Aside from toilet paper and essentials, I acquired some items.
I’m a minimalist at heart, but I needed distractions and fun.
“We saved a lot of money this year,” I tell my husband, who doesn’t mind if I buy nonsense.
He’s just relieved that my perimenopause is over and that we all survived.
So am I.
I recognize that many people are still taking vacations, dining out, going on date nights with masks on their chins, and going about their daily lives.
We aren’t. We will someday. Hopefully that it is sooner rather than later.
Until then, I keep reminding my family how much money we saved this year in order to justify the nonsensical shit I bought last year.
I bought this with Christmas money, so I didn’t even use our actual money!
tie-dye socks
I discovered these while grocery shopping at Whole Foods. We rarely go to Whole Paycheck, but it’s the only store that sells the salad dressing I like, so we treat it like a vacation. As a souvenir, I got tie-dye socks. We’re living our lives as if we’re on vacation. It’s a “thing”.
a library bag (for 69 cents!)
We found this at IKEA! They are supposed to be used for shopping, but I use mine for library books.
We got this over summer at Michael’s while getting art supplies for Ella. They still have them! Under five dollars.
a shelf with letters
This was recently at the Target dollar spot, but when we returned last week, there were none left. Here’s a non-minimalist tip: if you see something you like for a dollar at Target, buy it. Because I can assure you that the next time you go, there will be NONE. You can always return it if you don’t like it when you get home.
I could spend an entire stimulus check on the website Red Bubble.
another air plant
The other one was lonely, so essential. WHAT? He told me! I got him at Home Depot. Also? When you see plants at stores and they look sad? TELL THE STORE. They need watering. Usually, they just don’t realize it, so tell them nicely. Or be a hero and buy the plant.
rope rainbow
I saw this at Target the week I entered menopause. It felt very Universal.
During the lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic, the mayor of Chicago was getting so angry and stern with everyone about staying home. So I bought stickers of her and placed them all around the house.
Boy oh boy, you bought some fun stuff. I’ve bought things but all very practical, like new red wine glasses and kitchen dish towels and games. Although now that I think on it I did buy some fleece socks in a snazzy bright fuchsia floral pattern, so maybe pretty & [pragmatically] pink.
I love the shit you bought! I’ve bought a lot of shit as well, but it was more retirement and move-related than pandemic-related, I think. Hard to parse out any as specific to the pandemic only, although – believe me – it has been used for justification!!! Over and over again. Bwahaha!
The stickers of the mayor crack me up. Like, how do you even find stuff like that?
Now I’m trying to remember what shit I bought, but I’m coming up mostly blank. Too many books I won’t read. Because I just got so tired of ebooks, but I bought some stupid print books. Clothing I thought I would like but don’t but couldn’t get my shit together enough to get them to the post office to return them. I’m sure they’ll find their way to Goodwill soon.
Your shit is way more fun than mine. (Of course it is. So is your blog. 🙂)
You are a plant mom, human mom, and critter mom….ALL of your purchases are justified.
I LOVE your little plant trivet. Is that what it is? SO darn cute.
I clicked the link for the peace flags, but couldn’t really understand it from the insta page. SO, I fell into a rabbit hole of google and I love it. Never saw it before, but so darn awesome.
The mayor stickers are so fun and who doesn’t want to see Betty White shooting a bird?
I feel like I am the plant mom equivalent of you being a butterfly mom. You and I ARE soul sisters.
It is a trivet! I got it at Trader Joe’s and I love it. I actually found coasters online that are exactly the same and I just bought some! More sh**, coming through! 😉
I clicked through too and it looks like she isn’t doing it anymore? Oh well. She was contributing toward LBGTQ awareness but I just noticed as of late, she hasn’t been posting about it. 😦
Right? Red Bubble has the best stuff! Ernie will attest to that. 🙂
I feel like I have bought more “stuff” this year too and I totally justify it by saying we have been saving so much money not going out much and not having a vacation… even though I didn’t get that money back and it’s waiting for us in the form of vouchers. LOL.
