I have a thought about this…. Some people notice things like that. Some people are totally oblivious to all sorts of things. I notice things. I don’t mean to notice things. I don’t make it a point to notice things. My brain just works that way. Noticing doesn’t mean judging, necessarily. I would have noticed if someone didn’t wash. I would mentally try not to let my mind go to judgmental thoughts, but the fact is, not washing is very unsanitary. So, I would try to let it be, in my brain, more of a neutral observation rather than a judgment. That’s hard though because, well, that’s gross. So you see something. You observe. You can’t unsee it. It just is what it is. But I don’t know why I notice things. My brain just does. I can’t make it not do that, but I try to not let it turn into judgment. (Not saying you are judging, Scarlet). I think I am very self aware of myself being an observant person. I don’t think we all are super observant. I think it varies wildly.

Good. That’s what I will do.

I guess by now y’all can tell that I haven’t been to many fancy weddings and may even live under a rock, but is it poor etiquette for someone, for example, the grandfather of the bride, who is not in the wedding party, to just decide on his own to wear a tuxedo to the wedding? Two others are planning to attend only the reception without any rsvp. I’m sorry….I will probably be dumping wedding stuff here between now and then. I just hope the bride’s day is happy and not full of family weirdness. But I honestly don’t know if the tux thing is bad manners. Is it best for me to not try to straighten any of this out and only be concerned for myself? Let others do what they want, wear what they want, say what they want? I feel like just not trying to explain that, yes, you need to rsvp, etc. Is it okay to just turn a blind eye to it all?

I just would never eat there. I don’t think I’d say anything.

This is something I wanted to share for people who don’t wear foundation and have a hard time with white cast from sunscreen. 🌞 I tried mineral based sunscreen yesterday (after cleansing and moisturizing), and then put a light layer of tinted sunscreen over the untinted sunscreen. It worked very nicely. The problem has been not being able to find a tinted mineral based sunscreen that I like well enough to use alone whether it not be the right shade, too expensive, too oily, or don’t like some of the ingredients, etc. The Thinksport works pretty well for the face, not being a shiny finish. So, it’s not Elta or MD Solar Sciences, but it is very very good for the price and for being suitable for the face as compared to most whole body sunscreens. So, it’s moisturize with a dewy cream, add a light layer of Nivea German version, light blot, let dry, then Think Sport, then a very light layer of Raw Elements stick. Just enough to tamper down the white cast. It gives a very slight warm toned, bronzed effect….very slight….and white cast is gone. Another light blot. Done. The result is enough hydration for my over 50 skin, a slight bronzing effect, NO shine, and no white cast. The no shine for such dry skin needs was tricky, but this works! I’ve been dealing with ghost face for so long. This works and it looks totally sheer and natural. You could use just about any tinted sunscreen because you only use such a small amount. The Raw Elements is quite dark, but it blends in perfectly to my skin tone. I’m very fair. Rubbing more spf over the first layer doesn’t really disturb or remove any protection. So I like that. So this is just my skin care tip of the day…..for people who don’t wear foundation over their sunscreen and have problems with white cast. My face looks so much warmer and natural now. Here it all is. The pump bottle is just what I wash my eyes/lashes with. The next one is oil based cleanser, then Cetaphil Shea butter cream (I repurposed the container from a different Cetaphil formula that I didn’t like), and Nivea. Lastly, Think Sport and the tinted stick.

@Grace Hopper and @prairiewindmomma thanks. I will try to use the light screen this week.

Thanks @Arcadia!

I bought one last year when we had a thread about them. I haven’t used mine this year because I have discovered after moving the spare bedroom around that the sun shines VERY brightly onto the bed for about 3 hours per day. I rip the curtains open while I’m still in bed and I spend 30 minutes to one hour just basking like a turtle with my cat sitting right beside me. She stays there every minute until the sun stops shining there. It really does help! So I haven’t needed the SAD light yet.

Lots of vitamin D. I’m a stickler for that.

I know you like the winter. I remember we all talked about this last year, too. I believe you about reverse SAD. I hope you’re enjoying the cool months!

