Empty’s: September 2025

A few years ago, I started a series called “Empty’s” where I revisit an item after it’s been used long term, and decide whether I want to repurchase it.

You can find my previous posts here:

Here are the items in my Empty’s bin today:

Eclat Vitamin C Serum (find it here)

I checked my Amazon orders and I started using this Vitamin C serum in October 2022 and have purchased it 10 times since then. I love this serum, it’s easy to purchase on Amazon and depending on the day it costs between $9 – $12. I use this daily in the morning (cleanse, then CosRx snail serum, then this, then moisturizer). This one is a forever reorder for me.

Naked and Thriving Renew Resurfacing Night Serum (find it here)

I purchased this serum almost exactly a year ago and just used the last dregs in the bottle. I was influenced by Instagram for this purchase and was convinced that it would be a hero product… but it was just… fine. The consistency was fine, the smell was nice, but I didn’t notice it doing ANYTHING to my face. Other than costing me $69. I will not be reordering this one.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (find it here)

I’ve been using this cream pretty consistently since February 2023 and just finished my latest tub. I like this product because it goes on nice and thick, but then soaks right into my skin rather than making me feel sticky. While I do like this cream, I’m going to hold off on reordering it at this time for a couple reasons. First, the pump sucks. It only works for maybe a quarter of the tub and then you have to unscrew it and dip your hand in to get the lotion. Second, it has no scent. Which is great if you don’t like scents. But my Palmers Cocoa Butter smells delicious AND works well, so I’ll be using that for a while.

Disclosure: Not sponsored. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Healthcare Provider Switch: Tips to Make it Less Stressful

2025 has been a year of much needed changes on the medical front. Over the past six months, I’ve moved our whole family to a new dental practice, and after more than a decade with the same primary care doctor (Travis went there too!), I finally decided I’d had enough of that office’s endless incompetence and jumped ship.

Here’s the thing about switching healthcare providers: even if you end up loving the new place, the process is still a giant pain in the butt. There are forms to fill out, records to hunt down, and a million little details you don’t realize you’ll need until someone asks for them. Totally worth it once you’re settled, but actually making the change? That part takes work.

Through this process, I’ve learned some tricks to make it less stressful:

Tip 1: Don’t Forget Your Insurance Card

Sounds obvious, right? However, our health insurance companies no longer send physical cards and you need to have the app to access them. This can be kind of a pain when the doctor’s office is in a dead-zone and the app won’t load. For me, I screenshot the benefits card I need so that it’s ready to go.

Tip 2: Bring a Medication List

Write down every single prescription, over-the-counter med, and supplement you take, including dosages and how often you take them. When the nurse asks, you can just hand over the sheet instead of scrambling to remember if your vitamin D is 1,000 or 2,000 IU. EVERY TIME I do this, it is very much appreciated.

Tip 3: Keep an Appointment & Surgery History

Before your first visit, jot down the dates of key appointments from the past year, including mammogram, dermatologist check, eye exam, whatever applies. That way you’re not scrolling through your phone trying to remember when you last had a mole check. Same goes for the dentist: when switching to a new provider having your last cleaning date handy makes it easy to schedule the next one without risking an insurance overlap.

Tip 4: Bring a Questions List

Some intake visits might feel rushed, or you may just get nervous or distracted while you’re filling out a million forms. If you have anything you want to make sure to discuss, write it down so you don’t forget. Bonus tip: if you’re seeing a specialist, bring relevant info with you. I’m currently keeping a food diary so that I have it ready for when my allergist appointment comes up.

Healthcare transitions rarely feel seamless, but a little prep work makes a big difference. Once you have everything gathered, you can focus on the reason for your visit instead of fumbling through your phone trying to fill in the blanks.

Closet Cleanout Update: How I Did & Where I Sell My Purged Items

In Monday’s post, I talked myself into doing an aggressive and hardcore closet cleanout. It really was time for a ruthless purge for a few reasons:

Reason 1: I very rarely have to wear formal office attire. So, it didn’t make sense that I was holding onto items that hadn’t been worn for over a year and wouldn’t be worn again in the foreseeable future.

