It's been a looooooong time in coming, I know !!!

I apologize for the long break in between posts but my personal life recently knocked me on my ass and I was a little distracted, but upwards and onwards we go!

Today I'd like to cheer, rant, then confess. Hopefully in that order. But you never know what will happen when I get going LOL

First I'd like to give a shout out to an entrepreneur, a company, a visionary, a man who is most importantly a humanitarian who is trying in his own way to reinvent the consumer/buyer relationship as well as the way a company spends it time and its' profits. It all started when a guy named Blake made friends with some kids in Argentina and noticed a way he could make a difference, and Toms were created and the one for one philosophy was born. I bought a pair of Toms and felt great about spending an average amount of money on a pair of cute wedge sandals knowing that I was buying a pair of shoes for a kid somewhere around the world. I admit I had visions of a pair of Toms flats sprouting wings an flying across the world until it saw the kid they belonged to. So let's all pretend that's how it happens. If you want the real story, which is only slightly less fantastic than my version, here it is.

 One For One Movement - A Pair Of New Shoes Is Given To A Child In Need With Every Pair Purchased | TOMS.com

I then spent the next few days wondering what if other companies did what Blake had done. What if Nike gave kids shoes instead of having them make them? What if for every notebook, winter coat, calculator, or bed we bought we could know that some amount of profits (if not the one to one model) went to outfitting children or families in need worldwide, including in our own back yard? Toms can't be the only one, maybe the only one doing it so equally in terms of buy one give one, but there must be companies out there with their heart strings attached to their wallet strings? If we are to become an enlightened society, a more equal society, does the bottom line still have to be the bottom dollar? Is it not enough to make a comfortable living, to do really well as a company and not pay your executives bloated 6 figure salaries, and demand bigger and bigger profits every year and never once pass that success down the line either to the employees or to people in need SOMEWHERE?? Does every CEO need million dollar homes, private jets and to have their housewives (or house husbands if reversed) on some reality TV show? Is it an impossible ideal to think that we as a society, as a first world nation could reinvent, and redefine success in the corporate world to make room for people?

So now it is confession time. Forgive me 2nd hand life for I have shopped. I swear it didn't mean anything, and I was thinking about you the whole time !! I feel dirty.....

 I needed a part time job over the summer and was testing the waters for a career change so I took a job at Pier 1 imports, once upon a time my favourite store in the universe. My living room looked like a  Pier one catalog exploded in it. I know this was a strange choice given my 2nd hand life commitment but a wise person once gave me some advice. If you see something you love in a store, namely clothing, try it on whether or not you plan on buying it, or if you feel like you can't afford it, try it on anyway. 9 times out of 10 it doesn't fit right, doesn't quite look like you had hoped or whatever the case may be. Then at least when you walk away you'll know whether it was right or not. We only regret the things in life we fail to try or do.So I tried it on, Pier 1, and it did NOT fit. At first I was overwhelmed with all the beautiful merchandise, flower shaped bowls, art work, measuring spoons shaped like lady bugs, SO cute. I bought a pair of earrings, some scented beads to mask the smell of my neighbours dogs, and some wine glasses (which I actually needed since so many of mine had broken). I did donate a ton of stuff in return but will admit I did not count to make sure it was 2 for 1.Then I did a pricing shift where we have to remove the US price tag and replace it with a Canadian one. I was SHOCKED at the price difference, in Canada we pay on average 20-40% more for the same merchandise. A mug that is $7US is $11CAN. That left a bitter taste in my mouth and started to dull the shiny patina and excitement of "new" things. Then after a few weeks it all started to look the same. Vintage has a feeling of history, a story comes with your "stuff", being pre-loved is a GOOD thing. Don't get me wrong, there are still many things in the store I covet and would be thrilled to receive as a gift but it lost so much interest for me. There is something lazy about wandering in to a store like Pier 1 to buy something versus the effort you need to search for the perfect thing on Kijiji, or in your favourite thrift store. For me it is much more satisfying finding something I want and buying it from someone who no longer needs it, something cyclical and reciprocal. I've said this before but it's like the circle of life, but with curtains and lamps. You are getting what you need and are freeing up space and money for the other person,  and no more "stuff" is made saving materials, energy, and often pollution in the manufacturing process. It makes me feel like I am get what I need and want without the high and often hidden cost of new things. So I tried it on and now I can walk away in a few weeks knowing that it just didn't suit me. Lesson learned, now onward and upward !

