Let’s all agree, Halloween 2020 was a bit of a fail. We were figuring out how to celebrate the spooky season at home. This year, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to get out and about to show off your look. ColourPop’s second Hocus Pocus collection is here to make that even better. If you weren’t able to grab the sold-out line the first time, you’re in luck. The second drop features an entirely new assortment of products — but that’s not all. There will be a limited restock of last year’s items, too! Channel the Sanders Sides (costume idea?) with a limited-edition line with fall-ready shades and textures. Per usual with Colourpop, the packaging is too cute for words.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

The 1993 film is iconic for its somewhat campy witches played by favorites Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker. Weirdly at the time, it wasn’t a huge hit and was mostly critically panned. But in the past 28 years (!!!), it’s become a sensation and a must-watch around Halloween. Now, you can have it on your TV while you create hilarious TikToks with the Colourpop collection.

ColourPop.

To be honest, this year’s collection looks even better than the last. The “Coven Crew” line includes a new 12-pan eyeshadow palette with creamy mattes and shimmering metallics, three new shades of Super Shock Shadow, three new shades of the hybrid formula Fresh Kiss Lip Crème, a spider QT Mark Face Stamp, a Binx-inspired handheld mirror, and the brand’s first-ever candle, inspired by the film’s iconic Black Flame Candle.

ColourPop.

The line launches on September 23 and is expected to sell out as first as the first drop. Check back here to shop.

“Pooh always
liked a little something at 11 o’clock in the morning, and when Rabbit said,
‘Honey or condensed milk with your bread?’ he was so excited that he said,
‘Both,’ and then, so as not to seem greedy, he added, ‘But don’t bother about
the bread, please.’”

—A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

We have all had decades at our hands to understand exactly what foods
we like to eat. So, keeping Pooh’s point in mind, it should be easy to choose
to eat less of what we don’t like.

Cut Out on Foods You Don’t Enjoy

For instance, Leslie enjoys a pasta dinner, but the sauce is the
best part. Taking a smaller portion of noodles and using a little more sauce
reduces the calories she consumes by one-third or more.

Pat likes the texture and flavor of bread and mayonnaise in a
sandwich, but what’s in the middle is less important. A low-calorie option is
to substitute a stack of lettuce and a slice of tomato for the calorie-rich
meats or cheeses.

Making your sandwich topless – even PB&J – is a good
tactic if you don’t care about the bread. Cutting out a slice of bread will
save you some calories.

Identifying what you really want is an opportunity to introduce
mindful awareness into your meal planning process. It’s a strategy that pays
off twice: you get more satisfaction while you take less in.

Tasty Food Is More Satisfying

The
better your food tastes, the more fulfilling the experience of eating will be.
Just a few bites of something really delicious can be more enjoyable than a
plateful of less flavorful food. Top quality foods can be expensive, but they
are worth it if you can eat smaller portions of them and be equally satisfied.

You
also get more enjoyment from food that looks beautiful. That’s why arrangement
on the plate is such a big deal in fancy restaurants.

It
will help you take less in if you opt for quality foods and take a few extra
moments to prepare and set them out in an attractive way.

With
mindful awareness, focus on the taste and texture of each bite. Eating more
slowly helps you savor the flavor, which makes it easier to eat smaller
portions.

Helpful Hints to
Enjoy Your Meals

If
you need more practical tips, here are three that can improve your eating
habits:

Take Smaller Bites

You
get to enjoy the flavor longer when you take two or three small bites rather
than one big mouthful.

Take It Slow

Remember
to put your utensils down after each bite. Slowing the momentum of eating gives
you the time to relax and fully appreciate the flavors.

Stop Sooner

When you savor the flavor, just a few bites of a treat can
satisfy you. Save what’s left to enjoy another time.

How to Do It Every Day

See how many bites you can get from a 100-calorie portion
of one of your favorites – two, three, four, or even more.
This is a great way to maximize enjoyment of a special treat with minimum
damage and minimum guilt.

Think of five of your favorite dishes and decide what you really
want from each. Be creative in coming up with lower calorie versions. Use more
of the ingredients you like best and eliminate or reduce the rest.

If you find success with these new and improved recipes, go ahead
and create satisfying low-calorie versions of all your regular dishes at home.
When eating out, it can’t hurt to ask for substitutions that get you more of
what you really want.

How often do you eat just to be full? Do you enjoy your food? What
can you do to make your meals tastier and to add enjoyment to this everyday
task? Please share your thoughts with our community.

I announced my decision to retire just before my 65^th birthday. It wasn’t my first retirement. A divorce forced the sale of my business at the crack of Covid. My emergency back-up career in real estate served me well, but reaching Medicare age gave me a nudge to step back and spend more time with my toes in the sand at the local beach.

Writing Projects by the Dozen

I’ve always been a writer, though not making my living that way past age 30. My education and the itch to write have always nagged. One important piece of unfinished business now that I’m retired is to finish “the book” – actually more than one, I hope.

Twenty-thousand-plus words of a novel follow me around in my head and the cloud. The idea of memoir intrigues me. A bestie and I have a series of five kids’ books written – one already illustrated.

In this new world of writer in retirement, I have a lot of high hopes.

A Ton of Distractions

I also have my eye out for new spots to lunch and thrift shops to sort through on rainy days. I try not to miss Marguerita Monday or the Saturday farmer’s market. And there’s Yappy Hour on Sunday at the local brewery where Lassie and I socialize with other pups and their people.

