Share Four Somethings: September 2020

Wow! Has it really been a month since I sat down to publish a post? I have so many things bouncing around in my head that I needed a month off to breathe & rest.

So, I'm easing back in with a "Share Four Somethings" post, participating in Heather Gerwing's monthly link up.

Something Loved

Thrift shopping! I grew up going to thrift shops & consignment stores for my wardrobe, mostly because of our family budget. (My Mom sacrificed her income to stay home with us, so we were a one-income family for most of my childhood.) My peers might have looked down their noses sometimes at my second-hand, last-season finds. But I was learning the joy of finding a bargain & picking neutral pieces that would outlast the trends.

Fast forward a decade or so & now I'm trying to manage clothes for 5 people (my husband fends for himself). I usually shop for most of my kids' clothes at a consignment sale that happens twice a year. We also are lucky enough to have some boys that pass their clothes down to mine, so I usually only have to buy a few items for them. We also have a Once Upon a Child consignment store that I run to when kids hit a growth spurt mid-season.

For my own wardrobe, I've either muddled through with what I already have or I have resorted to "fast fashion" (AKA Target, Old Navy, Kohl's). The problem is that these cheaply-made garments don't last all that long, leaving me looking for new clothes way too often.

But I don't have the time I used to have to browse through the racks of the local consignment shops.

My solution? I decided to give thredUP a try. They're an online thrift store & I have been able to get myself some "new" items (actually one pair of jeans still had the tags on) for the fall. And even some nearly-new Pumas for a third of the price. Now, I just need some fall weather! If you want to take a look, here's my referral link that will give you $10 off your first order & also gives me $10 for my next order. (Another great part of this company is that they try to use green packaging - so pretty much no plastic waste! And it's really cute packaging too!)

{Side note about "fast fashion" - Many of these garments are made from cotton that is gathered by modern-day enslaved persons & made in factories that "employ" victims of human trafficking in deplorable conditions. I'm not an expert about these things, though I am trying to learn so that I can do better. If you're interested in learning along with me, you can visit the Polaris Project's website for resources & to unlearn some of the myths that keep getting perpetuated on social media.}

Something Read

A few of the highlights form this month's books:

Jane Austen's novels - These were my audiobooks of choice the past month or so. I am a pretty big Austen fan, so I've read them before. We even studied Emma in my literary criticism class in college. But reading them in quick succession helped me see the themes & tropes that she tended to use - definitely took me back to my college days of dissecting & evaluating an author's work. Way too fun for this English nerd!

The Enemy by Sarah Adams - Super cute, light-weight, clean romance. Basically a Hallmark movie in book form. An easy weekend read at the end of a long week!

You Who? Why You Matter and How to Deal with It by Rachel Jankovic - This one I mentioned last month. This book challenges all of the cultural norms that have crept into our Christian worldview. It's a really good book for realigning our view or ourselves with what the Bible tells us it should be. It's a really important message for all of us!

Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillyn Smith - Self-dubbed as "The Nester," Myquillyn has a great sense of how to balance the desire for a cozy home with the equally strong desire of simplifying life. It's pretty close to the popular hygge concept so many people are into these days. I'm now reading her latest book Welcome Home which is all about translating that style into the various seasons & celebrations of life. Also, you should go find her shopping videos on her Instagram. They are life-changing!

Something Treasured

I'm pretty sure I always say "family time" here, but it's just always true. I live in a house with my 5 favorite people. I get to hang out with them & enjoy time with them every single day. Do we need breaks form each other? Yes. Do we need to get out of the house for one-on-one time with each kid? You bet. But overall, I am grateful for this extra time we've had together these past few months.

One fun family activity was going apple picking with our small group from church. Masks & all - it was still a fun time. Here's where I shared some photos on Instagram.

Something Ahead

Fall! I'm looking forward to the cooler temperatures & the colors & the festivities. We already did the apple thing, so now we're looking forward to a corn maze. We also love going to pick out pumpkins at our local garden center. They also make apple cider doughnuts that have become a family tradition.

We're also going to make our own spin on Halloween this year since trick-or-treating is being discouraged. Stay tuned & maybe I'll share some of the ideas we come up with...

I'm also looking forward to is FINALLY having a fridge again! Ours died a few weeks ago, and many appliances are on back order due to factories being closed & people hoarding food. We finally have one that's supposed to arrive tomorrow - fingers crossed! A family of 6 living out of a mini fridge is not fun!

Now it's your turn to share something! Comment below & don't forget to visit the link-up on Heather's blog!