$10 in debt, 52 sweaters later: lessons from the book fair & beyond
5-4-3-2-1: outfits, wellness wins, recent buys, texts to a friend & a treat
Last week my kids attended the iconic Scholastic Book Fair—just reading those words brings nostalgia, bags full of Goosebumps, posters, and massive dopamine spikes.
My son is practical like his Four-Shirted-Father1, slow to choose, totally fine walking away with his money, and never one to buy something just because it’s there. My daughter is a wild card. She’s known for spending more than she has, charming volunteers into discounts or actual money (!!!), and letting the waterworks flow when she can’t get what she truly wants.
My husband and I felt it in our bones that this year would be different. We talked to her about her budget and wrote on the money envelope: make good choices. She came home $10 in debt, clutching a Magic Tree House 4-book set, a must-have mushroom eraser/sharpener combo, and disappointment in herself.
Like the millennial mom I am, we talked it out, skipped the shame cycle, validated the overwhelm, and reminded her we’ll try again at the holiday market.
Whenever my kids do something ridiculous, I tell my husband, “They get that from you.” But this time, it was all me.2 I knew exactly how she felt. Overwhelmed by all the options, struggling to fight the impulsivity. It reminds me of this exact time of year when I am suddenly convinced I needed 52 Fair Isle sweaters with bling.
I don’t have answers to the Scholastic Book Fair Crisis of 2025. But just as the book fair can overwhelm an 8-year-old, the holiday shopping season can do the same to anyone, young or old.
She made a mistake, splurged, ended up in debt, and I’m giving her the grace to learn and try again. I hope you offer yourself the same grace.
If there’s one corny saying that really sticks, it’s this: treat yourself the way you would treat someone you truly love. Give yourself the dignity, understanding, and compassion you need — especially during the temptations of the holiday season. My advice? Enjoy the browsing, luxuriate in all the fun gift guides, and, just like I’d tell her, pause, evaluate, and think before impulsivity takes over.
And if it does? No shame! It’s not a crime to return things. Just ask the Four-Shirted Husband, who handles all my returns.
I put together a small countdown of things I truly love, bits of advice & inspiration! Let’s keep strong and carry on.
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What’s Inside: Here’s our gameplan for today’s post - a 5-4-3-2-1 countdown, you know the drill!
👗5 recent outfits
💆🏻♀️4 wellness wins
💵3 no shame buys
💬2 texts to a friend
🎁1 treat for you
Cobalt blue and burgundy. A surprisingly winning pairing that got all the compliment last week.
This look features my newest party cardigan! I spotted it first on Hillary Kerr and patiently waited to find it secondhand (for a steal!!!). May the odds be ever in your favor.
Another fun color pairing this week! I finally took these pants to the tailor so I can bring them back into rotation without buying a new pair. 10/10, highly recommend.
This look was all about mixing prints, inspired by Fanny Adams’ post here, I paired stripes, color, and leopard—something I never would’ve tried otherwise.
A little out-to-dinner look with a fake collar peeking out from my sweater. I’m in my hot-girl-winter era, and any extra bulk just makes me feel way too toasty. A full button-down underneath could literally dehydrate me. If I’m too layered, I feel like Randy from A Christmas Story in his snowsuit.
It’s ME… your resident unwell friend perpetually trying to get well.
I’m a believer in this one. Our brains can only hold so much and, let’s be real, mine holds very little. When you keep all your tasks in your head, your brain treats them like open tabs and keeps refreshing them so you don’t forget. This is why my brain reminds me 15x a day that I have a dentist appointment.
Writing things down and unloading what’s on your mind reduces your mental load. Apparently it helps everyone, not just people with faulty memories like me. Every afternoon I empty my head onto paper. It’s messy, often doesn’t make sense, my handwriting sucks… but that’s the point.4 I’ve seen a solid decrease in anxiety and forgetfulness.
Saying *YES* - Currently Reading: Year of Yes, 10th Anniversary Edition
Whenever I get invited or asked to do something, every part of me wants to scream “NO” and come up with a clever excuse. Lately, I’ve been pushing myself to say yes to new adventures and experiences, like a NYC meetup with some incredible SS writers or a Love Is Blind(ish) meetup for coffee with Danielle!
