Beauty

[just bee]

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@aprilskies wrote:

@geezerette, yes, simplicity is my goal too, and do I even dare say it, going forward. Ack!!  You expressed everything I am feeling.  I think I am finally ready. 

The funny part is the more I try and simplify the worse I seem to get, but like you, I have no one to blame. 

@just bee, my choice to focus in September above everything else is my food choices. I will be darned if I am not having a hard time making the right choices. But, it has to be my September.  However, instead on focusing on what to give up, I want to just eat when I am hungry instead of just habit.  I never ever thought this would be a problem area for me. 

Anyway, happy Labor Day, Everyone I hope you are all having a nice holiday weekend. I think this is the first holiday weekend I am not going to a cookout of sorts and am happy to have my days free, although, they are ending up to be busy with unexpected things.  

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@aprilskies 

And you just said it: You are the one making the choices.  You control what food is purchased and consumed.

I take the same lunch every day for work.  My coworkers bring in all sorts of tempting junk food items and pastries but I don't let myself eat it.

When we shop for food we avoid certain aisles and endcaps that display all the crunchy, salty and sweet things.  I even avoid the bakery area.  I'm fond of cookies so I make sure they aren't in the house.  Could eat tortilla chips and hot salsa (used to be my favorite breakfast) all day long, so I don't buy chips.

We have "snack" items available in the house: Plain yougurt, fruit, assorted trail mix, peanut butter (of course), sardines and crackers, as well as a fridge full of salad makings (greens and all things veggie).

And when I feel like I might be hungry I reach for... well, usually an Amstel Light.

Why?  Because I'm probably thirsty -- not hungry.  So I should be reaching for water, right?  That's something I need to work on. :womanlol:

[just bee]

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@rnmom wrote:

I would also love to simplify all areas of my life but that is not going to happen anytime soon. But I DO have someone to blame! With hubby, 2 kids and now 4 dogs, it's REALLY hard for anything to be simple around here right now. 

However, because of all the madness and busyness with schedules, etc.it's even more important for me to simplify where I can, whether that is with skincare, clothing, groceries, housekeeping etc. 

I don't like housekeeping either and just keeping up with the laundry, floors, bathrooms, etc makes it so that I don't get to a lot of other things. Now that everyone is back to school I want to make it a point at least one day a week to work on some other cleaning that I don't do every day like dusting. 

I do want to continue to streamline my skincare and makeup collections so that I am only using new, fresh items. Clothes are pretty streamlined because I still can't fit into hardly anything so I wear the same things over and over again. I should try to do something about that.

I will continue to declutter where I can so that it doesn't get too overwhelming. I'd like to look at one room every week or two if I can until I get thru the whole house. I've done so much that I don't have a lot to go, everything could just use a quick look. 

We did simplify this summer by getting rid of our above ground pool and I didn't plant any new flowers this year at all. I will see if I can think of something particular for fall that will help us simplify. 

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@rnmom 

Don't beat yourself up -- it sounds like you already have a capsule wardrobe!

BH has two pairs of pants and some black T-shirts, short and long sleeve.  Has three or four pairs of these wool socks that have a lifetime guarantee. 

Yesterday I had a minor freak-out.  After the fire, I had grabbed all my Alegrias.  I had collected more than twenty pairs and there were twin towers of shoe boxes in the bedroom.

I left a worn red pair and a worn pink pair behind.

These boxes went to the storage unit.  When we got settled into the rental, BH brought all my saved shoes (Alegrias, Birkenstocks and three pairs of boots) to the house.

I had grabbed only two pairs to wear to work when we were in the hotel.  Even though I've had access to the whole collection, I've still been wearing those two pairs since May.

Well, now my red pair is broken so I need a replacement.  I went to the closet where BH put all my shoes.  It's a small closet so how could they all fit?  I opened the door and there were only a few pairs of Alegrias in there.  I asked him: Where are my shoes?

We scoured the house.  No shoes.

Tip: When you feel yourself freaking out, stop.  Take a deep breath and retrace your footsteps.

I went back to the moments after the fire.  We put my jewelry and shoes in the neighbor's garage first, then moved all of it to the storage unit.  The boxes of shoes ended up in a large cardboard box that they had from their most recent Chewy's order.

Once we found the Chewy's box, we confirmed that my shoes were still here.  Whew!  But then I started opening the shoe boxes.  Moved a few pairs to the garage to try to "bake out" the soot smell.  I might have to order a few new footbeds.

So why the long story this morning?

I left DOZENS of pairs of shoes at the house that are now in landfill.  I saved only my Alegrias, three pairs of boots, a pair of New Balance (that has replaced my hiking boots and is now wearing out) and my Birkenstocks that I haven't worn in years.  In fact, I have pairs of Alegrias that I haven't worn.

Four months have passed since the fire and I haven't needed any of those shoes.  In fact, I didn't even know where the h_ll they were!

Proof that I still have too many pairs of shoes.

