Kenya Moore’s Neon Yellow Lace Dress in Confessionals

Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 12 Episode 17 Fashion

Despite a trip to Greece and looking stunning in a neon yellow lace dress in her new confessionals, Kenya Moore didn’t have the best episode of her life, thanks to issues with her marriage to Marc Daley becoming public. I really felt sympathetic for Kenya and I thought it was nice that the other women sort of rallied around her in support, whether they’re close or not. And thennnnn I saw a preview for next week’s episode in which Kenya seems to blatantly shade Cynthia Bailey’s knowledge of wine pairings (going after a friend’s business is never cool) and I realized that perhaps my feelings of sympathy may be better put towards those of you who might not get your hands on this perfect-for-spring dress.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Marc Jacobs Dress

Originally posted at: Kenya Moore’s Neon Yellow Lace Dress

Facebook comes with both its upsides
and downsides, as we’ve all discovered over the past decade. Some of the
obvious upsides are how Facebook helps us stay connected and involved with
friends and family who may not live nearby, and with those we don’t know
personally, but whose lives intrigue us.

Fair enough.

But also, friends have sworn off
Facebook because of its addictive quality. You’re happily perusing the lives of
the rich and famous, or not so famous, and you look up at the clock only to
discover two hours have gone by when you only meant to distract yourself for a
few minutes.

Like and Unlike

Facebook also introduced a relatively
simple concept with far-reaching implications that can be used for our good outside
the parameters of Facebook. I refer to the “like” and “unlike” feature.

It’s easy: you “like” something or
someone whose Facebook entries please you; you “unlike” something or someone
whose entries don’t please you. Nothing to it. One click, you’re done.

Oh, if we could only keep it that straightforward
in life. If you like someone or something, you put your effort and energy in
that direction. If you don’t like something, you hit a mental “unlike” and
withdraw your attention, your energy, and effort.

But that’s not what we do. We’ve
invented a third button: the “dislike” button. The dislike button means that
not only do we not like that person or thing, we now invest vast quantities of
time, attention, effort, and energy disliking whatever it is we dislike.

We don’t simply hit “unlike” and move
on (which would be far better for us on every level – mental, physical, and emotional – we dwell on our dislike. We can’t
let it go.

What’s worse, harboring negativity depresses
our immune systems. It can disrupt the smooth functioning of our heart and
digestive systems.

In other words, always hitting the
dislike button instead of discarding our negative thoughts can create health
hazards for us, not the least of which is shortening our life span – a truly undesirable consequence.

Take, for example, Betty Jean McHugh, who, at 90, ran the Honolulu Marathon,
breaking the previous record set in the Women’s 90-age category by two hours.
Betty Jean hits the “like” button on her daily runs in Vancouver, Canada,
whether she feels like running or not.

It’s been that way since she began
running in her 50s. Betty Jean doesn’t seem to have a “dislike” button, which
has enabled her to stay active and enjoy life. It shows when it comes to other
runners, whom she supports and encourages.

Learning to Let Go

Hitting the “dislike” button doesn’t
make things better. Dwelling on the thing or person that upset you doesn’t make
the upset magically disappear. Most likely, the “disliked” person or situation
isn’t suffering from your “dislike.”

If it’s a person, they probably
aren’t investing so much as a moment of attention your way. They’ve gone on
with their lives, thank you very much. So, what are you doing, holding
on to your unhappiness?

Learn the value of the “unlike”
button. Click on it and let whatever the misery was go. Or, if it’s
appropriate, figure out what you can do differently in the future so that you
don’t encounter that same unwanted situation/person again.

Whatever path you choose, to simply
let go or problem-solve, let your intention be the same: “unlike” and be done.
“Dislike” no more. Instead, expend your valuable, priceless, important
attention and energy to bring you happiness.

What “thing” do you know
you must “unlike” but can’t? What example can you give in which you
let go of something and immediately felt better? Please share with our
community and let’s have a conversation!

Many of us continue to work past the point
when society expects us to retire. Maybe we don’t feel ready to retire yet,
maybe we just need the money.

Whatever the reason, it inevitably means that
we are working with – and for – people who are younger than we are. Sometimes
considerably younger than we are.

They’re All So Young!

I can’t remember at what point I realised that
pretty much everyone I was dealing with in my life was younger than me. The
doctor, the dentist, the boss, even their boss, the bank manager – all those
people who used to be old!

I started a new job six months ago, after years of working from
home. The people I work with on a day-to-day basis are young enough to be my
kids – or even my grandkids.

It’s interesting, energizing, fun. But it can
also be difficult. Difficult to see younger people progressing ahead of you. Difficult
to see them getting opportunities that you didn’t get when you were their age.
Harder still to see them making the same mistakes that you made.