Decorating for the Holidays “ToO eArLy”
It’s science! Holiday decorating sparks joy and the sooner you start, the sooner you feel it. It stirs nostalgia, strengthens social bonds, and can calm anxiety. Make your hot cocoa, put out some twinkle lights and watch my favorite movie, Jingle All The Way. Unrelated, but Tickle-Me-Elmo was my childhood version of Turboman. I saw a piece suggesting keeping your tree up until April…but I have my limits.
I randomly found these easy recipes on TikTok and they are revolutionary. They are limited step super simple “dumb dinners” for nights you are just scraping by! Work smarter not harder (and yes, that includes ordering takeout when necessary).
Since we’re all going to learn from our Scholastic Book Fair splurges and make purchases we won’t regret, here are three of my recent no-shame buys:
I’ve declared it in a Substack Note and I’ll say it again: A SEQUIN SKIRT HATES TO SEE ME COMING! My old skirt no longer fit right and has officially entered retirement. My replacement skirt was inspired by Nina Piccini’s outfit in this note! Tried it on today, and I’m truly in love.
I know you’ve seen the jokes: “If you remember this, you need eye cream.” I definitely felt victimized by the ones about owning a Tamagotchi, having a teacher wheel in a TV, or using a pencil to rewind a cassette. I snagged this one at the Sephora sale. Honestly, the reviews speak for themselves.
Listen, it’s Wicked: The Movie season. If hair bows are cool enough for Dorothy, they’re definitely fine for me. I love tossing a bow in my hair during the holidays…and even into the winter (maybe I’ll take it all the way to April?). Not everyone’s cup of tea, but a half-up, half-down hairstyle with a velvet bow = so chic.
Text #1: Hot take - Canva Printing > Walgreens.
I made our family holiday card on Canva. Usually I print at Walgreens, but their machine is always down. I tried printing straight through Canva. In true me fashion, I express shipped and realized I printed them too small! I reached out to customer service: they refunded the order & shipping and helped me print 5x7’s no extra charge! 10/10 recommend. Not sponsored; they don’t know I exist.
Text #2: Love ya tons… that’s all.
An actual text I sent my friends after our dinner: Apparently Gen-Z has declared “YOLO” both ick and cringe. But, YOLO. I read Christina’s ridiculously heartfelt post here, and she reminded me that taking the time to reach out and connect with loved ones is always worth it. Life is short, and the people who have lived it with us matter more than anything else.
A recent, fun overshare: when my kids’ teacher joked about me enjoying a glass of wine on my day off, I blurted out that I haven’t had a drink in a year— followed by a lot of nervous oversharing, endless explaining, and a really fun spiral of overthinking. So naturally…I went home and made myself a mocktail.
A fun festive mocktail coming right up! I made this recipe card adapted from @goodeatswithjaspreet’s video that inspired it.
Let’s Chat: What’s your “Scholastic Book Fair” moment this season - splurge, regret, or somewhere in between? Have you said YES to something lately that scared you… but you ended up loving it?
As always, thank you so much for being here and taking the time to read my work. I truly appreciate you BEYOND words.
Okay, that’s enough for today… go thrive, my friends!
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If you’re new around here: The Four Shirted Father = The Four Shirted Husband™ - this is my husband who has four shirts and a lot of opinions.
I literally wrote all about my own struggles with impulse buying in this post with Sigrid Djernæs!
Hence me blurring my “cognitive offload” in the photo, lol. You’d all be concerned for my wellness, to be honest.
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten was “be a goldfish.” Meaning, forget everything once it happens! This was expressly in relation to work - as in, don’t dwell. But I’ve applied it to life in general. It has freed up so much brain space for me!!
Back in the Pleistocene, say 1970, the book fair displayed stacks of books on tables in our classrooms, and my mom purchased every single title. Because books. Granted, there were fewer then, but still. It was one of the few times I remember from my childhood when money wasn’t an issue. My brother and I both grew up to be passionate consumers of words.