Is it just me or has December sped by more quickly than any other month this year?  Yes, we still have another week left in the month, but it will be filled with lots of holiday festivities for many of us.   A lot of my fellow bloggers are taking some time off this week and next, but I decided to still do a few posts.   Instead of sharing my useful links at the very end of the month as per usual, I opted to go live with this post today.  That way, if some of you want to take a bit of downtime later in the week or over the weekend, you’ll have some interesting things to read.

Today’s post includes links to articles I think you’ll enjoy related to shopping and shopping psychology, wardrobe management, personal style, and a few posts from the “Recovering Shopaholic” archives (you can view all previous articles HERE).  As a special addition this month, I also offer a few holiday-themed links.

Yes, there are a lot of links in these posts (I’ve actually cut it down a bit this time), but I don’t expect you to click on all of them! Just explore the ones that most intrigue you.   You can always come back and check out more later if desired.   Okay, here are the links:

On Shopping and Shopping Psychology

• “Why Nothing Will Ever Feel Like Shopping” – While I am still a recovering shopaholic, I no longer have the strong compulsion to shop that I once did. However, I’ve been unable to find anything that provides the same type of feelings that shopping used to give me.  This post from My Year Without Clothes Shopping outlines the reasons why we shouldn’t aim for the type of high we got from shopping – and tells us what to do instead.
• “What is a Need?” – We often hear that we should buy only what we truly need, but do we ever stop to consider what constitutes a real need? This post from The Nife en L’Air states that “a need is never material” and explores how that relates to the concepts of consumption and consumerism.
• “Would You Buy it Again?” – This is one of the questions I recommend asking when we go through our closets, but Jill Chivers delves more deeply in this post. The New Year is often when people decide to pare down their wardrobes, so perhaps this post will help you let go of items that are no longer serving you and bringing you joy.

On Wardrobe Management

• “Project 333: My Clothes, Step by Step” – This is an “oldie but goodie” post from The Vivienne Files that you may not have seen before.  Many people are intrigued by the Project 333 minimalist challenge but worry that they wouldn’t select the right pieces for their three month capsule.   This post shows the eight steps that Janice went through to put together her fall/winter capsule back in 2012.
• “Wear All the Things” – This link was referenced in the comments section of one of my posts awhile back and I thought it was worth sharing. Sarah from Becoming Gezellig took on a project last year to wear every item in her closet to help pare down her wardrobe and better understand what she really likes to wear.  In this post, she recounts her rules and her experience with the challenge.
• “Ignoring Capsules” – It’s very common for us to neglect entire areas of our wardrobes when we shop (I wrote about this concept before HERE). But Mo from MOderate Wardrobe presents the case for not ignoring our needs in favor of our wants, complete with a recent personal example to drive her point home.

On Style

• “How to Overcome a Wardrobe Slump” – Do you ever feel blah, frumpy, fussy, sloppy, or uptight in your clothing? I know that I have felt all of those things at one time or another!  Bridgette Raes offers some tips for addressing these types of wardrobe slumps and shows before and after outfit collages to illustrate her points.
• “Style Evolution and Transition” – Most of us go through times when we question what’s in our closets. This post from Already Pretty provides some suggestions for how to best navigate stylistic transitions.  Hint… it doesn’t involve trashing your entire wardrobe or going on a wild shopping spree!
• “How to Create New Outfits Quickly” – Do you want to expand the number of options in your wardrobe quickly and easily? I know I do!  This simple suggestion from 40+ Style can help us all get more mileage out of our new purchases.  Now, why didn’t I think of this idea before?

On The Holidays

• “Giving the Gift of Christmas” – We’ve all heard that it’s better to give than to receive. But the giving doesn’t have to be about material items.  Becoming Minimalist suggests six powerful gifts that we can give to the people in our lives this time of year (and all year round, really).
• “8 Things to Do During that Weird, Lazy Week Between Christmas and New Year’s” – Back when I worked in the corporate world, my office was always closed the last week of the year. I guess they learned that people don’t tend to be very productive at that time. But there are some fun and meaningful things we can do even when we’re feeling tired and lazy as the year draws to a close.
• “16 Questions to Help You End the Year Well” – The end of the year is often a time of deep reflection for many of us. These thought-provoking questions from Always Well Within can assist you in conducting a personal year-end review.  You don’t have to answer all of them!  Just pick a few to ponder to help you close out 2014 powerfully and peacefully.

From the Archives…

• “Shopping for Acceptance” – For compulsive shoppers like me, the buying is seldom about the item we’re acquiring. There are often many underlying reasons why we buy too much and purchase things we don’t really need or even want.   In this post from last year, I write about one of the primary drivers of my shopaholic behavior.
• “What is a Full Life?” The tagline of this blog is “Trade Your Full Closet for a Full Life,” but what does it mean to have a full life?   I explore two different viewpoints on the subject and link to some resources for those who want to delve deeper.   I enjoyed re-reading this post, as I am still really struggling with cultivating a fuller life for myself.  Clearly, I need to take more of my own advice and designate more time and attention to this worthy project in 2015!
• “The Nuts and Bolts of Wardrobe Tracking” – I often write about tracking my wardrobe and use terms like wardrobe “all-stars” and “benchwarmers.” Newer readers may not be aware of the methods I use to keep track of what I wear and my wardrobe at large.  This early post outlines all of it!  Since a new year will be starting very soon, perhaps some of you will be inspired to start tracking your wardrobes.  I highly recommend it, as it’s really helped to increase my awareness and facilitate my recovery.

Conclusion and Holiday Wishes

I hope you enjoyed this installment of useful links.  Feel free to comment on any of the topics from this post and/or share links to articles that you’ve enjoyed recently.

Before I go, I’d like to wish a very Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate this holiday.   I will be celebrating but in a very low-key way.   While some years I share the day with multiple family members, this year it will just be my husband, mother-in-law, and me (just like on Thanksgiving).   The day will likely involve a brisk walk, a nice meal, and probably a movie, either at home or in a theater (my mom and I used to always go to the movies on Christmas).   No matter what, I’m sure it will be a good day and a wonderful time to reflect upon all of the things I am grateful for in life (including this blog and all of my amazing readers!).

Here’s a quick peek at the holiday card we sent to friends and family members this year:

I extend the same wish to all of you – for joy, peace, and love on Christmas and every day!   Enjoy the holiday and the weekend, and I’ll be back next week with my best and worst purchases of 2014.