Happy Friday, friends! I want to take a moment to say a great, big thank you to those who left comments on my last post. My anxiety has started to feel a bit more stable in the past week—closer to that “6” number on my scale—and it feels good to feel good. I really appreciate everyone who read that post and reached out with supportive comments, even if you’ve never dealt with the kind of anxiety I experience. It’s not easy to write about my anxiety episodes, but the only way we will destigmatize mental illness is by talking about it and bringing other people into our world, and thank you for giving me the space to do that.
Now, onto some much lighter topics for today’s Five for Friday post!
1) Dermatitis vs eczema
So, I’m still dealing with my annoying facial rash. When I saw a doctor about this rash in November, she wasn’t sure if it was a case of dermatitis or eczema, but since it wasn’t itchy, she figured it was dermatitis and prescribed me steroid cream (which was, shockingly, $100 for a small tube). The rash seemed to go away after about a week of using the cream but it came back around the end of December. Ughhh. A part of me wonders if I’m allergic to something in my skincare routine, so I haven’t done anything skincare-related for many weeks. I also bought a bottle of hydrocortisone cream that’s formulated for eczema and dermatitis flare-ups, and while I haven’t been the best at applying it regularly (I only remember when my rash itches, which isn’t all the time), it did clear up part of the rash. Progress! I need to get better at applying it at least three times a day to see if it takes care of the rest of my rash. And then I’ll slowly restart my skincare routine, one item at a time, just to see if it was something I was using that caused the flare-up.
2) Lunchtime reading
I started a new habit this year: eating breakfast and lunch at my dining room table and reading my book! Previously, I would usually eat breakfast at my dining room table but play a game on my phone. And for lunch, I would always eat at my desk while scrolling through Reddit forums. I used to read on my lunch break when I was working in an office, and I want to get back into that habit. It is such a pleasant way to pass 20-30 minutes in the morning and afternoon. I feel like it sets the right tone at the beginning of my day and gives me an actual break from screens in the middle of my day. Plus, I can usually knock out at least 50 pages of whatever book I’m reading during these breaks and that leaves me feeling super accomplished!
3) From an under-buyer to an over-buyer
Have you heard of the “under-buyer/over-buyer” personality from Gretchen Rubin? It’s fascinating to me. I am a chronic under-buyer. As in, I run out of much-needed household items frequently. There have been days when I haven’t been able to wash the dishes in the sink because I’ve run out of dish soap. There was a week when I had to keep running into the kitchen to wash my hands after using the bathroom because I ran out of bathroom hand soap and only had a bottle next to the kitchen sink. There were the few days I ran out of toothpaste and, um, had to settle for mouthwash. (Gross, I know.) I’ve run out of toilet paper, conditioner, trash bags, you name it. It’s a personality flaw of mine, and I am turning over a new leaf in 2022.
Now, every time I start running low on something, I’m buying two products at one time. When I finally replaced my bathroom hand soap, I bought two—one to use now and one to store in my bathroom closet to pull out when this bottle runs out. I also bought a backup bottle for my kitchen. I have a backup roll of paper towels and a backup package of Clorox wipes. It’s a wild and crazy world I’m living in now! The second step of this plan is to always replace my backup whenever I pull it out of the cabinet to use it. When that happens, I will immediately add the item to my Target cart. (Target curbside pickup is life, so I usually keep an open cart on the Target app where I add items regularly to pick up when I have the time.) Ideally, I’d have more than one backup but apartment living doesn’t exactly give me a ton of storage space, so alas, one backup per item it is!
I’m not exactly sure what causes someone to be an under-buyer, but I think growing up poor definitely contributed to it for me. I’m not used to buying extras of things just to have them around and make my life easier… that’s just not the way things work when you’re poor and living paycheck to paycheck. But I don’t have to live that way any longer (which is something I do not take for granted) and I’m on a mission to unlearn some of my habits that developed as a result of being poor. Like under-buying! There’s such a sense of wealth and freedom in knowing I can have backups of anything I want and running out of something won’t be a crisis anymore.
4) Beautiful weather
After having a super warm December, Florida has been showing up with its January weather. This week, we even got into the low 40s! We’re staying in the upper 60s/low 70s during the day with chilly nights, and I even had to turn on my heat one day this week. I know that for those of you in the north, this weather sounds like fall to you, but hey, Florida does its own thing when it comes to winter weather. (And, well, everything else it seems. Sigh.) I’m happy with it! I can barely handle weather below 55 degrees, haha, so this is just about perfect for me.
