I feel like I’m always writing lists. Like this morning, for example, I was writing in my journal, just jotting down my plans for the day, when I started thinking about things that I find myself doing all the time — ya know, stuff that happens over and over again. In my case, it’s opening cans of gravy, trying to find my iPhone (if I had a nickel for every time I asked El Hub to “call my phone for me…”), wanting another pair of shoes that I probably wouldn’t be able to walk in, and, of course, writing lists like these. 🙂
We probably all have things like that, right? — things we feel like we do over and over again. Well, here are nine of mine. I’d also love to read some of yours.
“I feel like I’m always…”
1. Buying Giant Pet Hair Rollers (that’s actually what they’re called) from Target
CRAZY CAT LADY MOMENT: Sometimes I like to think that Tabs inherited his thick, dark hair from his mother (aka me)… LOL! I know, I know.
When we first started “working” together, I’d originally thought Tabs’ short fur wouldn’t be a problem, but homeboy sheds like a mofo!
I stash lint rollers throughout the house, but they only help so much; his fur still gets everywhere — on my jeans, my shirts, and even my face.
Once, I actually used a lint roller on my face…
Whatever, it worked. 🙂
2. Recharging camera batteries
You may not know this about me, but I take a lot of pictures (kidding). There’s always at least one outlet around me recharging batteries for a camera or other electronic device.
SIDE NOTE: Every so often someone asks about my camera equipment. If you’re interested, here’s a post with the deets and a couple of hopefully helpful camera tips.
3. Washing the blender
I’ve been on a smoothie kick since early spring, so my blender’s been getting a lot of use. Sure, I’ve saved the money I would have spent on Jamba Juice, but my fruit bill has gone through the roof!
Smoothies are just so…irresistible. They’re easy to make and pack plenty of fiber and protein (I like to add plain, non-fat yogurt). I think they’re especially great after a run.
Mmm…mango lassi…
4. Spraying MAC Turquatic on my wrists
Back in late spring when it was raining every day and folks were wondering, “where’s summer?” — I finally figured out the answer to that. MAC had it, and they put it in every bottle of Turquatic.
I got an extra bottle earlier this year when it looked like the scent was being discontinued. Thankfully, it’s staging a comeback next month.
5. Starting from scratch
Wish I could say I was one of those kick-@ss robot people who never got tired and always knew exactly what they were doing, but alas, I’m not.
I feel like I’m constantly having to re-learn things I could have sworn I already knew, and making many of the same mistakes over and over again.
It’s downright exhausting, to tell you the truth, so I just try to take things one day at a time.
6. Flossing…
No, not in the after hours, VIP lounge, bling-bling kinda way. I’m referring to flossing my teeth, LOL! Morning and night, and also after big meals. If I miss a night, I swear my teeth feel furry.
7. Listening to songs on repeat
I know it annoys people (and cats) around me, so I try to only do it when I’m alone. The other day, it was Britney’s Trouble, which I listened to no fewer than 47 times. In a row.
8. Calling Tabs some redonkulous nickname…
Because he has so many! I’m currently alternating between “Precious Baby Cat” and “Edward Scissorpaws.”
RANDOM FUN FACT: Tabs’ middle name is El Debarge.
9. Hoping for the best
The world can be a scary and sometimes very cruel place, and there’s really no changing that. What we can do is hope that things get better or hope that they get worse.
Between those two, I like the first choice better. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. What are some things that you feel like you’re always doing? You don’t have to list nine things; it just happens to be my lucky number.
brittany b says
Tabs is so adorable! I’m a crazy cat lady myself. my fiancé and I built him an 8 ft cat tree….and made a cozy spot for him in our laundry room. lol
Jessi says
I have 3 dogs so I understand the shedding issue! Will Tabs let you brush him? I started brushing my dogs daily (outside!) and it has made a dramatic difference with how much they shed inside. Before it felt like I was sweeping up huge clumps of hair several times a day, and now… well, now it’s only every few days. Haha! They still shed but not nearly as bad.
And it seems like an obvious choice to hope things better, but there are a surprising amount of people who want things worse.
Cass says
Try the Furminator…its AMAZING! 🙂
Mel says
And I think you’re pretty damn wonderful!
