Quarantine & Theraflu

I’ve realized 2 things recently. 1. I need to go into COMPLETE quarantine. 2. I was probably having a psychotic episode when I decided it was a good idea to go to Walmart for supplies. Don’t get me wrong, we are incredibly stocked up on food. The cost of doing that though is that I’m sicker. I’ve been in “recovery” from the flu for the past month. Tonight, my fever was 99.6 which is not productive. Since then, I’ve taken Ibuprofen, Airborne Immune Booster, and have had some cough drops. Heres hoping things start reversing.

For the last two years, I have kept my Poshmark closet open. However, I realized tonight that I wanted to try closing everything. Sometimes, we experience more stress from things than we realize. My hope is that knowing I do not have to check social media, share items, or package anything will bring down my anxiety. Which I am sure would help with my sickness. My Mercari & Ebay shops have been temporarily closed as well for the same reason. Miraculously, up until this point, I have been able to get all of my orders out. It is easier said than done when you feel like you are dying from an illness.

There are a lot of things that I have to figure out. Maybe, during this time of complete seclusion, I can brainstorm some ideas about my Youtube channel, reselling, etc. Currently, I’m not sure the direction my Youtube channel is going in. I’m going to discuss this in a different blog post though because there are a lot of factors to my confusion. Reselling is also the same way. Out of everything I have ever tried, selling my own items has kept my interest the longest. I like being in control of my business, giving customer service, and finding things that others might enjoy. With that being said, selling has consumed a great part of my life. It would not be so bad if I did not have to “share” my items on Poshmark, photograph everything, list things, and package by myself. Basically, I am feeling burned out. My outlets that used to bring me peace are currently doing the opposite. So clearly, I have to figure things out.

I’ve been loving Pinterest lately. If you need to find things that are pleasing to your soul, the Pinterest app is definitely worth downloading. I would think that the average person thinks of DIY’s & recipes being on Pinterest. However, I have discovered lately that there are also a lot of self care & depression awareness type blogs on there. Tonight I read 7 Ways To Stay Grounded & Calm Amidst Social Unrest . This blog post is definitely worth a read if you are feeling major anxiety from the Corona Virus (or life in general). For some reason, lists are easier for me to read & relate to my life. My favorite tip on this list was #3. Don’t Engage In The Fear. My issue is that I am way too involved in social media. Like most people today, I don’t realize the affect it has on my emotions. When there is panic in the air, I automatically smell it. Right now, the world is full of fear, questions, and complaints. Just as Americans have been advised to practice social distancing for germs, I need to practice it for social media. I’m sure reading about Corona Virus deaths and stores selling out of supplies is making me sicker. Stress does that to me. If I am up to it tomorrow, I’m going to partake in a Pinterest DIY idea that will (hopefully) bring more calm into my life.

I’m going to end here so that I can start the brainstorming of ideas and thoughts. Hoping everyone can find the supplies they need & stay healthy during this time. Remember, others are in need too. Please do not hoard or sell your toilet paper rolls.

Corona Virus Shopping

Yesterday, I made the decision to venture out to get some Corona Virus supplies. I did not want to go out but my concern was that people will buy out all the supplies and there will be none. When I looked on Amazon, a lot of hygiene products were back ordered until April. Fun Times. (I will tell you what I spent on toilet paper later…). My adventure started out in CVS. Surprisingly, I was the only one with a buggy. It was oddly quiet in not only CVS but everywhere. There were almost no cars on the road and things were silent. It was eerie. I do think that in CVS people were silently survival shopping. Customers seemed to either be holding soap or on the medication aisle. After doing some laps around the aisles, I ended up with a cart that looked like this:

Thankfully, I came to my senses and realized that spending $20 for a small Tide & buying 2 mouth washes (that will take us 2 years to use) was a bad financial investment. Also, my goal is not to hoard products. I ended up with some dish soaps, tissues, immune boosters, cough drops, anti bacterial sprays, ONE mouth wash, and a Brita pitcher. I’m surprised so many people are turning to bottled waters as opposed to buying pitchers that will filter the water from your sink. It just seems like a much better deal so I invested the $20. My total spend in CVS was a whopping $88, which was painful. However, I feel much better knowing I have some medical & antibacterial supplies in the house. When I get strong enough, I’m sanitizing every dam thing. Onto Walmart…..

