burn, baby, burn.

I am so proud of myself. Today I actually lit my favorite candle, and let it burn all day.  I don't know about you, but when I have a favorite "something", I rarely allow myself to enjoy it...especially when it's almost gone. While enjoying dinner with a friend the other night, we got to chatting about this very subject. Turns out I'm not alone.

You know, the conditioner that not only makes your hair smell amazing, but makes it smooth as silk. Or the designer fragrance you love so much but only save for special occasions. Even better, the random (99% empty) bottles of Bath & Body Works lotion for no apparent reason other than the once-a-year desire to smell like Vanilla Bean or Plumeria. Seriously? Why can't I just throw them away?

For me, it's the same routine. My shower is a perfect example of random shampoo, conditioner, body washes and soaps. I love them all, and I can't seem to bring myself to squeeze the last of it out. Sure, the first few weeks are pure bliss...squeezing, spraying, sudsing, whatever...without a care in the world. And then it hits you. Crap. It's almost gone. Now what am I gonna do?

This is when I put myself on restriction from said favorite product, and rotate in a substitute. And the cycle continues. Again. For weeks I will use various backup products to substitute for my favorite, all while my delicious shower gel is sitting there, almost empty but not quite.

I don't know if it's separation anxiety or what, but it's weird. After all, if the shower gel was $20 and it makes me this happy, why not just BUY MORE? Isn't this why I work?! I think there's an underlying guilt factor somewhere that pops into my head to remind me most people don't spend $20 on shower gel. Or conditioner. Or [insert product here].

The same thing goes for my candle. I pondered buying this candle for seriously almost a year. Every time I visited my Aveda Hair Salon I drooled over it. The price tag was something crazy, and I always managed to talk myself out of it (paying $150 for highlights may have had something to do with it). After contemplating this purchase for way too long I finally bit the bullet. I bought the damn candle.

And guess what? I never light it. And when I do, I only let it go for a little while, for fear of getting to the end.

So my girlfriend and I made the conscious decision over dinner last night to enjoy ALL of these things...even the last drop, squeeze, spray, whatever. Life is just too short to ration out body lotion.

My assistant Kaylie walked into the office this morning and I was excited to share the good news.  Her exact words: "Good! That candle has been sitting on your desk for 4 years and I've never seen it lit!"

So I applaud my efforts for allowing my favorite candle to burn all day. And when it gets close to the end I'm gonna buy another one. After all, I'm worth it.