Nesting.

I am shocked to say that one of the things that pandemic brought to me was a desire to feather my nest…

I didn’t go the whole redecorating route: I am waiting till my daughter is actually out of the house before I float that boat…

I’m talking about little things…

We’ve had the same dishes for about ten years. Many of them had chips and slight cracks and they had seen there share of meals…

So I decided to get a new set of dishes…

Thank you Amazon basics…

I admit I love my new dishes. They are black and white with gold rims. They are a little bit retro, and little deco and a little bit glam and a whole lot me…

And yes…

I admit…

I love them.

But when I got them, I realized that I needed new serving bowls…

And then I needed a new sugar bowl and creamer….

Ok- so I was cooking with gas…

I had all these beautiful things that I needed…

And I admit that I am not usually an acquirer of goods. I might watch HGTV but no one would ever call me a decorator. I am entirely function over form, and if it’s comfortable to sit on, easy to eat off of and has storage, I’m in.

But I found that during these months at home, I needed something pretty to look at. I like to cook, so having nice dinnerware made me happy…

I also bought new items to cook with. New pot, which we heard how it took me four hours to find the perfect one. Rice cooker. Milk frother. We also purchased an air fryer which has really been great because it enables my family to make their own food with almost no mess and little clean up. A pasta roller attachment for my mixer. A pizza pan. A silicone rolling mat for dough.

I needed things to make my day to day existence less dreary…

Because my day to day existence was pretty dreary.

All in, I probably spent about 400$ on new things for my kitchen/dining area.

Did I need to spend the money?

Of course not. I had a perfectly fine kitchen set up and and dining set up.

But these purchases did not put me in debt. They are all practical items that I LOVE and they SPARK JOY. In some cases they have made my life easier. In other cases they allowed me to further my passion for cooking and explore new realms (my goal is to master dough, something I have traditionally not been good at. The past few weeks has seen me make pie, calzone, pizza and pasta.) In all cases these items have helped me get by one day at a time…

I don’t like to shop. I don’t normally buy things that aren’t necessary. But I also have never spent as much time in my apartment as I have done the past few months. I needed to stop looking at my home as a prison that I was forced to inhabit. I had to start looking at my home as a place to explore different passions.

So I’ve collected a few new items for my home…and feathered my nest just a little.

And I’m OK with that.

86 thoughts on “Twigs and Leaves and Flotsam and Jetsam”

  3. Everyone likes new things and it is not as if you bought something that will not be used. I have heard a new term called “stuff shaming”. Love it, whose business is it what you buy, no justification needed. I found a Youtuber that is a professional organizer and she is all about keeping the stuff that you love just have a place for it. Love your dishes! Look her up if you get a moment TheOrganizedSoprano

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  4. If I were inclined to print t-shirts, one would say “Function over Form.” Words to live by, in my opinion. I mend and make do, or do without.

    In my later years, though, I learned that “form” has a “function” in that beautiful/comfortable/appealing surroundings are important to well-being – they “spark joy.” Love that, by the way, the spark joy part.

    Enjoy.

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  7. This is why I’m doing my craft room project. Or at least part of the reason anyway. As for getting stuff for the kitchen, I’m a huge advocate of having the right tools for the job and when it comes to the kitchen, there are SO many things you really need. This mindset also means that even with my generously sized kitchen, I still do not have enough space.

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    1. When you have the right tools it just makes the task so much easier. And I’m enjoying learning how to make dough and I’m ok with buying stuff that makes it easier for me. If we love doing something, we should embrace it

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  8. I do not have a passion for cooking. I cook because we need to eat. At one time, in the early years of our marriage, I did enjoy it. But my hubby is VERY particular and does not like to try new foods, so after a period of time I lost any interest in it. Which is sad, really. But I totally understand wanting to look at new and pretty things. I haven’t bought much of anything except a new bath mat. does that count? LOL

    I have been spending a lot of time at home for years now due to hubby’s limitations. I hate shopping, even online. The pandemic did not have much of an impact that way but I so miss visits with my adult children and other family members. It gets heavy at times, this pandemic and all the limitations. Yet, it has also helped me value even more those treasured and precious moments with loved ones.

