What do you do to keep up appearances?

[MewMew101]

My example is an odd one, but I bought a bottle of the Fairy Max Power washing up lid (the one with the amazing lid). Once empty, I filled up that same bottle with a cheaper alternative.

It’s much better in terms of practicality, but the bottle also looks nicer. 😁

Does anyone else do something like this? Or am I just crazy?

Ah, this humbled me too. I couldn't think of anything I did like this, but I definitely did curate my bookshelves (two layers, front and back) quiiiite deliberately.

My mum had a stunt loo brush and holder. She was outraged when dad not only used it but broke it! The ‘real’ loo brush was hidden away. 😂😂😂

I loved Virgin Vie! Wish it still existed.

Nothing. We don’t care what other people think.

About 17 years ago we got my dream fridge (smeg - was actually a nightmare) but I bought glass Coke bottles to go in it, it looked great. I was thrilled. That is, until MIL had one while babysitting, and we realised they were out of date by two years. 🤣

What? It would not occur to me. Must be exhausting to live like that.

I make detailed colour coded plans setting out our team activities for the year, then put it in a folder. I only really look at it at the end of the year.

Would recommend getting some showy tulips - my 2 sqm looks fabulous for 4 weeks of the year. Then a few clematises flowering at different times of the year to cover the fence/hide the bins the rest of the summer.

The winter and the back garden are another matter...

I was gifted JM bath oil. I use it ti scent the bin after having it 10 years and no longer having a bath.

It also comes out if there's a stinky aroma for other reasons.

I quite like the scent but way too pungent for me to wear.

I've an "outside" face. No matter what is going on or how difficult things are in my life I never let it be seen outside. The second I go outside on goes the mask.

I've refilled old bottles with cheaper products because the nozzle design distributes the product more evenly than the nozzle on a cheaper bottle. It's more economical.

What is a stunt tea towel?

Those individually wrapped loo rolls that people display in their toilets would get my vote. A family member has them and I have noticed that the display never changes so they can’t be using them. Likewise those expensive reed difuser things that are topped up with primark oils. I also have a stunt tea towel and several fortnum and mason hampers on show.

The inlaws gave me a Molton Brown hand cream one birthday. I don't like that particular smell, but it's been living on the sink in the downstairs bathroom ever since to show that we are very fancy. Occasionally a guest uses it.

A girl in my class had the entire range of Miss Selfridge make up in a Miss Selfridge zip bag (when the branding was white with a pink lip print/kiss). She’d lay it all out on the desk and would open lipsticks and things so we could look - but under no circumstances was anyone allowed to touch any of it, just stare in awe and ask questions 😂. Even then it wasn’t quite the flex she thought it was bc everyone used to take the piss behind her back, but secretly I think we’d all have liked that bag!

like a lot of people
i buy waitrose bags, expensive, but worth it!
most people in tesco use them!

This is really depressing, So many people trying to pretend they have more money than they do, both to themselves and others.

A clean, unstained towel, possibly with a nice design. Likely to come from a ‘naice’ shop or be rare or expensive in some other way (‘darling, just something we picked up in a little street market last time we were in [exotic location]’).

Often completely useless at absorbing water and absolutely not intended to be used but looks really nice.

This is my stunt tea towel 😃

I've done that when a beautiful olive oil bottle ran out - filled it up with a cheap alternative.

In the 70s it was Chelsea Girl.

Are they Who Gives A Crap bog rolls? They do last for ages! I have them stored under the basin so I take one from there so I don't have to disturb the pile by the loo. So not necessarily just for show.

see, we do live in the 'nicest house' because it was the original house before the land got sold off (before our time) for developments.

I'm always downplaying it because people say 'you live in the big house on the end'. I say; 'Yes but we can't maintain it'. (true). 'The roof has been leaking since 2006'. (true). 'The floorboards are rotten' (true).

I dream of a nice straightforward house with a nice undemanding garden.

I bought a fancy loo brush to match my bathroom tiles which also had a matching soap dish and shower curtain.

This comment has made me appreciate why no one has ever complained to the manufacturer that it doesn't really function that well as a loo brush but it looks very fancy.

I'm another Illy canister reuser and only because I find the lid so much better/easier than on any other make.

Gladdened to hear I'm not alone!