They had a lot of toilet paper and paper towels left, as you can see above ha! Walmart was wiped clean of those items. Also, not in attendance were the Clorox wipes and hand sanitizers. I did not expect them to have any though after watching news reporters discuss toilet paper being the current “hot commodity” in preparation for the Corona Virus. Also, a pack of 4 Scott TP rolls were up to $60,000 on an Ebay Auction before it was shut down. I’m sure some idiot out there wanted to make the news paying that much. If people had any reasonable sense I would think they would wipe the vitamin aisle clean before they went for the toilet paper. Thankfully, this was the only aisle that looked this bare. Walmart was pretty well stocked with certain things. Bread was definitely looking scarce. My buggy, however, was not.

Some of the items that are stuffed in this cart are frozen foods, snacks, hygiene items (minus the toilet paper), canned food, bottled water, Tide, and of course 3 bags of my husband’s prized cool ranch Doritos. This was his main request when I asked him what he wanted me to buy for my Corona Virus shopping trip. He also liked the idea of canned Chef Boy pasta & meatballs. This kind was no where to be found so he will be surviving off raviolis. I hate to say that this Walmart trip Cost us around $214. The good news is that we have enough pasta to last us a long time. My buggy was crazy heavy to push & even more exhausting to load into my husbands really tiny car. After finally lugging everything inside, my stash looked like this:

Fun Times. The excitement did not end there because I had to figure out how to get the frozen items in the actual freezer. Currently, the bread is all left out because It just would not fit. My husband can deal with organizing our freezer like a game of Tetris later on to fit them in. The things I could not find at the store yesterday I realized could be found online. Just to make sure my pets were covered, I ordered 5 dry cat & dog food bags. Remembering that I needed some Theraflu K- Cups (because my current cough sounds deathly), I looked those up too. Clearly, I looked at the right time because they had some nighttime Theraflu boxes available.

I bought 2 boxes at $11.49. Notice the sellers below are selling them for $30-$40 a box! There are only EIGHT K-Cups in a box. Ridiculous. Now, the Amazon K-Cups are sold out. My hope is that people got them that can actually use them. As for Amazon, I believe that is what I bought. Make sure to check shipping times because some products are back ordered until April. Ok.. Now for the toilet paper confession…

I decided to look online for toilet paper. Apparently, on Ebay the rolls were being sold as fast as people could post them. It was the same way on Mercari. Either people’s listings were being flagged for price gouging or sold extremely quickly. Upon looking on Poshmark, I found this listing above for 24 (Total) Double Rolls. If I count the “double” part then technically I am getting 48 rolls. I have to think this way to justify the price I paid in my brain. The price was $30 plus the $7.99 shipping. And yall, though I think it is insanity to need toilet paper to survive, I did decide to buy this. The best place for my husband and I to be right now is away from these stores with tons of people. This is all the toilet paper I plan to buy until this is over. Just FYI, I will not be selling our rolls. Check Poshmark & Mercari before stopping by Ebay. On a funny note, if you are interested in some toilet paper necklaces, I did see a seller successfully selling them on Poshmark.

I must confess though that I did sell something. The picture above is of my Chihua, Daisy, in my Ikea bag ready to be shipped out with my orders (or so she thinks). It occurred to me that I had two bags full of BBW travel size hand sanitizer that I had gotten a while back. I knew that I would never go through all of that. So many people cannot find any hand sanitizer right now. I decided to try selling them in lots of 3 for $10 with $2.99 shipping. My lots sold between $8-$10 successfully. A confession I must make is that 1. I would not have gone out to buy these items with the intention to resell them during an epidemic. It would not have felt right. 2. Sometimes, no matter what, it feels icky to be a reseller. With that being said, I had more product than I needed. I sold bundles of hand sanitizer with low shipping. Did I make a profit? Yes. Did I help people? Yes. Was it taking advantage? I’m a bit on the fence. As a buyer, I’m thankful for the products people were selling on Poshmark & Mercari. Though I paid up for them, sellers gave me access to them. I understand the concept of supply & demand. I don’t understand people auctioning off a 4 pack of toilet paper rolls for the price of a new car. In my personal opinion, there is a moral gray line and that is clearly crossing it.

