A Little Bit of Lent in My Life

So I know what you all really want to read about/see pictures of is the big move... and believe me that will be a HUGE update... but instead right now I'm going to talk about Lent.

Growing up Mormon, I never actually experienced Lent. I'd never even really heard of it until my first year of high school (with a big contingent of actual Catholics, not just Easter/Christmas Catholics) and heard the conversations start around the end of February of what they were giving up. I'd always been fascinated by the idea, but also secretly glad that I wasn't required to participate. Especially come those last 15 or so days, where the commitment got really hard for some of my friends.

Flash forward to 2011, graduate school, when one of my Jewish friends implemented what she called "Jewish Lent." This basically consisted of her trying to break her online shopping habit by cutting off all online purchases in the 2 months following Easter.

As I moved into my new place this weekend, and physically touched every item that I own, I realized "I have a lot of sh*t." And a lot of said sh*t is of the clothing variety. I even did a big cleanout at the end of the semester, and donated what I don't wear anymore... and there is still a lot of it.

In short, I need a little Lent in my life.

So here is the plan. Between now and the end of the year - I, Bronwen Y. will not purchase any more items of clothing in a Lent-line fashion. "Clothing" is also described as anything that goes in my closet, and will include shoes, handbags, scarves, coats, bathing suits and hats. I'll even go so far as to include underthings, because I do have a lot of those, and I need to learn that buying more underwear is not a way to avoid doing laundry.

Since this is a bit ambitious, and needs do arise, I will allow myself 1 item per month for routine replacement/special needs. I also reserve the right to purchase 1 item of Colorado and/or Utah sportswear for the football game Thanksgiving weekend. For every "emergency" item that I do not purchase in a given month, I will instead treat myself to a professional manicure and pedicure (or other nail salon service of my choosing not to exceed $50).

I'll post my progress here as it happens. But these are the ground rules, and I agree to abide by them! Wish me luck.