Vijaya says
I always listen to songs on repeat. ALWAYS. I just wait ’til I get tired of one and move on to the next. It’s just my way. These are such fun posts. Are you gonna keep ’em coming? =D
Katrina says
I feel like I’m always: doing laundry, having to let the dogs out, cooking, cleaning the kitchen. Seriously do I get any down time?
Tiffany says
I feel like I’m always… Feeding the baby, dusting my house, checking email, taking photos, coming up with new ways to cheer up or cheer on my friends, baking, and putting on lotion!!
Karen says
I’m always putting on lotion too! Feet, hands, hairy toes (LOL)…
BTW, thanks a bunch for the Vera Bradley baby bag rec. I bought it for my BFF. 🙂
Tiffany says
No prob! I hope she loves it! When is she due? September? I hope her pregnancy is going well!
Krisabelle says
Loved this post, Karen! You da bizomb!
I feel like I’m always…
1) Checking email.
2) Looking for one of my 5 tubes of Aquaphor, my trusty podnah in lip protection.
3) READING! I am always reading at least 1 book, and I’m always open to suggestions from anyone! I just read this novella called The Turtle Boy suggested by a friend on goodreads.com and it was AMAZING! I downloaded the next in the series as soon as I finished it!
4) Cruising M&BB for inspiration!
5) Looking for the perfect mascara that lengthens AND thickens without clumping, smudging, or requiring a belt sander to remove. To quote U2, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…”
6) Hoping for the best in life and in people.
7) Organizing and reorganizing everything! I can’t work if my desk is tore up from the floor up, so I have to stop and straighten things before I can keep rocking.
8) Thinking about how lucky I am to have the people in my life who love me and a job I thoroughly enjoy.
9) Finding new words to love. For example, “widdershins” – it means counterclockwise and it sounds like a Tolkien character!
Thanks for the fun post as usual, Karen!
alex says
Any chance you might consider posting some of your favorite smoothie recipes?
Jennifer says
Woah! I’ve never heard that Britney Spears’ song before! And I thought I was some kind of ultimate Britney fan! 😮 I’m so shocked!
Karen says
That’s funny, I have a friend who loves B. and she never heard it either. She actually said, “I can’t believe you just out-Britney’d me.” LOL.
It’s a great song, isn’t it? I was hoping they’d release it w/Circus as a bonus.
Heidi says
Love these 9 things lists!
I feel like I’m always….
1) Sorting through my email
2) Fixing my manicure (can the polish go more than a couple of days, please?)
3) Reapplying lip gloss
4) Reapplying hand cream
5) Also playing songs on constant repeat (today was Bob Marley’s Could You Be Love)
6) Sipping coconut water (my favorite summer beverage)
7) Maneuvering around a hefty cat (Missy always plants herself in the middle of the room)
8) Searching for the perfect conditioner (super hydrating and volumizing would be nice)
9) Dusting. I don’t get it… where does it come from? Why does it come back so soon?
Bell says
I feel like I’m always:
– Hungry – and everyone tells me that hahahah I think it’s because I live on a diet!
– Reading articles – after I had the great (stupid) idea of getting my master’s degree I feel like there’s always a article I should be reading!
– Thinking about my boyfriend – awwwwn that was cute!
– Thinking about my future – and not in a very nice way, Karen please tell me this feeling will pass, beginning a career is so damn scary! But I also……
– Think about how everything is going to be okay – I just seem to fluctuate between these two feelings!
xoxo!
Elle says
1) Thinking about food. Eating food, cooking food, someone cooking food for me, buying food – you name it.
2) Finding a dog and going up to it. I am crazy dog lady x 100.
3) Going to Target and spending more than I should.
4) Lately, buying gas. Ugh. Too expensive.
5) Also, lately, trying to find a freakin’ swimsuit. I don’t mean to sound all “woe is me”, but most places don’t sell swimwear with, uh, underwire, and trust me, no one wants to see me on the beach without an underwire.
6) Watching my Mad Men reruns! My DVDs have to keep me company until next year.
snoopysteph says
I feel like I’m always saying “I wish I had more time to…” My life is whizzing by a million miles per minute a the moment and there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day – not only to get stuff done that really NEEDS to be done, but also to do stuff that’s fun for me. Like crochet – it’s a soothing hobby of mine that helps me unwind and de-stress but I can never seem to find a spare hour or so to indulge.