As exciting as this adventure was (NOT) I am completely shopped out. Today, I am going by CVS to pick up my medications that I had filled. Make sure you have refills on your medications. I would go ahead and pick up over the counter medications as well. I’m thankful to have found 2 large bottles of Ibuprofen at Walmart for about $13. I also grabbed anti acid, tums, and Benadryl yesterday at either CVS or Walmart. Everything is running together now. If I stop by Walmart again today it is for some Printer Paper & Gatorade. Hope everyone stays safe & is able to find the supplies that they need. Please try to stay in as much as possible if you are sick. Remember to SHARE. Share your items & be kind. Treat others as you yourself would want to be treated.

Hoarding & Crazy Box Order

First off, I need to vent about the Corona Virus. It has become a media sensation that has triggered massive shopping sprees to Costco. The hot item seems to be…..are you ready?…. Toilet Paper. Apparently, all stores are selling out of toilet paper, water, and hand sanitizer. Lines are wrapping around buildings and customers are hoarding the crap out of products. I heard on one YouTube video that 10 face masks were going for over $200. It was being discussed how price gouging is illegal. But in all reality, lets’s be honest, we know tons of people are probably doing it. You never knew your toilet paper was going to become so valuable did you? If you have stock in any hand sanitizer or toiletry company, your night is probably going amazingly well. In the meantime, the rest of us are sitting here wondering WTF has gotten into people.

Here is what I know (Or Hope I Know). If I stay in the house, this virus will not come for me. If I can’t find a bottle of hand sanitizer, there is still a chance I will survive. That is because I have soap that does the same thing. So do you. Rest easy. Basically, I am in quarantine until the crazy toilet paper fighting videos stop. But seriously, please consider when you shop that others need things. Schools need hand sanitizer. Those sick now need access to over the counter medications. I personally almost went into a panic attack when I thought I was down to my last cough drop. In my mind I panicked about there being a cough drop shortage. Thankfully, before I had a heart attack, I found a few extra bags in the house. The scare of this virus is real but so is the scare for supplies. The Corona Virus did not cause that. Humans did.

I love how I am not going to go from advising people to not hoard, to being a crazy box hoarder. This has just been one of those days. I noticed someone pass by in front of the window and I peaked to see what car was out front. Turns out, it was the mail truck. The mail had come earlier so I was confused at why they came back. When I opened the door, I was met with an actual wall of boxes. Feeling in shock & seeing that the mail truck was still there, I quickly shut the door. Probably 15-20 mins later, the truck finally pulled away. To my dismay, there were now two stacks of boxes. This was a definite “FML What Did I Do?” Moment. Clearly, I have enough shipping supplies to last me the next five years….

If my husband reads this blog, he is going to love this. When I went to turn on the shower today, thinking I was about to do something relaxing, I was met with an incredibly cold surprise. Somehow the shower head had gotten turned so it was pointing directly at my face. I had enough time to turn on the water & stand up before I realized this. Not enough time, however, to prevent myself from getting hit in the face with freezing water. My shirt was literally soaked by the time I managed to get the dam thing turned off. I do not know how this event & the massive Priority box delivery happen in the same day. These are both two very ridiculous things. My life being non fiction, I can assure you, they did.

I’m about to get in bed & watch true crime (or crazy Carona Virus shopping) videos until I fall asleep. If that is even possible. The majority of today has been met with the background music of my dogs woofing. Their bark sounds the same every time so I don’t know if they are cussing everyone out or what. Most likely, they are demanding a steak on a tray with a side of ham. Anyway, I am completely burned out from the loud noises. They always get louder when my husband is on a trip. Joy. I’m going to bed earlier and so are they (hopefully). Wish me luck!

Being A Wife With Depression

I can sum it up in three words. Ready? It’s Fucking Hard.

My mental illness makes a lot of basic things hard for me. Tasks such as taking a shower, cleaning, running errands, etc, fill me with exhaustion & anxiety. On most days, I make myself do them. When I got married, more items got added to this list of essential daily chores. It feels defeating. If you could see the sink full of dishes or the wet laundry that has not yet been switched over, you would grasp my feeling of defeat. Working outside the home is also not something, at this point, I feel I can do. On top of constantly getting physically sick, I literally send my depression into a black hole. My husband also never sees me because once managers get their claws into me, I fall victim to working on a schedule that includes weekends. None of this is conducive to marriage or depression.

