Beauty

[just bee]

On 8/4/2014 Kay SD said: Okay, it's only the 1st week of August and I've made two purchases already. One is a PTR mineral SPF that was on sale. I'll use it--I wanted a highly portable sunscreen I can reapply while out and about. The other is a little palette of eye shadows I've been wanting, which I found for half price. But still. I went right into my cabinet and tossed an old eye shadow, to compensate! (New paragraph) how's this for a discouraging thought? I was reading my book club selection today and came across this: “Understand this - the West is just one big shopping mall. From the outside it looks magical, fantastic... In actual fact, there are three roles you can play here - the buyer, the seller, or the product on the shelf. To be a seller is vulgar, to be a buyer is boring (and you still have to earn your living as a seller), and to be the product is repulsive." Sheesh!

In that context it sounds like it's just more West-bashing, but to be fair there is a nugget of truth here. I mean, we're discussing this on a forum run by a shopping channel and we're talking about our addiction to buying and accumulating "stuff." But we're also brought up to "sell" ourselves and to "sell" our ideas. And we all know that some people can be bought.

Most of the work we do is selling. Many of us work for companies or represent industries that survive by competing and making money. Our livelihoods depend on the companies' success. I work in a public hospital and I'm not deluded. My job isn't just to "help people." What I do helps the hospital. I could say it helps the hospital to help more people but that's only a part of it.

Something has always intrigued me and I often wonder if it's just an American thing. I've heard it for years and I hear it often. I even make the mistake myself when I'm speaking. Ever notice it when a person means to say "country" but says "company" instead? And sometimes a person means to say "company" and says "country." But it seems like the first one is more common. Says something about us.

But, as systems go, I still say capitalism works. Sure it may look like it works better for some than for others, but the concept basically works. I still like hearing about the individual who came here with five dollars in his pocket then built an empire. It's inspirational. Sure, the details might be messy, but it's a great story. Details are always messy. Like those in love, war, and sausage-making.

[just bee]

[just bee]

I like this idea of a clutter calendar. An alternative would be to make a weekly or monthly list, then do something every day to work towards the goal. Use that 15-minutes-a-day rule here.

Like I said, I've gone back to that "toss at least one item a day" thing. I just pulled all the old cartons of ice cream out of the fridge and tossed them. Why save old cartons of ice cream and take up all that space when you can go out and buy one carton of fresh ice cream? Or just a single ice cream cone? I don't even eat ice cream that often and Better-half won't touch it.

I also pulled out some ancient Halloween candy. I buy full-size candy bars at Costco or Sam's and I never know how many kids we'll get so I over-buy. This year I'll be able to bring the leftovers to work because candy is welcomed there. But I have old chocolate that I wouldn't want to offer people now -- and I can't bring myself to part with it unless it's inedible. I threw away the oldest bars (the ones with expiration dates that made me gasp and the ones that had obvious texture changes like if-this-bar-is-like-a-rock-how-would-I-even-chew-it?) but I still can't quite part with the "newer older" bars.

I pulled out a bunch of flavored coffees that someone had given me as a gift. I'd already given up coffee at that point so I squirreled them away in a cupboard thinking I'd have a guest one day who might want a cup of coffee. I would've brought them to work to share, but the person who gave them to me was a coworker and I didn't want her to think I was rejecting her coffees. Now they're old and I don't want to subject anyone to ancient coffee. They're on the kitchen counter right now. Will they end up in the trash with the ice cream (and it was Häagen-Dazs and Blue Bell) and the chocolate?

[willdob3]

Having a set schedule and specific things to do/clean on certain days tends to backfire on me. I'm not sure why. It sounds like the perfect solution.

I do better if I plan to ""do one thing"" and then I am more likely to get something done. For some reason I rarely am in the mood to do the one thing I have planned to do when I schedule it. I have lots of things that need to be done/decluttered so I just pick whichever one I want. It can be a little thing or a big thing. Doing ""one thing"" usually leads to doing more than one thing.

[just bee]

On 8/5/2014 willdob3 said:

Having a set schedule and specific things to do/clean on certain days tends to backfire on me. I'm not sure why. It sounds like the perfect solution.

I do better if I plan to "do one thing" and then I am more likely to get something done. For some reason I rarely am in the mood to do the one thing I have planned to do when I schedule it. I have lots of things that need to be done/decluttered so I just pick whichever one I want. It can be a little thing or a big thing. Doing "one thing" usually leads to doing more than one thing.

I really have to take advantage of my mood. When the idea of parting with something pops into my head -- whether it's tossing an expired product or deleting a program I've DVR'd but will never watch -- I'd better do it NOW before I talk myself out of it.

I have this new idea. I see Better-half deal with his junk mail right away. He goes straight to the shredder with it. I, on the other hand, have to consider my mail. Then when it starts to pile up I recycle the parts that don't have my name and address all over them and put the shreddables in a spot near the shredder. I started with a small box. Now I empty the small box when it's full into a large bag.

Why don't I just shred it right away?

So now I want to collect all my shreddable mail and shred it. This will be a time vampire, but I like mindless manual labor -- it relaxes me. My plan is to take all the mail that needs to be shredded and get it ready to shred. Like unfold all the letters and get them all uniformly piled up in neat 8 1/2 X 11 stacks. Yes, I know my shredder can handle folded letters, but for some reason I feel the need to "prepare" my shreddables. It's a ritual thing. Like putting a bag over the head of someone who's headed to the gallows and having someone bang a drum slowly.

I admit it. I'm cuffed.

[Squirrel Lover]

I have been keeping three Tiganello handbags that I don't use anymore in my closet. Well, my mother was saying that she really wanted a new handbag that was good quality, but would not spend money on one. So, I just mailed her the three handbags. I feel good about giving my mom a gift that she would not buy for herself and I got the thrill of getting them out of my closet. Win. Win.

I am doing really well about skincare now. I have been using Paula's Choice for about 6 months now--the whole routine of Recovery Collection. And I have been seeing good results. I have zero irritation and that is so great for me.

[willdob3]

Bee, I think I'll borrow your DH's shred it now idea. At least, I might once I get the massive pile of things I'm accumulating shredded! lol...

I can't think why I have saved so many receipts and old bills (I don't even get paper bills anymore!) for so long. The only reason I can think for still having them is that the shredder is stored away. If it were out maybe I could avoid mountains of paper.

And, for some unknown reason, I sometimes find old used up lipsticks or other similar beauty items, in with the papers. A few samples I never bothered to use, too. I thought all the old junk was tossed a long, long time ago.

Dperry, what a generous gift for your mother - and it is a gift for you, too!

[Kay SD]

Letting things go is grand, but passing them along to someone who will actually appreciate them is better yet. Love that. I have a box of "mathoms." Remember what those are? Hobbits give things they don't want away as presents, called mathoms, and it's considered quite okay. Often, these are new items that someone has given them as a gift. My box of mathoms has been getting bigger lately--you have inspired me to get it all out and see what I can give away. (Must be careful not to give it back to the one who gave it to me in the first place, humans not being as tolerant of this as hobbits...)

[willdob3]

lol... I love the mathoms box idea! I I've got a few items that definitely will fit that idea.

Well, nothing like needing to locate something you know you have...somewhere...to light a decluttering fire in me! I searched high & low, tossed a ton of stuff. Found all sorts of things, none of them what I needed to find. lol...

[Squirrel Lover]

I love that--Mathoms!!!!!!! I am a huge Tolkien fan, but I did not catch that word! Well, I only speak half hobbit! Hee hee.