Welcome Back! New Series Coming in August "NYC-Fiddy Dolla Experiment".

I'm baaaaack! Another school year has passed (Year #25, bitches!) and I spent most of this year writing on my other blog, Sarcastic Teacher Musings or just living life in the AB. Well summer is here and as most of you know what that means...NYC excitement! I didn't think I could go this year due to the crappy value of the Canadian Dolla, but after some creative budgeting and grovelling, I am back in business!

I will continue to study at the TCRWP Summer Institute for Reading at Columbia University for part of the time and continue my fun fascination with the city for another week or so. Because I don't like to do anything in a pedestrian or boring way, I have decided to challenge myself even further this year. Why not try to experience the excitement of NYC on less than 50 bucks a day?

Settle down...there are exceptions.

Well, I'm not including the following expenses that will be paid in advance in my Fiddy Dolla Experiment (aka the FDE):

1. My tuition. (Paid by a bursary)
2. My airfare (Paid by a bursary - even though I did get a killer flight for $375 return from Calgary to NYC!)
3. My apartment (Partially paid by a bursary during the dates of my class)
4. My metrocard (Paid by a bursary)
5. My cab ride/Uber to and from the airport (Paid by a bursary)

So the Fiddy Dolla Experiment (FDE) will include my food, entertainment and incidental expenses during my 16 day trip. Yep...I'm crazy. However, I have noticed on my last few trips to the city that I have been spending less and less money on the above items so I am up for the challenge. Not sure how this is going to affect my wine consumption...

If you would like to follow along, I will start the adventure on Wednesday, August 3rd. As I find free/low cost tickets and excursions, I will post the process of acquiring these cheap opportunities.

Looking forward to sharing my journey. Anyone else ever take on an adventure like this? My friend, Kelly will be joining me for part of the trip, but she is not required to take part in the FDE :)

Til next time,
Tracey

Is Jimmy Hoffa In There?? Marie Kondo to the Rescue!

Hey everyone,

Hi, I'm Tracey and I'm a slobaholic. I've always been a slob, but an organized slob. (Okay, denial isn't just a river in Egypt.) When I got sick a few years ago, my slobbiness (is that a word??) rose to a new high, or shall I say low. I got used to things being messy because I just didn't have the energy, physically or mentally, to give a shit. Hot Husband took over most of the household chores and I helped as much as I could. (I know, he's a saint and hot!) Well, that pesky tumor is gone and it's time to get "my rear in gear" and "get'er done" and any other catch-phrase I can think of that means "get your shit together, Trace!"

Since I am on spring break and have successfully spent the last week working on that permanent body imprint on the couch, it's time to do something productive. I have wanted to do a major overhaul of my bedroom for a while. When I was Sick Tracey (aka SickT), I spent a lot of time in bed when I wasn't at work. I want to take that SickT bedroom and make it a FabulousTracey (aka FabT) one! (Of course, Hot Husband will have to give his approval, too.) I've been reading the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and I am ready to kick some clutter's ass! Or shall I say, joyfully declutter my house.

Now I usually make fun of people that get excited about how to fold a sweater (it's just the way I roll), but this beyotch has it goin' on! Below is one of my favourite YouTubers, DoItOnADime, with her overview of the book and the process:

I will take some before/after pics and film some videos, but just wanted to check in on here first. Anyone want to take this challenge with me?

Til next time,
Tracey (Who puts things in brackets waaaaay too much, but it's what's rattlin' around in my head, people!!)

Traceyland Visits the YouTubes! - What's in the Box?? #1

Hey everyone,

I finally got around to rooting through all of those subscription boxes and putting together a summary of what I received in a segment that I like to call, "What's in the Box??" It will be a recurring segment on my Traceyland YouTube channel.  I know, not very original, but if you add a dumb look after you say "What's in the box?", then it is much more entertaining. I also like the vagueness of the title so I can put all kinds of shit in the box and talk about it. See - method, madness, etc...  
Click on the video below for Episode 1 of "What's in the Box??"

 I am presently trying to come up with other topics that I'd like to tackle on my Traceyland YouTube channel. Here are a few options...
1. Who needs a slap?
2. Who's dumber?
3. Why does that person have a rash?
4. Who needs a hug?
5. What the what?