Before I get further down this rant, I want to state that my husband is a very good man. I believe with all my heart that God led him to me in a time of extreme darkness. He provides, loves, and gives me great comic relief daily. This blog today is not to break him down or complain about the person whom I chose to spend my life with. My husband has provided me with a life that I never expected the chance to have. On my worst days, I’m grateful to him. With that being said, I think the topic of marriage and depression is important. Both topics are aspects of my life that play a big role in who I am & what I struggle with.

It’s important to note that everyone’s marriage is different. This is something my counselor told me. Therefore, everyone’s struggle is different. There is not one structured format one must follow to be ensure a happily ever after marriage. If this book went out of print, please let me know and I will barter some clothes for it. What is acceptable in some people’s marriages today would not be in mine. And vise versa. Please remember that I am writing about my personal struggles with mental illness and marriage. If these things do not bother you, that is ok. I’m sure though, on some level, you may be able to relate.

I struggle greatly with organization. Don’t get me wrong, I love cleanliness and order. But to achieve those things takes great effort. Which on most days, I do not feel like I have. I’ve found that lists of things get me moving in the right direction. When it comes to my marriage, there are definitely times when lists are needed. One being grocery lists. The act of going grocery shopping does not bother me too much. However, the lack of control as to what I put in the buggy does. Seeing the bill after shopping can literally send me into shock. Implementing a list & sticking to it prevents me from paying for chaos. Another list that comes into play is on my “command station.” (Aka White Board From Hobby Lobby). On this board I make a list of all the bills that we need to pay each month. I check things off as I go down the list. When I get sick, super depressed, or just exhausted this list gets shot to hell. I keep working at it though.

Cleanliness deserves its own paragraph. Do you ever wish you could rent one of those huge dumpsters you see at construction sites to just empty your house into? The older I get, the more I realize the amount of anxiety that items cause me. My husband has a different outlook to cleanliness. He is satisfied with sock balls being on the couch, beer cans being left out, and the bathroom being cleaned once a year. He once told me that he wants a house to feel “lived in.” I understand and sympathize with this. However, through my eyes, his “lived in” style looks as if a tornado hit & then a tree fell on the house. This causes my anxiety to sky rocket & puts me into an all out cleaning binge, causing our Cocker Spaniel’s blood pressure to sky rocket. It’s been very challenging to find a middle ground where him and I can both survive. Notice I did not say that we are satisfied or happy. I’ve implemented laundry baskets in the bedroom. One for clean clothes and one for dirty. Despite my disdain for dirty clothes in the bedroom, I must admit this has helped with the sock balls (and other random clothing items). I’ve also tried to work on nagging him and using the word “now.” Instead of “I need you to clean this now” I make an effort to say “Before you go to bed can you do this?” It gives him responsibility and time to finish his viking war shows. Yall, it is a work in progress. That is all I can say.

Another thing about marriage & mental illness that is challenging is feeling appreciated. I stay in a constant state of mind that I am not good enough. I get frustrated easily when I do not understand how to do things or find places. Basically, any excuse I have to hate myself, I go with. It is what feels comfortable because it is what I have always done. I self sabatoge myself by drowning in these thoughts. This type of thinking is not caused by my husband. He has always told me that he loves me as I am. As time goes on though, I think he is realizing that flowers, cards, and verbal motivation help me a great deal. Men, if your wife/girlfriend/partner is struggling with self care, know that you can do something to help. Scheduling for them to get their hair done, making a tattoo appointment, buying tickets for a movie night, giving her a gift card to Starbucks, going to the gym with them…..these things help. Anything that promotes self care and self confidence is of great importance in a marriage to a person with mental illness. (or any marriage in general for that matter)

I’m going to end here because I need to take a shower & make a list of what we need to get at Costco today. Hopefully, somewhere in there I will find the strength to start packing us up for our trip next weekend. Also, my husband and I have planned to work on my blog at some point. He is currently still asleep. My chihuahua is refusing to eat her breakfast. The office is a disaster. Wish me luck. If you can identify with the crazy struggle of mental illness & marriage, feel free to comment or like this blog post. It lets me know that I am not alone. And that is a wonderful feeling.