With trips to the library and practice for band rehearsals, I’m having a hard time prioritizing “the book.” Being my own task master is harder than I thought. In professional life, I had clients to serve – built-in motivation. How do I keep my ass in the chair when the sun is shining, and I can be at the beach in 15 minutes?

The “F” Word

Listening to a podcast while I was cleaning my desk drawer and waiting for the pasta timer, I was reminded of the importance of FOCUS. A real estate trainer’s description of focus as the f-word was like turning the knife. Ouch! I lifted weights while he told me the enemies of focus: 1) distraction, 2) multi-tasking and 3) drift.

It’s hard not to laugh as I look at the trash can, evidence that tidying my desk has been pure (yet productive) distraction. I’ve multi-tasked a pretty pasta salad to pair with chicken on the grill later. A phone call, “Want to grab lunch?” and afternoon drift slides into Wine Wednesday… what can I say? I’m weak. After all, I’m retired.

I had a retiree’s dream summer: chilling in the Florida Keys, camping with family to celebrate Mom’s life and a birthday trip for my boyfriend to see his beloved Buffalo Bills’ season opener in person. I Bill-ieve!

But here we are: back-to-school, a season that’s always been knuckle-down time for me. I know I can do it this year, too. I’m learning that if I turn on the focus first thing, after I’ve taken care of lingering details and the frogs I need to eat before I have too much fun, a daily routine is slowly developing.

New Beginnings

Philip Roth once said, “The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.” I sure do not want to be on that road. Understanding that setting goals and keeping them is what sets finishers apart, I’m getting the swing of daily word counts. I’m learning the importance of finishing a draft before rewriting and leaving “space” between edits.

It’s a solitary pursuit, which is tricky for me because I am a social animal. But I’ve learned I can write anywhere – on the bus, in a coffee shop, at the beach. Concentrating in public eliminates all the distractions of home. I can’t do laundry or rearrange a closet or walk the dog.

At first, I felt uncomfortable, but now if someone asks what I’m working on, I just say, “I’m a writer,” as if that explains everything.

Since I’m new to fiction, I read about dialogue and conflict and character development. I’ve toyed with apps and writing programs and joined a writers’ community for support. After all, I’m a beginner. But I got some very good advice for us all at a real estate retreat. Stop learning. Take a break from research and learning and do the work. Begin. Get through the middle. Finish.

Play Time

We have earned the right to have fun after our years of wage earning. I remind myself that I’m not in this for the money. It’s my choice: to agonize over words on a screen and beat myself up when there aren’t enough words and celebrate when the words are published. If I quit today, no one would notice but me. But there is nothing else I do where time disappears, and I feel so good afterwards.

For you, it might be golfing, gardening, spending time with grandchildren or driving cross country. We should be doing what exhilarates us. “Core pursuits” are key to a satisfying retirement, according to Wes Moss in his book What Makes the Happiest Retirees. His research found happy retirees had more than 3.6 activities they enjoyed while unhappy retirees have less than two activities.

Nothing makes me giddier than a good 500 words, followed by a bus ride downtown and a walk to the library. I told a friend I feel reincarnated as “That Girl.” Recalling Marlo Thomas hopping off a city bus in that classic scene, she emojied me a beret. I texted back, “Let’s do lunch!”

What projects have you started in your 60s? How many have you finished? Do you get distracted easily? What’s the worst interrupter for you? How do organize your time to finish a project? Let’s have a chat!

Jennie Nguyen’s Copper Salt and Pepper Set Cooking In Her Kitchen

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 2 Episode 2 Decor

Jennie Nguyen’s copper salt and pepper mill set may not have been the cutest thing in Jennie’s family cooking scene (hello adorable and hilarious daughter, Karlyn) but they hold their own. While Jennie’s mill set is a modern yet timeless countertop addition, the functionality by way of adjustable settings has my heart. Jennie’s set has six levels for pepper and three levels for salt allowing for the finest grind to crumb-sized granules. I’m not sure what kind of amateur hour I’m running in my own kitchen with my singular grind mode but it’s clear it’s time to step up my game and get on Jennie’s salt and pepper level.

Until next time,

Chelsie

Click Here To Shop Jennie’s Copper Salt and Pepper Set Here

Click Here To Shop Additional Stock

Originally posted at: Jennie Nguyen’s Copper Salt and Pepper Set

Let’s all agree, Halloween 2020 was a bit of a fail. We were figuring out how to celebrate the spooky season at home. This year, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to get out and about to show off your look. ColourPop’s second Hocus Pocus collection is here to make that even better. If you weren’t able to grab the sold-out line the first time, you’re in luck. The second drop features an entirely new assortment of products — but that’s not all. There will be a limited restock of last year’s items, too! Channel the Sanders Sides (costume idea?) with a limited-edition line with fall-ready shades and textures. Per usual with Colourpop, the packaging is too cute for words.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

The 1993 film is iconic for its somewhat campy witches played by favorites Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker. Weirdly at the time, it wasn’t a huge hit and was mostly critically panned. But in the past 28 years (!!!), it’s become a sensation and a must-watch around Halloween. Now, you can have it on your TV while you create hilarious TikToks with the Colourpop collection.

ColourPop.

To be honest, this year’s collection looks even better than the last. The “Coven Crew” line includes a new 12-pan eyeshadow palette with creamy mattes and shimmering metallics, three new shades of Super Shock Shadow, three new shades of the hybrid formula Fresh Kiss Lip Crème, a spider QT Mark Face Stamp, a Binx-inspired handheld mirror, and the brand’s first-ever candle, inspired by the film’s iconic Black Flame Candle.

ColourPop.

The line launches on September 23 and is expected to sell out as first as the first drop. Check back here to shop.