5) The StoryGraph
Have you guys heard of The StoryGraph? It’s a Goodreads alternative, and I’ve been hesitant to join because I feel like there are so many apps that come and go, touting themselves as the “next Goodreads.” But The StoryGraph has had some staying power and I’ve noticed more and more friends joining it, so I decided to take the plunge last weekend. It was nice that I was able to import my entire Goodreads library (I have 11 years of data and nearly 1,600 books so there was no way I was going to manually do all that) and I like the ability to give quarter-star ratings, add content warnings, and see more stats. I don’t think it is as user-friendly as Goodreads (it’s really hard to find friends who use the app and I always forget where to click to add my rating and review when I finish a book), but I do love the clean, modern interface. I think I will still primarily use Goodreads (especially since that’s what most of my friends use and I like the community aspect of the app), but I’m excited to dip my toe into The StoryGraph a little more to see what it’s all about. If you want to follow me, I’m stephanywrites on both Goodreads and The StoryGraph.
Are you an under-buyer or an over-buyer? What’s the weather like where you are?
We’re in a freeze right now & I’m not loving it – counting down to Spring.
I cant leave Goodreads – I’m too invested with over 10 years of books logged in – I’ll be there forever 🙂
I hear you! I will be with Goodreads forever, I hope. I have so much invested, too. The StoryGraph is interesting, but we’ll see how long I can keep on top of it when I already have Goodreads and a tracking spreadsheet, haha.
I am totally an over-buyer! Which can definitely bite me in the rear on occasion — I am embarrassed to say that I sometimes end up throwing away expired food because I bought too much of it, or that I will discover something in my closet when I JUST bought it. Some of my over-buying is purposeful — especially since the pandemic, I definitely have an extra pack of toilet paper! But some of it is because I have this quirk where when I know something needs to be replaced, I will remember the need for replacement but not the fact that I ALREADY replaced it! This is why we have two enormous containers of cumin in our spice cabinet.
There are definitely pros and cons to both sides of the personality! I have a whole bunch of household supplies/toiletries that it’s time to replace and I’m having such a hard time pushing the purchase button on my Target cart because, ugh, over $100 on toiletries? Blahhhh. It’s so hard to get out of that scarcity mindset!
I’m with you, Florida-sister… this weather is PERFECT! I think we’re a little warmer than you, being further south. But it’s still amazing.
I tend to be an under buyer with a lot of things, and it gets really annoying! For a while, my daughter and I never had enough socks. It was always a struggle to find socks in the morning, frantically searching through the laundry basket and dryer… then one day I finally went out and bought a WHOLE PACKAGE of socks for EACH of us! Wow, it made life so much easier, and feels so luxurious to always have lots of socks. I try to remember that when I’m struggling with shortages in other areas- there’s something about abundance that really feels good.
Oh my gosh, the same thing happened to me last year! I had, like, 5 pairs of athletic socks and I constantly had to keep on my laundry habits to make sure I didn’t run out and finally I was like, “Why don’t you just buy another set of socks?” And now I have TWELVE SOCKS and it’s amazing. I never run out anymore!
I was an early user of goodreads because my friend’s brother’s friend was part of the initial development team. How wild is that? Her brother knew my friend was a huge reader, so he had her try it out, and she of course told me about it since everyone knows I’m obsessed with books! So I have been on it for SO long! There were some other competitors, like Shelfari, back in the day, so I am glad I started w/ the platform that has stood the test of time! I have heard about Storygraph, but haven’t felt the pull to move over there. It’s just so easy to use goodreads. One thing I”m doing differently this year is using Sarah’s Bookshelves tracking spreadsheet to track my reading and more importantly, my TBR. I’ve culled my TBR list on goodreads, but it’s still so dang long. So it’s nice to have this spreadsheet to really home in on what I plan to read this year!
So I would say that I am a just-right buyer? We don’t belong to costco so don’t buy massive quantities of anything. We stock up on things we know we need a lot of – like toilet paper. But I have an amazon subscription for that and we tend to have just the right amount? Or I will adjust the delivery if we don’t need more by the time the next delivery is scheduled to arrive. But I would describe you as a just-right buyer, too, based on what you said above. I think of over-buyers as people who have closets full of a lot of back-ups of things! So if I was going to categorize myself one way, I’d say under before I’d say over!
That is such a cool story of being an early adopter of Goodreads! I really love the platform. While I’d love for some changes (like those damn half-stars), it’s not enough for me to want to switch to another app. It’s just so user-friendly and what I’m used to!
I never thought of there being a third category: the just-right buyer! I think I am an under-buyer that is trying to become a just-right buyer, haha. I just want to stop running out of things, especially things I really need to be a functional member of society.