Fun stuff! I buy little things here and there, but do I remember exactly what? Nope. But now I want tie-dyed socks (I have a sock fetish…an entire dresser drawer full of socks! But no tie-dye. Maybe a good thing Whole Paycheck Foods is 1/2 hour away and I never go there?) and that hammered moon cycle garland and magnets because I also have quite the collection of those and love quirky magnets. And I think I need a pretty plant mister, too because my poor plants only get misted with a crappy, plastic 99 cent spray bottle from Walmart. After you first posted about your Lori Lightfoot sticker, I did indeed get one because I thought she was cool and the sticker was funny. But now she’s hidden away because I don’t like her anymore, ha ha.
Lol, that is funny. Lori is in a timeout!!
I love quirky magnets too.
I feel the same way about Trader Joe’s.
I am planning on going there this week because I have a few things on a list and I haven’t been there since summer. It’s like going on vacation. The little things that feel like big things. 🙂
Hmm, I do not have a single indoor plant. What’s wrong with me? My mom had a ton when I was growing up – those spider plants that I don’t think you can kill. They hung everywhere in our house in funky macramé hanging plant holders.
I can’t think of what I’ve bought other than weights and a billion photo pages. I’ve updated a lot of photo albums and I guess I’ve updated my muscle groups. Oh, we also bought a hood for the kitchen . . . but that had nothing to do with the pandemic. It was just VERY late.
I love your rap wall hanging. Like LOVE.
Oh, I’ve also bought a few fun clothing type things- one in an unconventional way. I need to get myself organized and write a post about it because it is pretty funny.
Hey! I recognize those lyrics! 🙂
That glass plant mister is gorgeous! Just seeing that every day would make me happy. That’s what I bought last year. Stuff that made me happy. AKA Pretty shit. Pretty shit for me. For the cats. (Manly) pretty shit for the husband. Sometimes I bought pretty shit for people who I knew wouldn’t buy it for themselves just for the joy of giving away pretty shit. I tried to be good and Etsy or Ebay (discovered a lotta pretty shit was made in the 1950s and also, much pretty shit is being crafted right now! Pretty shit is pretty timeless.)
I used to be minimalist. Maybe I still am compared to others? But 2020 I just needed some pretty shit to look at or I was going to go full fruit loop. I have no regrets. Also, in 2021 I have no urge to buy pretty shit. Yay! I’m full!
But plants! Love! I was a Plant Mom! My fav was a Calathea (dunno species sorry) that a botanical garden friend gave me. Started as rooted cutting – 2 leaves, 4 inches tall. “You want?” friend asked. “Sure!So cute!” I replied. Years and many outgrown pots later…. Calathea was a hulking 4 foot tall stand of mighty foliage. As big as my ancient Sony Trinitron TV. But I loved him and that sweet pea bloomed!
Had to give all my Plants away a few moves ago. Yep. I cried. Maybe 2021 will be a the year of buying plants?
I WOULD CRY TOO! I used to have really bad seasonal affective disorder before I had plants. I think they are helping me. Honestly. That pilea is from my friend Rebecca, she gave me cuttings from hers last February, right before we knew this virus was going to take over. It has quadrupled in size! Last month she gave me a pilea that she has been struggling with and I am hoping I can nurse it back to life. The attention I am giving this plant? My family is jealous. KIDDING.
But I want to try and spread the word that I am a local “plant hospital” so if anyone is about to throw out a plant, I will take it to try and save it. Plants and animals are what is so good in this world. 🙂
Yes! Plants and animals are endless joy and love. Def tell your friends you adopt plants. I got bonsai this way! Also many many orchids and Amaryllis. Mostly the plants just needed tlc. Don’t we all? (I did learn to politely decline anything with white fly. *shrudder*) So satisfying to take a sad plant & see it revive and thrive.
If you srsly get into plants, many root super easy from cuttings like your friend’s. Very easy to google & learn. Stores sell kits. Magic to see little white roots emerging from cuttings. Maybe you already know this and know that magic feeling. I’m blathering so I’ll stop but…. so happy to read plants give you joy too!
I am so afraid of bulbs! I just retold this to someone in a comment section today. She has beautiful hyacinth bulbs growing on her table and I love them so much. I need to learn how to take care of bulbs.
