Samples solved! A local nursing home would love to have them for "prizes" for various events. They will take the whole lot, sort through them, and divvy them up. That way the place won't smell like a perfume factory gone amok all day, every day and, given the number of duplicates, they can provide a nice selection to a lot of little old ladies - many with dementia and Alzheimer's. Apparently most of the ladies will simply enjoy that their hands, faces, feet, or whatever feel softer and maybe smell a little nicer from the creams. There are enough for the staff to adequately test them (on themselves, I presume) to learn if any seem to be particularly harsh.
Looking through them, most of them were extravagant-sounding moisturizers. I guess that makes sense. Give away something "special" that adds moisture and maybe something like aloe vera and the tester is bound to feel (temporarily) softer, plumper skin. So, it worked, right? Off to buy! The idea of using them as hand and feet creams was mine - put them where the skin is tougher and, in the case of hands, is more frequently cleaned anyway.
I also discovered that I love all the bags that all these samples came in. I've been saving the bags longer than the samples. I know can coordinate my tote with my outfit on most days. When I travel around the countryside. which is whenever I go to a shop or an appointment, I haul an umbrella, GPS and its case, a book, and a beverage plus my purse. I prefer smaller handbags and this allows me to keep that small and provides balance; one side for purse, the other for tote. I can leave the tote in the car for quick trips inside if I want.
Storage is and has been the problem. I think I'm going to put hooks on the wall of a room and hang them in some kind of attractive manner, sort of like bag art.
When I was a single mom and always broke I just assumed I'd end up a bag lady. I never thought there was such a thing as a stylish bag lady though.