Reason 2: I had accumulated too much stuff. Thrifting is my hobby, so I tend to accumulate things. And even if the item was $5, it’s still an item that is cluttering my house. I simply had TOO MUCH stuff, and it was making me uncomfortable.

Reason 3: I was in the MOOD to get rid of stuff. Which is super important, because if you’re in a nostalgic mood… it simply doesn’t work. But I hit a point where I wanted to burn it to the ground so I could rebuild it up.

I wrote that post on Friday night and on Saturday, I dove into my closet. I started off by trying on every single dress in my closet and taking a quick video of each. And yes, it took forever, but I made three Reels that show each item and my thoughts on whether to keep or let go:

Work Dresses Purge:

Event or Work Dresses:

Casual Dresses:

That is where I left off on Saturday. On Sunday, I decided not to waste any time with video and went straight into the skirts, then the blazers, lightweight jackets, cardigans, tops, shoes and handbags. I think it took around 3 hours to get through it all. I did try on most of it too, so I was quite the sweaty mess by time I was done.

I tried to keep track of it and here’s where I think I ended up:

  • Dresses: 26 keep, 16 sell or donate
  • Skirts: 38 keep, 19 sell or donate
  • Cardigans: 22 keep, 3 sell or donate
  • Lightweight jackets: 5 keep, 1 sell or donate
  • Blazers: 2 keep, 2 sell or donate
  • Tops: Didn’t count, 15 sell or donate
  • Purses and shoes: Sell 2 purses and 2 pairs shoes

By the end of it, I had two big bags of my items to take to Goodwill (which I dropped off that night) and a HUGE pile of stuff to sell.

Which brings us to the question – where do I sell items? Well, I typically sell in 3 places:

Poshmark

I’ve been selling on Poshmark for years and it’s pretty easy to photograph and post each item for sale. So, that is usually going to be my first stop. For this gigantic pile of stuff, I slowly worked my way through it and ended up adding 47 items to my Poshmark closet!

When an item is purchased, Poshmark takes care of adding the postage costs and tax, so all I have to do is package the item nicely, print out and affix the pre-paid postage label, and stick it in my mailbox. They take a cut (of course), which I feel pays for the convenience factor. As of this morning, 5 items have sold on Poshmark.

If you’re new to Poshmark, you can use my special invite code to open an account and get $10 off your first order. Just use: POCKETFULOFJOUL And here is a direct link to my closet: https://poshmark.com/closet/pocketfulofjoul. Feel free to make an offer on something if you love it!

Focused Facebook Groups

Some ‘specialty’ items sell better in focused Facebook Groups. For example, NotPerfectLinen has a fans group that has a BST, so I’ll sell items there. They also have a “Natural Fibers Sales” weekend, so if I have a few items sitting in my Poshmark closet that I’ve already photographed that meet the criteria, I’ll post it there.

A benefit is that you don’t have to pay fees. Instead, you have the person pay you directly using Paypal. However, you DO have to pay for your own postage. So, for me that means a special trip to the post office to ship out each item. Which is kind of a pain… but for a high dollar item, I’m happier to see it going to someone who truly loves the item/brand.

For this pile o’ stuff, I had one purse that I posted in the Rough & Tumble Fans Facebook Group. I will also keep an eye on the next ‘Natural Fibers Weekend’ later this month and post items that I already photographed for Poshmark that will fit their rules.

Consignment Store

I have a consignment store that I adore, but it’s about an hour away from my house. I’ve both purchased and sold many items there though, so I always keep it in mind. To sell items, you need to take them on a weekday for them to review.

The earliest I can get by there is about 2 weeks away, which gives me plenty of time to see if the items will sell on Poshmark first. I’ll review everything left and pick out items I think the consignment shop will accept and then bring them by for them to review. I don’t delete any items from my Poshmark closet until they review them though, because sometimes they won’t accept things for weird reasons.

I’m so happy I finally did a deep dive into my closet to get rid of a bunch of items I just wasn’t wearing or loving anymore. With my work/life changing and my personal style continuously growing, it’s nice to pass on a bunch if items that I previously loved.