I got spider plant babies from my friend Kristen during the pandemic in the spring and they are doing great too! I love that I have all these plants from people I love! It’s like a piece of them is growing in my home. 🙂
So, I Googled ‘cottage core’ after seeing the sign in Ella’s room and why do I feel so seen? I recently started planting things on my window sill. I cut off the top of an onion and put it in water. OK full disclosure, it started sprouting because I forgot about it on the counter, but *then* I put it in water and now it’s growing roots! That got me inspired to throw some garlic cloves in a bit of water (after watching a YouTube tutorial) and now those are sprouting on the sill. So yeah, I’ll be planting this spring and summer.
I bought a lot of electronics. Ugh, a lot. I bought a new mic, a new amp, an iPad, Apple watch, Apple pencil, a laptop, new smart switches and bulbs, and all of my new pantry stuff. I had a bit of a spending spree about mid-way through quarantine. Retail therapy and all. Now we are back on a spending freeze because when we can travel again I am taking the family to Italy. Since I won’t be able to spend my 40th birthday there, as I was hoping to.
I love your style. And that you can stay within your style while bargain shopping. You are my idol on so many levels.
Ella will love to hear that you Googled that because of her sign. 🙂
OHHHH EMMM GEE! I LOVE THAT! What a special trip! I am so happy that you will be doing that! My parents have always wanted to go to Italy as my dad was stationed over there in the Navy. I cannot wait to see the pictures and hear about your trip!
I love my home so much. It has evolved so differently over the years. Where it is now is completely different than when we first moved in. For years, I didn’t know what style I truly loved. I think I loved other people’s styles for a long time; maybe I thought that I loved a certain style? But it wasn’t mine. But what is in my home now is me and it makes me so happy when I look around because it wasn’t like one day I went to the store and bought it all. It simply changed over time to become our home. And it is a mix of what I love, what Mike loves, what the girls love. It is truly OUR home.
I am slowly getting to that now. The first two years in my house felt like I was living in someone else’s house. Now I’m feeling like I’m slowly starting to take ownership. The pantry really helped. I am going to embark on painting my kitchen cabinets and adding a backsplash and I think that’s going to really take me over the edge with feeling like it is my space. You have been a home inspiration. I can feel the love you have for your home every time you write about it.
Your pantry is so beautiful. It inspires me. Mine has wire shelves which makes storage difficult because things fall through. I also don’t have a door on it, just sheer curtains. Gah. Come to Illinois when this is over and help me. Doesn’t that sound so much better than Italy? 😉
I feel the same way when you share posts about your home. 🙂
A Grace Full Life 
Damn, I feel like a slacker. All I’ve bought is books, liquor and bar implements. But then again, that’s probably all I need.
😉
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Now I feel like the slacker.
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Boy oh boy, you bought some fun stuff. I’ve bought things but all very practical, like new red wine glasses and kitchen dish towels and games. Although now that I think on it I did buy some fleece socks in a snazzy bright fuchsia floral pattern, so maybe pretty & [pragmatically] pink.
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Socks and wine. Those ARE fun stuff. 🙂
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I love the shit you bought! I’ve bought a lot of shit as well, but it was more retirement and move-related than pandemic-related, I think. Hard to parse out any as specific to the pandemic only, although – believe me – it has been used for justification!!! Over and over again. Bwahaha!
Deb
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Right!! I am getting really good at justifying purchases. 😁
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Sometimes you just need stuff
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Exactly.
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The stickers of the mayor crack me up. Like, how do you even find stuff like that?
Now I’m trying to remember what shit I bought, but I’m coming up mostly blank. Too many books I won’t read. Because I just got so tired of ebooks, but I bought some stupid print books. Clothing I thought I would like but don’t but couldn’t get my shit together enough to get them to the post office to return them. I’m sure they’ll find their way to Goodwill soon.
Your shit is way more fun than mine. (Of course it is. So is your blog. 🙂)
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I am a rare bird. I follow the strangest places on Instagram and by “strange” I mean MYSTICAL. 🙂
There is no such thing as TOO MUCH in reference to books. Shh.
I am always willing to share my fun shit with you. When this is all over, you can come over and play.
And your blog is just as fun. You’ve been dealing with shitty weather. There, there. I am virtually brushing your hair. 🙂
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You are a plant mom, human mom, and critter mom….ALL of your purchases are justified.
I LOVE your little plant trivet. Is that what it is? SO darn cute.
