My favorite thing about this blog post is the recent photograph of me and Annie, taken by my dear friend and professional photographer, Jennifer Denton. Jen was here, taking author photos for my book jacket, and I asked her to take a photo of me and my favorite girl. And my other favorite things? This month I’ve put together a variety of items that may interest you, including books, cosmetics, shoes, and several medical alerts you might find helpful.
What if we start with the most beautiful bronzer I’ve ever used?
A BEAUTIFUL BRONZING POWDER
I’ve tried lots of bronzers and until now, I haven’t like any of them. I have fair skin–I stay out of the sun–so I need a little extra color on my cheeks and my forehead. However, I don’t use bronzer to sculpt the hollows of my cheeks because my face winds up looking like it’s dirty, or I’m trying to be Kim Kardashian, or maybe, I just haven’t gotten the hang of contouring.
Hands down, my favorite bronzer is the best-selling bronzer at Ulta. It’s from Benefit Cosmetics and is called Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer. It’s a powder that goes on like a dream and looks natural. You can start with a light dusting and build from there, or it’s easy to brush it away if you put on too much. I especially like that it doesn’t have any sparkles or glitter. Benefit has four shades, and I chose the one called “Hoola,” which I think would work for most of you. Hoola Lite is super light, think Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Hoola Caramel and Hoola Toasted are too dark. The other thing I love is that it comes in a small 2.25” square, fliptop cardboard box with a mirror inside, which makes it more environmentally friendly.
A WORD ABOUT SNEAKERS
My favorite sneakers are ones that are low and sleek as opposed to tennis shoes, which to me, look clumsy and too big. One of my favorite sneakers is the Adidas Sambas OG. They come in dozens of colors, and over the last couple of years, they’ve been everyone’s favorite sneakers, because my size is always sold out.
If you like this style, don’t confuse them with the Adidas Sambas. While they look alike, there’s one huge difference: The Sambas have an extra-long tongue that sticks up above the laces a couple of inches. Originally, the long tongue was designed to keep soccer players from getting the front of their ankles injured during a game. Today, a lot of wearers slide the tongue off to one side or fold it down over the laces. Either way, it doesn’t look right, but if you don’t do something about the long tongues, they’ll rub a blister on the front of your ankle.
Then there are the Adidas Gazelles. But beware! At first glance, they look like the Adidas Sambas OG, but the tongue on this shoe is made of plastic, instead of leather, so every time you take a step, the tongue rubs against the shoe and all you hear is squeak, squeak, squeak. Yesterday, I took my Gazelle’s to Goodwill. I’d only worn them a few times. I was sorry they didn’t work because they were a pale blush color suede with white trim and went with everything. I hope the new owners don’t mind the squeak.
I could devote several blog posts to comfortable sneakers I’ve tried, but here’s a pair I would buy again. Cole Haan’s Women’s Grand Crosscourt Daily Sneaker.
BOOKS
For the most part, I read only nonfiction and you know my favorite genre is memoir. One of the best memoirs I’ve read is Adrienne Brodeur’s best-selling book, Wild Game: My Mother, Her Secret, and Me. The subtitle used to be “My Mother, Her Lover, and Me.” I’m guessing the publisher suggested they change the title… You’re going to be shocked about what happens on page 12. Brodeur is an accomplished writer and executive director of Aspen Words, a literary arts program of the acclaimed Aspen Institute. Wild Game will have you turning pages to see what happens next!
Even though I’m primarily a nonfiction reader, I decided to see why Kristin Hannah’s novel, The Women, has been the #1 bestselling book in America for a longtime, and I’m glad I did. The main character is Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a nurse who joined the Army in the late 1960s. She’s sent to Vietnam during the height of the war, and her medical unit is on the front lines of the fighting. The novel is well-written (I’m a harsh critic so if the writer doesn’t hook me in the first chapter, I’m gone) and researched, and it’s a compassionate, inside look at these brave soldiers who, for the most part, have been forgotten. It’s more like they were never recognized at all. The Women is historical fiction at its best, and I’m the better for having read it.
FLU and RESPIRATORY SEASON
It’s that time of year to get your Flu shots, especially if you’re over 65. Did you know there are different shots depending on whether you’re over or under this age?
Then there’s the RSV vaccine, short for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, which affects 64 million people annually and causes 160,000 deaths worldwide each year. Like the Flu shot, the RSV vaccine is especially important if you’re over 65. But unlike the Flu vaccine, the RSV is a “one and done.” Get it once and you’re good to go.
If you get the Covid vaccine, there’s a new one that incorporates the strains of the latest Covid variants. Since I have asthma, and now Congestive Heart Failure, I get regular Covid shots. Some people say the shot has caused them problems, but I’ve never reacted to it. While you may still get Covid, the vaccine lessens the severity.
