In July my steady teacher paycheck stopped and so did my thoughtless Amazon purchases. They weren’t that justified before, but now, with no salary and a new “self-employed” title, I needed to get it together fast.
But I still wanted things. *face palm*
I wasn’t willing to take on debt for the things I wanted.
I wasn’t willing to skip groceries for the week to get the things I wanted.
So I started counting down the days until my birthday. In October, I’d have some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket, and I needed to be prepared.
For months I took screenshots of things I found online, things people shared I was interested in, or things I read about and then searched out on Amazon. I created a little visual wish list, if you will.
Then one night in October, I sat on the couch as my kids watched a movie and went through the screenshots. Some of the things didn’t interest me anymore so I deleted them with no regrets. But some of the things still called to me, had been calling to me for months, so I carefully placed them in my Amazon cart and watched the total. I had $125 to spend and, while I didn’t want to spend all of it just because I had it, I knew what I wanted and if I could get it all, I would.
It wasn’t impulse purchasing. It was birthday shopping, money meant for me and only me. When the girls were younger and things were a lot tighter as we were still working to pay off debt, some of this money would have been spent on our family, our bills, or put in the bank.
But not this time. This time it was all mine. *insert evil laugh here*
I’d spent the week leading up to this evening on the couch purging our house of belongings and excess. I didn’t want to live in a house overflowing with clothes and toys and junk we didn’t need. So I was aware as I put things in my shopping cart to not just replace things I had recently gotten rid of. The goal of purging was to live with less, not an excuse to buy new, better things.
In the end, I spent $114 exactly. Here’s what I got and why you might be interested in them too:
Jade roller
I’m closer to 40 than 30. While I am not too concerned about the state of my skin yet, I know the day is closer than I’d like so when I started hearing about using a jade roller to help with the look and tightness of your skin, I was all ears. I don’t want expensive potions and lotions. I won’t ever shoot my face with poison to combat wrinkles, but I will roll my face with a cool stone every night before bed in hopes of delaying saggy jowls.
Sunglasses
I’m one of those weirdos who can own just one pair of sunglasses for years without losing them or buying a second pair. This is odd, I get it. The pair I’ve had for the past year and a half have started to fall apart so I’ve been on the hunt for a new pair. These (I got the two pack, brown and black) had really good reviews and were recommended by a girl I follow on IG. Apparently they’re some designer knock-offs, but I have no idea who/what they’re stealing from because that doesn’t interest me in the slightest. Anyway, I got these glasses, they’re oversized and wonderful. So now I own two pairs of sunglasses which makes me feel like the fanciest person in all the land.
Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions by Gerald G. May, MD
I haven’t started reading this one yet, but my friend Laura read it and when she finished it (early one weekday morning), she texted me immediately to tell me to buy it. So I did. I’m excited to find time to read it soon.
Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquinllin Smith
With the current purge going on at our house, I bought a book about having less stuff…because I love irony and mixed messages. BUT SERIOUSLY. I love Smith’s first book (The Nesting Place), and found it full of relatable design and home ideas so when her new book about creating a cozy home with less things came out, I was all in. This is going to be my Thanksgiving break read–I’m looking forward to spending early mornings by the fire flipping through it.
Reusable straws
Please be impressed with my concern for our environment.
Also, that’s not why I ordered these, but I am fine with pretending. Every morning I make my way down to the kitchen and chug a big cup of water. Normally 16-20 ounces just as quick as I can to get it over with. I have two cups I do this with and one of them doesn’t have a straw. I can’t drink all that water fast without a straw so I ordered this set. I couldn’t order just one straw, but now that we have them, we’re using them all the time. The girls use them with cups at home, and once I went to Wendy’s and they forgot to give me a straw so I used a stainless steel straw in my Diet Coke which made me feel very smug and smart.
Black leggings
Please give me all of your attention. This is really important, we need to talk about black leggings. I *know* you can get them anywhere–the gas station, Lulu Lemon, Costco, the Dollar Store–but these are it for me. I’ve tried lots of legging and I’m verrrrry picky. I refuse to pay a fortune. I don’t want a thin elastic band around my middle because it’s unflattering. I need them to be long enough for my very long legs. I won’t wear them with a short shirt, but I still want to feel safe about their thickness if my butt shows. High-waisted is a plus. They can’t be see-through. They must hold up all day and not get saggy. They can’t pill after a few washes.
THIS IS A LONG LIST OF DEMANDS.
But these leggings do it. They’re almost too good to be true and I hesitate to share them with you because what if they go out of stock? It would be a national tragedy. But in the spirit of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” I’m telling you to buy these leggings. Probably a few pairs, if I’m being honest. When they arrived, I wore them every single day for a week. Not kidding; Monday through Friday and then I slept in them on Friday night because I am dedicated to research and development before I share with my readers. And maybe a little lazy too, but mostly just really dedicated. They didn’t get saggy, they never lost their shape, they didn’t get weird in the crotch. They’re like the holy grail of leggings, and I’m getting more for Christmas so leave a few pairs of the larges for me, please and thank you.
Satin pillowcases
After I roll my face with a rock (please see the jade roller paragraph above), I go to sleep on my satin pillowcase like the princess I am. I’m sleeping on a satin pillow case because I’m a grandma, it’s better for my hair, and it’s easier on my skin too. Mostly my nighttime ritual has ruined all thoughts of romance for Chris Graham, but at least I’ll look younger than my peers.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
This book has been on my list for a while, and I finally pulled the trigger. I shall read it and give you a review in my monthly newsletter, but if you’re going through hard stuff or want to support someone who is, I think this one might be a good one.
Did I just help you start your Christmas list? Yes, yes, I did.
*DISCLOSURE: Affiliate links used.
MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER! USE THE POPUP WINDOW OR GO HERE TO GET MONTHLY BOOK REVIEWS & SUGGESTIONS, SURPRISE GIVEAWAYS, SUBSCRIBER-ONLY POSTS, AND THE MONDAY BUSINESS MEETING EMAIL WITH ENCOURAGEMENT, NEWS, & FREE STUFF.
I needed a jade roller YEARS ago. I wonder if it’s too late for me !
And yes I already have those dang jowls)
It’s never too late! 🙂
Just ordered a two-pack of the leggings and just FYI, looks like inventory is getting low in size large 😉 Can’t wait to try them out!
I just ordered two pairs, so thanks for the heads up! I think you’re going to love them. 🙂