Keeping things for best, I’ve turned into my mother! ?

When my grandmother died we found 3 pairs of new slippers still in boxes, but when she died ,she was wearing a very grubby pair with holes in the soles and pieces of cardboard in them to make them last longer!

I've lots of really good quality stuff to pass on to charity, or give away, and can't find any takers.
I've 3 black sacks of new and almost new teen clothes, but freecycle ads have had no response.

I've gradually moved the sacks closer to the door but I just can't bring myself to throw them away.

Those sacks are really getting me down, though.

Good question MissAdventure ? ?
It’s on my Kindle so not a problem. A friend who also used this method donated her book to a charity shop so (when they are open again) it might be worth checking.
The method also goes into storing things vertically including clothes, towels etc. after folding. Try standing your baking trays vertically in a kitchen cupboard and you will save half a shelf for other things.

My mother died nine years ago and I used to see her every second Saturday. She always complained that the women in the sheltered housing accommodation she lived in always wore the same clothes from a local market. So just about every second week we went clothes shopping for her but she still went to the market and bought her everyday clothes there. When she died and we were clearing the flat I was really sad to find that all the 'different' new things she had bought were still all in carrier bags with the tags on. I just remember thinking how sad to not use the lovely things she bought.

What do you do with the book once you've read it?

A really interesting thread, thank you. I needed to sift and sort ready to move house plus downsize. I struggled to let go of things I had spent a fair bit of money on but were no longer used, liked or useful. Think gadgets, clothes, phones, gifts, household items etc. I found reading the 1st book by Marie Kondo helped me. It’s a way to help you organise your stuff often known as the KonMari method. It encourages sorting and tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. She splits everything into categories but any item can go into the ‘sentimental’ category if feelings are attached. This helped me donate, throw and pass on lots of ‘stuff’. Why did I keep wearing things that made me look and feel dowdy and overweight or old? Ornaments I didn’t like? If they didn’t make me happy or give me joy they went. Such a feeling of freedom after doing it all. I’ve stopped feeling guilty buying what I really like and want now. Her 1st book is called The life changing magic of tidying. Reading all your posts I think some may find it enlightening.

Ksing they must be related!

I have all but given up in despair (the latest 'best' being used are navy suede shoes. As they are slip-ons, they're obviously ideal for mowing the sudden muddy lawn, aren't they?...).

Grrrrr.

When I downsized I decided not to buy any more shampoo, hand cream, face creams, soap or candles. That was two years ago, still have some stuff left to use up. Same applies to household cleaning stuff. All this buy two get one free is using up my limited income and storage space. Also still using up free supermarket plastic bags as bin liners. Been using my reusable cotton bags for couple years now. Keep wondering how on earth I managed to store so much unnecessary items. My granny died and left loads of new pure linen bedding. My Mum was into poly cotton at the time so it was binned. Lesson learned.

DGD1 (then aged about 7) and her parents were staying with us when it was SiL’s birthday and she was very keen to have a proper birthday party with jelly and a cake with candles. I suggested a proper Yorkshire high tea with the best China and the silver teapot. DGD1 looked puzzled; “What,” she asked, is best China?”

You're very welcome.

Thank you Miss A!
I'm going to copy it.

Is this the poem someone mentioned?

If I had my life to live over again I would have waxed less and listened more.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadow over my feet, I'd have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten popcorn in the "good" living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have burnt the pink candle that was sculptured like a rose before it melted while being stored.

I would have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television ... and more while watching real life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband which I took for granted.

I would have eaten less cottage cheese and more ice cream.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the Earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for a day.

I would never have bought ANYTHING just because it was practical/wouldn't show soil/ guaranteed to last a lifetime.

When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now, go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more I love yous ... more I'm sorrys ... more I'm listenings ... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it ... look at it and really see it ... try it on ... live it ... exhaust it ... and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it.

Erma Bombeck

Someone in my sewing class said that she had nowhere to wear the beautiful Chanel style jacket that she had made. Our teacher said "wear it to the supermarket, otherwise it will just hang in the wardrobe!" How true!

My DH has his parents’ wedding china (c1940) which has never been used. They kept it for best. It hasn’t been out of its box for 20 years, but it’s still being saved for best! I want to know when ‘best’ will happen

As a child in the mid 1940's to early '50's I remember people not only had best clothes, but best rooms too. When visiting close friends of my parents it used to be so exciting to go into the best room because displayed on the sofa were the best dolls belonging to their two young daughters. I was allowed to look at the dolls, but never to touch.

Gosh! So many of these posts ring true with me. I had a new pair of "best" shoes when I was quite young, possibly 8 or 9 years old. I remember them well as the second time I was allowed to put them on... guess what, they didn't fit! I was so upset especially when they were then put away for my little sister! She is 6 years younger than me! Talk about rubbing salt in the wound!

2420Mags
What class your mother had. I would wear that outfit now.

2420mags

If l said anything to my mother about her not wearing something new she had bought she would say she had put it away so that she always had something new to wear.
When she died l found a beautiful wool coat in the "new look" style that must have been early fifties.. An invoice for £100 was in the pocket dated 1949. There was a pill box hat, gloves and a small black initialed leather handbag . Some amazing black suede heeled shoes must have completed the ensemble. She had been a Wren officer during the war and pictures showed she had been very stylish. Yet in the later years after my father's death sshe did not take any interest in her appearance and took delight in cruel comments to my sister and l about our. To my horror l find myself living in the same fleece, stretchy trousers and walking shoes, wellies or crocs depending on the season . My husband says l must fight it and l am trying!

That sounds a lovely outfit.

I don’t know what you did with it, or if you still have it, but I bet a vintage dress shop would snap it up.

I'm enjoying this thread. Yes, l have been always saved things "for best" and feel guilty if l use or wear special things on an ordinary day. How silly! This is inspiring me to change my ways.

This is really interesting with regard to the clothes we wear. I’d guess that, when asked, we would say we dressed ‘ wholly for ourselves’, yet so many of us think there’s no point in wearing nice things if nobody’s going to see them!
I remember someone saying women dressed to impress men, and she was asked if she had ever been to a ladies’ exercise class, and seen some of the fashions on show there!

Also! I have just remembered “best” clothes are not very comfortable to wear.

When I use to get a clean item out of the airing cupboard, my mum would say, " Oh, don't wear that I've just washed it!"

My Mum never wore her nice clothes every day, I wasn’t allowed to either.
I think it was because good clothes were so expensive.

There is a beautiful poem written about keeping things for best, including having a candle that is never used. But I cant find it!

I do tend to keep some clothes, china and bed linen for best, but not so much my jewellery. I remember a conversation, when I was in my fifties, with a colleague who was thirty years younger. She said that she had working and going out jewellery. It struck me that on any given day, I was wearing a watch, rings, pendant and ear rings that added up to a value of a few thousand pounds. I'm still doing the same.