Last week, I got the Flu shot and the updated Covid vaccine at the same time. Tiny tiny needles. Didn’t feel either one, and I had no aftereffects.
CHRONIC SPONTANEOUS DIARRHEA
Yes, you read that right, and yes, it’s a nightmare! Chronic spontaneous diarrhea is not something people usually talk about, but I’ve discovered there are a lot of people, including me, with this horrific condition. It’s something I’ve developed in the last year or so, and it’s awful because I’m housebound until I’m “all cleaned out” which is usually about 9:30 in the morning.
My gastroenterologist says my recent colonoscopy was perfect, as were my blood tests. And since I carry one of the breast cancer genes, which makes it more likely I could get pancreatic cancer, we tested for that, and I’m relieved to say all is well. I don’t have celiac disease either, although when I follow the celiac diet, I feel better and have less bloating so I’m a believer.
If you have this embarrassing and debilitating condition, what do you do about it?
According to my doctor, chronic spontaneous diarrhea is something many women of a certain age develop. He suggested I order Medtrition Banatrol Plus, A Medical Food, a specialized nutritional support for the management of chronic diarrhea. It’s pineapple and banana flakes. Everyone needs to tweak in the number of scoops they take with 4 ounces of water in order to achieve optimum results, but I’m excited, beyond words, to tell you it works!
Till next month, when I bring you more favorite things: Stay safe, be well, and #makelifecount #whatareyouwaitingfor
41 thoughts on “BRENDA COFFEE’S FAVORITE THINGS”
Godspeed your health issue Brenda ! Never heard of it. Good to know.
Fab pic, you and Annie.
Interesting, the bronzer ‘thing’.
Zero clue what it is for. Is it a blush?
Mom made appointment for me, age 16, Neiman-Marcus at the Galleria in Houston TX; a make-up lesson. Her name was Karen. Still using her blush advice, pale white northern European skin/blonde hair, she said to use pale brownish color on my cheeks.
Loved any trip to Galleria, back in the day, it always included Sakowitz across the street, and Joske’s across the street. Always with lunch in the Mariposa room at Neiman’s.
Fond memories of all the booty: shoes, dresses, shirts, coats, shorts…………. We lived on the Gulf across street from NASA, trips to town had to be productive.
What an era.
Looking forward to YOUR BOOK !
Tara, Bronzer… What is it for? LOL! I wondered that forever and a day until I stopped looking at it as a “contour shadow.” When brushed over my blush and on my forehead, it adds a warmth that’s not there without it. The Galleria!!! Anytime there was an opportunity to go to Houston, I always wanted to visit the Galleria! You’ve reminded me of shopping for school clothes. My grandmother would always buy me the nicest things. Your mother was so smart to set you up with a makeup artist/lesson when you were young. 99.9% of women have never had one, and they make all the difference in the world. Thanks for being so supportive of my book, Tara! xoxox, Brenda
Brenda, I’m like Tara. I’m not sure what it’s for if you dont put it under your cheekbones. How do you use it? I see why women say they feel invisible as they age because my eyes just fade away if I don’t use makeup of somekind on them. What do you use on your eyes? You always seem so vibrant and of course, you’re beautiful, which a great many of us are not.
I am curious about how you define ‘beautiful’. We are all beautiful. We might not look like Brenda but every woman is beautiful to me. Some of us might use make-up to enhance some features and it’s ok. Florence, you’re beautiful just the way you are.
YES!!! I couldn’t agree more, Yvonne. We all have our individual strengths and weaknesses that we can play up or down with makeup and especially, with the way we speak and treat one another. xoxox, Brenda
Thank you, Florence. LOL! Other than under your cheekbones…and I don’t do that…I didn’t know what bronzer was good for either, but placed over your blush, on your chin, forehead, a tiny bit on the top of your nose… Anyplace the sun might tan you, bronzer adds a warmth that pulls your makeup together more than if you use only blush. I hear you about fading away. Without makeup, I become part of the wall. You don’t notice me at all. At the very least I use a light, light brown, or a brownish peach shadow on my lids, line close to my lash line with dark brown crayon that stays all day, and mascara. From there I can add a darker version of the lid shadow to the crease of my eye and blend, blend, blend, and a gray/blue crayon on the bottom waterline/eyelid. The last item is a must or I still blend in with the background. xoxox, Brenda
I know all about spontaneous diarrhea. My mother had it and turned into a recluse because she didn’t know when it would strike. Thank goodness you’ve figured out how to deal with it. I’m off to order both of the books you’ve suggested. I’ve seen the “Women” everywhere but since it had a helicopter on the cover, I didn’t think it would be a book I’d like. I love your blog Brenda and look forward to it every week. Thank you, Elsie.
Thank you, sweet Elsie! I write my blog in hopes you and other women will be here, and you are!! Let me know if you like “The Women.” xoxox, Brenda
Bronzer… Count me in. What’s it for? If you don’t contour with it, where do you put it?
