I found it really cathartic to go through my crap and throw stuff out, make piles of stuff to be donated and post stuff on Freecycle. That was the first time I posted on Freecycle and I could not believe how quickly things were picked up and how appreciative people were of their new treasures.
The rooms I edited were my laundry room (also my storage room), my kitchen and my dining area. In my laundry room, I cleared out lots of cabinets filled with stuff I never use and placed things in those cabinets that I use on holidays and special occasions. I also still have room in some of the cabinets so that makes me feel good knowing that if I need space for something important I actually have the space for it. I pretty much gutted my kitchen. I was stunned at the amount of unused Tupperware I had. I was able to donate a lot of housewares items to thrift stores that support local shelters. As well as non-perishable items to a local food pantry.
I also started on my bedroom closet which is a room unto itself. It's actually a walk-in closet. It's not Carrie Bradshaw walk-in but its a walk-in nonetheless. A walk-in closet is a blessing and a curse. Next to the interior staircase, it was the second selling point for me on this condo but with that much space the impulse to fill it is too tempting so now its time to edit it down WAY DOWN. I started it the other day but that closet is a full day project quite possibly a weekend project. I did make an appointment for a consignment shop but plan to schedule at least two more for some of the clothes I think I can make a little cash on.
My next BIG edit needs to be my son's toys. I have been reading this excellent book called "Simplicity Parenting" by Kim John Payne and he discusses the significant impact a child's environment has on his or her behavior. He believes that a child who has too many toys can become over stimulated and have more disruptive behaviors. I am oversimplifying his philosophy but the other day I noticed that my son was searching for a particular train that he could not find. He has toys on all three floors: in his bedroom, in the living room, and down in the basement which could technically be his toy room. He just became more and more frustrated as he searched for it and could not find what he was looking for. I have been contemplating donating some of his toys for awhile but this example proved how critical it was to give him some structure and order to his space by limiting his playthings. We are out of town this weekend but next weekend's project will be my son's toys. I found a great local agency that collects all kinds of children's stuff and distributes them to local non-profits who work with children and their families. I plan to make a sizable donation of toys there (if they will take them all) or there is always Freecycle.
Today I was starting to experience some panic about going away tomorrow for a long weekend and, no, that panic had nothing to do with Hurricane Irene. I'm worried that I will lose my momentum that I will come back from the weekend and be so harried with trying to "catch up" on home chores and work that I will let my quest towards simplification slip. My husband is bringing his laptop this weekend so I'm planning to continue posting while I'm away. Maybe this getaway will be a good respite allowing me some distance from my clutter and time to reflect on the changes I want to make upon my return. Maybe I will even come up with outline for how to spend the next few weeks editing my home.
I find that when the pressure to DO isn't right there, I can allow myself more time to THINK so I'm guessing a weekend away will be great! And you'll come back, fresh and ready to edit or whatever comes next in the list. Heck, no need to even go away. I've done quite a bit of thinking about the day's idea while at work, mentally reviewing my stuff or my obligations even though there's no chance I'll post until hours and hours later.
ReplyDelete(And I hear you on the Tupperware. I have entire cabinet of the stuff and really, really need to edit that!)