It’s okay to buy what you need.
Discover more from Letters from Tammy Strobel
It’s okay to buy what you need.
Plus, friendship, Finland’s happiness class, book lists, and more.
Hi friends,
Earlier this week, The Husband pointed something out to me. When I finish a journal, I fret about buying a new one. I didn’t realize this was something I did every 6-weeks. It makes sense, though. I tend to procrastinate before I purchase something new.
The Husband suggested that I buy a few notebooks – or more – so that I’d have journaling supplies at home. Also, he said that I’d save time and money by buying in bulk. Good advice!
An hour later, I had four journals in my online Blick shopping cart; three journals for me and one for The Husband. Spending $71 on fancy journals felt indulgent!
I try to buy what I need from local businesses. For example, I’m currently obsessed with the brand Fabriano. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the brand locally. Hence, the online purchase from Blick. If you’re ever in San Diego, CA, visit Blick. It’s a fun store!
And ...
If you’re an under-buyer like me, remember that it’s okay to buy what you need!
With that, here’s what sparked my creativity and curiosity recently:
1.) Here’s my latest article for Be More with Less — “Adult Friendships: 7 Creative Ways To Make New Friends.”
2.) I loved Dr. Franco's recent newsletter: “Should You Make Friends at Work?” The short answer – YES!
3.) “The happiest country in the world wants to fly you in for a free masterclass.” (via NPR & Visit Finland.)
4.) Helen Garner on happiness: “It’s taken me 80 years to figure out it’s not a tranquil, sunlit realm.”
5.) Cait Flanders on “What I want more of this spring.” I liked her idea of tracking book DNFs (did not finish), and writing about why. I might pair this list/prompt with my commonplace notebook.
6.) Great advice from Austin Kleon: “Keeping a diary is being a good research assistant to your future self.”
7.) “The Open Palm” by Suleika Jaouad is a lovely essay about creative intentions and curiosity.
8.) Fortesa Latifi wrote a powerful article about “influencer parents and the kids who had their childhood made into content.”
9.) This podcast about spring cleaning inspired me!
10.) “Feeding Outside the Bowl: The Uniqueness of Feline Feeding Behavior” with Dr. Delgado was informative and helpful. Thanks to Dr. Delgado’s advice, we made small changes to Ursula the Cat’s meal schedule. Ursula seems to be happier and eating better! Plus, we bought Ursula a food puzzle.
Thank you for reading!
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With gratitude,
Tammy Strobel
It’s okay to buy what you need.
I found the social media/kids haunting too. I think it’s a form of abuse, I feel for them. Thank you for sharing.
That social media/kid article was haunting.