I have to admit that I have gotten a bit of a new addiction as of late… blind boxes.
Maybe it was my mother’s love for the Labubu craze and my sudden inheritance of multiple. Maybe it is my childhood Happy Meal habit leading to new mystery toys every so often. I really can’t nail down what has made me so eager to open up some kind of new hobsession (hobby and obsession).
I keep going into Five Belows, just to get my fill of (cheap) blind boxes. I look forward to the excitement of manifesting which one I want, opening it, and being met with satisfaction or disappointment. I call this “girl gambling.”
I’m not investing in a slurry of stocks, betting on sports games, or buying into high-stakes poker games. I am simply just praying I get the $5 Hello Kitty keychain I wanted the most out of six options. Girl gambling!
Now, I don’t go too crazy and create a mass of junk I won’t ever use, I promise.
Every trinket I get has its space on my bookshelf, desk, purses, backpack, etc. If I get something I don’t particularly want, I have been lucky enough to know exactly which person in my life would enjoy it more and have given it away every time.
Sometimes I feel a little silly at my grown age being so excited about such things, but at least I’m not betting the mortgage. Just treating myself to some childlike joy every once in a while.
I can’t help but ask in every store, “Do they sell blind boxes?” Sort of humbling to play back in your head afterwards, but at the end of the day, who cares! I am doing something for me and embracing my love for my interests, my space, and my friends who like watching “unboxing videos.”
Also…a little disclaimer… I promise I am not financially irresponsible. I work five jobs and pay hefty bills on my student loans every month. I save money diligently. All the more reason to treat myself!
If you are reading this, use it as a gentle reminder to do something nice for yourself. It doesn’t have to be an Audney-esque trip to the local Five Below, just anything that makes you feel joy! You really do only live once, so why not make it as enjoyable as possible?
The beauty of all of this for me is the realization that you don’t have to be making extravagant moves either. Something as simple as a mystery item in a cardboard box can do the trick.
You’re always a winner when you’re girl gambling.
Someday I will get a Sonny Angel… then I will be unstoppable.