Yes, the options are endless and it keeps my creative juices flowing. Any other segment names are welcomed as are guest appearances. Anyone want to film a segment with me called "Why the hell are you filming this segment with Tracey?"

To recap, here are some pics from the "What's in the Box??" #1

Birchbox - March

Ipsy - Feb

Ipsy - March

Splendies/Volupties - March

Topbox - March

Beauty Joy - Feb

Beauty Joy - March

Well there you have it, folks. That's what was in the box(es) this time! Subscribe to my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_6Dr4gDXpECWrT5kpt-ZQ/feed or just go to www.youtube.com and search for Tracey Land.

Thanks for tuning in!

Tracey

The Subscription Box Fixation is in Full Force!

Who loves to get mail?? This girl (insert thumbs pointing at me now). Plus, that mail song from Blue's Clue's really turns my crank. With the coming of the Ipsy subscription box to Canada and its presence on Facebook with many of my friends, I decided to give it a try. I love beauty products, so I thought I would like it, but what I quickly discovered while waiting for my first bag to arrive, was that the products weren't the only things that I was anticipating. I couldn't wait to get a package in the mail (even if it might be a big bag of poo for which I just paid $15!) I shop online for at least 80% of my purchases, so I am used to getting that little key in my mailbox to open the parcel slot with a bigger package inside (which will in the future be referred to as THE MAGIC SLOT... or maybe not.) But this was different - this was a different kind of anticipation, excitement, preoccupation, keenness or fervor (what did I do before thesaurus.com???). This was a fixation - a subscription box fixation.

So, I did what all neurotic people do - research everything there is to know about subscription boxes. Doesn't everybody? I had heard of Birchbox, so I started there to see if they shipped to Canada and before I knew it I had reached the motherload of subscription box information - www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com.

This, my friends, is where crack-whores go to get their first hit. This women has gathered and organized all of the subscription boxes out there and has put them into helpful categories. I LOVE CATEGORIES! If you look under SUBSCRIPTION BOX LIST it has a section that says SUBSCRIPTION BOXES BY COUNTRY and yes, Canada is there. This guardian angel has already researched which ones get sent to Canada. Did I mention she has them organized into categories, too? She also has reviews, forums, swaps, discussion boards... which will come in especially handy during report card time when I procrastinate by surfing the internet. Holla!

Of course, that wasn't enough information for my huge penchance for useless information. I then started searching for YouTube videos of people unboxing their subscription boxes to see what they were like. First step - search "subscription box", second step - look for which YouTuber has numerous videos pop up. Enter Subscriptionboxmom12. She gets loads of these boxes and reveals them all in tasteful and concise videos. Three words, people - REPORT CARD AVOIDANCE. This is a gift that will keep on giving. Her blog, www.subscriptionboxmom.com has a plethora of info, too and if you scroll along the right column there is a drop-down box with, you guessed it, CATEGORIES. Bless...her...heart.

So the CRTC doesn't fine me for only including US content, I found a fellow addict/fixator from Canada to follow as well. http://cdnboxaddict.blogspot.ca Let's give our fellow Canadian some blog love, eh?

Okay, it's time for me to have a squirrel moment. You know, when you get distracted by something, and you act like a dog when he sees a squirrel and then gets totally distracted. SQUIRREL! This has been bugging me for a while. (Apparently, I need to get a life.) Is it YouTube or Youtube? As a lover of all things grammar and punctuation, it really bugs me that there would be a capital letter in the middle of the word. I've seen it both ways, but mostly YouTube, but I just needed to get it off my chest. And for the record, people can't just go changing important shit like capital letter rules and think there is not going to be a backlash from concerned citizens. I say we all meet somewhere and protest YouTube or Youtube or They Who Shall Break Capital Letter Rules or whatever their bloody name is. It's all because of them that kids don't use capital letters properly anymore. Don't they realize they are ruining the futures of so many wonderful children?? Damn them. Whoo... that was close. I almost blew an O-ring. Thank the good Lord for boxed wine during these emergencies.

Anywho, there's my little foray into subscription boxes and how I began the subscription box fixation. I will be posting reviews/unboxings/smart ass commentaries here as the boxes arrive. A few have already arrived, but I want to think of a creative format for presenting them first. If you want to subscribe to any of the ones that I am trying out right now, check out my ABOUT page and the referral links are there.

