This is my advice to myself, lol.
Today, while looking for an old iPhone to give to my cousin’s daughter, I ended up finally cleaning out an antique-style secretary in my bedroom that I allowed to be burdened with piles of stuff that I didn’t know what to do with.
It is such a pretty piece of furniture that I bought at a designer show house when I first moved into my house 18 years ago. It went perfectly with my bedroom and fit so nicely between the closet and bathroom. It was terrible that I loaded it up with junk!
In recycling and getting rid of things, I came upon a lot of stuff that I forgot that I had, stuff that I was saving. Saving for what? Well, I am done with that. Use everything, save nothing is my new policy.
And if I can’t use it, I try to give it away. You may remember that I started a Poshmark shop that has so far been unsuccessful, but I’m trying. I gave as many things as I could to a consignment shop in the next town to try to sell. And I have been giving away things that I don’t use to our local Facebook “Buy Nothing” group – do you have one? It’s an amazing way to gift things that you don’t use, but someone else may need and love.
So this evening, I found some cute things that I bought in my travels. Years ago, Jeff and I went to Tampa, and we spent some time wandering around the shops and cafés of Ybor City. I came home with an embroidered, sparkly, embellished pillow for my bed that I have certainly used. In fact, it’s falling apart, but I’ve enjoyed using it. I also unearthed a few other cute tidbits that I bought on sale in that shop.
The two little heart candles will appear on my dinner table on Friday night, Valentine’s Day.
The next time I take a bath, I will use at least one of the adorable Buddha candles.
I will find a use for the other mini-candles in Indonesian or Thai hats and incense holder! I will use them.
From our more recent trip to Savannah, I came upon something that I had bought at The Olfactory Company, a fabulous shop of Victorian attire and Steampunk oddities, teas as well as beautiful imported bath and body products. Check out their Facebook page here to see some photos of the shop and their wares. They don’t have a website, but they do take orders on the phone.
I picked up Roberts Acqua Alle Rose Gel Detergente, a gentle rose-scented Italian facial cleanser, I wrote about after the trip (here). BTW, it now comes in a bigger size for the same money, less than $10!
I also bought a duo of soaps that I had thought I would give as a hostess gift, but the occasion hasn’t yet arrived. So I am now using them myself.
De Landbouwers Dochters (The Farmer’s Daughters’ in Flemish) Eggwhite Facial Soap, imported from Belgium.
There are two egg-shaped, ivory-colored, natural facial or body soaps in a yellow presentation box adorned Belgian farmer’s daughters and eggs. So charming. So giftable. The soaps have a very light chamomile scent. They lather up beautifully and clean my skin gently and leave a nice glow. Protein-rich egg whites clean skin and tighten pores, while chamomile flower oil and lecithin soothe and soften.
The soaps were $10 at The Olfactory Company in Savannah. I’m so glad I re-found them! Give the store a call if you’re interested. Or check out the same soap, Eiwit Zeep, as it is sold in Belgium in a box of 6 soaps for $23.70 at the Garden of Eden Stores.
So what have you rediscovered that you own but have never used?
Hahahahaha!!!!! I know what you’re bringing for a Yankee Swap next year 😂!
I’ve been purging as well. I passed along 2 full sets of China that I didn’t love ( Pauls sisters love them).
You’re too funny, Lois, I never thought of doing that for the Yankee Swap, but it’s a great idea 😂 That’s excellent that you gave away 2 sets of dishes – and you can visit with them when you go to Paul’s sisters. Well done!
You sure found some treasures. I need to go through the “stuff” on my dressing table and actually pitch things that I have opened and haven’t used or just was not thrilled with. Those soaps are all beautiful. I no longer use soaps though and use a cleansing balm or a shower gel……and I really like Muddled Plum 🥰. I need to know what a Yankee Swap is???
Oh, I am relieved, Sandy, that you like Muddled Plum! I still use bar soap along with shower gels in the shower. I know that’s silly, but I always think that soap cleans better and then I follow up with shower gel for hydration and scent. Silly, I know. And in the summer, after gardening, mowing the lawn or jogging on a hot day, I wash my face with bar soap instead of my cream and gel cleansers. I have such complex regimens, lol! I am sure that you have Yankee Swaps in Michigan but you call them something else. A Yankee Swap is when you have every person in the group pick a number from a hat (or whatever). Then each person in order of their number can choose a wrapped gift, open it and decide whether to keep it or swap it with a gift that someone else got. At the end when all the gifts have been given out, opened and swapped,the person who got #1 can either keep their gift or swap one last time. We do a Yankee Swap at my family’s holiday get-together and at my book club’s holiday party. What do you call this in MI???
“Use everything, save nothing is my new policy” is precisely the way that I feel as well. At heart, I am a minimalist, but blogging has lead to over-flowing cabinets, closets and drawers. Sadly, I have learned the hard way that saving favorite skincare and makeup for “special occasions” is fruitless because things end up going bad before they can be finished. Consigning, donating, selling and recycling is a great way to get rid of excess things that one won’t use, and it allows one’s house to be less cluttered, and more organized. You have motivated me to start using candles and other things that I have been saving! Nice job, Allison!
Lola Seicento recently posted…GOLDFADEN MD Doctor’s Scrub Ruby Crystal Microderm Exfoliator
I’m a saver by nature, so I have to work at it to throw things out, recycle them or pass them on to others. But I am getting better at it. I am getting new wall to wall carpeting installed in my bedroom next month so I am working on getting rid of things to make it easier to empty the room. After that, cleaning out the beauty products in my office is next. My formerly neat and pretty office is a mess with boxes of beauty products. The storage I bought is completely full. Time to get rid of things!
Speaking of “STUFF”…..my Dad called his “STUFF” ………”TREASURES!” R.I.P. Daddy. ❤️ I just put 5 boxes of things for the VA pick up this morning. 🙋🏻♀️❤️🍷
Now I agree with your dear dad, treasures indeed! Giving away things from a parent is so difficult, but donating them to the VA is wonderful. Hopefully, they will find good new homes <3
That’s an absolutely beautiful chest!!!
Thank you, Miranda! I am happy to see it without piles of junk on the desk 🙂
Good for you once you start getting rid of stuff it is refreshing! I have been doing it for over a year. I live in a senior high rise and there is a giveaway table. About twice a month I take a box of stuff downstairs.
That’s wonderful, Gloria, that your apartment building makes it so easy to declutter! I’ve got a long way to go, but in the meantime, I can’t stop looking at my secretary with the desk closed and no piles on it. And I have posted some costume jewelry to give away today!
In MI I’ve seen people have White Elephant parties which sounds the same as your Yankee Swap.
I couldn’t believe what I found when I moved. It made me feel so bad that I had saved and saved and not enjoyed. I’ve been giving things away like crazy and not replacing things.
Love your dresser.
MarciaF recently posted…Holographic nail polishes from KBShimmer rock our world
Thanks, Marcia! I’m glad I can really see that pretty dresser/secretary now without piles of junk on the desktop! Yankee Swap isn’t a White Elephant party. Usually it is done with new wrapped gifts in a certain category or price range. Everyone gets a number and a chance to choose and open a gift. If you like it, you can keep it. If you don’t like it, you can swap for another gift that someone else has already opened. At the very end when all the gifts are opened, the person who started it off (#1) gets to swap one last time from everything that has been opened. It’s fun. My family does it at the holidays as do the women in my neighborhood and my book club where we do it with books. What you stated about all the things you found when you were moving is exactly how I feel. I wish I hadn’t waited to use things. And now I’m trying to give away as much as I can, but I have a very long way to go.
I love the idea of the FB group. My friends and I do swap parties – we haven’t done one in forever but we’re going to do one in March hopefully. I love getting rid of stuff!
Jen Mathews recently posted…I Take These 5 Supplements Daily for Beautiful Skin
I wish my friends would do a swap party, but right now we just all want to get rid of stuff. It is such a good feeling to purge unused things.
Love the secretary! I need to do some purging too. Those eggwhite soaps look wonerful!
Cindy Ingalls recently posted…Valentine’s Day with Merle Norman!
I am soooo guilty of this! I always keep things and then forget about them and they go bad!
Shireen L. Platt recently posted…GET READY WITH ME: VALENTINE’S DAY