Paper Cuts

Yesterday, I got the most terrible paper cut. It's right under the fingernail of my right pinky. As you can guess, it's obnoxiously painful considering how small it is and how quickly it was made.


There is one thing I like love (it is Valentine's Day week after all) about paper cuts.
Crazy, I know.


I love that everyone gets them. In this world of classification and division, paper cuts are something that everyone experiences.
All races and religions can relate to the painful sting.
Rich and poor occasionally feel that hate for a piece of paper.
Young and old are amazed by how such a seemly innocent material can be so hurtful.
Each nationality can empathize with forgetting about the injury and applying hand sanitizer or applying pressure.

 

I have a concern though: A paperless society.

• The default for Church Council documents is to receive them electronically and bring a tablet/laptop for viewing at the meeting.
• My boyfriend, high school teacher, requires that most of his assignments be submitted electronically.
• My sister and all of her high school classmates have iPads so textbooks are virtual.
• I turn my grad school papers in via email.
• My office is working to eliminate paper files and store everything virtually.

 

While I believe this transition is awesome for the environment and I can't help but wonder if we may be eliminating a great equalizer.


Without paper will paper cuts become a thing of the past?





(P.S. This post is not about me being anti-environment. I'd classify myself as a green thinker. I'm a huge supporter/actor of reusing and recycling.)

Friday Favs - Skin Care Edition

Hurrah! It's Friday! 

I'm going to celebrate the end of the week by sharing a few of my favorite things.

My favorite skin care things to be exact! My grandma has great skin and luckily my mom passed it along to me! My skin tends to be dry though too (thanks, dad!) so taking care of it is important to me. 

[Side Note: If you know/meet my grandma, you'll see what I talking about. If people don't know my mom, and see my grandma and I together, they often ask if I'm her daughter. I think it's because of her good skin. She loves it (so feel free to make that "mistake")!]

Anyway here are my skin care favs! 

1. Yes to Grapefruit - Exfoliating Body Wash
      I love this body wash! The size of the exfoliating substance (I have no idea what to call that, but I think you all understand what I'm talking about. Right?) is perfect. It definitely makes my skin feel fresher as it removes dead cells, but it doesn't strip my skin like some exfoliating products. I can notice the difference between days I use it and days I don't. Plus it smells AMAZING!

2. Neutrogena Naturals - Nourishing Night Creme
      My skin gets terribly dry - like flaky-red-itchy dry. Especially this time of year. I'm so glad I found this product! It's a night cream so I put it on after I wash my face before bed. It helps my skin stay hydrated, but it isn't greasy and doesn't cause any acne problems for me. It's also great for day use to help get rid of a patch of dry skin (think a nose during a cold). I use this one for day.  

3. Jergens - Ultra Healing
      I can't even count how many times I apply this to my hands in a day! As I just mentioned, I have super dry skin. So to help this I've tried countless hand lotions. Some don't really hydrate and others are so greasy that they don't really absorb into your skin and simply feel gross. This one is my absolute favorite. I've even recommended it to random people at Walmart (Well, that may have happened only once and she asked me why I liked the lotion I grabbed from the shelf). The Up and Up version is okay, but Jergens is best! I guess I'm a loyal Jergens user - I use Jergens Shea Butter for my legs and arms.  

4. Neutrogena Naturals - Purifying Pore Scrub
      This pore scrub is awesome! The exfoliating substance is very fine so this scrub feels gentle, but it still makes my skin feel renewed and clean. It keeps my complexion clear and is gentle enough for every day. 

*All views shared are my own. I received no compensation for these reviews. 

Are any of these products on your favorites list? What are your "can't live without" skin care products? 

List Obsession

26 Reasons Living Alone is Awesome

17 Valentine's Day Gifts Only "Friends" Fans Will Appreciate

23 Most Important Moments in Left Shark History

19 Behind-the-Scene Photos from Movies you Love

I found these lists in about 3 min of Facebook Timeline browsing. We're obsessed with lists. 

I'm not talking about the positive lists that help one keep track of things to accomplish or items to purchase while at the store. I'm referring to the lists that send you into a black hole for roughly 15 min to 2 hours. 

Has it happened to you? You're just browsing Facebook or Twitter and then snap to realizing you've spent an embarrassing amount of time reading silly countdowns. I admit that I'm guilty. Then, after we find a great one, we share it with others leading them into the same time-wasting fate. 

Why are we obsessed consumed by these lists?
Is it the titles or taglines? The funny pictures or gifs? The opportunity to space out or get a break from work? 

I admit that I fall for them too, but I'm going to try to change my ways. 
I'm vowing to spend my time actually living this week and not on reading useless countdowns or reasons for something. I'm going to reach out to a friend to chat, pick up a book instead of my surface/phone, or work on a blog post. We'll see how this goes. 

I may have to make and exception for lists about sloths... #toocute

We got over 13 inches of snow over the weekend! The trees are gorgeous, but the roads are a different story.