You Need a Long Memory

It’s easy to dismiss them as not having the
experience, not understanding how the world works. But I think it’s important that
we have a long memory – that we remember ourselves at 18, or 21, or 35, or 42,
and the pressures we were under –
and also what we were capable of.

Respect works both ways. They’re finding their
way in the world, just as we had to. Just as we still are.

Time to Learn

Let’s not always assume that the old way of
doing it (our way or doing it) was the best. The younger generations look at
how we did things and they can see the problems. And things change, the old
solutions don’t work anymore, or the new solutions are better. Time to move on.

There was a prime example at work the other
day. I was on the phone to our tech team, and I needed the serial numbers from
the printer. The printer is nowhere near the phone lines. I would have written
them down, but my colleague simply took a photo on his phone.

It was quicker. And with the photo on his
phone he could enlarge the image to make it clearer, he could send it to
someone, and he could save it for later (and know where he’d put it). Lesson
learned.

Young Boss

And spare a thought for the boss – in charge
of someone old enough to be their mother. Or older than their mother. Don’t
make life difficult for them just because they’re the boss and they’re young.

For whatever reason, you’re not the boss, and
they are – so get over it, and get on with it, and get on with them.

At the end of the day, they probably learned
from us, and we learned from them. And that’s what matters.

How do you feel when surrounded by people
younger than you? Do you allow yourself to feel isolated because of
agism-affected mindset? What would it take you to change the way you think
about and interact with younger people – at work or anywhere else? Please share
with our sisters!

As I dance with this decade known as my thirties, I find that my number one skincare priority has shifted. No longer am I burdened by hormonal breakouts (shoutout to spironolactone). My chief concern is how to firm my skin at home, in order to maintain my complexion’s texture and elasticity. I basically want you to be able to throw cooked spaghetti at my face and have it bounce right back off. That’s a mixed metaphor, but I hope it still paints a seductive mental picture of super bouncy skin.

My career as a beauty editor has led me to amalgamate a decade’s amount of skin wisdom from top dermatologists with my own personal experience. I’ve functioned as a beauty guinea pig, testing the thousands of products that arrive on my desk. Unfortunately, you’re probably going to balk at my advice, because it’s not fun at all: Forget the 10-step skincare routine, put down the cute packaging and drop your coins on active, proven ingredients.

You will find that most truly efficacious products come in unsexy yet airtight containers, which keep their powerful ingredients potent for as long as possible. You will also find that these products command a much higher price tag than your average impulse buy, and they don’t smell like rose petals mixed with kitten feet. However, if you choose to eschew superfluous products in lieu of performance-based ones, you might find that your overall beauty budget will benefit–and your skin will look as fantastic as possible.

Doctors agree with me. “For firm skin, I recommend looking for products that contain growth factors and peptides. Growth factors are essential as they trigger collagen and elastin production which are essential to the skin’s matrix,” says Dr. David Shafer, of Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue. “Peptides are amino acids that make up the building blocks of our skin which are also necessary for skin structure.”

Without further ado, my time-honed advice for maintaining your skin’s supple factor for the long haul. 

Play the long game with growth factors

SkinMedica.

Buy: SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum $281

Yes, this serum is expensive, but it’s one of the few topical products worth the sticker price: it boasts natural growth factors that spur skin to act and look younger. I’ve been using it for years, and my skin is consistently heralded with compliments. My own testimony aside, it’s one of the most doctor-endorsed products around. “SkinMedica’s groundbreaking research resulted in a formula comprised of naturally occurring growth factors (proteins), cytokines, antioxidants and matrix proteins that are responsible for healing the skin, and naturally boost the skin’s ability to rejuvenate itself,” says Dr. Shafer. Even though growth factors work over time to repair skin at a cellular level, I notice my skin looks younger and fresher within a few days of use. 

Apply peptides overnight for an instant boost

Elemis.

Buy: Elemis Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial $65

Combining growth factors with peptides provides the ideal one-two punch against sagging skin. Peptides are chains of amino acids that signal your skin to create new collagen, which is a very important structural protein for your skin. You may have heard of the ingestible collagen craze with its gummies and drink mixes, but there is actually zero research that proves that ingested collagen travels to your skin cells and fosters skin firmness. Zero. The best way to reap the benefits of collagen (other than a healthy diet) is to signal your skin to produce more of it with topical peptides. This silky overnight mask from Elemis acts like spackle for your skin. I wake up with glowy and plump skin in the morning, even after I’ve imbibed too many glasses of Sambuca.

Micro-needle one to two times a week

Sdara.

