17. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
Thankfully, this is one piece of advice that I already stick to.
I am very much the kind of person who, if they don’t need it, doesn’t buy it. That means if we have it, it blooming well gets used until it falls apart. Whether that’s a nice pair of jeans, Little L’s pretty party dresses, new bed linen or some posh plonk, it doesn’t wait for a rainy day.
We don’t have the budget or childminding facilities to go out on the town, see a show, take in a film, have a meal etc. So we make the most of what we can do at home. We don’t buy all the treats – I plan our grocery shopping meticulously to ensure we only buy what we need – but we make sure we have lovely meals and if we’re given anything nice, it gets used.
When I said meticulously, I wasn’t kidding.
I’ve spent the last ten minutes trying to think of anything I am saving for a special occasion, but truth be told, there’s nothing. Well, there’s Little L’s flower girl dress/shoes and they’re being kept back in order to stay clean until the wedding, but the dress will become a dressing up princess outfit soon after and the sandals will be used as normal footwear.
Alright, there’s my wedding dress, but that’s not exactly something to slip on every now and again. That is being kept. That’s for Little L. And when she’s at the point where she become engaged, it’ll be given to her for her to do with as she wishes – change it, dye it, remodel it, tear off the train and make a bustle – whatever she wants. Because your wedding day is a bit fancy schmancy.
Even my beloved wedding shoes got used rather than being hidden away and never worn again. When I say used, I really mean it – lovely Jenna wore them for the two week run of Friends of Dorothy (and all the rehearsals leading up to it). Feet and calves of iron, that woman.
There’s no point keeping things for best.
Now is best.