I Don’t Know Who I am

Tonight, I binged on gummy bears because I don’t know who I am. I’m willing to bet that is one of the strangest acknowledgements you have ever heard. I’m building this blog (with my husband’s major assistance) and it is my job to make sure it represents me. There is always this tug between who people want me to be and whom in fact I am. I’ve always been that creature that refuses to conform. That does not sound good though when you are brainstorming your blog categories. This I know…

I’m like a chameleon in that I change my identity an alarming amount. Minus my husband & pets, I never want anything for that long. Be it careers, hobbies, crafts, goals, education, etc, I lose interest. One day I will want to be a jewelry maker. The next I’m considering my career in a thrift store. The following day I’m too exhausted to even put on jewelry to go to a thrift store. The colors I find appealing also change on a regular basis. Bright colors can bring peace or major anxiety with me, just depending on the day.

I’m like a sloth in that my movements are quite slow. Whether it is following a schedule, completing a project, or getting dressed in the morning…. I go at the pace of ice bergs. Sloths hang upside down, which is way too much effort for me. But I can tell you that I see the world upside down. I have always had a viewpoint that few could see. I’m often not even sure what it is in fact that I am seeing. Certain things in art and others call to my soul. This is always what I answer too.

So here I am, trying to figure out categories for this blog. I’m sure you can see the dilemma. How do I fit myself into a box when tomorrow I will want to be in a circle and the next a triangle? The best idea I have is to stick to the few things that are consistent with me.

Organization (I must have this in order to function)

Religion (Christianity has kept me strong through so much darkness)

Depression Awareness (Letting Others Know They Are Not Alone)

DIYs (Using My Hands To Create Visually Appealing Things)

Reselling (Selling Is Always Something I’ve Enjoyed)

Pets (without them, I would have no friends. My husband is a friend but you know what I mean…)

Books (I have a great need to be near them, hold them, and buy them from thrift stores….Notice I did not say read)

Pinterest (Because It Gives Me The Inspirational Energy To Create)

Marriage (My husband makes me a better person, supports, and loves me. That is priceless)

Minimalism (Lots of items do not make me feel at peace)

Ok so maybe that was more than a few things! I just write what is in my heart and sometimes, it surprises me. I believe it is possible to find yourself through writing, reading, creating, and loving. I’m hoping to recover myself from this blog. If you have lost yourself, know that you are not alone. Start writing out a list like I did above and erase anything that does not feel right. There are words that describe you because there is only one you. When does loss of ourselves occur? It’s hard to say. Maybe, when we are young and hurting, we lose ourselves to escape the situation. Adults may lose themselves through the act of drowning. Drowning in debt, loss, heartbreak, anger, etc. It is so important to not give up on ourselves though. Our spirits stay beautiful, even if broken. I wish you luck on finding yours again. Thank you for reading my blog and being part of my journey to find me.

Morning Rituals & A Mouse For Breakfast

    My insomnia from the flu & depression has kicked up a notch. The result has been that I’ve read a lot more Pinterest articles on how to improve life. I would be doing a disservice to you to not mention a few of these blog posts that have inspired me. Click on the title to be taken to the article. The first being 5 Morning Rituals For A Magical Day . I can see how my lack of rituals takes a tole on my depression. It’s hard enough to get out of bed but when that is accomplished, what is it I’m supposed to do? If that does not sound like the laziest thing ever then I don’t know what does so we are going to move on quickly…Clearly, I need rituals. The second article being The Importance Of A Sacred Space & How To Create One. What I loved about these articles is that they give you a variety of ideas on how to create peace in your day. There is no set in stone answer about finding it, but these get you on the right track.

    As far as morning rituals go, there is one thing I can always count on. My cat, Snuggs, does not miss a beat when it comes to staring me out of bed.

    His whiskers are so long that they do not even fit in the frame. Lately, he has been more patient with me and has postponed his clawing the bedside as a last resort. Snuggs, I believe, understands that I have depression. I’ve read that cats can tell whether your temperature is a couple of degrees off or if you have a disease like cancer. Correct me if I am wrong but I think it has something to do with your body chemistry that they smell. I tried to research whether cats know we have Depression. The majority of all the results were of articles on if our cat, in fact, has depression. Not exactly what I was going for. Not to say it could not happen but my cats seem more stable than me on their average day (whatever that is exactly). I asked Alexa “does my cat know if I have Depression?” She literally malfunctioned. And people think technology is so smart….