Erin says
I feel like I’m always…
1. Checking email and my bookmarked links. I think it’s officially a compulsion.
2. Doing the dishes. Will it never end? And, for that matter, cleaning the house in general.
3. Reading. Favorite thing ever!
4. Starting over again when I make goals and then fail to meet them. I can’t remember the last time I got through a daily to do list or stuck with something long enough to make it a habit! Hey, at least I never stop trying.
5. Buying groceries. How can two people eat this much?
6. Going to the library to return my endless stream of library books and check out more.
7. Mailing job applications. For some reason, none of them have been online recently.
8. Hitting up Marshall’s or TJMaxx for bargains. Both are pretty hit or miss, but I’ve found some great deals.
9. Going to Target. I live at Target. I swear I’m there every day at least once.
and….. 10. Shaving my legs. Lucky me. I’m cursed with having to shave every single day, and that’s still not enough. There is no way I’m doing it twice a day, though, so it’ll have to do!
Britany B. says
I feel like I’m always having to write down my tuition payment plan. :-\
Kayleigh says
Hahaha I’m so the same with songs on repeat!! That’s a great thing about mp3 players, no one knows you’ve got a playlist of one!!
empress says
omg mango lassi is my absolute favourite drink!! So good!
shanny
Larie says
These posts are always so much fun, Karen!
I’m always:
1. forgetting my keys (you wouldn’t think you could do this, but oh yes, you can!)
2. buying groceries, for sure! How CAN two people eat this much?
3. Doing laundry. Same thing. How much clothing can two people go through in a week? 😛
4. bookmarking recipes and never getting around to them
5. changing up my nail polish
And…that’s all I can think of for now 😀
Nina says
We’re completely on the same page about number 2, 5 and 7 😀 For number 2, it’s my iPod, lol (hey Apple, please give us better battery times. I know you can do it. Because let me tell you, charging smt 4 times a day is not fun AT ALL!) For number 5, I simply suck at living. That’s all. And for number 7, it’s my way of loving music. Listening to it over and over again, trying to capture even the tiniest details. My headphones became my best friend 😀 And other things; I feel like I’m always, ALWAYS cleaning the house (gosh, I hate cleaning), shopping for food (where do they go?), carrying a lot of things in my purse even when I don’t intend to, racing against time (constantly late person here) and watching anime (and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that). Yeah, that’s all I think 😀
Serena says
I left a comment but my internet cut out and it got deleted. 🙁 Wah.
Just wanted to say I LOVE your crazy cat lady reference. Serious LOL moment.
I am always: eatingreadingonthecomputerapplyingchapstickandchangingmyclothes
Regina says
What does El debarge means? =)
Rita says
I feel I’m always recycling cardboard (here cardboard/heavy paper has to be separated from other waste materials). There are boxes and packages everywhere, and you have to wash and fold them continuously.
meibaola says
I feel I am always tweezing my eyebrows and washing my makeup brushes.
Nina says
i feel like im always —
– sleepy LOL. too much reading at night means i never get to sleep early
– grocery shopping – we go through stuff pretty fast in our house
– thinking up of new color combinations for my eyeshadow. i cannot deny that im an eyeshadow addict
– washing dishes. corollary to number 2, we also use up so many dishes a day.
– buying cat food. w/ 3 kitties, food goes by quickly too. (we’re beginning to sound like a fambam of eaters!)
– going to Target. LOL!!!!
– thinking i have nothing to wear.
– watching law and order svu reruns. 😀
– forever running out of time. it just goes by so quicly!
Twyla Munden says
1. Swiffering the floors – I just got hard wood installed 3 months ago and I thought Vacuuming 3x a wk was bad.. I swiffer every day!!!
2. Roller the fur off of everything! 2 cats =”s lots of fur (1 long hair & 1 short hair)
3. Running late to everything – I seem to never be early
4. Wishing my coffee was bottomless
5. Dishes every night – I never use my dishwasher.. LOL
Nina says
my reply disappeared again.
:/
im just doing 9 things all the time. ill put it at that.
Ruchita says
I have the same pet hair roller from Target! I also keep mini rollers in my purse and car. Other than removing cat hair, I feel like I’m always…
1. In the car. I have about a 20-30 minute commute one way to work and then during lunch I try to get out and run errands. There isn’t much in the way of public transportation where I live. I carpool with my husband, so at least I have some company.
