12 January 2007

Telegram sam...you're my main man...

Yesterday I went through an old makeup case that now dutifully holds extra toiletry items. Samples from hotels, deodorant in the mail, soaps that relatives feel like that have to give me. Am I a dirty person? Am I a female version of pigpen? Now I might be with my whirlwind jam hands 4 year old crashing into me. I ask-do I really need all of these things?

I try not to hoard. It's a hard habit to break. (Please don't sing Chicago) I sometimes feel like I'm waiting for a disaster. The kind where you'll need to put on on those ugly sweaters, and leave the house immediately with as many of these unwanted, but needed items.

My dad was a teenager during the depression. We saved everything. It became annoying and embarrassing. It's great to be frugal, and even penny pinching,hey I like Clark Howard, but I consider it hoarding when you really don't need such items. How many rubber bands does a family need? Or twist ties? Will there be a time I need 20 little bottles of shampoo?

So I'm not really sure what to do with all of these samples and I don't want to just throw them out.

I also found this toothbrush. Wouldn't life be so much easier if everything simply stated what it was?

8 comments:

Stepping Over the Junk said...

just start using them one at a time. Dont buy more until it is all gone. For some reason I got all sorts of awesome expensive good smelling soaps for christmas and bath salts and stuff and now I wont be buying any of that for oh, say, two years.

Anonymous said...

Holy crap - that's what is wrong with me. I'm waiting for a disaster. You know after 9-1-1 (and this was either before or after I sealed my apartment with plastic sheeting - 'tis true.. it's in my 100 facts and people still give me crap about that) I bought this dog carrier with a protective helmet for Nathan. I have one pic of him in it. Then Faith came along so I bought a front carrier for him and she got the backpack.

Thank you for giving me an excellent excuse to tell Tom why we have so much CRAP all over the place as collected by me!

People will find us when they need us!

paintergirl said...

stepping-mine is not as nice as yours. I think I even have noxema packets. I don't think I've used noxema in 15 years.

Holli-you are cracking me up woman! You were the one that started the duct tape craze at home depot! A protective helmet?! I have to see this.And you are right-in an emergency-we'll all have some stained map, drawn by a man with a glass eye- on how to make the trek to Holli's house through all the debris.

Lilly said...

I love that toothbrush!

Like Stepping.... I also think you should simply just use the stuff you've got and save a fortune on toiletries over the next year or so. Besides, often the smell disappears from soap bars over the years when they just sit somewhere waiting to get used. I know this. I am a hoarder myself -- and I've tried the soap bar losing its smell incident.

Alan's a hoarder too. We have so much stuff in our wee flat. It often stresses me because I get exhausted and annoyed sometimes when I cannot see the place for stuff -- stuff everywhere! But most of the stuff is like cool old things we've inherited or found in charity shops. It's much too cool to get rid off because we know we cannot just pop down to the shop and buy another one.....

JC said...

I used to be a master hoarder, but I have learned the freedom that comes with throwing things out. My parents are both pack-rats, although my mom has changed her ways somewhat over the last few years.

Anonymous said...

I'm a master purger and I still lament clothing that I purged and now, can't find (think vintage polka dot dresses, sigh).

Margaret said...

Homeless shelters love little toiletries, where I like the ones I buy myself.

mary bishop said...

When you learn how to throw that stuff away, tell me how. I have 34 lipsticks or maybe more...can't ever find the one I want, but don't dare throw any away. I have to work on this....

wv frmygurl for my girl?


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Rockin' the Catskills, United States
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