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    1. Bath mat totally counts!! I get it completely. It’s so tough to figure out our happy place right now. We are surviving but not thriving…just trying to get to another day….

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  10. Fantastic! Love those dishes…and what a ‘cheap’ way to be happy during these continual hard times…seriously. Lay off the Jewish/Italian/whatever guilt and be kind to yourself.
    I came across this Native American quote that really resonated with me and I suspect will with you too:
    “In Mojave (the language), our words for want and need are the same – because why would you want what you don’t need?”
    🙂

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  11. Good for you. I’m also not a big spender but have treated my home to a few new bits and pieces this year. We’re spending so much more of our lives inside our homes – they need to feel like a place where we want to be.

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  12. I love the dishes. The gold rim adds that extra touch of class!

    I’ve been thinking about doing some embroidery or cross stitch project. The last project I started was 20+ years ago. I only remember because it was supposed to go in my daughter’s room–when she was a baby.

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  13. I love that you bought some new things that spark joy! Well done and congrats to you! (And this was WONDERFUL to read today of all days, instead of reading about the other one and only topic on the news right now..)

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  14. Good for you! Turns out I apparently need to log in everyday now? Or maybe for every blog I want to like or comment on? So tired of keeping up, I figure if I wait long enough it will change again, probably back to the way it was!

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  19. LOL! One thing always leads to another….and another…and another! I’ve often thought women need kitchen showers after a certain number of years to upgrade (upscale?) what they probably got at their first wedding shower. And, Sparking Joy in one’s life is never a bad idea…especially now. Hope all is well with you. xoxo

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    1. Remember when they used to say seven year itch, and people split up after 7 years? I always thought it was because the shower gifts all needed replacing so while you’re replacing items you replace your spouse…

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  20. I’m happy for you! This was a great time for you to pursue a passion that also sustains your family–food. Besides, $400 is not that much if you compare it to what you could have spent on a therapist. And, you would still have to eat!

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  23. Love those new dishes. What did you do with the old chipped ones? Recycle projects? I think you are heading towards a new profession in cooking with all the new gadgets.😂 But, if not, you have found a way to tick off the waiting in a positive way, and who can say one darn thing about that?!
    I apologize for not reading your blog more over the last few months. Was so busy trying to keep our heads above water with all that was going on. Winter will bring hopefully a little more time and peaceful reflection and reading. Stay safe and healthy.

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  28. You wrote: I needed to stop looking at my home as a prison that I was forced to inhabit. I had to start looking at my home as a place to explore different passions.
    That’s a truth that strikes a chord down deep, and I’ll be mulling over for a bit.
    I love new dishes almost as much as I love new shoes! Good for you! ❤️

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  29. I’m of two minds re your recent purchase(s). First let me say that I stopped cooking a long time and since my nest was emptied out a few years ago I have discovered the joys of using (and in my case reusing) paper plates. The latter joy was passed on to me by my childless sister who lived under our roof for a short time. Now she has a dog who is probably the only creature in her house who may sometimes be served on real dishes, even if they’re just dog dishes.

    Personally, I have found a good way to calm and center myself is to indulge in what I call “retail therapy.” If you’ll indulge me here, I must again say that this exercise, in which I used browsing through retail establishments, especially book and shoe stores (which are both fast disappearing from the fact of the earth, at least here in the US), without any specific intention of actually needing and/or purchasing anything. I did this when I was a single gal, when its main function was to get me out of the house. I also found it useful when my nest was full as an excuse to get away from the kids. After that, unfortunately, it also became an excuse to get away from the soon-to-be ex.

    Since that option is less available to me now, and I very much dislike online shopping since I can’t pick something up before I decided not to buy it, I am fortunate that I can follow bloggers like you to at least mentally escape from the house.

    PS At least Mom lets me shut the doors to escape from her overly loud, nosy, meddling and gossipy phone calls! These mental escapes are augmented by daily walks in the So Cal sunshine.

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