The plant pot that broke the No Buy July challenge (on sale at Anthro for $9.50)
What I Did
No Buy July: Since this was my second consecutive No Buy month (and third for the year), I had a little more trouble not buying things. I still didn’t buy any clothes or accessories for myself so that’s a win. But I did spend money on plants, plant-related items, and clothing for Emi. See below for the things I bought. So I guess you can say I failed my No Buy July challenge. I think whenever I do a No Buy challenge for too long, I experience some “consumer spillover” where I end up spending money on things that I didn’t outright ban (one time it was beauty products and this time it was plants). But I still feel good overall selling some things from my closet and downsizing my wardrobe at least. I definitely plan to try this again and do No Buy challenges on all the months that start with “J” for next year.
Alcohol free for 7 months: This was the first month in my alcohol free year where I wanted to drink an alcoholic beverage on multiple occasions. I think it has to do with wanting a cold beer on a warm summer’s day. Ah well I’ve been able to resist the cravings but I won’t lie, it was a bit more of a struggle this month.
I opened up an Etsy shop to sell my jewelry. I figured since I bought most of them on Etsy, I might try selling them on Etsy. I can always sell them to the RealReal but I find that my unique old cut diamonds and Victorian rings don’t sell as well on TRR. They’ll buy back simpler more minimal types of jewelry for a better price. But if you’re a reader, my best prices are on my blog shop.
Updated these blog posts: Quince Fine Jewelry Review (I purchased a couple of Quince’s 14k Birthstone necklaces as gifts and decided to do a quick comparison review of them with Quince’s Diamond Bezel necklace), my Ethical Linen Guide (I did a quick revision since I revisited it to write my Quince linen review).
And I loved Neela’s farewell to her fast fashion jacket and her very mindful purchase of its replacement.
What I Bought
I blame watching Gardener’s World nightly (on Prime Video) but I wanted to add more flowers to my garden. After doing some research on drought and shade tolerant plants, I decided to plant Bleeding Hearts where I have some space. I got it though this Etsy seller here. I didn’t add plants to my No-Buy list so technically this is a sanctioned purchase. I also did a mini plant shopping trip to Lowe’s and Trader Joe’s. And finally I ended up buying a plant container from Anthropologie, thus breaking my No Buy rules (no home goods). I know where I made the mistake: I shouldn’t have wondered into Anthropologie in the first place. Ah well, I’m just glad I was able to stick to my rules for the majority of the month and that I didn’t go tooo overboard with the plants (just slightly).
Dual bin outdoor composter: So this is another gray area where the no-buy challenge is concerned because technically I said I wouldn’t buy house stuff. But since I got more plants and started an outdoor garden (we’re growing broccoli and strawberries!), I wanted to get a composter for our yard. It’s been something I’ve been wanting for a long time now. I allowed the purchase since something that limits food waste AND produces rich soil for my plants is kind of a necessity, right?
Hanna Andersson PJ’s for Emi: Ok so technically things for Emi was on my No-Buy list, but these PJs are her essentials (worn every night and washed quite frequently). And she’s starting to outgrow her current sets, so it just made sense to me to get more sets in the next size up, especailly when they’re priced at the lowest I’ve ever seen them ($16). You can read my Hanna Andersson review here. I was tempted to buy her dresses and other clothing (that she doesn’t need), but I resisted. So I think the No-Buy July challenge was a partial success on that account. But like I said above, I pretty much did fail.
Stanley Adventure Quencher Travel Tumblerr: So I posted this on my Insta stories (about how it’s the reusable water bottle of millenial influencers according to the NYT), and I ended up buying it for the family for our road trips (on sale at Whole Foods for $28, original retail $40 but selling on eBay for $50+). But let’s be honest, I’m the one who’s really using it. And I have to say I get the hype. I really like this water bottle, especially for my lifestyle of working at home and driving. You would think as a former owner of an Airstream rental business (where I towed Airstreams 60% of the time) and an avid road tripper I would have a better water bottle than one where I have to unscrew the lid (I usually ask my husband to do it or I leave it open). Well this insulated travel mug with a straw is awesome because it’s easy to use/easy to grip and keeps my water really cold for the whole day. I find that I do stay better hydrated when I have the tumbler around. Plus I can throw it into the dishwasher. So yes, I do think it’s worth getting one (but mostly for those who drive a lot or if you don’t already have something like it). But no, I don’t think you should go crazy and buy one in every color or pay more than retail for it. Also here’ what Wire Cutter recently thought of it.