Sales Shopping For Grumpy Clothes Shoppers (Like Me)

Nicki CawoodI’m a keen fan of sales shopping because sales shopping is all about finding items you want or need, without much effort and without parting with too much money. More on this in a minute.

Over the summer we moved to a new house. We only moved down the street but this house (as much as I loved the other one) is quite frankly bigger and better. As expected moving to a new house came with a long list of very necessary purchases. We needed a new bin for the kitchen. We needed curtains. Bathroom storage was something I needed to think about (we’ve a bigger bathroom but nowhere to put the towels) and then there were all the little expenses that seems to add up. The new doormat, a clock for the kitchen, new cutlery and so on.
We also got new sofas for the lounge. That was an adventure as we had to get a window company out to remove the bay window glass to get the damn things in as I hadn’t measured the hall properly. The less said about that decision the better I think.

I love my new house, but I have to say, you can only get so excited about new placemats for the dining room.

Sales Shopping
Photo by Artificial Photography on Unsplash.

I’ve posted about Love The Sales before and continue to be quite the fan. Now that I’ve well and truly scratched my homewares shopping itch, my sales shopping attention is now pointed elsewhere. It’s pointed at me.

Yes, I know, I hate shopping for me. Or at least I say I do. The thing is, I’m not very good at shopping for myself. Need new nets for your lounge? I can find you a bargain, measure up and locate a piece of great quality net curtain that will transform your window with no problem. When it comes to treating myself however, I’m not great. I don’t like physically shopping, I just don’t, and I find spending money on myself difficult, much to my husband’s frustration (he wants me to treat myself but I tend to look for something for me and then buy new storage for Taylor’s room, a book for Roy or a treat for everyone else but myself).

I can’t escape the fact however that the seasons are turning, and my wardrobe is looking somewhat shabby to say the least. I really do need some new items and to be honest, I probably should spend a little more on myself. Maybe it’s the Irish in me, maybe it’s the Yorkshire but I find parting with money (for my own benefit) difficult so I’ve come to a compromise with myself. I’m going to buy myself a few nice new items but only if that involves sales shopping and avoiding changing rooms with their all-too-honest mirrors and ridiculously bright lighting!

Now that I’ve (sort of) made peace with myself about needing to buy a few key items for my winter wardrobe and parting with some pennies, I’ve actually enjoyed having a good browse. I’m definitely going to be treating myself to some new jeans from the Dorothy Perkins LoveTheSales offers. I know jeans don’t seem like a very swish or sexy purchase but I live in jeans so a really nice pair makes all the difference to how I feel about myself and the rest of an outfit. I find DP Jeans to be a decent fit if you’ve got plus-sized bottom and short legs. They’re also made of decent quality denim which make life easier as they last longer.

I’m also going to try and find a few tops that are a bit more…feminine. Believe it or not, under these saggy jumpers and my collection of identical ¾ sleeve tops (I have the exact same top in 4 colours that I wear constantly) hides a woman. A women with curves! I’m considering letting her out from time to time and maybe even adding a splash of colour to break up all of the grey, black and dark brown. Don’t faint. There is a limit to how girly I can go in one leap but I have to say that there are some fab tops at Laura Ashley which I could actually cope with, especially with new jeans!  

You know what, the more I consider sales shopping and dive in and out of online stores I wouldn’t think to consider otherwise, the more I’m enjoying the experience. Not only have I found some brilliant bargains with very little effort, there’s not be one smelly changing room in sight.

What about you? Are you a sales shopping fan or are you less strict about spending money on yourself than I am? Why I find it so hard I’ll never know, but at least I’ve found a relatively low stress and budget friendly way to buy quality items without too much angst. I’m not promising that I’ll not grumble a little during the process though……

 

via GIPHY

Kindness Changes Lives and So Can You

I think, “Kindness changes lives” could become my new mantra. We all live busy lives. We have so much going on. There’s work, bills, health, the house, school, extra-curricular activities and a whole host of other responsibilities and things to keep us busy. Sometimes though it is important to pause, take a step back and really concentrate on what’s going on around you. It’s when we stop that we realise that we have the power to help others and ourselves, simply by sharing a little kindness.

As before, we’re all very busy people, that’s just the type of world we live in these days. We have so many digital tools and tricks to streamline what we do and save time and yet we seem to have less free time than ever. Has anyone else noticed that? I certainly have and it’s something that doesn’t sit well with me. I’ve been looking at mindfulness recently (I’m even taking a mindfulness diploma course) as well as some of the philosophy behind Buddhism and do you know what? I think I’ve been missing out. In the race to the end of the to-do list, the sprint towards a deadline, the fierce week-time home/family/work juggle I’ve lost some of the things that make me happy. One of these things is making other people happy.

KindnessI like to be happy, and I’m pretty sure others do too. Sometimes, however, happiness needs a little shove and I find that kindness is a great way to make someone smile, even if it simply makes someone feel better for a just little while. You see, while I have a lot going on, I have an enormous amount to be grateful and thankful for, and yet there are many out there, both home and abroad who don’t have the same light in their life. I’m working on myself to become more mindful in order to see and appreciate the light around me, while other live in grey and dark and really could use a helping hand.

For me, kindness is a selfless act that benefits someone else. It’s not about posting on Facebook that you’ve helped a charity out (unless of course, like I am today, you are trying to raise awareness). It’s not about making you feel good (although it’s a nice side-effect), it’s about taking a moment to consider others, to make a change and to take action in a positive way that will raise someone up somehow.

Kindness is everywhere, we just don’t see it all the time. There are a great many people doing kind things every day. I have decided to do the same. I’ve considered volunteering, however, don’t have the time so every day for the next month I am going to take time to do something that could be considered a kindness to someone else. They say it takes 28 days to create or learn a new habit so perhaps (hopefully), a kindness a day may be something I do every day moving on.

I will be donating to charity.
I might help someone with a task they are struggling with.
I will take time to ask someone how they are and really listen.
I will campaign for change.
I will smile at the embarrassed parent in the supermarket whose toddler is having a meltdown and say, “We’ve all been there, I promise, it does get better”.
I will support a local small business, even if it might seem easier to buy online.

I already consider myself to be a kind person. I already help people I see in need, however, kindness is an ever-filling bucket, it doesn’t run dry and anyone may dip into it whenever they like. I feel I could dip more often, and so I will. Will you?

This infographic from Oxfam offers a brilliant and visual way to recognise some people that really might benefit from a little kindness, and how.

Random Acts of Kindness