.5 hour commute (45 each way). I did have an hour to goof off since George cooked dinner.

We watched Good Girls – season 4 I think it is. It’s back on Netflix. Then bed.

So not much of anything exciting going on. I think Mom and I will get Pedi’s Wednesday. And Fancy trim and furniture shopping for Mom is on Saturday.

So off to do payroll today. I can feel the dark clouds creeping in to my soul as the skies are grey again, temps are cooler, and I become more withdrawn. Spring will break soon and hopefully my spirit will liven again. Til then I tried to entertain you will silly things like bedtime routines – which aren’t really that silly but makes for a better solution than whining about needing time to do things. Right? 😉

Have a good one today. Dig deep within to find the JOY. Some days are harder than others.