Don’t Save It ‘For Best’

Bathrooms, For the Love of Books, Home Life, Just For Fun, Reading List, Wellbeing

I’m of an age where I can remember things being kept ‘for best’ – the dress that was only worn once or twice a year – Christmas and a ‘special’ family occasion, that bottle of my favourite Champagne or the eggshell china tea set that spends its days wrapped in newspaper, quietly waiting for an ‘occasion’.

Here are three things I plan to stop keeping for that elusive ‘best’:

Champagne: Decent fizz is my absolute favourite alcoholic tipple. I’ve never embraced the rise of Prosecco; it tastes too artificial and I can feel it stripping the enamel off my teeth. It’s Champagne or nothing, if it’s all the same to you.

I came across an interesting article recently – seems Champagne doesn’t always improve with age and is meant to be drunk. Obviously, vintage Champagne is a whole other story and the manufacturers keep it in strictly controlled conditions.

So now that I know Champagne is made to be drunk, does it mean that I’ll be popping the cork on an ad hoc basis? Well, no, but it doesn’t mean I won’t open a bottle on any random Tuesday evening during February, just because.

Fancy Soaps and the like: I’m someone who uses a plain soap, un-perfumed and E45 as moisturiser.

In the back of the cupboard under the sink is a small collection of fancy bath products, gifted by a friend when we had our family bathroom updated several years ago. I suspect the use by date has been and gone. Now, whenever I’m the recipient of designer skincare products, I’m going to use them.

Books: It might sound a little odd to say that I’ve been guilty of keeping books ‘for best’.

What I actually mean is this: There are a number of books on my shelves that haven’t seen the light of day in years and 2020 is the year that I plan to reread them or pass them onto Oxfam.

What things have you been keeping ‘for best’?

Published by Ruth

Life in West London; married to The Brainy One; mum to The Boy Child. This is where I share most aspects of my everyday life. I hope you'll stay awhile.

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6 thoughts on “Don’t Save It ‘For Best’”

  1. What a very tidy bookshelf. Those look like very full Creative Memories albums on the bottom. One of my sisters would agree with your about Prosecco, it’s also only champagne for her. Combing today’s & yesterday’s question; my saving for best is really more about protecting the best Christmas gift EVER. Several years ago, Mr Man arranged to have a doll made for me, one with a china head, hands & feet – it’s a dark hair version of Rapunzel. I have dark hair & Rapunzel is my favourite fairy tale. With two very rambunctious kittens, Rapunzel needed to be protected from potential accidental knocking, plus her hair is really long & too tempting to two kittens. I long for the day Rapunzel can come out of her tower & be on display again.

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  2. Ooh, I think we need a photo of Rapunzel!
    Yes, those fat albums are the first ones I did (from Creative Memories, good spot!) – I was browsing though them recently and … you’ll have to wait until Monday’s post to find out more!

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  3. Good thinking on the champagne (though I’m quite happy with other bubblies which are less hard on the purse!). My father used to quote Winston Churchill’s exhortation “Remember, gentleman, it’s not just France we are fighting for – it’s Champagne”. I recently threw out a load of little tubes of creams and allied things, keeping a few which I am using up determinedly. Keeping for best? Well, I have a load of scrapbook card and paper which needs a good home …

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  4. Ah, Veuve Clicquot, good choice! I have to admit that I do enjoy a glass of prosecco, but not the cheap and cheerful ones – some are just too fizzy to enjoy. When I went to ‘Meet the Chef’ cookery classes at a local restaurant, he insisted that we should embrace ‘Fish and Fizz Fridays’ – apparently a glass of champers is the perfect accompaniment to fish and chips!
    My mum was a great one for saving things for best, but I agree that better to enjoy having something and using it accordingly rather than keeping it for show.

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    1. Yes to fish and fizz Fridays – I have happy memories of eating fish and chips on the beach at Whitstable, with a side order of fizz.
      I understand why the older generation saved things for best – they’d come through the war years and endured even harsher rationing post-war; it’s not surprising that things were kept for an occasion.

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