I’ve only read #1 so far but just wanted to say my doctor told me dermatitis and eczema are very similar and treated much in the same ways. As someone who suffers from eczema and anxiety I can also tell you anxiety/stress can cause flare ups. Fun times!
Ohhhhh! This makes a lot of sense. I wonder if my anxiety episodes earlier this month contributed to my skin flaring up like it has! It’s just so weird because I’ve never suffered from flare-ups like this, so I don’t know where it’s coming from. Bodies are so weird.
It may have contributed!! I know when I have high anxiety I get flare ups of eczema. Just what you want when you’re anxious – itchy rashes! My flare ups caused from anxiety seemed to be timed around the start of the pandemic when my mental health got worse. Now they come and go, usually as my anxiety does. A steroid rash cream from a doc will help with the rash/itch (but obvs won’t prevent flare ups)
It’s -7 right now, feels like -17. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.
I have dermatitis on my hands and I treat it with a steroid cream that mostly makes it stop itching. It never really goes away and it’s been this way for more than a decade. It comes and goes and does better if I properly moisturize and drink water, but those are not habits I’m particularly good at cultivating.
I am an overbuyer. I grew up in poverty and now I beat myself up if we run out of things. It’s weird because there are some things that were particularly challenging when I was a child, like socks and scissors that I definitely have a THINGS about – drawers of socks now and an easily accessible pair of scissors in every room. But we had to move a tissue box from the guest room into the living room because I had forgotten to get Kleenex on our last grocery store run and I was almost in tears. It’s such a weird phenomenon and I was excited to hear that it’s a real thing and not just me being a sensitive soul. Ha!
I can’t even imagine what -17 feels like. Every time I try to talk myself out of a walk because it’s, like, 50 degress, I remind myself that you go on walks with your dog in far colder temperatures!
That’s interesting that growing up in poverty turned you into an over-buyer when it did the opposite for me! There’s something to be said about buying more of what you need because you can. I recently started keeping multiple phone chargers in different rooms of my home BECAUSE I CAN and there is something so joyous and freeing about it.
I love your Five for Fridays so much. One day I’m going to do my own! I swear!
1) That sounds NO fun.
2) Stephany, I do this too and it’s so great how much reading can get done at lunch! I always feel quite accomplished as well. I used to scroll through my phone but I’m not doing that right now, and I’m getting SO much more reading done!
3) I could write a whole post on this. I tend to be an overbuyer. I am always worried about running out of things. The pandemic has made this slight tendency MUCH worse, as sometimes things are hard to get. Example: a few weeks ago Costco had no macadamia nut milk, which is my favourite. I always have a case in backup (I go through a lot) but I panicked and started to buy a few other kinds of non-dairy milk. I shopped at Costco this week, and the macadamia nut milk was back. I bought two cases and long story short, I have SO much non-dairy milk right now it’s ridiculous. I mean, I’ll go through it, it will not go to waste, but I have SO much and I need to tell myself not to buy more. I usually just have ONE backup of all my household essentials, but when there were shortages I started slowly stocking up. I have to take a deep breath and actively tell myself NOT TO BUY MORE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WE HAVE ENOUGH SOAP.
See? I could have written a whole post.
4) It’s really mild here right now for us, but you would die. Mild for us means around zero or just above (Celsius).
5) I really don’t like Goodreads, so I might go StoryGraph. Especially the quarter star reviews! I think I might look into that.
Is this the longest comment I’ve ever written? I don’t know, but “it’s up there, Steve.”
I have really loved incorporating reading on my lunch break! It feels like I really get away from work when I do this, and I want to keep it up!
Hehe, I think you *should* write a post about being an overbuyer, and especially the ways in which the pandemic has not helped this tendency. I think a LOT of people can relate!
I don’t even know what to say about 0 degrees being MILD. I’m over here freaking out that the low will be 37F on Sunday, hahaha. We have two very different definitions of winter. 😉
I feel like I’ve been on both sides of the over-buyer/under-buyer coin at different stages of my life. I am probably over-buying right now as a result of having bought too little and not having enough in the past and I really need to get it under control. I don’t know why it always has to be one extreme or the other with me, LOL. as for Goodreads, I’ve started to accept I will probably always prefer their app over any other. I do like The StoryGraph, but I think they still have a ways to go. I appreciate what they’re trying to do, but I agree with Rebecca. I’ve been with Goodreads pretty much since their inception. I have too much invested to leave now. 🤷🏼♀️
I’m trying to get into The StoryGraph, but I really think Goodreads will forever and always have my heart. Case in point, I haven’t opened TSG in a week at this point, but I have Goodreads open on a daily basis. They’re trying to do something new and I applaud it, but like you said, they still have a ways to go to be able to compete with Goodreads.
