Friday, August 13, 2010

I Dream of The Simple Life...

I just delivered a full van load of stuff to be sold at my MOMS Club's annual garage sale as I do every year. All the proceeds go to support our service project activities throughout the year, including the Remembering Rowan Project. I felt really good driving home without all that stuff we no longer have a use for.

For inspiration, about this time every year I pull out my collection of audiobooks on organization and simplification*, and start watching episodes of Clean Sweep and Clean House. The first year was easy, most of our belongings had been in storage for the first 5 months we lived in Washington, so it was easy to give up those things we did not even miss. Even after our own yard sale, we still filled both the van and forrester (twice!) with the contents of all those boxes we had paid good money to store for months, including the 10 year old wedding presents we had only used a few times.

But this year was harder. After four years, I have gone through the kitchen, the bedroom, and even the craftroom, and gotten rid of most of what I am willing to give up. MOMS Club also had a book drive a few months ago, so I had already purged every bookshelf in the house. I did finally dig out the fondue pot (which I dreamed of using each year), the last of the full size sheets (have not owned that sized bed in years), and curtains that came with the house.

Now it is just a matter of the items we have outgrown. On another organizational show called Neat, they have people sort into boxes simply labeled "PAST" and "PRESENT". Not that I am getting rid of everything from my past, but I like this way of looking at things.

We do not plan to have any more children, so I guess we are done with an entire phase of life, and all the junk that goes with it. Unlike with our first baby, there is no reason to save clothes Willow outgrows. Not to mention all of the big bulky baby containers that have been taking up space in the attic. Now that my 6 1/2 month old has learned she can sit & stand & even jump (all with support), she has no use for the boring vibrating chairs & swings that do not allow her to move around. Besides, without all those bins of tiny baby clothes and big bulky items in the attic, there's much more room for yarn! Wait, I am sure there is something wrong with that logic, but I choose to ignore it.

My Inspirational Audio Library:
*Simplify Your Life, Living the Simple Life, and Inner Simplicity by Elaine St. James
How to Organize Your Life and Get Rid of Clutter by Ab Jackson (most useful)
Stop Clutter from Stealing Your Life by Mike Nelson (more focused on hoarders)

1 comment:

  1. I don't see any problem with your logic at all. ;-)

    I was very glad to clear out an entire section of our basement! I can't wait to keep doing so as Liam goes through the bins of clothing down there. It feels great to walk in there and not feel as though the boxes were going to fall down upon me.

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