We have a show here in San Francisco called View From The Bay.  I love it — it comes on after Oprah, and it’s a great, local, can-do show that gives you all sorts of great little tricks, cooking tips, and the like.  Spencer and Janelle  (I get to call them by their first names because they are in MY living room, right? :-) ) are really super hosts. I love Janelle especially — she will pretty much do anything, and always has a smile on her face.

 I’m a little behind in episodes, but this past weekend, I tried to catch up on VFTB and Oprah. VFTB had an episode on cleaning out your makeup brushes. Their makeup/fashion host, Audrey Mansfield, shows you how to clean your makeup brushes — and to Janelle’s horror, has grabbed a few of Janelle’s makeup brushes, and has Janelle clean them on camera.  Janelle asserts that she cleans them “every week,” but Audrey asserts that everyone should really do this every DAY.

 HELL-OO……I had NO IDEA that I should be cleaning out my makeup brushes.  And I’m a “bacteria fanatic” (I’m constantly throwing my sponges, etc. into the dishwasher, using and washing tons of towels to keep things clean, etc.) — and it NEVER occurred to me to clean my makeup brushes.  As I watched Janelle’s water turn a not-so-pretty shade of brown, I slinked off to the bathroom, sudsed up a bowl, and started cleaning MY brushes.  (As you can see from the clip, they actually have a very easy method that you can use — just put a little shampoo into a bowl and swish them around and spread the brush out with your fingers to get the makeup out). Oh…my…LORD!  Ick ick ick! I turned the water TOTALLY dark brown, started over, brown again…started over…

 Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!!!!  So I’m sharin’ this with you, Bond Grrls — maybe ya’ll all knew this already and it was just me, but if not, CLEAN your MAKEUP brushes!  They are full of dead skin, bacteria, and just i-i-ick.  I have a new routine now — thanks to View From The Bay.

But… I kinda wish I hadn’t known.  GEE, and I was wondering why I get clogged pores?!

This podcast is about this wonderful period from Winter-to-Spring. It’s a great time to look at your life, and see what is going to need a little… you guessed it!… Spring Cleaning.

I also received some Listener Feedback on our Listener Feedback line — I love it! Please call, keep me company! :-) This was from Clementine (her Bond Grrrrl name) on the Yankee portion of the East Coast somewhere. Her Mom has a GREAT method of sorting through all the bits of personal “stuff” that we all gather each year, and Clementine shared. Kudos to her and to her Mom, a Bond Grrrrrrrrrl family!

Finally, I talk a bit about bringing Ritual into your life this year. Rituals are so wonderful, and they are very much a part of the human culture. It could be thanking your teeth as you brush them, a Grace at every meal that you really pay attention to, or something of your own. If you have your own Rituals or make up one that you love, please share!

xoxoxo Solitaire

P.S.: So now, my James has to figure out how to post the Podcast. It seems highly likely (as, since you can see, we are on a new server and “such” now) that it’s not going to be pretty. I better go and shake a martini or three! :-)

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

 

 Episode 8: Initiating Life-Affirming Rituals to Welcome Spring [41:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I got this today from a friend — I am SO BEHIND on blogging… I have all sorts of notes, scraps of paper, and things to say… Oy.  But this came in and I thought it was fun, so thought I’d share.  It had very cute visuals with it…but if I try to get them in too, I will never post it, so…never mind :-)

 1. Try everything twice. On Madam’s (of Whelan’s and Madam) tombstone she wanted this epitaph: Tried everything twice…loved it both times!

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down
  (keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches).

3. Keep learning: Learn more about computers, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with that person.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with you your entire life is you. Lost time can never be found. LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.
  If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county,
  or a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them at every opportunity. 

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.

12. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

I just finished Podcast 8, and am editing it a bit… and holy cats, I have the squeakiest chair!!

 I do know what’s up with this. My James had to borrow our studio set-up, because he’s working from home and had a conference call.  This means he gets to sit at the fancy schmancy setup (with headphones and all), since, hey, he’s making $ and I’m making… a podcast :-) The beauty of our setup, though, is that I can take my laptop, another set of headphones, and head into another room (the breakfast room), and just keep going.

(We all know what it’s like when we finally start something — we want to keep at it, and not quit. Because we were gone on holiday for a bit over a week, I am behind on podcasting, and wanted to get the track laid down today.)

So, I’m in the breakfast room  I’m on a wicker chair. Say no more, right? Yeah. What a doofus! You can hear the chair quietly creaking the entire time.  (There is also one point where my dog sneezes.  See if you can catch it.)

