⚒️ Lil Treasures #62: Mascara and Jael Day
Plus: non-legging NOT HARD pants, temporary pink hair, and losing a hamster
It’s a Q+A week! HURRAY! We have a good mix: some Lent questions, some normal questions, a few links - the whole shebang!
Q: Will you please link your mascara?
A: I have been on a MASCARA JOURNEY so allow me to be your Gandalf the Grey (kind of dirty, unenlightened, tour guide-ish). My favorite is NARS Climax, but I buy the travel size because of budget reasons. Then Bri McKoy mentioned Maybelline’s Lash Sensational (thank you for not going with something bonkers like Lash-sational or Sensationalash) Sky High Mascara and it MIGHT be my new go-to. Apparently, it was all over The TikTok and therefore sold out at all my local places, but you can snag it here and also just not go in a store right now if you don’t want to.
Q: What’s the best way to figure out what to fast from for Lent?
A: This is taken from The Lent Primer, which you get when you join the Memento Mori community for Lent this year (or when you purchase any of the Lent studies):
One of the pillars of Lent is the fasting aspect. It’s not glamorous, it’s not fun, and in some cases, it can be awful. You probably already know exactly what you should give up for Lent. It’s the thing that keeps coming to mind when you think about it, but everything in you resists saying out loud. We’ve talked about why we’re fasting. Let’s dive into a way for you to discern your own personal fast.
What gives me comfort?
What is a distraction?
What is unnecessary?
What would I feel the absence of ?
As you prayerfully discern your fast, please be aware of your mental and physical health, as well as who you are. A person with history of eating disorders doesn’t need to feel pressure to give up a certain food. If your job is a social media manager, then it’s not feasible for you to give up social media entirely. If you’re a new mom, you’re already giving up more than an hour of sleep. The point is not to successfully complete a fast, the point is to grow closer to Jesus.
And just a friendly reminder: there is no trophy at the end of Lent. It’s an invitation, not a contest (Narrator: she said, basically just to remind herself).
Q: What church holiday doesn’t exist but you think it should?
A: I wish we had a feast day for Jael, who killed Sisera and then told him, as he was dying, to have a great time in hell and to make sure he tells his dad he was murdered by a lady [🔥HUGE BURN🔥] (in Jewish tradition, Sisera’s voice was so powerful that walls would shake and birds would fly out of trees when he spoke, and Deborah was the only person on earth who didn’t flinch at it). Jael and Deborah are very cool. What is this newsletter, where we talk about mascara and women driving tent pegs into skulls? The Lazy Genius had a great episode about making your own holiday: do you think we can get her to fast-track Jael Day?
Q: Favorite non-legging, NOT HARD pants?
A: Okay so for a splurge I’m a fan of Athleta’s Brooklyn pants. Very partial to the Brooklyn Ankle Pant and the Rainier Jogger Pant. For a more budget-friendly option, I adore these All in Motion wide leg pants from Target. I got them last year when I went to Honduras because they are super comfy, make me look more dressed up than I actually am, and have a hidden pocket.
Q: Resources for celebrating Black history month? Wanting to support the Black community.
A: Become Patrons for Black creators (I just started supporting two of my favorite podcasts, Melanated Faith and Truth’s Table, this way), amplify Black voices in your social feeds, and if you are a decision-maker for things like conferences or publishers, you can be a part of searching out and hiring Black voices (and not just to speak on racism!). I’ve also taken courses with Brownicity (a GREAT resource) and Be the Bridge. I think, if you are white and working towards being anti-racist, one of the greatest things you can do is continue to educate yourself and practice anti-racism and pro-Black-flourishing all year long. This year, I’ve learned so much about reparations and the history of white supremacy in church culture, and I’d like to continue to sit in that posture. The Popcast also has a great infographic here on media that helps in this endeavor. I’m so looking forward to Osheta Moore’s book, Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and Grace, coming out in May of this year. I love everything Osheta puts out, and I know this book will be no exception. No pre-order information available yet, but definitely follow Osheta for those announcements.
Okay, it’s treasure time.
🧧 I am so into Bling Empire on Netflix — it’s become my lunch show. Thanks to my friend Retha, who told me of its joys. It’s VERY FLUFFY, but with moments of real depth? Everyone surprises me and sometimes I just like looking at fancy parties and designer gowns. I did not know I would come away with such strong feelings towards the Red Power Ranger, but here we are.