2. Trying to entertain my cats. Mingus used to be an outside kitty and sometimes goes stir crazy being in the house. I try to keep him distracted with toys, but the furry brat gets bored easily, even though I change up his toys. 🙂 His latest craze is chasing balls of paper around the house. Luckily Ella is low key and is content with being petted and cuddled.
3. Multi-tasking at work. I know it’s supposed to be counterproductive, but it’s sometimes hard to just focus on one thing at a time – especially when everyone thinks their request of me is the top priority!
4. Checking Twitter. I don’t tweet much, but I love following others – especially celebs!
5. Wondering where the time went. It seems like the days go by so fast. I feel like I need to manage my time better.
6. Waiting for the next episode of True Blood. I am loving this season and I’m always bummed when the latest episoide is over.
This was a fun post. Thanks for sharing the cute pix of Tabs in the sink. Kitties always brighten my day!
Karen says
Hi Ruchita,
I keep mini rollers in my purse, too. I should probably just give up and let the cat hair take over!
What are Mingus’ favorite toys? Tabs has been really into feather flyers lately.
Ruchita says
His favorite used to be Da Bird. He would literally do flips in the air trying to catch the feathers. If you buy it, make sure to get refills b/c Mingy has chomped through a few changes of feathers!
Another one is the Cat Dancer, which I also found on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Da-Bird-Feather-Teaser/dp/B000F9JJJE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311792647&sr=8-1
Lately, he enjoys it when I ball up a piece of paper and roll it around the corner or throw it down the stairs. Sometimes he’ll entertain himself by batting it around on the linoleum, which is really cute to watch. 🙂
Karen says
That toy looks very similar to what I just bought Tabs. 10 minutes into his first play session he tore out a feather. Thank goodness for refills!
(It also makes me think that I should never wear earrings with long feathers… )
Mingy sounds so cute! 🙂
Kim says
I feel like I’m always…
1. TIRED! 🙂 I swear, I could sleep 12 hours a day and still feel tired. Aren’t you supposed to need less sleep when you get older?
2. Cleaning up cat puke. I know, I’m sorry. TMI. But it’s true. Our oldest kitty is a daily puker. I might as well carry a can of Resolve around all the time.
3. Running for the kids. Between sports, school stuff and just family stuff, it seems like we’re always on the go.
4. Doing dishes and recycling. How on earth can 4 people go through so many dishes and bottles/cans? It’s just weird.
5. Reminding myself to be more patient. I really do that. All the time.
6. Looking ahead. Whether it’s to a walk in 20 minutes, to errands after work, to a birthday party this weekend, it seems like I’m always thinking about upcoming events. I have my live-in-the-moment times too but I don’t notice them as much (because it only seems like you’re always doing things you don’t enjoy much!).
I’m not really a fan of the number 6, but I guess that’s all I have today. 🙂 If you asked the Hubs what he thinks I’m always doing, he’d say Exercising and Reading a book (without hesitation). There are worse things, right?
Karen says
I feel tired ALL THE TIME. Even when I try to go to bed early it just isn’t enough.
AND OMG RE: THE CAT PUKE! All I have to say is thank god we bought budget carpet and not the fancy stuff. There’s nothing like walking into a room first thing and finding dried-up barf in the corner… good times.
Kim says
Thank you! So many cat owners are like “what? cat puke?”. It’s nice to know we’re not the only ones. And about the carpet, one of the Ev Rev photos had a gray tabby on beige carpet and I immediately thought “do all owners of gray cats also have beige carpet?”. Ours is pretty good at hiding the copious amounts of cat hair, and I’m very thankful for our stainmaster coating! 🙂
Karen says
Oh yeah, I think that was Instant Karma’s baby, Tigger. Our beige carpet does a pretty good job of hiding both the fur AND the puke, LOL!
Ugh, the worst was the day I went into my office and found tabby barf on my desk… That was fun.
Natalie says
Ha! Cat puke comes with the territory and anyone who denies it happens are in denial! I have FOUR kitties and I swear one of them is ALWAYS puking. The worst is when I get up in the middle of the night for a bathroom run and step on some IN BARE FEET! Ewww! Or how about when the crazy kitties eat their food too fast and then proceed to puke up said food COMPLETELY UNDIGESTED! Such a waste of expensive cat food! Argh! The trials and tribulations of CCLs never end….
