Mother's Little Helpers

I've been thinking about gratitude, and all the little things that make this late-40s female life bearable.  For my male readers, you may wish to move along somewhere like here, unless you have a female special someone in my age category and are looking for some sensitivity training (or gift ideas).

In no particular order, the things I can't live without these days:

Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant
In the last six months, since I went artificial-hormone-free, I sweat. Back of the neck, armpits, and everywhere touched by undergarments.  Put me in a wool sweater and my entire body drools.  This little miracle in a twist-up tube keeps me smelling fresh and my pits dry.  Never thought I'd need it.

Drugs
My current pain relief/mood management cocktail consists of a daily Cymbalta, Zomig as needed for migraine, and Robaxacet for the post-migraine muscle ache.  I'm hoping that once I am past this stage of my life, the need for these will disappear.  In the meantime, I'm just cozying up to Big Pharma for a while.

Unscented hairspray and hair management tools
External manifestation of my mid-life crisis mainly consists in growing my hair out.  I've not had long-ish hair since my 20s, and I'm kinda liking it.  More hair management is needed though, particularly in the frizz department.  I've started using conditioner, a product I didn't need when I had short hair.  I use a blow dryer and round brush, and styling cream.  For the grand finale, and so as not to annoy fellow theatre-goers/choir members, I invested in a big ol' can of unscented hairspray.  This hair-fixing time has had to be integrated into my morning routine and so I can't be showered and dressed in ten minutes anymore, my lifelong claim to fame.  I am starting to pine after a flatiron...something like this

.

Boot cut trousers with lycra
They just keep everything tucked in and balanced out.  More or less.

The public library
This is my virtual reading list.  When I see a book I want to read, I stick it on my "hold" list at the library and sooner or later it wends it's way to me.  I often forget why I added it to my list, but no matter.  It keeps me supplied in good reading.

Brita water filter / Kleen Kanteen
My little drug habit above means perpetual dry mouth.  I travel with a water bottle (outside the house) and a glass of water (inside the house).  The Brita means it's cold and virtually tasteless, just the way I like it!

Bedroom air purifier
I bought one at Costco because Z was whining about a bad taste in his throat due to pollution/dog hair/construction debris. "Whatever", I thought.  But once we started using it in our bedroom at night, I noticed that I was waking up with cool, unclogged sinuses and no morning headache.  I assumed everyone had a headache in the morning.  Apparently not. I have one like this.

Vitamin C
Plagued by quarterly UTIs, my family doc suggested I try acidifying my urine by taking 3000 mg of Vitamin C per day.   I'm only taking 2000 mg because I just can't remember to take a pill at noon. (I already have a morning and nighttime med routine.)  But it's working, glory be.

iPod Touch
This little piece of power

 keeps me organized and on schedule.  It also contains hours of podcasts that I can listen to when walking the dog, stuck in traffic, or headachy and unable to read.  It also has tons of music for every mood, and some game to keep me occupied when I'm stuck in a giant line at Costco and for some reason, don't have a book in my bag.

Moleskine diaries
I love these notebooks.  I have a ruled Pocket Moleskine

 for lists, miscellaneous information, dimensions, phone numbers, scraps of information that I'll need to refer to in the future.  It fits in pretty much any bag.  I use a Large Ruled Moleskine

as my notebook/memory book.  I use it in class, for quotes, for longer lists of things I need to organize, and I paste ticket stubs and other ephemera in it.  It's more like a diary-cum-scrapbook.

Light Half and Half
I don't know what they do to it, but it tastes like 10% cream, but is only 5%.  Glory be.  I use it in my coffee and on berries.

I wish I could say that I can't live without a gym bag, or my fat-measuring scale, or my carpet steam-cleaner, but, well, I could.  Easily.