Eventually, you realize that your own stuff is shit, too.  That’s when you’re really on to something.

Most of us know by now that avoiding plastic shopping bags is an easy way to improve the environment.  And most of us know the typical ways to reuse the ones we do end up with.  I own two string bags, a canvas bag, and one of those cheap reusable bags you can buy with a store’s symbol and logo on its side.  The problem is that when I’m going shopping for a large load of groceries, it is awkward and time-consuming for both the clerk and me to fill a variety of bags that were brought from home.  So I still end up bringing some plastic bags home, more than what I can really reuse.  Yes, many stores now provide collection stations for used bags so that they can be recycled.  But what if the plastic material could truly be useful, not just in bag form?

I did a little research and found some new and interesting ways to make plastic shopping bags into other useful household items.  I hope you enjoy these links.  With some creativity, you can turn an ugly thing in to a swan.

Crocheted Plastic Beach Bag These instructions are for a bag, but I have seen doormats, hats, and other items crocheted from plastic strips!

Plastic Messenger Bag While this article tells you how to make a messenger bag by melting plastic bags with an iron, the resulting plastic material could be used to make all kinds of things, not just a bag.  Here’s another link with a slightly different method.  Recycled Plastic

Braided Dog Leash The strong, braided cord can be used for many other things around the house!

Seed Starter Kits Begin your gardening this season with plastic bags to save money and give those bags a second life.

I don’t really have any conclusion at this time.  It’s just something to consider.  Life has gotten more complicated in so many ways, and our speech and writing have taken the hit, too.

My first realization:  I was bipolar regarding make-up application. It was either a full face, or none at all.  Most of the time, I chose to go nude.

My second realization:  After about age 35, going nude is not a good idea. Not even facially.

Unfortunately, there comes a time in life when you wake up in the morning and look exhausted, sick, allergic, and/or depressed, even if you aren’t.  But who wants to put on the whole shebang for Saturday morning errands?

This topic may seem trivial, but because I’ve been incorporating simplicity in so many other areas of my life, I wanted to maintain my integrity by simplifying this area, too.  For most of my life, I had been drowning myself in products.  I had fallen, at an early age, into the common trap of hoping that a different color of lipstick would make me look like Audrey Hepburn…or get somebody to love me.  I’ve bought enough make-up to fight an army of pink-uniformed Mary Kay soldiers.  Ironically, I rarely wore it.

When I failed to look like Audrey, and continually loved men who wouldn’t love me back no matter how glossy, shimmery, and colorful my lips were, I adopted a perfectionistic, all-or-nothing approach:  “If I can’t look the way I want to look, why bother trying at all?”  I spent years blaming beauty (specifically, my inability to attain it) for my problems, when a lot of psychology was in order instead.

I finally woke up (and grew up) in this area and decided I wanted to look my best whenever I left home because I wanted to feel my best.  Once I determined what beauty could–and couldn’t–do for me, I was ready to try again.  But a simpler routine was in order.  Here’s what works for me:

4 Steps for Every Day. This is what I put on before leaving the house for any reason.  5 minutes is all I need.  It allows people to focus on my eyes while I’m talking to them.  Otherwise, I have to watch their gazes wander as if they were staring at a bowl of rice pudding, looking for the raisins.

• foundation with SPF
• brow color
• mascara
• tinted lip balm or lip gloss

6 Steps for Work. I create a polished look by adding color with 2 extra products.

• eye shadow
• blush

8 Steps for Evening. I add drama with 2 final products.

• eye liner
• lipstick

To create your own custom routines, consider which 3 or 4 products make the biggest difference in your appearance.  Many women, like me, are suddenly transformed from merely a good application of the right foundation.  A person with great or even good skin (even-toned and clear) might not need or want that step.  Women with naturally dark lashes don’t need mascara.  Red lipstick may be something you want to wear all the time as part of your signature look.  Once you have your basic steps down, work out a professional look and an evening look.

The important thing is to find what works for you and let it become a habit so that it’s one less thing to think or worry about.  That way, when you go out the door, you have a fairly consistent look that isn’t based on your mood or how much time you had to get ready.  You don’t have to look in the mirror and ask, “What the hell am I going to do with this face today?” because the steps are the same every day.  You won’t have to worry about running into somebody you don’t want to run into or making excuses about being “tired” or “under the weather.”

Seems a little obsessive, but it’s really freeing.  Here are the benefits to my health, my wallet, and the environment:

• I spend less money.
• I put fewer chemicals on my face.
• I actually use products up before they go bad.
• I have less clutter.
• I have more time.
• I’m consistently ready to face the world.
• I have the confidence to achieve my goals in effective ways.

Recommended reading. Your Makeover: Simple Ways for Any Woman to Look Her Best by Morgen Schick DeMann

When a plant is properly pruned, excess growth (i.e., too much “branching out”) is cut away.  This allows nourishment to be focused on the core of the plant, resulting in healthier growth and fruitfulness.

We all like the concepts of freedom and “having it all,” but in reality, these ideas can be overwhelming and deadening.  When life is cultivated with intention, it becomes more like what you want it to be, instead of a scraggly thing trying to spread out everywhere but suffocating itself in the process.

What happens is that celebrities, who are competing with each other and have unlimited disposable income, focus on the details of their looks and start trying new appearance-enhancing procedures.  Then, other celebrities pick up the trend–many times, because they “have to.”  The star with the whiter teeth may beat them out for that coveted role.  That’s Hollywood.  Fine.

The problem is that the general public, who are increasingly bombarded with celebrity images, start comparing themselves to celebrities.  People who make $30,000 a year believe that they are expected to look like people who make $3,000,000 a year.

I would encourage everybody to lay this obsession to rest.  Keep your teeth clean and healthy, then focus your energy on something more constructive.  If you need more motivation, refer to the article below.

“Blindingly White: Teeth Bleaching Gone Too Far”