NeenaJ says
Another CCL to chime in on cat puke! I’ve got one who barfs hairballs and another who wolfs his food down so fast, it often comes right back up. I swear by Woolite carpet stain remover with Resolve. (And dark beige carpet!)
annick says
HAHAHA I do the pet roller and music on repeat things all the time!
Stef Smith says
El Debarge is the best middle name ever! I love it! I feel like all I ever do is feed my kids (Mama, I’m hungry!), do laundry, fix my hair (I have a short shag and I like to mess with it, a lot!), and make endless lists: how to go greener, grocery lists, places I want to vacation, chore lists, exercise lists, etc.. But I figure it keeps me sane! El Debarge, best middle name ever!
Karen says
It is so satisfying to say his entire name when he gets in trouble, LOL!
How old are your kids? 🙂
Chelsea says
Great post!
I haven’t thought much about how little my routine varies from day to day, until now.
It’s actually a little sad. Lol
1) Walking my dog. It’s our daily morning routine, but I never get used to waking at 5am… it’s too FRACKING early. I really hope Zeus appreciates it. ; )
2) Driving. I commute to work and commute to see my boyfriend, who lives an hour away. Good thing I have great tunes on my ipod to keep me from going crazy! Pavement and sagebrush aren’t really that pretty.
3) Aimlessly wandering itunes. I LOVE the Genius feature, it’s SO easy to find new music to love. Unfortunately, it’s not so kind to my pocketbook.
4) Doing homework. I swear, it never ends. Why, oh why did I sign up for a summer course?!
5) Checking M&BB. It’s a habit and an addiction rolled up into one sweet little package. I just can’t help it, you have great posts that are helpful and usually a little humor is thrown in, which scores big points in my book.
Caitlin says
This post reminded me of a website I used to use in college when I missed my cats at home. You should upload this picture of Tabs!
http://catsinsinks.com/
Karen says
I have waaaay too many pictures of Tabs in sinks. I just might submit one of ’em. Thanks Caitlin!
Are you at home for the summer, btw?
Y. says
i’m always listening to songs on repeat! they never get old:)
Karen says
Glad to know I’m not the only one. 😀
Linda says
you should add a drop of detergent to the blender, half filled with water… blend… pour… rinse… it’s clean!!!
Karen says
Hi Linda,
I just tried your trick… it worked! GENIUS!
Linnea says
Karen! I do the same thing with lists, Listening to songs on repeat(my latest has been Jessie J’s Who You Are).
Also, it seems like I’m always doing:
1. updating my ipod.
2. Laundry! A constant process that never ends!
3. Driving.
4. Thinking about how I should be exercising.
Karen says
Hi Linnea,
I haven’t updated my iPod in ages! Found any good music lately?
Linnea says
Of course!
I’m really liking Jessie J right now(listen to Who You Are and Nobody’s Perfect), Heartbeats (both the Jose Gonzalez and The Knife version), and Christina Perri.
Sarah says
KAREN! I love these list posts 🙂 I’m such a list person and I like makin’ em, doin’ em, and makin’ em again 🙂
Rachel says
Awww! Look at Precious Baby Cat in the sink! Soooo cute! I have been making killer mango-banana smoothies lately! And love the new Britney album! I especially love to crank it the last hour at work, makes time fly!
Cassi Teague says
ahhhh!!! Im ALWAYS buying pet hair rollers too! And I can never wear black! Dang the fur… but I could NEVER live without them! 🙂
Jenny says
OMG you made me crack up so hard with the inheriting hair thing! I totally know what you’re coming from as a person with furry pets though – I now look at whatever material clothes at stores are made out of and think “will this attract fur?”
You’ve got me really wanting to give Turquatic a try when it relaunches. And for me flossing is like having bottles of water on my desk. It’s not really a big deal when they’re not there but if I have floss on my desk I will reach for it at random times of the day!
And my dog Max has Sir Maxalot and (The) Maxinator. His “pet” names are always more grandiose than he maybe deserves but I think it’s to make up for all the times I call him “cutie” and “sweetie” etc.
Leslie says
I call my cat lots of names too. Lummox, Loaf, Meathead, Professor Herp Derpington!