I’m so embarrassed to tell you that I am in a warm part of the country. I’m just right above the tippy top border of SC. I’m just so cold natured. Tomorrow we’re visiting ds and it will be almost 70. That should help!

Also if you had to spend the night in your car…. Jackery power bank and an electric blanket

I can’t take one.more.day.of.cold. And it’s only February 9. 😬 My heat pump feels like it’s blowing cold air. (It’s not). I’m just shivering. It gets dark early still. The middle of February is when this SAD stuff starts every year. It gets harder as I get older. My toes are cold. I want hot soup. I want it to at least be in the mid 60’s. I did pull out of my driveway yesterday and see ONE daffodil bud that will be popping open soon. The SAD is real. And I’m so cold.🥶

We don’t think of ourselves as extreme preppers by any stretch, but I have an in-law who is. Pretty typical in every sense, including the political connotation. He makes his own knives from old metal files. He made a hunting knife and sheath for Dh. (We don’t hunt, though). I knew he made them but had never seen one. That knife is impressive. Well made. Heavy with heavy duty professional grade sheath. It looks like it something you’d pay a lot of money for. I am pretty impressed, I have to say.

If you find yourself stranded in your house in freezing temps and basically unprepared but you have a sleeping bag and a Nalgene bottle, boil some water and put the bottle in the sleeping bag and zip yourself up with it to keep warm.

We have: Rechargeable flashlights and lanterns that we keep charged rechargeable fan small power bank (maybe two phone charges) large power bank: lamps, maybe 15 phone charges LifeStraw few days worth of food camping supplies cat carrier in a convenient grab and go location important papers grab and go file cash large generator, small generator Mr. Buddy heater and extra propane canisters (use with co2 detector and vent the area and use on heat resistant surface. Not carpet). large gas tank always filled ….to use gas logs as backup heat source A flat top grill and a two burner Coleman stove lots of camping equipment lots of wood to burn Flashlights, distress lights, space blankets, battery starter in each car. Also glass breakers and folding knives. Gloves, umbrella kept in car. Always fill up the big honkin’ Stanley cup to keep in the car. Lol. (I think a good plan may be to get an electric blanket/power bank combo if you don’t have gas logs or you aren’t comfortable using propane powered devices inside. This can give 12 hours of heat.. enough to hopefully allow someone to reach you and get you to a warm place). Am thinking of keeping some freeze dried meals on hand. Just a few for power outages. I’ve never tried these.

If anything ever happens, I’m going to Google “welltrainedmind Reddit” to see if by chance someone made one. I don’t know how. Maybe someone will think of it and hope that at least some of us find it.

And if you use sunblock religiously with the Nivea….I think it’s a very good pairing!

A subreddit that can exist in the case of a worst case scenario that we could all default to (keep it bookmarked)?

If I were you, I’d ditch the Dr Bronner’s because it’s extremely drying and stripping. Instead, Cetaphil Gentle skin cleanser (not Daily Cleanser) or even better, an oil based cleanser. I use Albolene Cleansing Balm. Try the German Nivea cream with maybe a layer of something lighter (with ceramides, squalane, etc) underneath the Nivea. Let it sit a few minutes to soak in. Then use a mineral based sunscreen every day. I use Think Sport stick. Blot gently with tissue to remove shine. I have no advice past this point, because I don’t wear any makeup over or under my sunscreen. If nothing else, ditch the Castile soap. It will contribute to the creation of fine lines as it’s so drying. Sunblock everyday is important for preventing fine lines. These are two very proactive things you can do.

Then this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH1DSBFK/?coliid=I1R0W2K0LNQ7SV&colid=ME3QPO9L7H58&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_ii&th=1 Dh can wear a black tie, jacket, pants, shoes. He has a nice suit.

Oh wait….not white, either?

@Toocrazy!! Here is a white one I could order. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096ZYLX67/?coliid=I1R0W2K0LNQ7SV&colid=ME3QPO9L7H58&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_ii

Also, if you remember, I had not received a save the date before, but I have now received an invitation. It seems best to go to both wedding and reception. I had previously posted about feeling like I didn’t want to go because of family dynamics. The wedding is Catholic, and women being veiled is encouraged but not required. I’m not sure what to do. Sigh.

Thanks!!