I Treated Myself!

I had a really great, productive couple of weeks, so I treated myself to a pair of Mary Jane Birkenstocks I’ve wanted forever. I finally just bought them because I know I’m going to wear them constantly this fall and winter. Jeans, sweatpants, sweaters, dresses. They’ll work with pretty much everything I actually wear.

Since I hurt my back, I’ve basically lived in my Birkenstock sandals, so I kept thinking about what I was going to wear once it got colder. I didn’t really want the boots or the closed-toe slides, but these felt like the perfect in-between. They’ll be here Wednesday, and I cannot wait.

Also, somehow my feet have shrunk. I used to wear an 8, and now I’m closer to a 7. It still feels completely wrong to order shoes smaller, but every time I size up, they’re too big. I don’t know if I lost weight in my feet or what, but apparently that is a thing my body decided to do. 🤪

Lately, I’ve also been thinking a lot about how I shop. I have bought so many $40, $50, and $60 shoes over the years that I barely wear. Meanwhile, I have a handful of pairs I reach for over and over. My Birkenstocks all summer. My Hokas when we’re walking a lot. My Doc Martens in the winter. Those are the shoes that actually earn their keep.

The same thing has started happening with clothes. I would rather buy one pair of jeans I absolutely love than three cheaper pairs that never fit quite right and end up hanging in my closet. When I started buying Good American jeans, it really changed the way I looked at that. Sometimes the more expensive thing actually is the better value if you wear it constantly.

Now, I will always be an Amazon girl. There are certain brands and products I’ve bought enough times that I know the quality, I know the sizing, and I can order them without thinking twice. I also love finding inexpensive staples and little things here and there.

But when it comes to a really good pair of jeans, a nice blazer, a great pair of shoes, good moisturizer, lingerie, or a handbag I’m going to carry for years, I’ve learned that sometimes you just can’t go cheap. I’d rather wait and buy one thing I really love than end up with five things that were “fine” but never really what I wanted.