It’s me, hi. I’m the problem, it’s me. A show of hands for all those who irrationally purchased etail goods during the pandemic? *Raises hand*I thought the problem might not just be me, so I thought I’d share now that my buys sit blanketed in dust on a shelf somewhere that’s too high for me to access. Some I don’t regret, some I do.

One of the things I noticed early on in the pandemic was how much money I saved by staying in 24/7. This, coupled with a need for treating myself for locking myself in my home, created a worsening spending routine. I bought things at night peddled to me through late night Instagram ads. I clicked and forgot until a package arrived for me, and I did it so often, parcel contents evaded my memory. When I popped the tape from the cardboard box seams, a surge of jubilance overtook me. It was fun until I had a pile of crap ever ignored. Below are my pandemic purchases, for better or worse.

1. This golden glitter lava lamp provided me whimsy during the work at home days. Now it lives dejected behind a couch on a windowsill, not even plugged in. I enjoyed it for a while, but the magic has worn off.
   
   
2. For a hot two years, I crafted, baked, organized like you wouldn’t believe. One of my favorite crafts was making natural wooden beaded garland using this kit. You could also easily make jewelry. I opted for using all the materials for two garlands that I still use to this day. I have thought about buying this again, but it wasn’t in stock for a long time. It’s back now!
   
   
3. I shopped a lot on Poshmark from 2020 – 2021:
   a. I bought a pair of pink and gray Nike Flex Trainers like these when the weather warmed up in May 2020 because I walked miles weekly to bolster my mental health. I now reserve those for yard work because I wore down the tread so much I had to get a replacement pair for better cushion. Those shoes took me many processing miles, and I’d buy them again if I could find them for $20 like I did on Poshmark.
   
   b. I also purchased an Old Navy women’s flannel for $8 a piece, one blue and black, one red and black. I never wear the blue and black one, but I wear the red and black one year-round, though I was hoping the material would be thicker than it is. So… half a good buy?
   
   c. These shoes I bought to replace an old pair I “poshed” years ago. I wear them with skinny jeans, wide legged jeans, and work pants. I will most likely get them again when this pair wears out because I love them so much.
   
   d. In addition to the green booties above, I poshed these gray Cole Haan booties for $22. Unfortunately, they arrived with more scuffs than I noticed in the photos. It didn’t take me long to wear them out, but I enjoy them now under wide leg pants that require this height shoe to drape correctly.
   
   e. I also got these pink Minnetonkas to replace a pair I found years ago on the Poshmark app. They were the same ones, same size but delightfully newer for only $10. I wear these constantly in the chilly Colorado climate.
   
   f. In a bundle, I purchased two flats (pink Old Navy sling backs with a bow and plaid ballet flats originally from Torrid)I could wear to work or out, whenever that would be. These were my hope shoes. One day, I would wear them when the world felt more normal. And I continue to wear them now. I scooped up these beauties for a cool $20 altogether.

4. I nabbed a handmade DSLR strap, in my signature mustard, for $30 that went to Olive and Rye Design’s Etsy shop that has
since been taken down. There are many other cute and functional options on Etsy, though.

5. These body candles from an Etsy seller called Lush and Lavish Home smell like cinnamon and make great housewarming
gifts, or gifts for any season/reason. I buy these for friends and family because when was the last time someone bought you
a candle celebrating the art that is our bodies?

Overall, I’d say I did an okay job with purchasing things that were long lasting. I bought a lot from Target during that time as well, and those were a bit more epehemeral than the majority of my buys listed above.

What did you buy during the first years of the pandemic — do you regret it?

xMae