 CAUTION: Some of these subscription boxes have adult content. I will not be reviewing those ones here on my blog. I didn't say I won't subscribe to them, I just said I will not be reviewing them here. I wouldn't throw it away if by chance one happened to fall into my magic slot, I mean mailbox. Sheesh, that really doesn't sound good...

Well enough rambling for one night. I have already received a few subscription boxes, so keep reading in the coming weeks to see if any of them look enticing to you. Subscription boxes are not just for makeup, friends. Check them out! You, too, can have a subscription box fixation.

Til next time,
T.

Yes, I'm still alive and all about my new skin care adventure!

Howdy, y'all! (That one's for you Dorn, Amy, Nicole, Rita and all my other Southern Gal-Pals)

Okay. I had very grand ideas (or delusions) about how often I would post here, but don't think for one minute I didn't think about writing!! Apparently, thinking and doing are two different things, so I digress...

My show at school is fast approachin', so I am beyond distracted with all things related to producing our interpretation of Charlotte's Web in 3 weeks! Holy schnikes - so much still to do! I really have to stop wasting so much time 1. Watching hours of YouTube videos 2. Avoiding housework 3. Practising what I would look like with botox in the mirror and 4. Prowlin' Beautypedia to see which  beauty products get 4 stars from Paula. Man that chick has power!

So here are some updates on the goals that I set for the year in my last post.

1. Skin Care

I am kickin' some serious booty in this department! I have got into a great routine for cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing my skin and I think my skin feels great. (I would insert before/after pictures here, but that would mean that I took some and I'm just not that good. Maybe I should buy a new camera just for that. Hmmm.....). Unfortunately, none of the cracks and crevasses in my forehead or face have disappeared. WTF? I thought this cleaning your face thing worked?? Okay, I know, it takes time.

Below are some of the products I have put into my rotation. When I finally get my shit together (after the show is done), I am hoping to put some of it together in some YouTube videos, but for now, my witty banter and out of focus photos will have to suffice.

CLEANSING - Kirkland Brand Facial Wipes (Costco - 150 for $12.99)

Yep. I'm a classy broad. I LOVE these and they are in a box with 150 wipes (4 regular packs of 30 with plastic closure + 2 travel packs of 15) and I think it was $12.99. They smell awesome, are plenty moist (I use one side for my face and then flip it over to do my eyes) and they make my skin feel fabulous. I have tried a few other brands, but really wasn't impressed. Thanks to Angie on Hot & Flashy YouTube channel for this great recommendation!

CLEANSING/EXFOLIATING - Neutrogena Pore Refining Daily Scrub (Wal-Mart - $11.99)

Gets into those crevasses, I mean pores and cleans them out. Who knew they needed cleaned out?? This is gentle enough to use every night.

CLEANSING/EXFOLIATING - Dynamic Duo Face Brush (Sephora - $19)

When I started exfoliating, I thought it would be cool to have one of those Clarisonic-type vroom-vroom face machines to massage the skin, but it really wasn't in my budget right now, and I probably would stop using it in a week anyway. (I'm kinda famous for that) So I saw this little guy in Sephora the other day and decided to give it a shot. I was returning some lip gloss that set my mouth on fire, so with the money from the returned product, this technically was free. That's how money works, right??

RETINOL/ANTIAGING - Natsyl Retinol (Marshall's - $15.99)

I can only use this bad boy every 2nd night or it dries out my skin. Apparently, the blend of retinol, vitamin c and hyaluronic acid will do wonders for my skin. And it was regularly $50 and it was on sale for $15.99, so it must be good, right?? It wasn't rated on Paula's Choice Beautypedia, so I am going to give it a 4 star rating even though I know nothing about skin care. It was made in Spain and there are a lot of hot men in Spain so that should give it a few stars. I wonder if Paula uses this logic in her ratings?? If not, she can get ahold of me at traceylandblog@gmail.com and I will enlighten her to the gift of bullshitting.

SERUM - Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Advanced Time Complex Capsules (Costco - $34.99 for 2 containers of 60 capsules each).

