Not saving things for best

My chum over at the nine to five-ish blog sparked the thoughts on today's blogpost.
Saving things for 'best'.
Do you do this?
If you do, what is it that gets saved? Do they ever get used?

As a small child of parents that had travelled the world serving in the armed forces, there were lots of unusual items around the house. 
On the mantelpiece were little brass receptacles like vases. They were polished weekly and were heavy to handle.
When I was older I learned they were large spent bullet casings.
Polished and on display for best.

There were place mats, kept in a box, that had pictures on them.
These were used on Sundays and if people came for a meal.

And there were tea cups with saucers for visitors like the vicar or my grandmother.

Apart from that there were no things kept for best and not used: but simply because they didn't have anything else.


In my first marriage I had a canteen of cutlery and a Denby dinner service.
They were wedding gifts.
I was only 'allowed' to use these on Christmas Day every year.
I loved the Denby back then, and wished I could use it everyday.
Both cutlery and China went with him in the divorce settlement.


Since being with Man Wonderful these last 20 amazing years, we don't keep things for best.
We enjoy buying pre-loved, secondhand items, and when something needs replacing we get another pre-loved, secondhand whatever.
We like mismatched, quirky, unusual, different, homemade.

Like us.



Comments

  1. I've just started using items I have been saving 'for best'. Nice china and Edinburgh crystal glasses. It's giving me great pleasure to use them and I wish I had come to this point years ago.

    Why have lovely thing, whether pre-loved or new, and shut them in a cupboard or behind glass?
    J x

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  2. We use our Denby everyday. When the children were small we had the usual plastic/ melamine plates for them and then a couple of cheap IKea plates and bowls just for them so they could appreciate what happened if they dropped them! I wouldn't want to use anything but my Denby - it's sturdy enough that it copes with everyday use, the dishwasher and oven. Sure, a few pieces have been broken over the years (it's 22 years old) but these were easily replaceable on ebay/ the Denby seconds shop.

    We do have some lovely Waterford crystal which is only used at Xmas/ birthdays/ big family meals. Part of the pleasure of using it is that it has a special meal attached to it. Plus I really can't be faffed to wash it by hand more often than that! :D Everyday use means funky ikea glasses with flamingoes, cacti, other funky patterns on - oh and some cute glasses from Asda with sheep on :)

    We only have one set of cutlery (love story) so that's used daily(oh - we do have a cheap plastic handled set kept in the camping stuff)

    I do have some matching toiletries to my perfume and only use those occasionally (layering effect for special days/ nights ;)) - most of the time I'm happy with my cheaper stuff. I certainly don't plan on replacing the perfume-scented toiletries once used up (gift)

    Oh - and candles are bought to be burned.... not displayed until dusty, miscoloured, possibly misshapen objects....
    x

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  3. Ever since I watched Loretta Laroche give a talk about just this situation I use the good stuff! She is a psychologist/humourist and you can catch her on YouTube. She said "isn't it odd - we use the cheap/everyday stuff for our loved ones - and bring out the good stuff for strangers" - there was a pause and then the audience just erupted in laughter. So, nice dishes, crystal, perfumes, good linens etc. all get used and enjoyed.

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  4. I think using "best" on "special" occasions makes them special and memorable. Having just gotten why some people do that, I remember the day I felt good enough to start using our best for everyday. I felt I deserved it. Why pass on the best to our daughter who will have her own? What's the point in having great things if we don't enjoy them? Right? :D

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