Make-up, part deux

I do understand the need for make-up coverage during puberty, when skin flares up, oiliness rears its ugly head, and acne products become a necessary part of the daily routine. I remember having such bad break outs that sometimes I wouldn't even want to show my face at school.

The only thing a girl can do is cover it up with make-up. Then you feel like you have to accentuate your eyes to get the focus off the zit on your chin, and that's were the heavy eye make-up starts. The problem is, make-up can make breakouts worse and it becomes a vicious cycle in skin care.

The make-up debate

My daughter is seven years old and has recently become very aware of her appearance. She wants to pick out her clothes for school in the morning and brushes her hair and wears headbands and necklaces. Yesterday, she got out her kiddie make-up set and started putting eyeshadow and blush on. That's where I resisted. I didn't wear make-up until middle school, and looking back on it now, that was probably even too early.

The hard part is that when she sees me applying make-up, she says, "I thought you said we don't need make-up to look pretty, Mommy." True, I did say that. I believe it too. But some days, Mommy feels she needs a little coverage and a little color. I'm not a huge make-up wearer. I only wear powder on top of my daily sunscreen, and mascara on my top lashes. I'm not the type of person who won't have my picture taken, or have a passport redone because I don't like the way it turned out. I truly think that most women look just as good, and some look a heck of a lot better without so much make-up on.

Back to the cell

Now that both of our kids are in school full time, we are considering getting rid of internet service at home and spending time at the library with our laptop picking up the wifi signal. This would save us about $75 per month, and we were planning to do this in the near future anyway, so why not try now?

We already picked up a cheap cell phone before our summer roadtrip for emergencies, and we have 500 unused minutes on it. So we would use only the cell phone for all our calling needs, and add minutes as we go. Of course, my husband (the family techie) has figured out most of the phone's features already just by tinkering around with it. As for me, I have figured out how to lock the keypad, because unlocked cell phones have a tendency to either make a call from my purse, or get into the hands of curious children who have just learned how to dial "911" for emergencies.

Stair-step town

Eureka Springs has been nicknamed "The Stairstep Town" because of all the walking trails and steps built into the mountains connecting neighborhood streets. You can't truly see Eureka if you stay in your car. Sure, the architecture on the main streets is beautiful, but when you are walking along meandering trails is when the town's true beauty is revealed.

Besides, it is much better for your health anyway. Who needs diet pills when you have fresh mountain air, interesting scenery, and walking trails and steps. In fact, back when the area was known for its healing springs, many believed that it was a combination of the spring water, the exercise, and all the time outdoors that healed people.

Keep it hidden

I guess by now most people know how I feel about television. I have mentioned that we do own a set, but only watch movies on it. I don't like to see the big gray box when it is not in use, so we keep it behind the closed doors of an armoire. There are many options besides tv stands for televisions.

Aside from an armoire, TVs can be mounted on the ceiling or wall, keeping floor space clear. This is a great option for households with young children because all the electronics and cords are out of reach from curious hands. Even old cedar chests, bookshelves, or medicine cabinets can be converted to house a television set. If it must be in your home, get creative and hide that ugly beast!

Still TV free

I am very happy to report that my family has survived thrived for over two years now continuously without television. We still watch movies at home, but no commercial television. Since our kids were two and five when we gave it up, they don't know much different and have had no adjustment problems. I suspect it would be more difficult to get an older child or teenager to suddenly give up TV.

Do we miss it? Never. I think it is silly now when I hear people discussing last night's episode of whatever reality show happens to be popular that season. They are a dime a dozen in my opinion and offer no value whatsoever, educationally speaking or otherwise. If someone asked does Fenphedra work ? I would happily answer that I don't have a clue, because my time is not constantly robbed by commercials. If I wanted to find out, I would simply search the internet. Television commercials are one-sided, since they are paid for by the advertising company. When you research information on the internet, the results are well-rounded, ranging from scientific research, to statistical data, to user reviews.

I've noticed a lot more people sharing the same views and giving up cable, and many giving up television altogether like we have. Maybe it is because we live in a small town with many progressive thinking people, but I would like to hope that this trend will be widespread. We have nothing to lose. We have more family time, intelligent activities, and relaxation to gain!