💁♀️ The pink in my hair is fading, but LO I HAVE FOUND A SOLUTION. My new favorite find is this hair mask from Sephora! They have all sorts of fancy colors (I’m using the rose gold) and it really stays in for a few washes.
😳 Did you see the video of the aerobics instructor in Mynamar dancing as a coup is happening in the background? GUYS. WHAT ARE WE DOING?
☀️ These cold and dreary days have me craving sunshine - I need it shining on my face and I need it injected into my soul. If you have felt the same way, let me present you with some sun in the form of this song loop from Emily Drinkard.
🐹 This Twitter thread about a Dad who loses his daughter’s hamster and then freaks out is so pure.
👵🏻 A senior living community in Oklahoma has a drums exercise class for their residents, and it’s about the most precious thing I’ve ever seen. Lord, let me be this spry when I’m old. Amen.
🐼 It’s been snowing like crazy up north (could you please share some with the rest of us too?) and this article about pandas and other zoo animals frolicking in the snow in Washington D.C. is a wholesome treat.
🕺 May this vibe carry you through whatever comes your way this week.
I’m hanging out around the internet in a few places this week:
🌹 Faith Adjacent: Bachelor Nation - the best compliment I got for this episode was “I started listening thinking this would be a stretch, but you convinced me!”
😎 The Popcast: NOs of Dating - I’m basically just in the background laughing in this, but it’s a genuinely hilarious listen.
🗺 I really loved chatting with Katie for this episode of her podcast: Relatable. We talked about so many different things and I love how she structures her episodes!
Good tweets? Good tweets!
Good job everyone! You made it to February! As a reminder, if you have the ability, there are still some needs in the We Got You Club, and don’t forget that second tab: I Got This! Can’t wait to read your treasures! So many exclamation points!!!!
And just a reminder: if you want to purchase the Lent guide for this year, Memento Mori, Lil Swipes get the biggest discount because I heart you so big. Use code LILSWIPES at checkout here for 20% off!
Love you! Mean it!
— Erin
Happy Friday Erin and all!!!
I am here for a Jael Day. I LOVED those bad-ass women of the Bible stories growing up.
Also that Mariah Carey TikTok was flawless. I could watch it on a loop 😂
My Treasures this week have my all In butterflies just typing 😂
Y’all remember way back when a year ago I was like “so there’s this boy...”
WELL.
That boy is now my FIANCÉ.
Fiiiionnnnnsaaaayyyyyyy (yes this is what Half of our text thread looks like at the moment)
I have a literal Diamond Ring of Engagement on my finger.
I am Affianced.
I am getting married to my favorite person in the whole wide world!
He played his little ukulele (that I helped teach him!) and asked me to “take his hand and his whole life too.” I couldn’t be a happier girl. ☺️
Most of y’all (by the magic of this gathering space to bring people together) have heard this news from my own mouth or on my IG at this point, but I wanted to bring it full circle and officially update the lil swipes here in the Friday comments. Y’all are so sweet and have prayed and loved and cared about me for a year now and I couldn’t be more grateful. 😚
Love you all!! Mean it!
Good morning lovely ladies!
Happy to be back in the comments after going radio dark last week. We found out a week ago Wed. that Mom (75 with an autoimmune disorder) was not feeling great. Thursday she went to the ER and was given a Covid diagnosis. It has been a long, exhausting week for my family, but there are so many treasures:
1. Her case was not strong enough to cause her to be admitted to the hospital. She got to go home.
2. Against all odds, my father (78 with COPD) does not appear to have gotten it from her...or if he did, he is 100% asymptomatic. And I'm tearing up being able to type that.
3. Some of my Swipes friends saw a post I made on IG about all this and flooded my venmo with dollars for a grocery drop to the parents, a coffee for me, or whatever was needed. I was completely undone with their generosity and am still crying about it as I type this one, too.
4. Yesterday my mom told me for the first time since everything started (two weeks ago this Sunday) she felt most like herself. Praise.
There have been other treasures, too, but none of them have been on the internet. Mostly, I'm just so thankful for this community, the friendships I'm making from it, disposable income to buy some of the treasures y'all share and good sleep.
Hope everyone has an amazing weekend!