The Friday Hustle Before the Hush

 

It's 4 pm and I'm finally able to sit down and talk to you, my Glow Ladies. My day started very late, because yesterday's ended as our neighbor's rooster crowed. We joke that he is a Call Center Rooster as he crows between 2-3 am. I had many things running through my head and being ADHD, I couldn't shake them off until I calmed myself and took the time to write them down. Sleep finally came only after I emptied my thoughts into notes and grounded with a dear friend. 

The Day Starts

By the time I got up at 11, I could feel the old guilt creeping in. But not today. I reminded myself: Queens aren’t late. They rise when they’re ready

I'm not in a race. And it's Friday! Queens are allowed to take it easy on Fridays.  Once, I would’ve skipped my rituals and gone straight to the to-do list. But these days, I move with intention — stretching first, not for fitness, but for softness.

I did my morning ritual and a few more chores before doing some stretches. Mornings are usually on autopilot. I cooked rice, refilled the ice drawer and made new ice, put the dry food containers back to the cupboard, transferred some clothes to our room to dry, folded some and put them back in the closet, started a new batch of laundry, thawed sausage patties for breakfast, and refilled our snack box after stretching.

L-R: Japanese Calbee steak-flavored snack, Cheez It Snap'd in Cheese and Sour Cream, Cheese Chichacorn, Sour Punch, M&S Hazelnut Cookies, Japanese Chocolate Bonbon Biscuits, Gummy Skittles, Korean chocolate snack (forgot what it's called)

My son and I are not sweets lovers, but his dad is. My son and I enjoy sweet treats from time to time. In this box, the first ones to run out will be the savory snacks. The candies here will last a month to two. Well, that is if the hubs will not go through them like peanuts. 😆

Face Cleansing Ritual

I showered after all that pre-breakfast activity. I'm honoring my skin's sensitivities by having a selection of soaps and shower gels. I get an immune reaction if I use a product for a long time, so I regularly switch up my products. 

I also find it pleasurable to choose my scent of the day. It transforms my showers from a muscle memory activity to an intentional ritual.  

Another thing that gives me pleasure while showering is this Mumuso Sakura Foaming Facial Cleanser. 

I don't use the silicone brush. I pump a generous amount of foam onto my cheeks and use my hands.  I slowly and gently rub my face with the foam, being careful to glide my hands over the foam only, and not touch my face with my hands. 

The scent is very mild, doesn't irritate my nose. It cleanses my face, without causing a rebellion. It doesn't leave my face tight and dry. 

After showering, I proceeded with my after-shower ritual that included my favorite hair oil.

I've been wanting to go out for the last few days as we've been cooped up from the back to back typhoons, but since it's Friday, and we are going out tomorrow, I decided to just stay home and finish everything, so that I can relax and recharge tomorrow. 

Multitasking

They say multitasking is bad, but for my ADHD brain, it's a dopamine hit. I enjoy accomplishing several tasks at once or one after the other. It gives me a natural high. 

While the patties were cooking on the griddle and the oil was heating up for the hashbrowns, I tackled the dishes. When the dishes were done, I proceeded to wash my makeup brushes.

I've been putting off washing them because I still have a lot of clean ones. However, I wanted to try my new Mumuso and Muji  makeup brushes tomorrow, so decided that now is the time to accomplish this task. I always wash new brushes before using them. 

A mishmash of Miniso, Mumuso, Muji, Sigma, Bobbi Brown, and Fresh brushes

I'm not a snob when it comes to brushes. I've learned my lesson.

I only spot clean foundation, lip, and eyebrow brushes, but don't use them again. Everything gets deep cleaned before touching my face.

The plate above is Hello Kitty, too, like the bowl below. They were GWPs from Daiso

My formula for washing makeup brushes = dish soap + olive oil. Works like a charm. I don't need those fancy makeup brush cleaners anymore. 

This is how I maintain clean makeup brushes when I travel.

Power Breakfast

Soft days start with Power Proteins

I discovered that I don't like salt on my sunny side up. I added a dash of turmeric on my eggs. 

For breakfast, I cooked eggs, breakfast sausage patties, garlic fried rice, and hashbrowns. My son loves these hashbrowns. 

I created the Carnivore in Harmony Diet, because I started reacting to vegetables after 2 years of being a vegetarian. My son and I eat high-protein meals. You can read more about it by clicking on the link. 

I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at 2:20 pm, while watching Netflix.

Let the laundry run in the machine. 

Let the dishes wait.

Let lunch figure itself out. 

The Queen is dining and she will not be bothered by mundane tasks today. 

Ate half an apple while contemplating things and composing this blog post in my head

Activities that Make My Work Enjoyable

As I type, I’m painting my nails. Small rituals like these remind me: it’s not about vanity, but choosing beauty in the everyday.

I only have 2 shades right now. I used to have plenty of nail polish colors to choose from when I had a small beauty and fashion business named Hyphen. You may browse the archives to see my wares and bazaar adventures. 

I had to remove my nail polish yesterday because this happened:

I guess I worked too hard on the chores that the ring finger's polish  completely peeled off! 

Perhaps tomorrow I'll be able to find a new shade or two for my rotation. Any brand recommendations, my Glow Ladies? I prefer not to go back to using my old expensive brands. With my level of activity, they will just keep chipping. It's not practical for me to wear OPI or Zoya again. 

I always apply rose cuticle oil after applying and removing nail polish.

One removes yesterday's hustle, the other prepares you for tomorrow's

A Pause

Oh, my friend texted. She's ordering notepads again. Apparently, she's almost done with the stack she ordered last school year.  She's a teacher and loves ordering bespoke paper products from me. I'll be sure to share it here when I finish them. 

I'm off to prepare and iron tomorrow's clothes. I will leave you with this fun mini clip. I love collecting toys. I especially have a soft spot for McDonald's Happy Meal toys. 

Say hi to Cam!

Cam now lives on my desk, with Hello Kitty. Proof that grown women can still love Happy Meal magic.

Softness Is My Superpower

The world glorifies hustle, but I’ve learned to glorify pace. My pace. My rhythm. The one that lets me pause, breathe, and honor the woman I am today — not who I used to be, not who I’m expected to be. This softness I’m reclaiming? It’s not weakness. It’s wisdom wrapped in satin. It’s choosing pleasure over pressure. Ease over urgency.

So if your day started late too — or if you’re still wearing your robe at 4 PM — maybe that’s not a failure. Maybe that’s grace. Maybe that’s softness knocking, asking to be let back in.