Accountability

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July 2014 Accountability Update

Before I dive into today’s topic, I want to thank all of those who offered support and encouragement to me following my “On Relapse, Reasons, and Recommitting” post.  Many of you told me I was being too hard on myself, and I agree!  We all have our ups and downs and we just need to keep picking ourselves up and trying again whenever we falter.  So that’s exactly what I’m going to do, but first I have to close out last month by sharing my July accountability update.

Most of you are familiar with my monthly accountability reports, but I know there are at least a few new readers here, especially following the Real Simple article (it’s now posted on the site for those of you who haven’t read it yet).  Here’s the drill for the newcomers:  I’ve committed to posting monthly accountability updates to keep myself honest and on track with my wardrobe and shopping goals.  These posts include what came into and left my closet during a given month, what I wore, and how I did with my shopping budget and rules. Continue reading →

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On Relapse, Reasons, and Recommitting

Recovery from any addiction or compulsion seldom occurs in a linear fashion.  While there are those rare few who simply decide to change and find it smooth sailing from there on forth, the majority of us experience both hills and valleys.  Sometimes we take three steps forward and one step back, and other times it feels like we’re moving backwards instead of progressing.

As a new month has begun, it’s time for me to post my next accountability update.  While I usually experience a few butterflies in my stomach when typing up my monthly reports, this time I feel a sense of downright dread.  I have to admit to both my readers and myself that I have hit a bump in the road.   After a number of months of fairly steady recovery – with some minor setbacks along the way – I’ve plunged back into some old and unproductive behaviors.

Shopaholic relapse

Have you ever experienced a relapse in your shopaholic behavior?

Continue reading →

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Confession: I Shopped the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this Year

Exactly a year ago today, I wrote a post titled “Why I’m Skipping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.”  This has become one of the most popular posts on my blog, probably because so many people search for the term “Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.”  In a nutshell, the post outlines the five reasons why I decided to sit out what had been my favorite sale for many years.  My decision to avoid that “holy grail” of sales was a big turning point in my recovery process, although I’ve clearly experienced a number of ups and downs since that time.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

So I shopped the sale this year…. (image: Nordstrom.com)

Fast forward a year…  I have a confession to make.  This year, I did shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, or NAS for short.  While that may seem like a bit of a “backslide,” so to speak, it’s not necessarily that black and white.  In today’s post, I outline why I shopped the NAS this year, what was different about how I approached it this time around, and what I still need to learn and improve before I revisit this sale next time. Continue reading →

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June 2014 Accountability Update

It’s hard to believe an entire month has gone by, but it’s time once again for another accountability update, for June 2014.

Full Honesty and Accountability

Longtime readers are familiar with these monthly reports, but here’s the drill for those of you who are new… I’ve committed to posting monthly accountability updates to keep myself honest and on track with my wardrobe and shopping goals.  These posts include what came into and left my closet during a given month, what I wore, and how I did with my shopping budget and rules. Continue reading →

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Mid-Year 2014 Closet Inventory

It’s hard to believe the year is almost half over.  Time flies while you’re focusing on shopping less and cultivating a workable wardrobe (among other things)!  As June draws to a close, it’s time to see how I’m doing with my closet pare-down project.

If you’ve been following along since the beginning of this year, you may remember that my goal (number 6 on this list) is to reduce the size of my wardrobe to 200 total items, including clothing, shoes, purses, and scarves.  I began the year with an inventory of 233 pieces, down from 386 at the start of 2013.  I was very happy to have met – and exceeded – my 2013 goal of paring my wardrobe down to 250 total items.  Let’s see how the numbers shake out today…

Shopping and wardrobe statistics Continue reading →