No Shop February

When Danielle of A Sequined Life and Natalie of Wear You are Now were like NO SHOP FEBRUARY, I jumped on board without a hesitation. It's become very apparent to me that as my children are getting older (and larger), the space that we are working with seems to get smaller. We are very fortunate, my family. We have a lovely home in a great community and we're able to have the things we want... but that doesn't mean that I need all those things. Actually, I have plenty of things (clothes, shoes, makeup, etc) that I almost have no right wanting more when there's whole lot of people who don't have what I do. Plus, the "things" don't buy me permanent happiness, they just don't... but I'm not going to take this down a depressing route lol, because it's really a fun challenge that these girls have put together, one that I am so happy to be embarking on... and who knows, No Shop February could turn into No Shop March (but let's not get carried away just yet)!

The participants are joining in for various different reasons and are aiming to do some fun things with the things they have already! Some are looking to build capsule collections with their versatile, classic pieces. Some just want to clean out their closets, weeding out the clothes that just don't get any play and therefore are kind of wasting space. It's really just a great way to keep some extra moola in our pockets though. When you really pay attention to what you're spending on coffees, shoes, makeup, little extra odds and ends... well, that adds up. If we're paying attention to everything for one month, it will certainly help us get better acquainted to where that money goes on a monthly basis and I'm betting we'll be surprised at how much we save and how much more mindful we can be with our spending, even when we're not taking part in a "NO SHOP" challenge.

UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THOSE EMAILS!

I have become a sucker for clicking through email campaigns from my favorite brands. You're offering me a sale and also show me items that I've looked at in the past, well there's a pretty good chance I might buy it after you remind me how much I liked it in the first place. The thing is though, this online shopping thing give me only momentary happiness. Well, it also gives me happiness when it arrives but it's sort of only superficial. I've been thinking a lot lately about the correlation that I've always had between shopping and attempting to make myself happy. I'm putting this to the test this month... and I gotta start by unsubscribing from every dang email that offers me sales on the daily!

Also, I'm going to put this here as another way to maybe feel held accountable but I want to maybe make some things this month. I've been stockpiling fabrics for years and I need to make the sweaters and dresses that I've been thinking about. Or what about the jewelry that I've got the supplies for but just never make the time? I think that if I combine the will to keep myself from shopping with the will to make some new things, I won't just be proud of what I didn't do (shop) but of what I did do (make things). Again, I have two young children at home who sometimes push me to the absolute limits of sanity but on the days that they don't, I'm going to make something. That's a promise!

Follow along with me and the ladies who are on this lil' adventure this month:

@achicvoyage, @afashionfix, @amodestlife, @asequinedlife, @ashleyvbeine, @bluebootsgo, @champagne_thursday, @cmcinthecity, @d_mobley, @elizabethev, @emilyshell, @gretski126, @iceberghaha, @jenfirshe, @klassicallykaytee, @kristinbassett, @kristylyons, @lyssmmm, @mystyletales, @natmazz, @nishatnguyen, @primandpropah, @sassyysaraa, @shaunagallagher, @sixfeetinheels, @speedy2ac, and @thechroniclesofsheel