Downscaling.net

This week has been a long strange trip, so it’s only appropriate that it ends with a masquerade ball.

That’s not a euphemism for anything; husband and I will be twirling the dance floor tonight a Carnivale-themed masquerade fundraiser for the local symphony orchestra.

(It’s a long story, and weird considering we don’t even like symphony music.I don’t like any music without lyrics, to be honest.)

Part of my goal to make me feel better about myself this year — thus raising my self esteem and hopefully boosting my overall health and weight loss — includes going to therapy, adopting healthier life habits and doing little things to improve my appearance.

To that end, I am taking the extra two minutes to put eye makeup on every morning and investing a few seconds on better skin care. I even wrote a guest product review about a really great eye cream I’ve been using. (Seriously, add this blog to your reader. The ladies who run it do a great job.)

This week I have been a little negligent in taking care of myself. My arthritis went into serious overdrive and there were days that just walking was difficult. I didn’t make the best nutritional choices; I didn’t get enough rest and exercise– mostly due to the knee pain; I let a few challenges at work burrow under my skin and get me stressed.

Hey, I am new at this “put yourself first” thing.

But tonight I am going all out– makeup, cute shoes, poofy  red dress, and the mask pictured here for the whole Carnivale theme. It will be like the movie “Eyes Wide Shut” only not creepy and certainly no orgy because, ew.

(If that’s your scene, rock on with your bad self. No judgment here. But I don’t want to share every experience in my life. For me, singer George Michael said it best: “Sex is best when it’s one-on-one.”)

I plan to burn some calories by slowly waltzing around the dance floor with my handsome husband, who will be rocking a sexy tux.

I think all women need at least one night when they feel red-carpet ready– glamorous and beautiful. And I think we all need to take the time to care for ourselves every day. I faltered a little bit at that this week, but tonight I am making up for it. And when Cinderella leaves the ball with both shoes on her feet, she’ll remember that every day should have a little Carnivale in it.