I clicked the link for the peace flags, but couldn’t really understand it from the insta page. SO, I fell into a rabbit hole of google and I love it. Never saw it before, but so darn awesome.
The mayor stickers are so fun and who doesn’t want to see Betty White shooting a bird?
LikeLike
I feel like I am the plant mom equivalent of you being a butterfly mom. You and I ARE soul sisters.
It is a trivet! I got it at Trader Joe’s and I love it. I actually found coasters online that are exactly the same and I just bought some! More sh**, coming through! 😉
I clicked through too and it looks like she isn’t doing it anymore? Oh well. She was contributing toward LBGTQ awareness but I just noticed as of late, she hasn’t been posting about it. 😦
Right? Red Bubble has the best stuff! Ernie will attest to that. 🙂
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Butterfly Mom is also a thing!!
Yes, Ernie and her red bubble find! I gotta get on that bandwagon.
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You are!
And yes, you do. 🙂
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I feel like I have bought more “stuff” this year too and I totally justify it by saying we have been saving so much money not going out much and not having a vacation… even though I didn’t get that money back and it’s waiting for us in the form of vouchers. LOL.
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Right?? I feel like we keep saying, “we’re saving money!” but in the end, we will be spending the same amount on sh**! 🙂
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Fun stuff! I buy little things here and there, but do I remember exactly what? Nope. But now I want tie-dyed socks (I have a sock fetish…an entire dresser drawer full of socks! But no tie-dye. Maybe a good thing Whole Paycheck Foods is 1/2 hour away and I never go there?) and that hammered moon cycle garland and magnets because I also have quite the collection of those and love quirky magnets. And I think I need a pretty plant mister, too because my poor plants only get misted with a crappy, plastic 99 cent spray bottle from Walmart. After you first posted about your Lori Lightfoot sticker, I did indeed get one because I thought she was cool and the sticker was funny. But now she’s hidden away because I don’t like her anymore, ha ha.
xoxo
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Lol, that is funny. Lori is in a timeout!!
I love quirky magnets too.
I feel the same way about Trader Joe’s.
I am planning on going there this week because I have a few things on a list and I haven’t been there since summer. It’s like going on vacation. The little things that feel like big things. 🙂
LikeLike
Hmm, I do not have a single indoor plant. What’s wrong with me? My mom had a ton when I was growing up – those spider plants that I don’t think you can kill. They hung everywhere in our house in funky macramé hanging plant holders.
I can’t think of what I’ve bought other than weights and a billion photo pages. I’ve updated a lot of photo albums and I guess I’ve updated my muscle groups. Oh, we also bought a hood for the kitchen . . . but that had nothing to do with the pandemic. It was just VERY late.
I love your rap wall hanging. Like LOVE.
Oh, I’ve also bought a few fun clothing type things- one in an unconventional way. I need to get myself organized and write a post about it because it is pretty funny.
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You need a plant! My friend gave me spider plant babies last year! I have three!
I love my rap wall hanging too. It brings me joy. ❤️
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Hey! I recognize those lyrics! 🙂
That glass plant mister is gorgeous! Just seeing that every day would make me happy. That’s what I bought last year. Stuff that made me happy. AKA Pretty shit. Pretty shit for me. For the cats. (Manly) pretty shit for the husband. Sometimes I bought pretty shit for people who I knew wouldn’t buy it for themselves just for the joy of giving away pretty shit. I tried to be good and Etsy or Ebay (discovered a lotta pretty shit was made in the 1950s and also, much pretty shit is being crafted right now! Pretty shit is pretty timeless.)
I used to be minimalist. Maybe I still am compared to others? But 2020 I just needed some pretty shit to look at or I was going to go full fruit loop. I have no regrets. Also, in 2021 I have no urge to buy pretty shit. Yay! I’m full!
But plants! Love! I was a Plant Mom! My fav was a Calathea (dunno species sorry) that a botanical garden friend gave me. Started as rooted cutting – 2 leaves, 4 inches tall. “You want?” friend asked. “Sure!So cute!” I replied. Years and many outgrown pots later…. Calathea was a hulking 4 foot tall stand of mighty foliage. As big as my ancient Sony Trinitron TV. But I loved him and that sweet pea bloomed!