LOL! Hi there, Cami. It looks like there’s a big group of us who don’t know what bronzer is for other than contouring our face, and no thanks to that. Lightly dust it over your blush, on your chin, forehead, a tiny bit on the top of your nose… Anyplace the sun might it and add a little color to your face. Bronzer adds a warmth that pulls your makeup together more than if you use only blush. xoxox, Brenda
Brenda, I love this picture of you and Annie! What joy and your bedroom is beautiful. What would we do without our dogs?
Thank you, Serena, and I agree about our dogs. Every dog I’ve ever had has been my everything, especially if I would have been otherwise alone. Annie is funny and smart, she loves to tease and play, and she knows when she’s being funny and genuinely enjoys it. She’s the love of my life. xoxox, Brenda
Love the shoes and bronzer. I’m so sorry to hear of these health issues. Glad you found something that helps and yes to vaccines to keep us well as we age! ❤️
Thank you, beautiful sweet friend. I appreciate you! xoxox, Brenda
Brenda, thank you for another relevant post. I use bronzer all over ma face (very lightly) to give me some color as I don’t go in the sun either or I use a tinted sunscreen (La Roche-Posay Anthelious Mineral 50).I don’t use foundation as it accentuates fine lines and wrinkles. I might try the bronzer that you mentioned as I am not totally satisfied with the one I am using.
As for the topic of diarrhea, I was sick for years not knowing what was wrong. Doctors thought it was IBS and gave me some meds but they didn’t help. Finally, my doctor gave me a med which is used to lower cholesterol and it improved my quality of life. It’s a powder that you mixed with water. Also I had to eliminate certain teas and food from my diet. I can’t say that I am 100% healed as I still have bouts of diarrhea where I have to stay home and take Imodium. Stress plays a big part. Brenda, thank you for talking about a condition which is embarrassing and debilitating. That picture of you and Annie is so beautiful, And yes, so important to have flu and Covid shots.
Yvonne, I’m sorry you know what I mean about chronic diarrhea. It’s beyond awful. It dominates your schedule and your whole life. I know diet and stress can play a big role, but we don’t think that’s the case with mine. Like my mother, I have a super sensitive system. Yes, I love the photograph of me and Annie as well. We’re a team. xoxox, Brenda
Wow I have that too. So embarrassing. Thank you for being brave enough to share. It’s so sporadic. I’ve tried to pin down triggers with no consistent success. I’ll give your banana flakes a try.
Thank you for being brave enough to share.
Hi Cristi. My diarrhea doesn’t have any triggers either, and evidently, there are a lot of us like that. I started with a quarter of the amount of banana flakes suggested on the label because I am so sensitive to everything. It’s a good thing I did because that was the amount that worked for me. Anything more might have been too much, and I would have been on the other end of the spectrum. Hope they work for you. xoxox, Brenda
Bronzer I use instead of blush and I’m pale like you.
Thank You for all the tips!
Xxx
Thank you, my love! xoxox, B
Such a great pic of you and Annie. I hope you’ll both be cover girls on your book.
As for the spontaneous trots in the early morning hours, I’m wondering if your gastroenterologist did a biopsy at your last colonoscopy. That’s the only way microscopic colitis is diagnosed… it’s not a pleasant condition, but often it is manageable with dietary restrictions.
Ann, My gastroenterologist did a number of biopsies during my last colonoscopy and they were all negative. But thanks for suggesting that. xoxox, Brenda
Oh good, I’m glad you don’t have mc, at least… it’s a royal nuisance. I hope your problem will subside soon.
Brenda,
I appreciate memoirs and historic novels, too. There are so many good ones available. Your photo is a knockout!
Hi Colleen! The Women is the only historical novel I’ve read. I tried another one of Kristin Hannah’s books, The Nightingale, but it kept jumping back and forth in time, so I stopped reading. Books that do that and ones that have lots of characters are frustrating to read. Thanks for the compliment about the photo. I’ll tell Annie! xoxox, Brenda
Loved The Women. Love your blog.
Terrific! Thank you, Jill. xoxox, Brenda
Brenda love your blog. Great post. And thanks for sharing all the medical stuff. Like you I share anything that I think will help others on my blog too. xxx
Hi Hilda, Thank you! You’re great about sharing on your blog, too. People are often amazed by the things I’m willing to talk about, but what’s the sense of having a platform if you can’t help people? xoxoxo, Brenda
Brenda
After reading your post I immediately borrowed the book Wild Game from the library and was so excited to get to page 12 to find out what happened and nothing shocking happened. Can you tell me what it was that you read that was so shocking that you read? I feel like I’m missing something.
