Beauty

[Barbiedr]

Getting rid of at least one item per day sounds like a great idea. Thanks.

[Eager2Learn]

On 8/2/2014 just bee said:

Now I'm re-inspired to tackle my own space and get that Spartan thing going. My pledge for the month is to part with at least one item per day. I'd been doing that and then I just stopped. Need to keep that going -- it was working.

Yes! I was doing that last year and it was do-able! (Is that a word?)

I was thinking about that this morning. You must have ESP! When I got rid of the "oldest of the old" stuff, I just stopped doing it. I need to start that again as well. Thanks Bee!

[Eager2Learn]

I forgot to mention that yesterday we took 2 boxes of unwanted household items to Good Will. These 2 boxes had been sitting in my den for months!

Your decluttering posts must be working Just Bee!

[Eager2Learn]

OK, now I really have to laugh. For my one tossed item today, I picked a Bare Minerals blush. That still leaves 4 other blushes in my makeup bag, and 1 in my stockpile.

I stopped using makeup about 3 years ago!!!

[just bee]

On 8/2/2014 Eager2Learn said:

OK, now I really have to laugh. For my one tossed item today, I picked a Bare Minerals blush. That still leaves 4 other blushes in my makeup bag, and 1 in my stockpile.

I stopped using makeup about 3 years ago!!!

That's like me -- keeping mini-skirts I'll never wear again and shoes that are a whole size too small. A few years ago I rounded up shoes to donate -- about 30 pairs if I remember correctly -- and I still have more to shed. Some have never been worn.

Like all the clothes in the closet that still have tags.

I need to look into those shops that will buy your stuff. Anyone try that? Does it work for you?

[just bee]

Just a heads-up for you ComPactors who visit the Healthy Eating Program thread. We finally went monthly!

Come visit!

[Kay SD]

I look forward to reading your posts each month--thanks to all.

Well, I'm getting my bathroom updated, so I had to move every single thing out. I'm happy to report that only a couple of almost-used-up items surfaced--and that I tossed them. I still have more than one lotion and shampoo and bath soap going, but they will reduce to a single one of each type eventually. And I have spares in my stash of most things that I use regularly, so I'm now in a position to reduce my budget for all this type of stuff to near zero.

I'm also claiming bragging rights because I laid a new area rug in my living room this month. Not because of the rug, but because it involved moving everything out of the room in order to lay it, and I was able do it in just a few minutes. That means there aren't too many decorative items and really no clutter at all in that room.

I was saddened by the demise of Coldwater Creek, and avoided the liquidation until the very last minute. But I finally went, and scored several huge final bargains that I'm really pleased with. Did I "need" any of these things? Probably not, but they are quite perfect and were, as some of the QVC hosts say, "practically free."

Bee, thanks for posting about your Alegria shoes a while back. I spotted a pair of really attractive loafers (Taylor) that are now on my wish list. QVC doesn't seem to have this model, but it may turn up, who knows? I'm a bit confused by the sizing still, and wish I could try a pair on, but haven't ever seen them in a store.

And thanks for the quotation "bomb" at the start of this month's Compact. Fun!

[just bee]

On 8/2/2014 Kay SD said:

I look forward to reading your posts each month--thanks to all.

Well, I'm getting my bathroom updated, so I had to move every single thing out. I'm happy to report that only a couple of almost-used-up items surfaced--and that I tossed them. I still have more than one lotion and shampoo and bath soap going, but they will reduce to a single one of each type eventually. And I have spares in my stash of most things that I use regularly, so I'm now in a position to reduce my budget for all this type of stuff to near zero.

I'm also claiming bragging rights because I laid a new area rug in my living room this month. Not because of the rug, but because it involved moving everything out of the room in order to lay it, and I was able do it in just a few minutes. That means there aren't too many decorative items and really no clutter at all in that room.

I was saddened by the demise of Coldwater Creek, and avoided the liquidation until the very last minute. But I finally went, and scored several huge final bargains that I'm really pleased with. Did I "need" any of these things? Probably not, but they are quite perfect and were, as some of the QVC hosts say, "practically free."

Bee, thanks for posting about your Alegria shoes a while back. I spotted a pair of really attractive loafers (Taylor) that are now on my wish list. QVC doesn't seem to have this model, but it may turn up, who knows? I'm a bit confused by the sizing still, and wish I could try a pair on, but haven't ever seen them in a store.

And thanks for the quotation "bomb" at the start of this month's Compact. Fun!

http://www.alegriashoeshop.com/Fall-2014-Alegria-Shoes-s/167.htm

This is a sneak peek at the fall shoes. I see Taylor...

ETA:

Alegrias show up at Dillard's in Albuquerque and in several shops that sell uniforms and scrubs.

[mewsmomtoo]

On 8/2/2014 just bee said:

That's like me -- keeping mini-skirts I'll never wear again and shoes that are a whole size too small. A few years ago I rounded up shoes to donate -- about 30 pairs if I remember correctly -- and I still have more to shed. Some have never been worn.

Like all the clothes in the closet that still have tags.

I need to look into those shops that will buy your stuff. Anyone try that? Does it work for you?

Hi Just Bee, I have used consignment stores and really like them. When I moved to a new city and needed to find one, I just googled the city name and "clothing consignment". I was able to find lists of stores, reviews and even a newspaper article about consignment with lots of info.

After you decide where you want to bring your clothes (and it can be several different stores), call them and ask what they are looking for. That will save you from carrying in everything only to have 80% of it not be what they are looking for at the moment. You leave what you want. usually for a certain length of time, they will sell your item and if they don't you can usually opt to come pick it up or have them donate it. They usually mail you a check at the end of the specified amount of time or you can opt to get a larger percentage in store credit.

It's a nice way to make a little money on your really nice or new clothing that's never been worn. And don't throw away those ugly Christmas sweaters - those are really popular in some places and bring good money because of the popularity of ugly Christmas sweater parties. Good luck!!!!

PS I really like the idea of getting rid of one item a day - talk about making a difficult process a lot easier! Excellent idea!! Thanks.

[Kay SD]

Bee, I don't want to go too far off thread, but thanks for the link. I will try the closest stores and see if they have the loafers.

Well, it's a rainy Saturday evening here. i'm listening to the drip-plop-splash of fat raindrops outside my French doors. Eariier, when the rain first started, there was a fresh breeze and I smelled dust. Now the ground is gratefully soaking it in. I've fallen into a reverie...and one thing I have been thinking about is ecosystems. Eating and, er, eliminating, is a system. You can't do one without the other, any more than you could only breathe in, or only breathe out. One side of your heart pumps blood out, while arteries bring the blood back again to the other side. Money is a system; it comes in and goes out, like the tides. Electrical circuits are a system--without both sides of the wiring intact, current just doesn't flow, and everything attached to the wiring is dead.

And shopping and getting rid of things is also a system. If we only bring in new things, but don't let other things go, we get out of balance and the current stops. We feel dissatisfied, and kind of bottled up, no matter how much we have or don't have. It's true that the balance point might be different for each of us, but that's not important. What matters is to pay attention to both sides of the "circuit" so we can keep as much energy flowing as possible. Closets of things we don't really want, and boxes of things we are storing, are like dams in the river or broken wires.

I know, I know, this isn't exactly a new idea. But it's making me want to love both sides, to feel as good about nurturing the letting go side of things, as I do about the selecting and shopping side, to see uncluttering as the wonderful process that allows new things to come in with ease and pleasure.