Had to give all my Plants away a few moves ago. Yep. I cried. Maybe 2021 will be a the year of buying plants?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I WOULD CRY TOO! I used to have really bad seasonal affective disorder before I had plants. I think they are helping me. Honestly. That pilea is from my friend Rebecca, she gave me cuttings from hers last February, right before we knew this virus was going to take over. It has quadrupled in size! Last month she gave me a pilea that she has been struggling with and I am hoping I can nurse it back to life. The attention I am giving this plant? My family is jealous. KIDDING.
But I want to try and spread the word that I am a local “plant hospital” so if anyone is about to throw out a plant, I will take it to try and save it. Plants and animals are what is so good in this world. 🙂
LikeLike
Yes! Plants and animals are endless joy and love. Def tell your friends you adopt plants. I got bonsai this way! Also many many orchids and Amaryllis. Mostly the plants just needed tlc. Don’t we all? (I did learn to politely decline anything with white fly. *shrudder*) So satisfying to take a sad plant & see it revive and thrive.
If you srsly get into plants, many root super easy from cuttings like your friend’s. Very easy to google & learn. Stores sell kits. Magic to see little white roots emerging from cuttings. Maybe you already know this and know that magic feeling. I’m blathering so I’ll stop but…. so happy to read plants give you joy too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so afraid of bulbs! I just retold this to someone in a comment section today. She has beautiful hyacinth bulbs growing on her table and I love them so much. I need to learn how to take care of bulbs.
I got spider plant babies from my friend Kristen during the pandemic in the spring and they are doing great too! I love that I have all these plants from people I love! It’s like a piece of them is growing in my home. 🙂
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And you can talk about anything you want to in the comments here. It isn’t blathering. Ever. 🙂
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The mayor creeps me out! Where will she pop up next? 🤦♀️ 😱
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She has been retired since last spring lol.
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So, I Googled ‘cottage core’ after seeing the sign in Ella’s room and why do I feel so seen? I recently started planting things on my window sill. I cut off the top of an onion and put it in water. OK full disclosure, it started sprouting because I forgot about it on the counter, but *then* I put it in water and now it’s growing roots! That got me inspired to throw some garlic cloves in a bit of water (after watching a YouTube tutorial) and now those are sprouting on the sill. So yeah, I’ll be planting this spring and summer.
I bought a lot of electronics. Ugh, a lot. I bought a new mic, a new amp, an iPad, Apple watch, Apple pencil, a laptop, new smart switches and bulbs, and all of my new pantry stuff. I had a bit of a spending spree about mid-way through quarantine. Retail therapy and all. Now we are back on a spending freeze because when we can travel again I am taking the family to Italy. Since I won’t be able to spend my 40th birthday there, as I was hoping to.
I love your style. And that you can stay within your style while bargain shopping. You are my idol on so many levels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ella will love to hear that you Googled that because of her sign. 🙂
OHHHH EMMM GEE! I LOVE THAT! What a special trip! I am so happy that you will be doing that! My parents have always wanted to go to Italy as my dad was stationed over there in the Navy. I cannot wait to see the pictures and hear about your trip!
I love my home so much. It has evolved so differently over the years. Where it is now is completely different than when we first moved in. For years, I didn’t know what style I truly loved. I think I loved other people’s styles for a long time; maybe I thought that I loved a certain style? But it wasn’t mine. But what is in my home now is me and it makes me so happy when I look around because it wasn’t like one day I went to the store and bought it all. It simply changed over time to become our home. And it is a mix of what I love, what Mike loves, what the girls love. It is truly OUR home.
Girl, YOU are my idol.
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I am slowly getting to that now. The first two years in my house felt like I was living in someone else’s house. Now I’m feeling like I’m slowly starting to take ownership. The pantry really helped. I am going to embark on painting my kitchen cabinets and adding a backsplash and I think that’s going to really take me over the edge with feeling like it is my space. You have been a home inspiration. I can feel the love you have for your home every time you write about it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your pantry is so beautiful. It inspires me. Mine has wire shelves which makes storage difficult because things fall through. I also don’t have a door on it, just sheer curtains. Gah. Come to Illinois when this is over and help me. Doesn’t that sound so much better than Italy? 😉
I feel the same way when you share posts about your home. 🙂
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