LOL!! Maybe it’s not on page 12 in the copy you read, but in the first chapter, you read a passage that most young girls haven’t had happen to them. When her mother came into her room? You didn’t find that at least extremely odd? xoxox, Brenda
You are beautiful and look so young in the pic!
I wanted to comment about the diarrhea as I suffered with that problem for many years. It started when I was in college and resolved (for the most part) a few years later when I had my first child. I never knew when it was going to hit and so could only go places where I knew there was a bathroom close by. It involved sharp pains that left me breaking out in a cold sweat until it was over. I had a complete workup by my gastroenterologist and all was normal so it was considered irritable bowel syndrome. I’ll never forget the time a friend couple, my husband and I were driving to our cabin in North Carolina and it hit me. We stopped at a small mom and pop grocery where I was in the bathroom at least 30 minutes while the others just sort of roamed around the store. We were sure the elderly clerk thought we were planning some sort of robbery ! Looking back I can see that it surely must have been stress-related but did not recognize that at the time and my doctor never mentioned it. The strangest part is that it went away after I had my son which doesn’t make sense if it was stress induced. I’ve never been able to figure out if there was a connection or if it was coincidence. Anyway, hope yours resolves.
Kathy, Thanks! I do look younger than I am in that picture, but a few years ago, I stopped doing any photoshopping of pictures of me. It’s very disconcerting when you meet someone in person and realize the picture they use online is either decades old or they’re altering their pictures. No. This is how I look. Some days are better than others. Lucky, your diarrhea went away, and that’s funny about “planning a robbery.” Mine isn’t stress-related. My other had it so it’s genetic I guess. xoxox, Brenda
Brenda – I got rid of my chronic diarrhea, gas and bloating when I went gluten and diary free. I also got rid of my dermatitis.
am still mostly gluten free when possible and have greatly cut down on dairy, and only have diarrhea when I indulge. The other symptoms never came back.
I also try to avoid ultra-processed foods in boxes and bags.
All of that greatly helped me.
My mom had what you are describing, and she was diagnosed with microscopic colitis. It took doctors 10 years + to test her for it. But her diet was not a healthy one, so I tried to learn from her situation.
I feel like so many of our chronic conditions may come from what’s in our food. I never feel so well as when I travel to Europe – their food is cleaner than ours, from what I have read.
Hi Gray, You’re so right: Our diet plays a huge role in our health. I’ve always been a “clean” healthy eater, rarely had fast or processed foods, always fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, no sugar. Disgustingly healthy. Yogurt and gluten were probably my biggest no-nos, but I haven’t eaten either in years. I buy organic only, and my diet is even healthier than ever, but it hasn’t helped, and biopsies of my last colonoscopy say it’s not microscopic colitis. It is a terrible thing. Happy to hear you’ve gotten any problems you had under control. xoxox, B
Brenda, you are always a bright ray of sunshine and seem to find ways to cope with health issues and life’s hurdles. Your joy is contagious and I appreciate all that you share to better our lives at this stage! I’m looking forward to your book!
Thank you for your sweet affirming comment and for letting me know you’re interested in my memoir. I’m grateful. xoxox, Brenda
Hi there Brenda
Delightful pic of you with Annie! Oh dear re the spontaneous diarrhea – that could lead to other concerns/problems = irritated skin! Ouch!
The last memoir I read this past spring was Accidental Blooms by Keiko Honda (she now lives in Vancouver) – she got a disabling illness that changed her life! A rare autoimmune disease that caused permanent paralysis. After reading her book I just had to meet her so tracked her down at SFU. Well my life then changed a bit! I presented a talk at one of her salons re my can collecting for my cousin’s Misfit Meadow Sanctuary (sanctuary for farm animals) and a short film was made – The Art of Composition from Trash to Transcendence.
During COVID no one I knew got it. Odd – Now so many people have gotten it. Fortunately the shots reduced the severity of the illness.
Can hardly wait to read your memoir.
Rosemarie,
I went online and read more about Keiko Honda and her book which led me to the short film you mentioned. I want to know more but I can’t find the entire film. Only the 3:11 minute trailer. Do you have a link where I can watch the whole film? I loved seeing you!!! Now I have a face to go with your name. Email it to me at brenda@1010parkplace.com xoxox, Brenda
I shall send you an email.
This is such a wonderfully diverse and heartfelt post, Brenda! I love how you’ve shared not just your favorite products but also a glimpse into your personal experiences. Your review of the Hoola Matte Bronzer is spot-on for anyone with fair skin looking for a natural finish—I’ll definitely check it out. Your book recommendations are incredibly compelling; I’m adding Wild Game to my reading list! Thank you also for bringing awareness to the flu and RSV vaccines, especially for those of us with health considerations. It’s clear you care deeply about your readers’ well-being, and your openness about health challenges is refreshing and inspiring. Looking forward to next month’s favorite things! #MakingLifeCount