This originally post April 16, 2010...enjoy!
Sunday after church, my girlfriend took me out to eat. We had a nice leisurely meal and plenty of good conversation. We covered God’s faithfulness, eating healthy, clothes, a new hairdresser and our nails. There was a lot more in there somewhere, it had to be. We were seated at 1:30pm and left at 4:00pm. LOL!!! But apart from God’s faithfulness there was something else that stuck out to me, and that was the conversation we had about our nails.
We started talking about our nails and I shared with her this new system I had purchased about a month ago on a shopping trip with my youngest daughter at the mall. The brand name is Déjà Vu and it’s manufactured in Israel with minerals from the Dead Sea. The system consists of a nail file, bottle of cuticle oil, body lotion and a buffer. What I love about this system is that it has made my rough, ridged nails very smooth. And they shine like glass. The lotion is fantastic, and I’ve been using it on the heels of my feet more than my hands. I take about 5 minutes each evening to rub the oil on my cuticles and do the buffing once a week. She shared that she had a similar system but was too tired at night to use it. That’s what stuck out. I hear this way too often from women. Because what you are saying is that you are too busy for you. Now granted my friend’s schedule is very full with working full time and all the other things she has on her plate, but she is single and does not have children, and if she is too busy then what about the women who are caregivers, married and have kids? Women who are responsible for others often put themselves last. And there needs to be a change in that mindset.
I could write a few more paragraphs talking about all the things that women do and why we so often put ourselves last, but I think focusing on inspiring us to make change is a better use of time. You already know if you are not making time for you and why.
On Wednesday I posed the question on our Facebook fan page “Share something you can do for yourself in 20 minutes” I did not get the response I had hoped for. I really wanted to see women write something they do that is for them, that doesn’t involve anyone but them. I wasn’t surprised though because once I offered a free subscription to a fashion magazine and women wrote me and told me they didn’t have time to read magazines. I think that is pretty sad. Why? We are inspired by reading and even a magazine that might take us all month to read can inspire us to try something new or make a change. Take a mirror test…..If you are frumpy or look neglected and un-kept, ask yourself “Why would someone else want your God?” How faithful a God is He if you look like you are in need would be their question? Some of us have let ourselves go to that point. And that should not be, so my prayer is that you will take a look at how you got there and begin to make change.
There is a great buzz in the air because it is spring. Women are talking about their gardens, spring cleaning, freshening up their houses, working on their curb appeal and so on. Well, what about you? It really won’t take much to make a change if you have been neglecting yourself. Even if financially you are not able to budget in a “professional” anything for yourself. That still does not leave you out or make it okay for you to be last or neglectful of yourself.
Maybe clothes are not your issue as much as your hair, skin, nails or feet. I would love to get a professional pedicure, but my budget says, “No.” But that doesn’t stop me from soaking my feet and, pumicing the dead skin off and painting my toenails. Most plastic dish pans will accommodate both your feet. They cost what two or three dollars at the most? If you don’t have foot soak, a little bit of bubble bath or shower gel will do. Treat yourself to a new color of polish, and go for it. There is so much that we can accomplish for ourselves if we just spend 20 minutes a day on us. Six times 20 equals 120. One hundred and twenty minutes translates into 2 hours. Wow, that is impressive if you are one who doesn’t spend any extra time on you. One night you could give yourself a facial. You can spend twice a week doing exercises to tighten up your stomach muscles or lift hand weights to firm up the under arm ding-a-ling. Soak in a luscious bath for 20 minutes and pumice your feet at the end. Twenty minutes is enough time to file and buff your nails or even pluck your eyebrows. It really doesn’t have to be about if you have money or not, it should be about you no matter what. You can read a magazine article in 20 minute that will inspire you to try something new. If you spent just 20 minutes each evening sewing an outfit for yourself, by the end of the week it would be completed. How often have we purchased material and never found the time to do the project? I’m guilty!
Maybe you are a person who has kind of lost your sense of style, if so, may I suggest you go to the bookstore and peruse the fashion magazines until you find one that speaks to you, and then buy it. Also if you have The Learning Channel please checkout the show “What Not to Wear!” It is fantastic, mainly because they teach you to dress and love the body you have. Here’s the website: http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/whatnottowear.html.
Thrift shops in upscale shopping areas are another place to find good pieces. A new trend that seems to be really catching on is women are having clothing swap parties in their home. That will help you to get rid of those items that still have the price tags on them but you will never wear. You know the things that are 2 sizes to small but you bought for when you lose the weight you have gained. ~Smile~ There are consignment shops that buy clothing by the bag or trade off for items in the store. Spend 20 minutes in a thrift shop and put one outfit together for yourself. Then on another day spend 20 minutes picking out a new shade of lipstick or eye shadow. The sky is the limit, be creative. After all it’s for you.
As women, if we can’t take 20 minutes a day to love on ourselves then something is amiss, I do believe. No more excuses please. If you have eggs in the house then take one and use the egg white as a facial mask. Did you know you could do that? Well, you can. Here are a couple of links and a search for “Homemade Facials” http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980423b.cfm,
http://hmbeautyrecipes.homestead.com/SKINcleansers.html,
http://www.bing.com/search?q=recipies+for+natural+facials&src=IE-SearchBox&Form=IE8SRC. You probably have most of the ingredients right in your cupboard and fridge.
So again…..No More Excuses!
My dear sisters you are worth 20 minutes a day no matter what you do for others or how full your day is. I pray I have encouraged at least one person to start making room for themselves each day, even if only for 20 minutes.
Blessings & Love
Ponnie
See you tomorrow!!
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