Christmas and BEYOND!!

Ok so I know this is way over due but here is how I did Christmas, and my first upcycling project!!

I didn't even try to buy 2nd hand gifts for my daughter for Christmas, all of her clothes, and most of her toys and books are bought 2nd hand all year so I figured some new things were in order. I did donate 2 boxes of clothes in return and am gathering another box of clothes and books from my closet to donate to ensure I keep up with the 2 item donated per new item purchased. I will comment on how it felt to be buying new, as I went through some interesting phases. Very similar to the 5 stages of grief.

I purchased most of my daughter's gifts online from Scholar's choice, the opposite of shopping at the BIG BOX store, I may have decided to buy new but I still have my limits and there are lines I will not cross. It was easy, a few clicks, an online coupon, 15 minutes and I was done. I also was able to buy a few extra things for my Mom to save her the shopping trip. It was so easy sitting in my living room and it made it feel less real. I wasn't shopping, I was clicking. It was convenient, and it was painless, and it was totally cheating on my plan but the benefits outweighed the cons. I told myself that 50 times and believed it about half of the time. I bought not one thing at a big box store and this made me feel principled, but in reality I was re-entering the machine, morphing back into a consumer cog. This was the denial phase. At first it was very uncomfortable, but it got easier.

For my husband I bought a WagJag Jaunt to Niagara which technically was not a thing so score one for the plan. Of course there was a stocking to be stuffed so off I went to a local bargain store because even though I was buying new I was trying to be as frugal as possible. At this point I entered the anger phase. I got angry as I was subjected to the holiday decor, impulse items and quickly wanted out of the store. I was frustrated with myself for caving even a little to the consumer pressure of the holidays. I was angry at the shiny decorations, the catchy advertising, angry at the pressure to "purchase" the best Christmas possible for my child and my family. Rudolph's nose might have well been blinking in morse code, buy me, buy me , buy me and buy a happy Christmas!!!

I also agreed to buy a few things for my husband on behalf of my mother and at this point I began to bargain. I bought a Groupon for a discount book store, $10 for $20 in merchandise at a  store that was already 20-40% off, so it was such a good deal it was OK right? I mean the prices were almost as cheap as 2nd hand and it wasn't a box store so it wasn't THAT bad right? Besides they had yummy hot chocolate, Michael Bublé singing carols and pretty candles.... I was weak, forgive me for being so easily misled? I mostly skipped depression, but there was a little sadness every time I made a new purchase. Although I wouldn't do too much differently I felt sad that I wasn't quite able to break away from the consumer Christmas as much as I had hoped.

Last but not least acceptance. I understood that I didn't keep to the plan as much as I had hoped I would but I accepted that I stumbled, and I felt the best way to deal with it with it was to get back up on the 2nd hand rocking horse and try again. I tried harder to keep in line with the plan when it came to gifts for family and friends. For my extended family I bought Heart and Stroke Lottery Calendars, I made some Kahlua (which got rave reviews) that I bottled for a few family members, and I made a Christmas vase for my mother in law! It was my first upcycling project from a vase and candle holder I bought 2nd hand , an some etching kit and some decorative sand from a craft store. Ribbon I had in my decoration box.

Just add a nice wreath of greens and voila! Centerpiece!

 By the time I was done with the holidays, and went to spend my gifts cards, I was numb to it all. I went into a mall and didn't cringe. I walked into Winners and spent every penny of that gift card without even wincing. I bout a yoga mat which arguably I would not buy 2nd hand anyway (sweaty 2nd hand? no thanks!) but I also bought a few things for my daughter and could feel my eyes drifting to the sweaters and jeans, looking longingly at the shoes and almost fell right off the wagon. So I shook the sales banners out of my head, dusted myself off and walked out of the mall with a reaffirmation to my 2nd Hand Plan. I hope you all had a great Holiday, and I will be posting about my daughter's 2nd hand birthday and why 2nd hand shopping is one of the best ways to stick it to Wall street.