Go Thrifting

 New Year To-Do

On last week's GUILTY PLEASURE blog, a faithful reader sent this:

Love that! I do the same thing, sometimes, with the bit cookie. The Zodiac chart about me is not right =). My favorite guilty pleasure is reading or playing on my phone in bed right after work. I call it my office =).

Now, on to this week's To-Do... 

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Good things come to those who thrift. – Unknown

Whoever said Disney is the happiest place on earth has never been to a thrift store.

Thrift stores are a treasure trove of the oddest finds that break all the limits.

Veterans of America Thrift, Columbus

Walk a mile in my shoes, you’ll end up at the thrift store. I get all my steps there in search mostly of dishes, collectibles, centerpieces, and ceramic pots.

Cacti and ceramic balls centerpiece in petal vase

One time, I found a spirit house, a shrine to the protective spirits of a place, that I had eyed in a trip to Thailand. It was on auction at Goodwill, but I deferred, as it was way too big and where would I put it?

Goodwill, Columbus

Our Christmas dinner set with traditional Williams Sonoma Christmas design was a thrift store find, and so were all the blue Ming-style vases and tea sets.

In a world full of trends, I want to remain a classic thrift.

Trinity Thrift, Honolulu | Goodwill, Columbus

As to wearables, I’ve found interesting sun hats and Milan-street wear sequined top and silk skirt. 

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out, especially in thrifted fashion?

Goodwill, Columbus

The guest room, I’m proud to say, has mostly been furnished with thrift finds.

Right: ceramic tissue box, amber-color votive holder, slender glass vase, dried ferns

Far right: upholstered easy chair, furry cushion

Trinity Thrift, Honolulu | Goodwill, Columbus

Left: translucent glass-bottom lamp

Leftmost: Horses Print, Honolulu Academy of Arts 

Good style doesn’t have a price tag; it has a thrift tag.

Yes, I shop at thrift stores. No, I am not poor. I’m just one savvy saver and a fan of smart spending.

So, if you love finding great deals or take pride in making every penny count, get ready to dive into the world of thrift.

 The thrift store is calling. May its odds be in our favor.

 Let’s go!

Indulge Your Pleasure

New Year To-Do

Guilty pleasure: so bad, it's good. - Anonymous

We all have guilty pleasures that are so satisfying that they can easily turn into a fixation.

Funny habits are part of what makes our daily routine special, and even if it sounds ridiculous, doing things like sorting bills from highest to lowest or eating cereal according to its color can make us feel secure.

In this blog, I’ve decided to divulge a few of mine with you. Some of them might be relatable; a few, weird.

Just to be clear, though, I don’t feel guilty about any of these pleasures.

I slam closet doors shut because I just cannot stand them being left open.

When putting dirty dishes in the washer, I sort them according to kind.

When chewing gum, I start by using my front teeth to form it into a ball first.

I always have a night light on because I cannot sleep (actually am scared to sleep) with all the lights out.

I satisfy my nostalgia by watching Alfred Hitchcock and Columbo movies.

I enjoy taking personality quizzes because I’m curious as to what sort of pizza I am, for example.

Because I don’t like crumbles falling off a bit cookie, after taking a bite, I wet its edge with my tongue before taking it out of my mouth (if you don’t understand, I can demonstrate for you).

What are some of yours? Are they what your zodiac sign suggests?

Research shows that guilty pleasures can be good for your brain function.

They allow your brain to rest and bring you more happiness, which can, in turn, make you more productive.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let’s kick it off with a “bang;” and by a “bang,” 

I mean two days in bed, daydreaming. Morong, Bataan: 2024

The key is to enjoy guilty pleasures in moderation, without obsessing.

 Don’t worry about what others think.

We all have them! 

Nap Guilt-Free

New Year To-Do

Naps are my happy place. – Unknown

Don't you take naps? Maybe you should.

I dream of a world
where naps are mandatory.

Commit to naps when you need them, guilt-free.

Eat. Sleep. Nap. Repeat.

The real circle of life.

If all else fails, take a nap.

Want to super-charge your day?

A good nap can get you out of an afternoon slump, recharge your energy, and leave you more alert and in a better mood.

Plan your snooze. Nap smart. Here are a few tips:

(1) Mid-afternoon is best, around 3 pm.

Lexi: Happiness is an afternoon nap.

Fav Granddaughter: My midday nap isn’t a sign of laziness. It’s a sign of self-love.