[just bee]

I looked at September's forecast on accuweather.com and I feel... happy.  This week we'll be in the 90s, but then begins the great decline.  Slipping into the 80s, then by the middle of the month... perfection.  Temperatures in the 70s.  In fact, right now they have September 29 at 69 degrees.

Of course this is probably all fantasy as many forecasts are but it still looks like fall to me.  Something to look forward to.

And some relief for those poor guys who will be working on our house.

[just bee]

One more thing to SIMPLIFY this month.

Talk about irony.  For two months I didn't even have a comb or brush.  I was using the Paul Mitchell products in the hotel.  I can't remember the last time I had my hair cut.

Now I've been using Suave on my hair.

And I've been getting all sorts of compliments from coworkers.  They love the longer length and that I've made my hair lighter with all those new highlights.

Highlights?  That's just the new gray, silver and white strands since the fire.  An added bonus!

But I'm doing something I never thought I'd do.  I'm leaving it alone and letting it grow.  I'm so tired of getting it cut and paying for cuts I don't even like.

And I'm keeping the highlights.

[just bee]

Oh, wait.  I just remembered I also saved a pair of gray and white wingtips.  Never worn.

But that's because they had arrived with a defective shoelace and it was too much trouble to send them back.  Also too much trouble to search for new laces.

(I had the same style in navy and white and I did wear those so I do intend to wear these.  Some day.)

[just bee]

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@just bee wrote:

A nice way to start the month: We went to buy a new bag of kibble and it was our "free" bag.  (With Fromm, you buy 12 and get the next one free.)

And I couldn't find Smucker's organic peanut butter at the store so I picked up a jar of Adam's organic. 

I really don't need to buy anything this month except deodorant. 

I propose that each of us chose something we think we can't give up and give it up.

What would that item be?

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Just thinking.  Maybe the thing you give up doesn't have to be a thing.

[just bee]

I'd like to give up worrying but that's not going to happen because it's in my DNA.

Still thinking about this one...

[just bee]

I'll go walk the dog and think about it some more.

[aprilskies]

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@just bee wrote:

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@aprilskies wrote:

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@aprilskies 

And you just said it: You are the one making the choices.  You control what food is purchased and consumed.

I take the same lunch every day for work.  My coworkers bring in all sorts of tempting junk food items and pastries but I don't let myself eat it.

When we shop for food we avoid certain aisles and endcaps that display all the crunchy, salty and sweet things.  I even avoid the bakery area.  I'm fond of cookies so I make sure they aren't in the house.  Could eat tortilla chips and hot salsa (used to be my favorite breakfast) all day long, so I don't buy chips.

We have "snack" items available in the house: Plain yougurt, fruit, assorted trail mix, peanut butter (of course), sardines and crackers, as well as a fridge full of salad makings (greens and all things veggie).

And when I feel like I might be hungry I reach for... well, usually an Amstel Light.

Why?  Because I'm probably thirsty -- not hungry.  So I should be reaching for water, right?  That's something I need to work on. :womanlol:

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@just bee, Yes, I know.   I think September is rightly named - simple.  I am starting by "simply" stopping the flow.  It isnt starting off good but now that Labor Day is over, it will be better.

At least an Amstel Light is filling.

[aprilskies]

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@rnmom wrote:

I would also love to simplify all areas of my life but that is not going to happen anytime soon. But I DO have someone to blame! With hubby, 2 kids and now 4 dogs, it's REALLY hard for anything to be simple around here right now. 

However, because of all the madness and busyness with schedules, etc.it's even more important for me to simplify where I can, whether that is with skincare, clothing, groceries, housekeeping etc. 

I don't like housekeeping either and just keeping up with the laundry, floors, bathrooms, etc makes it so that I don't get to a lot of other things. Now that everyone is back to school I want to make it a point at least one day a week to work on some other cleaning that I don't do every day like dusting. 

I do want to continue to streamline my skincare and makeup collections so that I am only using new, fresh items. Clothes are pretty streamlined because I still can't fit into hardly anything so I wear the same things over and over again. I should try to do something about that.

I will continue to declutter where I can so that it doesn't get too overwhelming. I'd like to look at one room every week or two if I can until I get thru the whole house. I've done so much that I don't have a lot to go, everything could just use a quick look. 

We did simplify this summer by getting rid of our above ground pool and I didn't plant any new flowers this year at all. I will see if I can think of something particular for fall that will help us simplify. 

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@rnmom, I agree with @just bee, dont be too hard on yourself. You have done so well and really made a difference in decluttering. The normal stuff everyday with hubby and kids is normal and ongoing and you are in such a good place to manage that on an every day/week basis and not worry about all of the stuff that is hiding everywhere. I would like to get to that place myself. 

Just know you have inspired me and I keep wanting to get to that place too. I have decluttered a ton but I still have a ton to go and this last half ton is weighing on me.

I do want to deal with some of my collections within the next year. The truth is I really dont have anyone to leave them too and not sure I want to keep having them stored away.

I do really want simple in every aspect of my surroundings now but I have to allow myself time to get there.  I want to be brutal but brutal with care.