    I read a really interesting article on WordPress the other day. Of course, I did not save it so I had to search it out again. Click on the title to take a look “Lavender-Infused Bullshit: A Post On Supporting Loved Ones With Mental Illness” . First off, I am obsessed with the title because it just literally grabs your eyeballs. This article is about appropriate gifts to give someone struggling with mental illness. I’ve thought about a lot of things, but this is not one of them. The writer definitely had an understanding of my condition & what would truly be helpful. One of the things she wrote about was food. Sending food or something you have prepared to drop off. I swear, cats just KNOW. This morning, right on the front doorstep, I found the tiniest little delivery.

    My sweet black cat, Dahlia, must have been reading the same article I had been. This just goes to show how everyone’s perception of things is different. Instead of being very upset with her, I instead felt gratitude that she thought enough of me to catch me breakfast. I’m sure it took effort and that she was quite proud. I gave Dahlia a soft cat treat and secretly snuck my “breakfast” into a trash bag outside. Such a sweet little mouse. I feel sad that you had to lose your life but hope you know, it did mean something. It reminded me that I was thought of, and in my world, that is a big deal.

    Hope No One Needs A Ride : Poshmark Update

    Something about me is that I seem to make big decisions when I am sick. Most likely because all my energy goes into laying horizontally and pondering ideas. A few years ago I decided to become a Poshmark seller when I was very ill with something miserable. This time around, while recovering from the flu, I decided a few things about reselling that I’m going to share with you. First, my Poshmark closet called GlassHanger can be found here, for anyone interested.

    I’ve had to come to the hard realization that thrift stores are in major competition with resellers. Goodwill now has an online Ebay style shop where they sell all the things you can never find in their store. Prices all over the US have risen at thrift stores, making it hard to buy a picture frame for under $4 these days. I understand that they are a business and this is the best move for them financially. Reseller’s have businesses too though, and not enough of us are getting creative (in my opinion). I, as all resellers do, work incredibly hard for my money. To spend it on a $4 shirt that is going to sit there collecting dust for a year is not my idea of a profitable investment. I’m losing my train of thought because my chihuahua, Daisy, is snoring so loud. Can we just take a minute to appreciate how rotten they are….. I always tell my husband they have been “over rescued.”

    Back to what I was saying though, I just cannot continue to invest all of this money in such a slow return. It’s a personal choice and I always say, do what works for you. I’ve decided to liquidate my clothing, hence the thumbnail picture at the top. Those were just today’s boxes & packages of things I sold. The past two days also looked quite similar. I’ve discovered people love for you to almost give things away. I priced my clothing around $8 and dropped it from there. Currently, most things are around $7. It’s hard letting go of items I worked so hard for. If I am going to focus on selling more lucrative items though, it has to be done.

    My new strategy is to look at my items as if they were paying rent. I’m going to be considering EVERYTHING about the item before deciding to sell it. The size of something does matter because it is obviously taking up space. I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful husband that has been supportive of me having an office to store the chaos in. However, my anxiety is shooting through the roof because I need order back in my life. Piles of things make me lose my dam mind. I’m going to try out selling more home decor, art, glass items, tiny vintage things, wall decor, and basically other things that can fit onto shelves. Dresses are something I realized I’m not ready to give up. Not yet. I love the material of dresses and how graceful they can look. Since dresses go for $5.99 at Goodwill, needing to be selective is an understatement. Many of my dresses I’m liquidating.

    On a totally different note, I finally have uploaded another Youtube video on my channel Jenny Laura. You can click here to go check it out.

    This was such an easy snack to make to take on the run. My husband and I both enjoyed eating these. It let me know two things. 1. The pre packed granola at the store is extremely over priced. 2. You do not have to have chocolate in your trail mix. I enjoyed the fact that I could add whatever nuts & dried fruit I wanted too. The next time around I am going to put some coconut in there. I’m trying to slowly learn how to make more edible things from Pinterest. If you would like to check out my Pinterest boards at Glass_Hanger click here. Everything from recipes, reselling, home decor, and DIY’s is located over there. I have an inspiration board located here where I post things that bring me peace to look at. In all reality, I doubt I would make most of it. It’s interesting how just visually having an escape can calm us. The same as reading a book and being transported into a completely different life. All of us need the ability to do that, at some point anyway. Not everything is about making money. Go get a book at the thrift store and let it take you some where. Money can’t buy that kind of trip.

