Ernie and I lived together for several years before we got married. We both pitched in financially but kept our money separate. He had bills he paid every month, I had bills I paid every month. Whatever money was left from each of our paychecks was our own respective business.
I really didn't buy anything too extravagant, but I did enjoy my disposable income. I spent many Tuesday lunch hours driving out to Best Buy to load up on new release CDs. I'd eagerly peel the packaging off in my car and pop in a disc to begin listening while I cruised back to work. Every Saturday, I went to Barnes & Noble to load up on music magazines. I browsed other magazines and books too and usually found more things to purchase. On my way home, I'd often stop for a strawberry pop. I loved going to the mall on Sundays. Sometimes I just window shopped, other times I left with things like a lipstick, a skirt, or some fancy cupcakes to share with Ernie.
Once visions of having a child entered our heads, and we got engaged, my selfish lifestyle came to a screeching halt. I realized that my $15 here, $40 there of fun added up, and our money was going to be needed for more important things.
Last year, I only bought one CD. I also received one as a gift, so that doubled my haul. When I do leave Barnes & Noble with a bag, it's usually filled with books for Matthew. I swear my heart rate increases when I enter the children's book section, I could easily sift through books for an hour. It's a magical place.
My priorities have changed, but I did enjoy my selfish single girl time. I think if I could have a day to flashback to those carefree times, I would treat myself to:
Jack and Conor are two of my absolute favorites. My CD rack is filled with material of theirs. Well, my rack was before I packed my CDs up into empty diaper boxes to stow away in the basement to make more room in the house. Back in the day, I would have been at the store the day these discs came out. Now, I'm just patiently waiting until I can get my hands on them to load onto my iPod. You'd think I'd just embrace digital releases by now, but I still love getting CDs.
3. I love drinking out of mugs. For some reason, it seems more leisurely. I feel funny drinking anything but coffee or hot chocolate in a typical mug though. I think this Tervis mug would be great for any kind of beverage.
4. Last winter, I often borrowed (or, if you ask him, stole) Ernie's big, puffy slippers. I want my own pair for next winter. Until then, I'd love a lighter pair of some cute slippers for lounging at home.
5. Summer is beautiful, but I don't handle heat well. This time of year, I'm often pulling my hair back to help me keep cool. I tend to be pretty sloppy with my hairstyle when I'm not at work because I'm usually too hot to be bothered. This headband would be so fun for at home and running errands.
I love reading short stories. My favorite time to read books is in bed before falling asleep. Usually, I shouldn't be staying up too late, so to be able to complete a story start to finish in a small time frame is really satisfying. It's also nice for those sad occasions where I put down a book and don't pick it up again for a few weeks and then need to be refreshed on what the heck is happening.