 

Don’t nap too late in the day, or you’ll be wide awake at night and spoil your bedtime routine.

I fought the nap and the nap won.

(2) Find a cool, quiet place to doze.

(3) Keep it to 20 minutes, no longer than 30.

Now relax.

Get those bonus Zs, so you can be Healthy For Good!

Smile! An Epilogue

 New Year To-Do

A smile is a course that sets everything straight. – Phyllis Diller

A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose. 

So true. 

Plentiful reasons right here in our peaceful, beachy world in Waikiki.

Warning!

New driver. Clear the road.

Left: At K1 Speed,2019

Right: Fav Grandson passing his first-ever driver’s test, January 2026

Brothers are just born to disturb sisters.

Youngest Brother’s visit, quick shop for colorful ABC aloha welcome trinkets

We just don’t want to look back and think we could have eaten that.

Left: Fresh ahi tuna poke drenched in wasabi, garlic, salt and pepper from Safeway

Right: Dim sum at Legend’s Seafood, Chinatown Cultural Plaza

No matter what yesterday was like, birds always start the new day with a song.

White tern hatchlings on an umbrella tree branch  

 

There is always a reason to smile. Find it.

Start every day off with a smile and get it over with.

Smile!

 New Year To-Do

Smile… happiness looks gorgeous on you. - Unknown

How about this tip as we embark on new beginnings?

Start the New Year with a smile and a joke in your pocket.

Perhaps, write a list of things that make you smile, and do one every week.

Want to hear a funny joke? 

Hold on, let me brace myself.

I'm sailing in spicy waters tonight!
Niagara, 2024

Starting something new can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, whether it’s friends, church, school, or simply a new day.

Sometimes laughter can go a long way in easing the jitters and helping us to embrace the adventure ahead. 

Life is short. Buy the concert tickets.
Obsessed Concert, Utah, 2024

A smiling face is a beautiful face.

A smiling heart is a happy heart.

Be reminded that no matter what new challenge or opportunity comes our way, we’ve got this.

So, smile.

It freaks people out. Also makes them wonder what you’re up to.

Ultimately, be the reason someone smiles today… or the reason they drink. 

Whatever works.

Ramen House, Edmonton, Canada: 2024

Fly, Touch The Sky

 New Year To-Do

You bought a bigger bottle than you needed, thinking that tonight, it was better to be safe than sober. You had said with certainty, I’ll bring my favorite drink. It is called "a lot."

If girls always treated each other like we do when we’re drunk in the girl’s bathroom, the world would be a happier place. Fav Granddaughter, New Year's Eve, Columbus: 2025

You used to think drinking was bad for you, so… you gave up thinking.

 But, the best time for new beginnings is now.

As the year begins, trade pressure for presence.

A softened heart, open hands, and a quiet yes

Often become the most meaningful way forward. – The Giving Closet

Let's kickstart the year with that mindset.

For starters, how about this story for inspiration?

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Being a little weird is just a natural side-effect of being awesome. – Unknown

Stripe and Yellow are two caterpillars in the allegorical novel Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus.

In this fable of life and hope, these two characters begin their search for meaning by attempting to climb the top of a caterpillar pillar only to discover another destiny.

In the end, Yellow, who has followed her instincts and continues to eat and then spin a cocoon, eventually emerges.

Just when the caterpillar thought her life is over, she begins to fly.

The moral is simple and clear. 

Yellow has found the real answer to the feeling that there must be more to life than eating leaves, and who caterpillars really are.

Change can be good.

Come to think of it, what if the change you’re avoiding is the one that gives you wings?

Très Chic!

 Kookie Christmas Wearables

Home: where I can look ugly and not care. - Unknown

Ooh la la!

There are just days when you’re highly motivated to do nothing.

Too cold… 

Not moving…

It took me years to look this ugly.

Green sweat suit bought in yesteryears from Phoenix K-mart paired with red fleece blanket for a "French-beret look."  December 20, 2023?

You just wanna cozy up, stay in your sweats, get wrapped up in a blanket, and watch Elf.

After all, nobody’s there to judge whether you’re a ‘fashion victim’ or just ‘ensemble-challenged.’

Forget dressing up. Conformity is the only real fashion crime.

P.S. I think Pretty Puppy would look good like this.

Life is ruff when you're this cute.

 Here’s wishing you the merriest of Christmas that’s filled with endless holiday cheer love,

leftovers you won’t get tired of by New Year’s,

and more joy than tangled lights!