    The Verdict Is In: We Have The Flu

    Yesterday, my husband and I felt so incredibly miserable. Jeremy brought up the fact that we should probably go get flu tested. In my mind, thinking of the enormous amount of money that will cost. Initially, I told him that I’m sure we did not have that. I wanted to convince myself that it was just a virus. But Jeremy is NEVER this sick. I un plastered myself from the bed and took a shower. Whenever I am sick, my hair seems to refuse to dry. After a very long hair drying session, I layered on clothes (due to freezing from 102 fever) to go to the doctor. A few hours later, Jeremy and I both tested positive for the flu. Neither one of us have ever had the flu. There is no doubt that we would both agree on the fact that we don’t ever want this again. The flu medication really helped us start feeling stronger.

    As miserable as being sick has felt, I know without a doubt that there are things to be thankful for. 1. I’m married and have support (both emotional & financial) 2. I have health insurance that allows me to get medication 3. That I work from home & that Jeremy was able to take a week off to recover. There was a time when I had to pay out of pocket to go to the doctor. Working long hours in and out of the rain was also something I was very familiar with. When you are desperate, you endure an enormous amount of suffering to get by. Because you have too. There is no other choice.

    I look back at pictures and wonder how I survived it. It’s so scary and saddening to think of how many others are still in those shoes. When I went to the doctor I watched a woman have to walk out because her insurance was not accepted. It’s not fair that I could be seen and she could not, as we were both sick. One day, I hope there is major reform in healthcare. People with sickness need medicine. People with mental illnesses need counseling. To be denied these things is often the difference between surviving and not.

    I just looked up to catch my cat, Snuggs, about to launch himself through the missing window of the china cabinet. Did I mention this is where I keep all the breakables that are for sale. 0-0 . So thankful I caught that one. Snuggs has his own wicker basket with blankets. And yet, he wants to sleep in the wash cloth box or the laundry basket. My other cat, Grizzly, has now taken to sleeping on the towel shelf. Instead of the pet store I need to go to Ikea and get them their own personal storage boxes.

    Starbucks was on the list of things that had to happen today. That and mailing out 3 more orders. Jeremy was able to drive me to send out four other orders yesterday which I am very thankful for. When I am weak, driving is just not a good idea. He is better at focusing in stressful situations than I am. I’m going to work on going through my coats and pulling out what has not sold. I have the address now of a Christian company that helps people coming off of drugs. They take donations so I am trying to put some things together for them. In all reality, I may go lay down and stay down for the next several hours.

    On a quick side note, I ordered some Russian nesting dolls today from a Youtube reseller that I follow called Thrifter, Junker, Vintage Hunter . Click her name to be taken to her channel. I love her personality and the cute figurine type items she finds at the store. She has an appreciation for that which is beautiful, even if it is broken. My connection with that outlook is strong. Back to the nesting dolls though… I was looking through her Ebay store which I will link here and came across some Snow White nesting dolls that were done well (in my opinion). She said that the set was missing 2 dwarfs but I decided I was okay with that. I paid $23 & she shipped out the same day which I was impressed by. As a reseller, I can tell you that is much easier said than done. I told my husband while going to Starbucks that I think I might start collecting these. He thinks I am high maintenance (and expensive) enough with my coffee consumption requirements. He might have to get a second job with my latest desire to collect wood dolls. (just kidding).