What the heck… I’m not going to do it over, but I thought I’d letcha know that the squeaky, creaky sound is NOT my bones and joints (I deal in the podcast with starting up my exercise regime again, so that is not so far fetched) — it be the chair.

I guess I’ve been an ostrich for the past few months, because I just found out about this CD, and in Googling the gal who did the CD, she’s been on Martha Stewart, Oprah, etc.

 So maybe you already know about this, but if NOT, check out the Skinny Songs CD– click here, it will take you right to it!!

The gal who did this was a business woman turning 50, who realized that 25 or so pounds had “crept onto” her body since she turned 30.  So she set out to write some songs (and have them professionally produced) that would motivate her to lose this weight.  They are FUN!

I just ordered this shirt off her site.  It was WAY too expensive, but it made me laugh so hard I couldn’t help it.  As you can see, it’s a black tank, and across the bootyback, it says “Does This Shirt Make My Butt Look Too Small?”  HADTA have it!

My James and I just returned from a holiday. We stopped at an AMAZING sushi restaurant called Love Sushi & Roll in Santa Clarita.  My James is a sushi “snob” and he said that it was absolutely the best sushi he’d ever had.  (Don’t let the slow service, and strip mall atmosphere fool you!)

I was watching some of the other folks that were in the restaurant.  There were a lot of 20-somethings, and almost to a person, they were all sitting across from another person, and texting. Usually, the other person was “just eating.”

What up with that, Bond Grrls? Look. Being present (especially when eating) means putting ALL your attention on What You Are Doing! I would watch these gals woof down a gigantic PLATE of ribs or sushi or rice, all the while texting in between bites. One very pretty gal was obviously out on a date, and all she could do in between eating and answering a few questions with the guy she was with was to text, text, text!!! Aaaaugh!

Many workplaces are going to “email free Fridays.” This means you are NOT ALLOWED to turn your email on, on Friday.  The reasoning is to “get actual work done.”  (They also have “no Meeting Fridays.”) All this technology is supposed to make our lives easier, but what it does is take us away from what our surroundings are. And suddenly the bread basket is gone, or you don’t get a second date, or your work has piled up and you get a bad review, or what-ev-ah — and gee, you can’t figure out why.

There is a New Age phrase that you hear a lot, which is doing things “mindfully.” It’s just kinda weird to hear “mindful eating” — what does that mean?  What it means is pay attention to what you are doing, 100%. It also means no eating and watching TV. No watching TV, answering bills, and trying to talk on the phone. Although we all seem to think that we have way too much stuff goin’ on in our lives, what we really have is the inability to say No. AND the inability to focus and get one thing done, and then go to another.

Today, at LEAST focus on your food every time you eat.  What does it feel like in your mouth? There is a whole section of my book on this — time to go re-read it, if you have forgotten. Part of the ‘fattening of America’ has to do with eating in a non-mindful way — while driving, while watching TV, and the like.

And cut out the texting all the time. Sorry — I know, you “gotta” be in touch with your grrrls.  But the thing is, I was at a concert recently, and folks were all taking photos on their cells, sending texts that “they were there,” and the like. They were not quietly appreciating the concert, or being “present.” They were elsewhere; their minds were with their friends, gossiping through texting. They weren’t just appreciating.

Appreciating things is something that Rich Folks Do.  Yes, really. We only get 24 hours in each day, so by spending each minute, second, or each hour to the fullest and paying it full attention, you will not let it “slip” away. How many of us look up, and 3 hours are “gone” because we were emailing? Or we spend time sending texts, and miss out the movie we paid for?

Just some more thoughts for the day — but remember, texting when you have a flesh-and-blood person there with you is just RUDE, too.

…Yeah ok fine, one more word on the Recession “thang.”  The glass is always 1/2 full or 1/2 empty — right?

Why not accentuate the GOOD THINGS that are going to come out of this?  Because your mind will be more on keeping track of your $ outflow, you can train your baby Bond daughters and sons the true value of things — and that your love (and their worth) is NOT tied up in you buying them yet ANOTHER pair of whatever-they-wants. You can “nest” with your James and make a couple cocktails, and chat, maybe even have fun preparing a meal together, instead of complaining about how you “can’t go out” because you don’t have enough $.

 Accent what works! 

