A pine-scented candle, a colorful costume earrings, a roll of jam jar stickers - honestly, how did those even end up with me? And, the best one: a carrot peeler shaped like a pencil sharpener, still with the tag on. I bought it in a museum gift shop in Vienna because I thought it would make a fun, quirky gift for someone. And then I forgot it existed. Anyone else with a story like that?
While I was digging through the chaos, I caught myself wondering: what makes me decide to buy something so quickly?
Maybe it's that tiny dopamine hit: Add to cart? Maybe it's the belief that life will magically become more organized if I just have one more basket for cables. Or maybe it's simply boredom at 9:47 PM while waiting for the dryer to finish.
But when I think about the objects in my home that truly matter none of them arrived in a next-day delivery box. They're things like:
- My mom's old mug full of memories and just the right size for my morning americano.
- A 20-year-old makeup case, a gift from my then-boyfriend (now husband). It still comes with me on every trip and it's still beautiful.
- A solid wooden table my husband and I rescued from a scrapyard. When we first moved in together, our furniture budget was exactly zero. We saw its potential, restored it and now we can't imagine our home without it. A table that lovely and grand is hard to find in a store.
There are so many things like this. Old, imperfect, but mine. They've become part of my routines, my days, my people. They fit perfectly into my everyday life. Why replace them with something brand new?
So I came up with a little quiz for myself - a tiny pause before a big "Yes!" whenever that shopping impulse strikes:
- Would I like it just as much without the discount? If not, I wait. Sales will still be there tomorrow (and next month).
- Will it have a real place in my home? Or will it just take up space and annoy me?
- Will it make me happy next week? Not just tonight when I'm tired?
- Will it still bring joy a year from now? If yes maybe it really is something special.
- Do I need it, or is it just an impulse? - If it?s just impulse ? I can let it go.
So my holiday resolution this year looks like this:
- fewer shopping carts, more long breakfasts.
- less rushing through stores, more slow walks under twinkling lights.
- fewer "must-have" things, more moments I don't want to forget.
The most beautiful things arrive when we have time to notice them.
Bojana
Photo via Pixabay
