Beauty

[aprilskies]

Hi everyone.  I can relate to a lot of things that have been said.  That is why I love this thread.

So far I have been doing so good. I have not needed to replace anything yet and haven't bought a thing.  Right now I am feeling pretty good, something might catch my eye and I go looking, but I dont press submit.  It helps that every time I turn around, there is another bottle or jar of something I would like to get too before it goes bad.   I am trying to stay committed to using my products.   Makeup, I have no illusion that I will ever use anything up so I am trying to just enjoy it.

HEP, well, this is a work in progress, although, I dont bring home nearly the amount I use to.  I am actually getting through some stuff and I love it.  And for sure, no more specialty ingredients in the hopes I am going to make something or think I am going to use.  I look at some of the stuff in my cabinets and shake my head.   

So far, so good for compacting.  

[aprilskies]

Geez - good luck with your new addition.  It seems to me that both your pups helped you come to a big realization.   They come into our lives for a reason.  Btw, I struggle with the same thing.

Just Bee - has is your pup?  I remember him having some issues. I hope he is better.

[just bee]

---

@aprilskies wrote:

Hi everyone.  I can relate to a lot of things that have been said.  That is why I love this thread.

So far I have been doing so good. I have not needed to replace anything yet and haven't bought a thing.  Right now I am feeling pretty good, something might catch my eye and I go looking, but I dont press submit.  It helps that every time I turn around, there is another bottle or jar of something I would like to get too before it goes bad.   I am trying to stay committed to using my products.   Makeup, I have no illusion that I will ever use anything up so I am trying to just enjoy it.

HEP, well, this is a work in progress, although, I dont bring home nearly the amount I use to.  I am actually getting through some stuff and I love it.  And for sure, no more specialty ingredients in the hopes I am going to make something or think I am going to use.  I look at some of the stuff in my cabinets and shake my head.   

So far, so good for compacting.  

---

I've been re-energized.  Something has come up and it requires me to find my birth certificate and my mother's death certificate.  I went to the spot where I thought I had my mother's certificate and there it was.  I went to where I thought my birth certificate was and it's not there.

I now have a choice: Tear the house apart or request a copy from the state of Illinois.

The Land of Lincoln will be hearing from me.

But this got me thinking.  If I had to grab important documents and make a run for it, I'd be up a creek.  It's like when I hid all my credit cards when I went to nursing school because I didn't want to spend any money.  When I decided it was time to start using a card again so I wouldn't ruin my credit being debtless, I couldn't find the cards.

Clearly, I need to keep ComPacting until I find all the hidden treasures around here.

I also have more incentive for HEP because I just scheduled my annual wellness check at work.  The first year was shocking: My numbers were sterling.  The second year I was mortified to see my glucose was elevated.  My appointment is one month from today.  No, I'm not starving myself and going to the gym.  I'm just thinking about the choices I make.

I've noticed something.  When I started to cut down on sodium I started to notice how salty everything tasted.  Now that I'm cutting back on sugar everything tastes disgustingly sweet.  I'm keeping snacks out of the house.

I remember when fruit beers were all the rage.  I had one yesterday and gagged.  Way too sweet for me.  Can't do any sweet mixed drinks or liqueurs anymore.  Even the thought of Drambuie makes me quiver.

So I guess that's a good thing.

[just bee]

---

@aprilskies wrote:

Geez - good luck with your new addition.  It seems to me that both your pups helped you come to a big realization.   They come into our lives for a reason.  Btw, I struggle with the same thing.

Just Bee - has is your pup?  I remember him having some issues. I hope he is better.

---

Old habits die hard, but it's never too late to acquire new ones.  If we can't be who we are, who will be?

As for Mr. Wonderful, he just had a birthday last week.  We don't actually know when he was born, so we made the day he found us his birthday.  Now that's a day worth celebrating.  He's the gift that keeps on giving.

It was in the mid-70s on his birthday and today we're expecting snain.  Gotta get him out and about before it gets wet.  He's a true desert dog -- he hates water.  It makes me laugh because he's been labeled a Lab cross by his vet.  Like every black dog in America is a Lab cross. 

I know Labs.  Labs have been friends of mine.  He's no Labrador Retriever. 

[just bee]

Oh -- and speaking of God's most perfect creatures...

It's Westminster time!

The Abruzzese Linguine Hound, "Al Dente."

[just bee]

H___'s bells -- the sun just came up and there's snow everywhere.

[just bee]

So I've mentioned that I have this habit of jotting down things on scraps of paper.  I do it at home and I do it at work.  Eventually all these scraps find themselves in a heap on my desk.

I had a thought.

I have so many decorative containers and baskets: Why don't I use one on my desk to hold all these scraps of paper?

Then it occurred to me that in the time it would take for me to do that, I could go through all the scraps with their cryptic messages and throw away the majority of them.

Which is what I just did.

I even tossed the piece of paper that said "Moyamoya."  (It's a disease.)

Like I said, old habits...

[KaySD]

Wish lists are my friend. I LOVE wish lists. Every now and then, I use one to collect materials for a project until I'm ready to buy. Most of the time, I use them to scratch my itch to hit "Submit Order," but without it costing me a dime. Things go off the list when they're discontinued or I lose interest, whichever comes first. 

Last week, I bought a jacket on sale. I didn't need it, but it was so beautiful I couldn't stand it. I bought a new container for my cat litter and some household supplies. Umm...an electronic book. Dinner with one friend and breakfast with another. And signed a contract for some landscape work....

My life sometimes feels like one long series of commercial transactions. I read an article last week about a couple who bought nothing but groceries and housing for a year. Nothing!!! I don't want to do that, but I want to get less pleasure from buying and cooking, and more from moving and creating. 

[geezerette]

---

@KaySD wrote:

Wish lists are my friend. I LOVE wish lists. Every now and then, I use one to collect materials for a project until I'm ready to buy. Most of the time, I use them to scratch my itch to hit "Submit Order," but without it costing me a dime. Things go off the list when they're discontinued or I lose interest, whichever comes first. 

Last week, I bought a jacket on sale. I didn't need it, but it was so beautiful I couldn't stand it. I bought a new container for my cat litter and some household supplies. Umm...an electronic book. Dinner with one friend and breakfast with another. And signed a contract for some landscape work....

My life sometimes feels like one long series of commercial transactions. I read an article last week about a couple who bought nothing but groceries and housing for a year. Nothing!!! I don't want to do that, but I want to get less pleasure from buying and cooking, and more from moving and creating. 

---

Well, I'm a lousy cook and creativity is completely foreign to me, much to my chagrin, but I do like your idea of seeking less pleasure from buying (things).  And goodness knows, I need to move more.  Now if I could just get some pleasure from it!  

[just bee]

---

@KaySD wrote:

Wish lists are my friend. I LOVE wish lists. Every now and then, I use one to collect materials for a project until I'm ready to buy. Most of the time, I use them to scratch my itch to hit "Submit Order," but without it costing me a dime. Things go off the list when they're discontinued or I lose interest, whichever comes first. 

Last week, I bought a jacket on sale. I didn't need it, but it was so beautiful I couldn't stand it. I bought a new container for my cat litter and some household supplies. Umm...an electronic book. Dinner with one friend and breakfast with another. And signed a contract for some landscape work....

My life sometimes feels like one long series of commercial transactions. I read an article last week about a couple who bought nothing but groceries and housing for a year. Nothing!!! I don't want to do that, but I want to get less pleasure from buying and cooking, and more from moving and creating. 

---

Doesn't it?