I’ve been away traveling for work for the last three weeks. I didn’t have much time to keep up with the blog or social media. I was busy absorbing and learning and doing a lot of thinking. Mostly, I’ve been thinking of the direction of this blog. I don’t have a specific niche. I wanted this to be a place to share everything I like. Some of it is stuff I create, like writing and photography. Some of it is home decor projects (don’t laugh, I haven’t shared any because I struggle with starting them). Other stuff is fashion and food. But other than the fact that I’m not your typical, skinny, model-type woman, and I have a penchant for a darker aesthetic (blame it on my old goth days), I’m not super unique. But then again, I am. Because I’m not a size 2, I’m a size 14/16 and I’m short and struggling with my weight my whole life, finding fashion that fits and is flattering is not easy. So maybe that’s my niche. And at 47 going on 48, beauty products and skin care take on a whole other meaning, maybe that’s my niche. Maybe you guys can relate to me and I want to share with you what’s real.
Like you, I follow a lot of bloggers and influencers on social media. I see them posting about what to buy now, what’s on sale, and glamorizing their lives. There’s a lot of constant pressure to consume out there. Just open your email every morning and go to the promotions tab – everyone is fighting for your dollars. Honestly, the one thing I don’t want to do is constantly be here trying to sell you stuff. I admit, I have a Society 6 shop and an Amazon shop and sometimes I promote products – but I’m only about promoting products I genuinely love and/or are doing something for a good cause. One thing I learned early on is everyone wants you to be an ambassador for their brand. You get bombarded by offers, some legit, and some obviously very non-legit. In the beginning it was very exciting to agree to lots of different things. Lately, I’m stepping back and evaluating what I promote and what brands I work with.
Let’s face it, there are so many bloggers and influencers out there pushing all kinds of brands. There’s the luxury brand pushers vs. the Walmart/Target/Old Navy/Amazon promoters and there’s the other side promoting only sustainable products and doing good for the earth but everything they’re pushing is at luxury brand price levels.
In my day-to-day life, I am trying to make a concerted effort to be more conscious of what and how I consume. I have spent my life using shopping as therapy and am finally realizing it isn’t working and I don’t want to consume mindlessly anymore. One of the ways I’m working on this is to 1. weed through my hoard of clothing and accessories and donate what doesn’t “spark joy” as Marie Kondo says to charity. 2. Cut down my mindless shopping and only make purchases I need and that will last. 3. Try to buy more sustainable products across the board and 4. Realize that not everything you buy has to be sustainable – there are times when you need to shop at Target because you’re a regular person, not a millionaire and you can’t beat their prices. Plus, sometimes that cheap H&M dress makes you happy without making you broke. Life is all about balance and here I am to share my balancing act with you.
That said, I plan to share what I love, what I’m using and why and not preach too much or glamorize my life in such a way that isn’t real. I want to be authentic and share my struggles.
So here are 5 ways to be more authentic, consume less and be more sustainable:
- Donate clothes and accessories you’re not wearing to charity.
- Getting rid of old furniture to bring in new furniture? Donate to the Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.
- Eat more of a plant-based diet – even if you’re on Keto like me.
- Try to be more conscious of what you’re consuming. This is a big one for me. Do you really need to buy that item? Ask yourself why?
- Stop comparing yourself to people online. See through the bullshit. Are they selling you something? Is that life real or a paid product placement ad? Do what makes you happy, live how you want to, not how you think you’re supposed to.
Final thoughts, there are no right answers or right ways to live. Be authentic, be happy, be conscious.