On Makeup Alley, I read that these products are discontinued and Costco bought them all up and are selling them for dirt cheap. (They used to sell for $59 for 30 capsules). They also warned that they could be expired and might be rotten. Oh well, what's a little rotten oil on my face. You break these little buggers open and the minerals and antioxidants and any other buzzword in skincare just bursts out of them. Until I start smelling like a deep fryer at a fastfood restaurant, I'll keep on using them. I like using the leftover amount on the back of my hands, too. Anybody else getting old-lady hands????

MOISTURIZER (AM/PM) - Eucerin Replenishing Face Cream Night (Superstore - $8.99)

I also have a stash of Cerave AM and Cerave PM that everyone raves about for such a great price, but my skin was way too dry for regular-strength moisturizers while I was in the beginning phases. I believe the scientific term is "drier than a popcorn fart". Okay, all you Saskatchewanites out there know that phrase, admit it. I kept trying every kind of moisturizer I could in the drugstore until I found one that seemed heavy duty enough to grease me up each night. I really like this one, but hopefully, I can start just using it at night and use the Cerave in the morning, because it is pretty greasy and I need to always wait at least 10 minutes before I can put any makeup on top of it. Yes, I said I was putting makeup on. Now that's a whole other post...

THE TRACEYLAND WINE GLASS OF SKIN CARE PRODUCTS FOR JAN/FEB

 Now that I have all of these great beauty products, I had to find a way to organize them all. You know what I say to the kids at school - "Organization is your friend!". So I went out and bought this big oversized plastic wine glass to hold all of the skincare products I am currently using to keep them all in one place. NOTE: I do not drink wine out of this glass. I have Big Carl for heavy duty wine drinking purposes.

Okay, I lied. I did have some before/after pictures. Here they are:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

All right, just kidding. I will take some photos, though. I will film some YouTube videos, too, because they look like a lot of fun and then my kids can help me edit them.

But skin care wasn't my only goal. Here's how I did on my other January Goals:

2. Move More

Nope. Still lazy as hell. Busy at school, though, so does that count. Maybe next month....

3. Eat Less Junk Food

Nope. Still eat too much, but not near as much as in December. More on that in another post.

 Okay, this has gone on waaaaay too long, but I need to catch up on the skin care stuff. Maybe I should post more often and in smaller chunks? Of course, I should, I just need to get off my tail and do it!

Til next time,
Tracey

PS. I have formed a mild addiction to monthly box subscriptions. More on that next post!

The Insanity Begins!

Guess what? It's January and I am hoping to live a healthier life this year. (Insert laugh track here). I know, not very original of me. After finally having the surgery last April that helped me not feel like a big bag of poo all of the time, I am ready to make some changes for the better! I promise I won't get all preachy and Gwyneth Paltrow-y on you. I also promise to continue to be sarcastic, inappropriate and overbearing (within limits, of course). It's the way I roll, people.

So what am I thinking about doing? Well, firstly, I need to do something about my skin. It is a mess! Luckily, I've never had acne or skin problems, but many years of neglect have taken a toll on the highway I call my face. I rarely even wash my face. I'm not sure where the makeup goes, but I think it is coming back as wrinkles to haunt me! Although I think I "look good for my age", the wrinkles and creases are starting to get very prominent  and I need to strengthen my skin.

Secondly, I've got to move more. Anyone that knows me can attest to my hyper-active tendancies, however, it doesn't translate into physical activity unless I am walking nonstop in NYC. Hot Husband frequently comments on the body impressions I leave on the couch and I am well known in many parts for my gift of binge-watching tv shows, reading mass amounts of books or spending hours surfing the interwebs while remaining horizontal. Apparently, flapping my gums ad nauseum doesn't qualify as "exercise".

Thirdly, I really need to stop eating so much junk food. Like really need to stop eating so much junk food. Not totally stop eating it, just not eating as much. And as often. And while sitting on the couch binge-watching tv shows for hours/days on end.

My darling children have been wanting to start making Youtube videos about things they are interested in, so I thought I would make some videos myself to chronicle this journey and just have a little fun discussing life along the way. Nothing like seeing yourself on video to highlight all of the things you are hoping to change.

I don't know how often I'll post, but I'll try to keep it light, yet informative, in each entry. Until then, welcome to this crazy place I call "Tracey Land"!

T.