I have a friend who just bought a new house and will be moving soon. She is interested in simplifying as well. We talked about how a leisurely move is the perfect time to rid herself of unneeded and unwanted stuff. I volunteered to help her move and promised I wouldn't swing over to the dump instead of taking boxes to the new house!
However, some of us have been in the same house for years and there are many places we haven't sorted through. Keeping this mindset of "one per day" helps you look better when you happen upon places you've ignored for years.
Today I threw out a photo CD from a school event four years ago.
Finally got to the computer!!! And to the Butler's Pantry! I have everything pulled out and am now in the process of putting back just what needs to be there - which is very little! Threw away MANY things, let's see.....many school papers, some moldy junk from the flood in November, and LOTS of old meltable chocolate wafers, bought to make beautiful molded chocolates for various holidays....that was hard to do but if I'm expecting friends/family to eat the chocolates I cannot make them from chocolate that is up to 2 years old! Had good intentions when I bought the wafers...but once again I got too busy and did not get it done. I have a HUGE problem with buying either 1)more than I need, or 2)something "fancy" with good intentions to do something "unique" with it....then lose my enthusiasm or forget to allow hours in which to do the project. I have done that with cookie cutters, also, which was one of the things I took out of the pantry but did not throw/give them away because I spent a lot of money on them (copper) and can still use them even when I'm a grandma. They are all neatly stored in boxes with covers so are not cluttering up anything. Into the give away box went several things including one voltrompia bread tube (acquired WAY too many of those from pampered chef), an apron my mother-in-law made for me and one gameboy storage case.....think I gave away the gameboy weeks ago and just last night Joshua came down and asked where his gameboy was - wants to play a certain game on it that won't play on anything else.......weren't they ALL done playing with the gameboys years ago???? Oops! Oh, go read a book!
ReplyDeleteToday's goal - getting the entire pantry cleaned out and my cute little lamp on for the night (can't see the lamp if the counter top is piled higher than the lamp....can't even turn it on if I can't walk on the floor in order to reach it!!)
Sorry, I'm using this blog to confess a LOT of my "sins". It's terribly refreshing. If you are tired of it, please don't read it.
Again, Heidi, many praises to you for this great idea!
OK, me again. I wanted to respond to the "moving" subject. I knew I had a problem with all the boxes I had not yet unpacked 8 years after we last moved....but it did not REALLY hit me until we got flooded and I was forced to go through each and every cardboard box and decide which items we could keep and those we had to throw....and it was NOT fun. At the time we moved I had 3 kids age 5 and under (2 in diapers) and told myself it would be easier for the movers just to pack everything in the house, clutter and all, because I did not have time to declutter.
ReplyDeleteIt feels soooo good to have those boxes gone now. I would encourage anyone else to avoid the same situation. It's much easier to rid yourself of the clutter on a regular basis; or if you are faced with a move get rid of the clutter before it goes into the packing boxes. You just pay more for extra weight and it is much more difficult (and probably takes even more time) to go through it later.
Pleeeeease learn from my mistakes!
I love it, Cheryl! Confess away! You are having great success.
ReplyDelete*Cheryl! You are getting so much done!! :)
ReplyDeleteI was getting it done every day for a few days in a row there - and then whoosh...one day gets busy and the next thing I know - a day went by without simplifying again!
Today I put 3 books in the give-away pile. Two of which I remember all 3 girls reading for school! :(