Black Friday & the 7-Year Dishwasher

November 23, 2012 2 min read

Recently, my sister-in-law was in the market for a new dishwasher. This shocked me, knowing that they had only moved into their new-build home in 2006. Really? A new dishwasher, already? Come on, I thought. And, as it turned out, so did she. But, the thing just wasn’t working effectively after many repairs, so she had finally embarked on a quest for her next, lifelong, dishwasher.

“Which model should I choose to last, because I don’t want to be back here again any time soon,” she asked the appliance salesperson.

His reply?

“Oh, I’d say that a typical lifespan of a dishwasher made this decade is about 7 years.”

!!!

Sad, but, apparently, true.

The best advice that I have ever heard about “stuff”, and shopping for it, is this:

Good. Beautiful. True.

A former professor at my husband’s alma mater said that in his family, they had decided to only bring an item into their home if it fit into the parameters of something that is Good, Beautiful, or True.

This has become a very real mantra in my life, my home, and my wallet (I have even heard of others who, having heard this advice, wrote these words directly onto their credit card!). I can’t say that I am 100% effective at implementing it – ask my daughter, who has convincingly begged me to allow in more than a few annoying, cheaply made junk toys, to her great delight – but, it has absolutely informed the way I think about shopping in general, and especially about the things I want to keep in my life & home.

It has also been a key mindset for my business, as I’ve sourced & stocked dignify.ca, and as I’ve purchased everything else needed to effectively operate it.

Today, on Black Friday, I encourage you to steer away from the “7-Year dishwashers” and their ilk, and choose instead stuff that means Goodness, Beauty, & Truth.

Here are some of my top picks:

- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Store

- Olive Manna: textile & paper goods

- Art, from society6, poster cabaret, etsy, etc.

- Who am I kidding? dignify.ca

- Don't shop at all; I'm sure that you have lots of great stuff already ;)

(one of my faves, Alberta homeboy Tim Okamura)

- SJ

Also in Shop Good Blog

Dignity for All

August 05, 2022 3 min read 2 Comments

“Do you even know what a big problem human trafficking is?”

This is a question I was posed by someone I love, someone who knows me and what I do. But this was a rant borne, I think, of the powerlessness and overwhelm of learning more about the world; of being faced with the cruelty & despair of suffering; of coming to see — and really feel — the frustration that some people with money, power, & influence, continually wield it unjustly with no end or recourse in sight.

Do I know what a big problem human trafficking is?
Yes, it is a big problem. Yes, I am aware of it.

Summer Nostalgic Reads

July 15, 2022 3 min read 3 Comments

I love summer, and I think at least partly it’s because as a rebel (who resists expectations) I am nostalgic for the glory days of few obligations or responsibilities. I wrote about this last week… it’s a theme!

And what is more leisurely than strolling the stacks at the library, then lazily reading on the hammock, couch, in a treehouse, on a blanket spread in the grass or on the sand. I seemed to have the luxury of endless hours of reading in my youth, though now that pleasure is mostly saved for holidays and Sunday afternoons.

Summer Boredom

July 07, 2022 2 min read

We have 3 school-aged kids who are on summer holidays. I love summertime, and I’m feeling the tension of wanting to soak up every minute and maximize these fleeting times with my kids, with the day-to-day, continued needs of life.

I want to play, adventure, create memories;

I want to be with my kids to craft, explore, linger over board games, walk to get a cold treat.

I also have responsibilities to work, to function, to plan, to keep the life-wheels in motion.

Is this the lie, the false pressure of modern motherhood? That nagging insecurity — when I’m doing this, maybe I should be doing that; and visa versa?