Some Un-Chic Things I’m Over in My Home
A problem with leading a minimalist lifestyle, or at least one in which you attempt to live with fewer things, is that sometimes you can get sick of staring at the same old stuff. Perhaps this is true no matter the volume of your possessions, but when you’re wearing the same house slippers and sipping from the same clanky canteen day in and day out, things can start to feel a little BLAH around here.
So do you swap everything out on a whim, or hold onto your perfectly curated set of items? I don’t have a clear-cut answer. But sometimes, it’s nice to treat yourself, and totally fine to upgrade, so long as you part with the old thing responsibly.
Here are some things I may or may not upgrade:
1. My house slippers. I’ve spent many a blogpost singing the praises of my felted wool slippers, and I’ve recently come to the unfortunate conclusion that these are just plain uglatroshious (I just made that word up, but that’s how I’m feeling about them these days). While they do support my feet around the house, they make me look like a total Garden Gnome, which is NOT the vibe. I peeped these chic french slippers on Net-A-Porter, but alas, they are sold out. Until then, I will putter around the house in my gnome slippers, while avoiding eye contact with my feet altogether.
2. My water bottle. As a water drinking enthusiast, I probably spend more time holding my stainless steel water bottle than my cell phone throughout the day. It holds a hefty amount of water, but leaves something to be desired in the aesthetics department. I used to own a bkr water bottle, which is much more pleasing to the eye. Not sure what happened to it, but I’m pretty sure it weighed as much as a cargo ship (why must water bottles weigh so much!). I’ve been eyeing this self-cleaning water bottle for some time. If I do upgrade, I’ll use the old water bottle to water plants and refill my cat’s water fountain.
3. My scrunchies. I’ve either got a scrunchie in my hair or a scrunchie on my wrist. If you feel scrunchies should stay in the 80’s, that’s fine by me. I prefer the ease of a scrunchie over the rigidity of an elastic band, so I’ve been on the scrunchie bandwagon since I can remember. What I can’t remember is where I purchased my furiously fraying satin scrunchies. There are only so many times you can trim a scrunchie’s frayed ends before you question what you’re doing with your life. If anyone knows where to get some quality scrunchies around here, I’m all ears!
4. My paper towels. I have yet to venture into UNpaper towel territory, but things are trending in this direction. Now I use rags more than I used to for cleaning purposes, but I’m no saint and still run through a roll or two on a regular basis. If there’s one “eco-friendly” house thing at the top of my wish list, it’s these guys!
5. My socks. Life hack: own the same kind of sock in the same kind of color, and you’ll have the easiest time sorting and folding them. Not-so-life hack: buying unreasonably expensive pairs of Falke socks that become threadbare after several wears. I mean, these socks are *the* perfect everyday sock except for the surprise holes I’m routinely greeted by. Since repeatedly sewing said holes is no longer an option, I’m on the hunt for a better solution. Thankfully, sandal season is right around the corner.
6. My yoga mat. I have yet to encounter a yoga mat that is both lightweight and pleasing to the eye. I once owned a Lululemon yoga mat…looked cute, but weighed as much as a bowling ball (like water bottles, why do yoga mats have to be so heavy!). My current yoga mat does the job, but also reminds me of high school gym class circa 2006. Since I interact with it first thing in the morning every single day, it wouldn’t hurt to stare at a more attractive-looking version. This Alo yoga mat seems promising. I likely won’t do an upgrade until my current version is on the fritz, but in the meantime, I’ll be quietly lamenting its Barney-the-Dinosaur-purple hue.