From The Past: January 31, 2008

When stores put their holiday items out, it makes me want to buy, buy, buy! This is true especially at Valentine’s Day when everything is red or pink.

But, I have to stop myself.

This is very hard to do when I see pretty red bowls in heart shapes that I just know would look great sitting on an end table and filled to capacity with Dove chocolate hearts.

Target has the most adorable Valentine’s Day decorations! You can find everything you ever wanted in the shape of a cupcake from placemats to cookie jars – they have it all.

The reason I have abstained is because when the New Year rolled around, I de-cluttered the house. I really took a good look at what we had versus what we actually needed. So, if I go in Target and buy every pretty thing I see, I’m just starting the clutter cycle all over again. By having this look, but don’t buy philosophy in my head, we save space at home and money in our bank account.

That being said, I have allowed myself one new item because it will store easily and it will be used every day.

A tablecloth:

If I had a dining room, I would buy linen, but I don’t. We use this table every night. We actually sit at the table and eat. Food splatters or rolls off a plate and I’m not necessarily blaming the kids here! For these reasons, I buy vinyl. It’s easy to wipe off any spills and perfect for people who actually use their table for eating 😉

Have you bought any Valentine’s Day items?