Let me give you a little potential thing you could do on your next Date Night with your James, instead of going for a full-bore dinner that’s going to set him back a couple bills. Get all dolled up, the 2 of you. Then, go to the most expensive restaurant in town that has a bar. Not one with a packed 3-deep bar — a super nice place, quiet, lush, Bond Grrrrrl.

When you sit down, if the bar wraps around, try to get a seat on the side — so that you can watch the dining room and what’s going on. Just get the best seat you can. (If you can’t get a good one straight off, then wait, and move to it.) If you are not a drinker, have the bartender order you up whatever it is that you would like — a Sprite or 7-Up maybe? — but have it put in a champagne glass. Put a $20 tip immediately on the bartender mat, and tell your bartender that’s for him or her for taking care of you. This is especially worthwhile if you are not drinking cocktails — which I suggest you might want to consider, since they are very expensive, and you don’t need that to have fun, anyway!  But this way, the bartender knows that your 2-3 7-Ups are still going to be leading to a nice tip.

Then have some fun! Spin a story with your James. Flirt with him. Make sure your smile reaches your eyes! Just lavish your attention on your James. And pay attention to what’s going on out there with the folks that are having dinner. Make up little stories. It can be a blast. Since you will be there after you have had a nice meal at home, you won’t be hungry, you won’t be tempted to eat bread, and you will NOT be pulling bills off the bankroll to escape!

Have fun like this when you can. Be sure to compensate the Staff “as if” you had had a few pricey cocktails — they won’t care what you’re drinking as long as they get their $.

And another note — if right before you sit down at the bar you go to the Ladies and put on some lipstick, you’re going to drink slower. Because we all know how nasty that “lipstick ring” looks on the edge of the glass — so you will be “sipping” to keep the lipstick to a minimum.  This can slow you down, if you “usually” would be drinking cocktails instead of a soda or some bubbly water.  Give it a try!

Man.  I am soooo far behind on my blog, it’s making my head hurt. I could blame it on trying to get the podcasts out; coaching; the weather. Instead, I just think that a lot of things ganged up on me at once!  So!  I’m going to post a passel of blog postings, to get ideas out of my inbox (where I store them)… and away we go!!

Bernanke signals more rate cuts in testimony
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said during testimony to the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday that the central bank would consider more interest-rate cuts. “He didn’t say the word recession, but if you read between the lines, all this talk about further downside risk is dealing with the risk we may already be in one,” said Scott Anderson, a senior economist at Wells Fargo. Bernanke said the slowing economy posed a greater threat than rising inflation.  ClipSyndicate/Bloomberg (2/27), Bloomberg (2/27), Washington Post, The (2/28), Wall Street Journal, The (2/28)

I heard this covered on KCBS right after Bernanke spoke.  The drive-time team was stating that he used wording that sounded “cautious” but in Fed-speak basically means The Economy Is BA-AAAAD.  Then they interviewed a number of economists, and what their “take” was about this.

One of the economists stated that the “first thing to go” would be “Brand buying” — and that folks would then “just feel poorer.”  That when folks aren’t able to “buy their Brands,” they feel deprived.”

Well, let’s start right here, Bond Grrrrrrls.  We know, right, that Bond Grrls are not “Brand Flashers”?  That’s the thing here.  Bond Grrls live amazing lives, and look great, NOT because they have Chanel on their glasses or Armani on their jeans… but because they are confident, chic, fabulous women all by themselves!

With the economy heading South per all the experts, it’s the time to take a look at your life.  If you have my book, you know that involves going through your ENTIRE house, office, etc. — and taking stock.  What do you have that you shouldn’t?  Can you sell it?  Can you put on a yard sale, or just start doing little bits of sale on eBay? If you itemize your deductions, how about getting some charitable deductions or giving away some of your possessions for a charity you love to auction off in a “silent auction”? 

The best part about this all (paradoxically) is that EVERYONE is going to be tightening their belts.  We keep hearing it/hearing it/hearing it — and so you can intelligently say that you are “paying attention to what the Fed is saying” (sounds good, huh?) and NOT go Mall-bopping or shoeshopping.  Open up all your bills.  Take stock.  Then use all this as an EXCUSE not to go and spend.  Because so many people are in trouble now, you need to help light the way. Be an example. Get your bills paid down. Stop spending needlessly. Heck, start brown baggin’ it! And once you’re out of your hole, and once you realize that your worth is in your awesome SELF, not in the umpteenth BrandBling purse you buy, you’re going to be sooooooooooooooooooo much better for it!