Buy: Sdara Microneedle Derma Roller $20

The benefits of micro-needling are twofold: first, poking tiny holes into your epidermis spurs skin to repair itself, sending fresh collagen and elastin to the surface. Secondly, micro-needling after applying a skincare product (such as the serums above) with active ingredients helps those ingredients penetrate deeper into your skin. If you’re forking over the cash for premium ingredients, you want to be absolutely certain you’re getting the maximum absorption and mileage out of them. While micro-needling may look scary, it’s not in the slightest, as long as you purchase a derm-approved tool laced with either stainless steel (more affordable) or gold-plated needles (less affordable) to assure cleanliness. I don’t always remember to microneedle my skin, but I try to do it at least once a week with the Environ Gold Roll. Whenever I do, my skin looks firmer and more even by the very next morning.

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Yesterday my mother called me. I live
in Oklahoma, and she lives in Florida. Our regular routine is this: I fly to
Florida in October to celebrate her birthday. She flies to Oklahoma in May to
celebrate mine.

Normally, the risks of being in
Oklahoma in May are tornado related. Since she and I are both native Okies,
tornadoes are no big deal. In fact, when the tornado sirens go off, most Okies,
and I mean this literally, go outside to look around.

I have actually stood on my front
porch, watched my husband run onto the road to record a funnel cloud forming
overhead, and wondered “Must I wear black to my husband’s funeral?” But he
didn’t die. He actually got a really great video.

No Visiting This Year

Nevertheless, my mom called to tell me that she isn’t coming to see me, but not because of the tornadoes. As a woman in her 80s with asthma, she doesn’t want to risk being infected by the coronavirus CoVid-19.

I could fly down there, I suggested,
but she didn’t want that either. She said that I might unknowingly pick up the
virus and bring it to her. This got me thinking about all the things I have
brought into her home, over my life, that she didn’t want.

A Mother’s Lot

As a child, I brought home bugs, both
actual bugs and stomach bugs. I brought home several stray dogs, and a baby
bird that died almost immediately. I brought her school assignments that I
couldn’t figure out, usually an hour before bedtime, when they were due the
next morning. I brought home head lice.

As a young adult, I brought home
dirty laundry, questionable boyfriends, and a bank statement that clearly
demonstrated my lack of financial impulse control.

Now that I have grown into mid-life
and beyond, I work hard to not bring her things she would not want, and so right
now, we will not visit each other.

Are We Over-Reacting?

It looks like CoVid-19 is about as
contagious as the seasonal flu. The flu has never stopped Mom from travelling.
But then again, she’s always been vaccinated against the flu, and there is no vaccine
for CoVid-19.

So, the risk of infection is real.
Additionally, it appears that CoVid-19 has about 10 times the fatality rate as
the flu, particularly for the elderly. Ouch.

No, We Are Not Over-Reacting

If you are worried about being infected, according to The Guardian, it will help to do these things:

Wash Your Hands Frequently with Soapy Water

When you wash your hands, you need to
lather up for at least 20 seconds. That’s enough time to sing one of these
gems:

I Will Survive, by Gloria Gaynor

Stayin Alive, by the Bee Gees

 (I can feel it coming) In the Air Tonight,
by Phil Collins

Fever, by Peggie Lee

Killing Me Softly, by Roberta Flack

(I just) Died in Your Arms Tonight, by Cutting Crew

See how the list goes from survival
to death? Clever, no? Okay, maybe not.

Sneeze and Cough into a Tissue

Throw away the tissues you sneeze and
cough into then go wash your hands. If you can’t do that, sneeze or cough into
your elbow, like Dracula. The whole time I thought Dracula was trying to be
mysterious, when really he was trying to protect other people from his germs.
What a great guy.

Call the Doctor

If you think you might be infected,
call the doctor, and make sure to include your recent travel history. You don’t
need to send your vacation photos. Nobody got time for that.

Stock Your Fridge and Cupboards

Stock up on
non-perishable items
like canned foods, dry foods, and toilet paper. If you ever wanted an excuse to
buy 10 boxes of macaroni and cheese, this is your time. Go for it.

Don’t Touch Your Face

Don’t touch your face is a good piece
of advice. But do you know how hard it is to do? Here’s a test. Go out to the
garage and get that cone that you use on the dog. The cone of shame. Put it on.

If you’re like me, in five minutes
you will be crazy with frustration and have a strong desire to bark at the
neighbor’s cat.

Get Your Flu Shot

If you haven’t already, get your flu
shot. It is possible to get both the flu and CoVid-19 at the same time. Yikes.

And if you can, call your mother. In the seventh grade, I had a research paper due.
I was given three months to work on it. The Friday before the deadline, I gave
my mom a mess of papers and notes. She worked with me all weekend to get it
done. Thanks, Mom.

What plans have you had to put on
hold because of the flu or other virus epidemics? How did that impact your life
and relationships? What solutions have you come up with? Please share with our
community!