    5 Reasons Reselling Strategies FAIL

    1. Everyone is extremely motivated at first. The reality is though, that often we try to compete with everyone else in the business. AKA We burn the hell out QUICKLY. Find your rhythm & do what works for you. Everyone is different.
    2. You may be selling the wrong items. I operated on observing other sellers, listening to Youtube videos, and selling just clothing. I’ve found clothing though to be extremely expensive to purchase (in my area), anxiety causing competitive, and all around miserable for me at this point. Start your selling strategy with what comes easy to you. I needed variety because I felt like I was suffocating under a stack of coats.
    3. Customer service is a thing. How you treat, respond, and package items for your customers goes a long way. Your closet could be amazing but if your attitude sucks, so will any selling strategy your are trying to implement.
    4. What you are trying to profit off each item (minus all fees and cost of goods) may be too high. You have to try & fail though to realize something does not work. Adjust what you are wanting to profit until you find an amount that works.
    5. Organization. If you do not come up with a system to organize your inventory then I promise, you will be in a world of hurt. Even if it is just grouping similar items in the same place, it will make a difference. You will think more quickly and be able to locate your items when customers purchase them.

    These things listed above are simply my opinion. Your journey may take you in a totally different direction. I write my advice based on my personal experiences and mistakes. Whatever you are doing, do what works for you. Never be afraid to think outside the box and get creative. Pinterest is a great resource for all kinds of ideas! If you would like to check out my Pinterest Boards Please Click Here.

    We Have Viruses & A Sheet Skirt

    Ever Watch Survivor? Remember Rupert? The episode where he made a skirt out of literally a bed sheet.

    I never thought I would feel the need to thank him for anything, but as I sit here in my sheet skirt, I’m appreciative for his creativity. I was feeling as if I was on fire so off went my pants & on went the bed sheet. My fever is 102 with 4 Ibuprofen in me. Today, I took my husband and I to Doctors Care. My husband told me it felt like someone was scooping out his eye with a spoon when he woke up. I knew it was a sure thing we were going. We both have this scratchy hot cough, chills, and are basically about to look up a DIY on how to make each others caskets. Apparently, we have a virus that can only be treated by basically waiting it out. We got prescribed cough medicine and numbing mouth wash to help. I’m waiting till last minute to take mine because I am so resistant to medications.

    Of course, of all times, we would be out of ice. I literally went digging in the freezer to find a block of ice towards the bottom. I probably looked like Big Foot attacking its prey by the way I slammed the ice chunk into the corner of the freezer to break it up. I now, finally have a cup of ice water…. and a sheet skirt. If you ever have fever, seriously, get a soft bedroom flat sheet and tie it around you. I felt a lot better. Jeremy may want to try it out.

    For a long time I have claimed myself to be a non judgemental person. I like the way it sounds and I absolutely hate the feeling of being judged harshly. To say I’m not judgemental though means two things: 1. I became a Saint at some point when I was in a comma. 2. I’m a hypocrite. I’m coming to a place where I am realizing that there is a time it is ok to judge and a time not too. Basically, if I can sleep at the end of the night, I’m in the clear. Without judging books could not be written, doctors could not care for patients, and there would be no compassion. Feeling is a huge part of judgement. I will admit, I’ve always felt too strongly about everything. It is my greatest asset and worst enemy.

    On that note, here comes another judemental story about how the doctors office went today. A woman came into the office a while after we had been sitting there & sat across from us. We did have those blue coughing masks on to protect others from us. She asked loudly if we were protecting ourselves from the Coronavirus. My response was basically, we are sick. We have a cough. To set the story up for you, my husband and I were the only ones in the waiting room. We could clearly hear her. Yet, I think she thought she was on stage with the way she went on about the weather. This lead into telling us that we probably got sick from our kids (non existent). She explained this is how her siblings always got sick. My lack of responses were probably boring her greatly. Finally, she stood up and announced we sounded way sicker than her and that she was moving across the room. Thank God for small miracles. I typed on my phone notepad “people here are crazy” and showed it to Jeremy. To which he gave a definite nod.

    I don’t think my husband and I have ever been THIS miserable together at one time. Due to germs, I bought an expensive CVS Lysol spray and sprayed down the house. Also, all the pillowcases were changed, blankets put into the laundry room, and cough drops set within reach. He turned on my humidifier in the bedroom. My hope was that we could stay apart to try to fight this sickness off. He was set up on the couch and I in the bedroom. That worked for a day and then tonight, we gave it up. Him and I were both very chilled, weak, and in need of comfort. I’m sure we are infected with the same virus so hopefully, it will not matter. If nothing else, we will probably sleep better tonight.

    I’m ending here after a very sickly gray day here in Fort Mill, SC. Hopefully tomorrow will be better & brighter in a lot of ways.