Category Archives: Guilty Pleasures

Nov 19 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Guilty Pleasures, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 56: Ikea

Guilty Pleasure Monday today = a trip to Ikea! While I know this is the furthest thing from a pleasure for many people, I love it. I like strolling through the entire store from start to finish, looking at all the furniture and decor, deciding if I think I can cover picture frames with the fabric from a bedspread or if it makes sense that a regular human can put all these items together using nothing but a crank, all while eating a cinnamon roll. It’s the best.

When I shop alone, I inevitably take forever, like roam through sections totally aimlessly and make decisions at a glacial pace forever. Today was no different. I took my time and thought about things, rather than making rash decisions or purchases. I sat down several times to keep my feet well rested and came to the conclusion that while I could use a bedspread to cover picture frames, I might find a better deal on fabric at a place like JoAnn’s. I did, however, decide that I need a shoe rack to contain the mess that is my husband’s shoes and two side tables that Young House Love assures me I can make in to a headboard. (It’s one project that is in the book and not on the website).

Ikea makes it pretty easy to get items in to a car, but I’m waiting for the hubs to get home to bring those items up to our place. The headboard may end up with its own separate post. Wish me happy building!

Nov 14 2012
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Guilty Pleasures, Pamper/Beautify, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Day 51: Solution = Manicure

Since this week’s Guilty Pleasure Monday was taken over by my work party, I took a guilty pleasure moment today and got a manicure. It was a spur of the moment decision made after getting out of work early. I visited a salon/spa near my home for the first time and got a pretty affordable manicure with hand massage.

Really I love manicures because of the hand massage. Ok that’s not totally true, but it is a big reason. It just feels so good to have someone massage my hands. As long as they sort of know what they are doing and they aren’t too rough, I love it. I also love having someone else cut and shape my nails. I hate trying to cut my own finger nails. Its one of those mundane tasks that can just get me totally flustered and upset. Squeezing anything, but especially those tiny nail clippers, is difficult for me, so I would rather just have a professional do it. It’s not a big price to pay for less unnecessary difficulties and cuter hands and nails.

Side note: The more I write this blog, the more I’m cognizant of mundane or every-day activities/tasks that I alter, or in many cases have been altering for many years, to accommodate my arthritis. For the most part, I have been able to spin those in to something fun (hard to clip nails=get a manicure, nervous about walking long distances/alone/with a normal gait=take the dog to keep mind off of all that, etc) and I hope to continue to do that each day. Just being aware of these things helps me see how this disease affects my every day and that allows me to come up with better solutions (and more fun things) as opposed to just “dealing with it” or settling. And that feels pretty great.

Nov 05 2012
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Guilty Pleasures, Pamper/Beautify

Day 42: Ambra Salon

It’s Guilty Pleasure Monday! I went to my salon (Ambra Salon – downtown on State and Superior) intending to get a haircut and a brow wax. However after she looked at my hair, my amazing stylist said she didn’t think I needed a cut yet (maybe in another month). So we just did a trim of my bangs and a wash and blow dry. That’s really the guilty pleasure part anyway, having someone else wash and style your hair. Not only do I find it extremely relaxing but it also makes me feel pretty and fancy. The brow wax on the other hand is not so relaxing but it still has that pretty and fancy effect.

Oct 29 2012
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Guilty Pleasures, Online Fun

Day 35: Dog Shaming

dog-shaming.com is a website on which you can post a picture of your dog with a sign that says what he or she did/does that deserves shame. Usually these pictures include the thing the dog did for which it should feel the shame. And it’s usually pretty hilarious. Like, move over cats, dogs are taking over the internet hilarious.

So, after dealing with a puppy for a little over a year, I find looking at this website really comforting in a my-dog’s-not-so-bad kind of way. But it is also a guilty pleasure in that it is so darn cute! (Which is why we forgive and love dogs for committing even the most shameful of acts).

After looking at it for a while, I decided I should actually make a picture of my own with Elphie. So here is my dog shaming as well as a few of my favorites from the site today. 

Oct 22 2012
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Guilty Pleasures, Online Fun, Pamper/Beautify, Solitary Fun

Day 28: Shopping

I started this Guilty Pleasure Monday off right, with an hour of online shopping in bed.

I’m in desperate need of winter work pants. This summer I bought a few pairs of those trendy colored pants (that I totally love and will wear again when the weather is warm and bright and screams,”put on your coral pants!”) but now I don’t have anything for fall/winter that isn’t at least two years old. Pants are the trickiest item to shop for, for me at least, so while I enjoyed perusing the pages of Loft and Gap from the comfort of my warm bed, I decided I needed to actually go out to accomplish this task with any kind of success. Luckily I already had an appointment in the Loop, right down the block from a Loft store.

Recently, actual shopping trips have been tricky for me as I can never be certain how long I will last on my feet. And I am a shopper who likes to do several laps around a store before making any final purchasing decisions. If I have to rush because my feet hurt or my husband is bored, I usually make ill-advised or no purchases. Today was pretty good though. I sat a lot in the dressing room and really took my pants mission seriously.

Before today, I had no idea Loft had four different fits. The pants all have women’s names, Zoe, Julie, Kate, and Marisa. After trying on each fit in multiple styles-I was literally walking around with one of every kind of pant in the store-I decided Marisa modern is my gal. I also learned that I am too short for ankle pants and too tall for petite pants. I ended up buying modern Marisa in black boot cut and a charcoal grey skinny, both of which will be great with any number of different shirts for work. I really wanted to get like 5 sweaters as well but I practiced restraint. Except just now I got an email from them offering 50% off if I buy 5 items online tonight. I mean it is Guilty Pleasure Monday…

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