When we moved to this house over seven years ago we brought only the bare necessities and it was a true eye opener regarding how much stuff we owned versus how much stuff we actually needed. You'd really be surprised at how much stuff in your house is completely disposable. I remember how shocked I was that I didn't miss our stuff and actually felt better without it. Fast forward seven years and three more kids and there is a scary amount of junk gumming up the works once again! So I have vowed to do something about it before summer ends. I started by getting rid of most of the infant stuff we had laying around, it makes sense since we're done having babies, but honestly it barely made a dent and made it even more obvious that this project is going to take some serious time and effort. Instead of getting overwhelmed and throwing in the towel I've decided to just tackle it room by room. It took us seven years to accumulate this mess and so I need to be realistic about how long this project is going to take. One day, one Goodwill run at a time. What do you do to curb the mess and clutter at home? Getting rid of it is only a temporary solution, my long term goal is to implement strategies that minimize the mess before it starts to pile up. Why do we have so much stuff in the first place? Digging through some of our storage bins yesterday I found a receipt of a San Francisco Goodwill I went to in 2000 and a receipt for the $60 pair of shoes I bought Maija for her very first birthday in 1999! What the actual heck? Enough is enough.
And seriously, $60 for a pair of shoes when I was a single teen mom making $7/hour? Aislinn is going to have to wear these hideous things every day just to try and break even.
2 comments:
I love you. I am a part-time hoarder, too. I think it comes from being emotional and sentimental. You are, like me, a memory keeper. And that leads to keeping more than just memories. If a receipt (or shoes) give you even a whiff of memory, you automatically keep it. You struggle when the time comes to toss it. You have to be iron-minded when the time comes and not let any emotion seep in, just to be able to drop it into the trash/donate/sell box. I get it. I really do.
Sounds like you're in a good "iron-minded" place this summer. I get there when its time to move houses, but it's hard to get BACK to it when I'm just in my everyday. KEEP AHOLD OF IT! That motivation and will is elusive, but so powerful when it kicks in. good luck! I am rooting for you on your de-clutter journey!
Keep it all and stop stressing. The publicly photographed areas of your home look great so don't sweat the small stuff! I go through 1 cabinet or drawer at a time, usually on a night when the littlest falls asleep early. One at a time makes a big difference. Maybe once a week. So by the month's end the kitchen cabinets, drawers and fridge will look great. The next month one kids' room looks great, and a big deep rearrange or clean happens maybe once a year per room. It works for us!
Post a Comment