How to save money in the bathroom December 16, 2008

If this seems like a weird title for a blog post, I suppose it is, but I’ve been thinking about writing on this topic for a few days now. As I’m sure I’ve made abundantly clear, money is tight for the Willitses right now. So we have been cutting corners where we can, even where I thought there were no corners to be cut. One of those is my skincare products. If you would have told me a year ago that I would no longer have my extensive skincare regime, I assure you I would have laughed in your face. However, ever since I ran out of my alpha hydroxy facewash a month ago and had no money to buy more, I have come to adopt several of my husband’s products that I saw in the shower every day but completely overlooked. These three products work equally well for me as a woman. If you find yourself in the same financial bind, you might want to reach for these unisex favorites.

1) Nivea for Men Energizing Face Scrub
The scrubbing particles are not too large or too harsh, and using this scrub daily really achieves a surprising softness and buffs off all the dead skin. It foams up really well actually and stays cold on your skin for an instant, leaving you with that refreshing feeling that is so important to men. It doesn’t take off my eye makeup too well but overall I love it. 

2) Axe Snake Peel Body Scrub in Desert Minerals
As the commercials insist, this Axe stuff does smell wonderful. And it lathers up quickly, exfoliates your entire body and prevents any nasty bacne. I was freaking out when my organic Nature’s Gate body wash ran out, but now I thoroughly look forward to using Axe. 

3) Irish Spring Micro Clean bar soap
On the days I don’t use Axe Snake Peel, I use my husband’s bar soap with exfoliating microbeads. It smells so fresh you won’t even believe it. I prefer it to Dove or any of the more expensive feminine brands. And soap gives you an all-over clean feeling that you just can’t get anywhere else. 

Save money, ladies. Use your husband’s bath products. You won’t be sorry (except when he finds out and yells at you).

Advent ramblings. December 12, 2008

This Advent season has been filling me with a sort of achy longing. I just long to get outside my body and my all-too-normal life and float up into the starry night and rediscover mystery and prophecy and the folklore of a messiah that feels like the perfect fairytale even today. I want to pretend that Jesus hasn’t been born yet and reimagine the whole thing in my mind. That meditative state is difficult to capture in modern-day America, but I get this feeling that it’s going to slip away completely after the new year. 

This is a special Christmas because it’s my first Christmas with Erik, our first Christmas married. I want to make it magical. I need to do that without money.I’m not really the type to cut snowflakes out of paper or anything like that, and I looked up frugal ways to decorate a Christmas tree but the thought of stringing lots of popcorn together or making gingerbread ornaments seems way too hard. I want to read a manual about how to make your first Christmas together a wonderful memorable experience without having to make crafts. Like, does anyone own a reindeer farm? Or where is there a store that carries only gadgets that 29-year-old men will like? I wish I could knit us matching stockings but all I can see myself producing is a legwarmer. Maybe if I dress up like an elf or bake a lot of cookies? I mean, what is the secret? 

There are some practical details that need to be ironed out as well, such as exactly what time will be spent with my family and with Erik’s mom and how to be fair and all that. I am actually kind of looking forward to the long drive back to the Midwest because I think it will give me a chance to contemplate Advent.

Last night was the first snow. This whole week has been rainy and cold to the point that I haven’t done any work to speak of and sleeping has been my activity of choice. I have always been affected by the weather. Living in California I didn’t have to worry about that. Being back here I have become reacquainted with seasonal affective disorder, which is pretty common and starts with it getting dark at 4:45. Blah. The only good thing about that is that it makes our house seem even more bright and warm and cozy. It’s fun to look out the window at the snowflakes and smell dinner cooking.