Ugh I hate it for you on the skincare stuff, my skin has gotten way more sensitive too as I’ve gotten into my 30s. Like, I can’t even wear lipstick anymore without having to use a steroid cream afterwards to handle the rash that pops up. And it’s so hard to find a good dermatologist that isn’t heckin expensive! Good luck with the elimination thing, that’s basically the best free way to start figuring out what’s happening.
I’m sorry that you’re also dealing with weird skin flare-ups, too! I guess this is just something to expect in our thirties? Ugh. I have a dermatology appointment next month so I’m hoping I can ask about the flare-up and see if she has any better suggestions for me.
I am glad you are feeling better! And glad your skin is starting to clear up. Ugh, skin stuff is so annoying. I hope you can figure out if it was one of the products causing it.
We’re over-buyers over here. We’ve been burnt too many times on things being out of stock when we need them AND we hate to shop so we stock up and then stock up again when we get low! So I have like, 4 bottles of Dr Teals in the basement storage room LOL.
I am glad you are liking your weather! We got snow yesterday and today and it’s going to drop to -8 tomorrow but I like cold weather so it doesn’t bother me! As long as I can take my not-too-hot bath 😉
I think it makes a lot of sense to be an over-buyer in some instances, especially if you’ve been burned in the past. Plus, it’s not like you live 5 minutes from Target! And you have the storage space for lots of backups.
The low on Sunday is 37F, and we’re all prepping for the worst, hahahah. A low of 37 probably feels like a warm-up for you guys!
I am definitely more an over- than and under-buyer, although I won’t stock up too much stuff in advance. I am usually pretty good about putting stuff on my shopping list before I run out (and Jon has made it his personal task to check on things before we write our shopping list.
I have also heard from someone about The Story Graph and I think I’ve set up an account and then forgot about it LOL (I need to check it out again).
Perhaps, like Lisa, you too are a “just right” buyer! I think there has to be a middle ground, right? But I can definitely see the pros of being an over-buyer.
Oh, Stephany, I am so glad to hear that your anxiety has abated a bit. As you know, I’m chronically behind, and it’s just good to see that you are back closer to your baseline. (I also wonder, does the spiral kind of feed on itself? It seemed like it did from your previous post – as in, you start off spiraling about X and then you shift to worrying about Y, etc.? that would make it harder for me, if that was the case…)
I’m envious of your weather. I would like to go outside without putting on my extra 3 layers but alas… not for a few months yet. The wind, though, is often the worst part here. Believe it or not, -10 does not feel THAT cold if it is calm and sunny. Throw in wind and clouds, though, and it is a completely different story.
I’m also envious of your dog walking. Sigh. I miss having furry cuddly creatures around.
So sorry you’re dealing with the facial rash. When you do start adding things back in, make sure you give it enough time (maybe 2 weeks?) to demonstrate an effect, if anything. And totally second whoever mentioned anxiety being a reason for a flare. Our mental state has a huge influence on all body systems and the skin is no exception!
You already know that I am an overbuyer! Today I bought 2+ lbs of raw almonds because I did not want to run out in the next few (busy) weeks. That’s a lot of almonds! But, on the other hand? I’ve been in use-it-up mode for hair products for YEARS at this point. Seriously, I think I started at the beginning of 2020 (which seems to be a decade ago) when I realized that I had something like 8 different post-shower treatments that I’d tried. None of them were perfect but none were so bad that I would not use them. So other than shampoo and conditioner I have not purchased hair “products” in nearly 2 years.
(On the other other hand, I have 2 backup toilet bowl cleaners – why??? – and always buy TP when I open the one I have on hand. The pandemic definitely did this to me!)
As always, long-distance hugs. <3
Thankfully, my anxiety doesn’t really feed on itself. It’s a one-trick pony, haha, so if I’m worried about one part of my life, it takes the worry off other parts. Sometimes, I think about how much I *wish* I could be worrying about XYZ, like work anxiety or dating stress, when I’m in a spiral like I was that night. So it gives me perspective, at least?
Just think about how much nicer your springs, summers, and falls are! We get a few months of flippin’ gorgeous weather and then it’s back to humidity and triple-digit heat indexes. We’ll be there very soon, haha.
I’ve started the very slow process of reintegrating parts of my skincare routine. I’m going to just do my slimmed-down version for about a month to see how my face reacts. Fingers crossed!