....from the no-spending lisa p house.

Summer is flying by, as it usually does, and I'm already longing for a break from the heat and looking forward to fall .  I have been on a self-imposed and necessary break from spending , especially on clothes, and am not feeling as sorry for myself as you might expect .   Sure, the NAS talk makes me wish I could order up a storm, but then I remember why I am doing this, and the urge disappears.

Mr lisap and I are on a clutter-busting , minimizing kick - he's right into it which is scaring me a bit. We are going through the house and getting rid of things - it's a 30 day challenge he found on-line somewhere and decided we should do. It's great!  (throw out or put in a garage sale pile 1 item on day one, 2 items on day 2 etc etc)  Now in our late 50's, we're both over the whole accumulating and buying and lusting after things that we don't need and don't have room for anyways.  We will be downsizing within the next say, 5-7 years, and I'd like to enter that new stage with a carefully edited collection of household belongings (and wardrobe).  And not 4 couches, 5 tv's, 100 throw pillows and 57 sweaters.  

This summer I've been sticking to my uniform of shirtdresses/sack dresses for my sales job ; white jeans and an interesting top for social occasions ; and my business casual athletic-inspired work clothes for my part-time job. I've only bought a couple of pair of new shoes - and am happy with what I had carried over from last year in terms of bags, tops, sandals, etc.  I don't keep my clothes and shoes for as long as many forum members do, and don't mind repeating outfits over and over. Getting lots of wear out of my pieces and not focusing on what new things I would like is my new mantra, and I'm feeling at peace with it.  I've also settled into a haircut and colour I'm happy with , and feel that it can be my signature cut.  Done with the experimenting and faffing around.  (new favourite word courtesy of Alyson Walsh) 

Two little bits of info to share with anyone interested:

Weleda Sage Spray Deodorant.  A absolute life changer. I've tried every  organic, natural deodorant out there, and felt doomed to a  life of swiping poisonous aluminum under my arms for the rest of my life.....until this. Recommended by one of my favourite store owners, I bought it, tried it, and haven't looked back. No residue, no stickiness, dry skin ,and a barely detectable herbal fragrance. At $12 a bottle, it's my new favourite product.

I've been following a keto diet for the last month, to great success.  Ultra low carbs, as little sugar as humanly possible, and I'm feeling fantastic and have dropped a pants size. Carbs make me feel gross and bloated, both physically and psychologically, and keeping them out of my body is working well.  I've come out the other side of menopause with a very sluggish metabolism and a propensity to carry extra weight if I don't stick to a plan.  No amount of exercise impacts this - and with the approval of several nurses and fitness professionals , I jumped in to try it.  Of course , this, like many other eating plans, has it's pros and  cons, and is absolutely subject to the risks we take with any strict diet.  My personality type works well with strict rules and a boring diet.  The minute I nudge open the gate, all hell breaks loose, and moderation turns into careless eating.  Anyways - food for though. Pun intended.

Thanks for reading - and stay tuned for the August edition