Makeup Musings: Finishing a Bottle of Nail Polish, and When Small Acts of Love Are the Big Gestures

So, I realize in the grand scheme of things finishing a bottle of nail polish is totally not a big deal compared to delivering a baby on a plane or fighting oppression with acts of civil disobedience!

Buuuuuuuut if you’re a beauty lover like me, I think you’ll totally get it. See this bottle of mint green polish by Olive & June? I’ve finished almost a quarter of it. I’m now thrilled with the prospect of perhaps even finishing — gasp! — half of it. Or maybe even the whole thing.

You guys, I can’t even remember the last time I finished a single nail polish bottle down to last drop. It might’ve been in the ’90s.

I’m this might has something to do with getting rid of all the old @ss polishes that’ve been gathering dust in my office for literally YEARS. I recently decided to only keep colors that that I truly love, and even though I have less now, everything is so much easier. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s so liberating.

FYI, this is KMC with a slice of yellow watermelon! I bought a mini yellow watermelon from Trader Joe’s yesterday, and yes, I finished most of it off by myself in one day because it’s been the only decent watermelon that I’ve gotten all season.

Every single red watermelon I’ve bought has either been merely, flavorless and inedible, and so, so gross! I’ve tried all of my “watermelon whisperer” tricks, too, like looking for the darkest yellow spot, comparing weight, knocking on the outsides to hear a hollow sound, but I’ve still yet to find a halfway decent melon.

Have you had back luck with watermelon this year too?

Anyway, the watermelon was part of a picnic lunch that Connor “hosted” in our circle with her friends in the neighborhood. She’s with me this week because it’s the break between school and summer camp, and over the weekend she made a list of things she wanted to do while she at “mama camp,” and one of the items was have a picnic outdoors with her buddies.

Guess what I figured out yesterday? If you have to feed children at a picnic — they don’t need much! I put together a whole spread for the kids, but all they ate were sliced watermelon, homemade guacamole and tortilla chips. *shrugs*

I wanted to take a picture of the guacamole, but the kids ate it all before I could grab a shot.

I think the trick is to leave out spices that are too strong, so no garlic or onion powder. I only used smashed avocado, a little bit of lime (lemon will work in a pinch) and some salt. That’s it.

So yeah, the next time you have to feed some little ones outdoors, please keep in mind this *very gourmet* food combination, LOL! It’s a winner.

Oh, I almost forgot the kids also ate the homemade chocolate chip cookies that Connor and I made the day before. I whipped up a batch of cookies to bring to my high school friends Jen and Cindy, who I met them at a sushi restaurant in Sausalito for a belated birthday lunch.

I haven’t seen them both in over a year!

I like to get Connor up in the mix whenever I do things like writing cards or make cookies for my friends, because I think it’s important for her to learn about the importance of small gestures. I want her to know that this is what caring for your people looks like… doing the seemingly small things. I want her to know there are many ways to say “I love you,” and sometimes the smallest of acts are the biggest gestures of love.

One of those “seemingly small but big” acts happened at the restaurant with Jen and Cindy. We were sitting at the table catching up, and when it was time to order, I had no idea what to choose. Ya know, you’d think ordering a couple California rolls wouldn’t be so damn hard, but it’s so long since I’ve seen them (they’re like the sisters I always wanted), and I’ve been having to hold it together for everyone else around me for what feels like THE LONGEST YEAR EVER, and I just didn’t have it in me 1) to keep my guard up anymore, and 2) order food.

Because she knows me, Cindy noticed that I was struggling, and then she said, “Don’t worry about ordering. I got you girl.” She then grabbed my menu, rattled off a meal for our table (she’s the bossy one, LOL!), and took care of it.

I don’t remember the last time I got to actually relax during a meal out. I mean, yes, Connor and El Hub and I eat at restaurants every once in a while, and even though it’s a break for me because I don’t have to cook, I’m still “on duty.” I’m watching Connor and helping her mind her manners, I’m monitoring what comes out of our table because of El Hub’s food allergies, and I’m always making sure other people are set before I eat. I’m happy to do it all — please don’t interpret this as complaining! — but when we eat out, I’m never truly relaxed. I’m momm-ing and wife-ing, and doing all the things people around me probably don’t even notice.

But last Sunday, when I was sushi with my friends, all I do was sit there. IT WAS GLORIOUS. Having a friend order for me (and for her to do it without me having to ask) was such a small gesture, but it made me feel so cared for and so, so loved.

It’s all the little things, right? In the end, they always end up being the big things.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen