What a week it has been (and not in a delightful way).
This week Michael and I have been slowly but surely going through our things and packing what we want to move in boxes, and hauling the rest away to other places that may use them. Books have made their way to Little Free Libraries and our local library district, while clothing and home items have landed at my campus’s thrift shop.
It’s funny, we “KonMaried” our things a few years ago and shed a lot of items, but this go-round we are being even more intentional with what we keep. The biggest hurdles for us to clear are fast approaching, though: I will struggle with kitchen items and beauty products, and Michael will have a harder time paring down his electronics.
We also still have to tackle the larger items like our spare bed and my desk, as we are moving into a 2/1 (though, believe it or not, the second bedroom can’t really fit a bed, so it’s basically a 1/1 with an office). Though I previously mentioned we are moving because our landlords want to sell our house, I haven’t really mentioned that we are moving to our next place somewhat temporarily until we find the next place to truly call home.
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But it’s okay! Or at least, I’m taking things step-by-step to just stay involved in the process and not think about the big picture. I’ve found that in between packing and sorting, I need some mental breaks. I’ve turned to books (I just read this book about the Finnish concept of sisu, this book about a Scandinavian approach to life, this book about coffee, and have started this book about budgeting) and the internet to break up my thoughts and provide forms of entertainment. Here’s what else I read this week:
Travel
I reread this post about the horrors of magnifying mirrors (why are they in every hotel?), and it rings just as true today.
This Instagram account reposts submitted photos of airplane food and it’s pretty eye-opening. Some meals look almost as if they’d come from a restaurant (white tablecloth, real silverware, garnishes and all) and others look like the slop we’re used to getting on our cheap flights (if we even get anything to eat).
Nordstrom has just released their newest Pop-In Shop featuring Away luggage (reviewed here) in exclusive colors as well as other travel items. I’ve never been one to adorn my things with stickers, but I’m drawn to the leather ones exclusive to Nordstrom simply because I’ve been to all of those places!
Do you live near New York City? Do you want to see Hamilton in Puerto Rico? JetBlue is giving away free round-trip flights, two tickets to Hamilton, and a free night’s stay in San Juan. The catch? If you win that day’s drawing, you have to be ready to go tomorrow.
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Life
Here’s a wonderfully large roundup of sustainable living posts.
Every year we love watching the Big Fat Quiz shows – and we finally had a chance to watch the Big Fat Quiz of 2018 and the most recent Big Fat Quiz of Everything. Do you enjoy watching British quiz shows?
Have you seen the new interactive Black Mirror episode? If not, go watch it and then read this interesting look into it.
I’m looking forward to reading this book when it debuts next month. It seems to perfectly align with my resolutions for the year.
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Style
How to wash every type of winter coat.
Curious about what those stamps and acronyms mean? Leah breaks down the different ethical and environmental certifications.
Have you seen the Tradlands sale yet? The brand famous for its well-fitting button-downs is holding an Anniversary Sale, with increasing discounts on already-reduced items as the days pass (though stock may dwindle). Today the discount is at 25%, and on Wednesday the discount will jump to 30%.
Things I bought this week
There goes my attempt at reducing what I buy (we’re supposed to be moving, after all!) – the bad thing about being so active on my Poshmark lately is that I’m also tempted to browse!
I usually am pretty good about posting and sharing and then leaving the app, but not so much this week. I ordered this Eileen Fisher Silk Tank (linked to similar) early in the week to wear as a base layer, but sadly it was a little too big. I forgot to account for EF items always being 1-2 sizes larger than marked! Thankfully the STSF Instagram exists, and it’s about to head to a new home! (Side note – another item of mine is up on the noihsaf.vintage feed if you’re into vintage raw silk pieces).
I also snapped up a secondhand Linen Dress from Linenfox, and will likely hem it a bit shorter. If it doesn’t work out fit-wise for wear, I plan to a) incorporate it into my pajama drawer (I love a good nightshirt!) or b) resell it at cost – I always have a contingency plan when buying secondhand or non-returnable items! The last thing I ordered this week was this Striped Long Sleeve Tee from Kate Spade Saturday (linked to similar). I like the fact that it’s cotton and wool, and I love the varying stripes. It hasn’t arrived yet, so fingers crossed it all works out! Otherwise, it will go into my Poshmark closet or be available for sale on an Instagram account like thegeneraleconomy.
Are you doing any decluttering for the new year?
Have a great weekend!
