Buried Alive (not really - but that's how it feels)

Several years ago, a friend introduced me to the Minimalists. Their story and their process is absolutely fascinating and everything they say makes sense. I started purging. Then I kind of hit a wall with that – got distracted and lazy. Then came Marie Kondo – more purging. Had a pretty decent streak going for a while. Last summer, Goodwill got SO much stuff from us. The friend helped IMMENSELY with this process!!

Then life happened.

Then Covid happened.

Now I find I have so, so, so much stuff. Now, to be fair, I have accumulated a lot of craft supplies, BUT I actually USE those – so I am not including them (other than needing better storage solutions for them). What I am including is the full cabinets and drawers that never get opened – the stuff never gets used. I’m including under the sinks, in the closets, and (EEEK) the basement. SO MUCH STUFF.

I want to sell things, purge things, throw things away. toss. Toss. TOSS. Today I am making a list – a list of every area in my house that needs to be purged of stuff.

Please don’t get me wrong, - I am not anywhere near a hoarder level (hoarders make my skin crawl honestly), but some days, I FEEL like my house is similar – even when I know it’s not. When kids have left things all over the table or counters, I FEEL like we are hoarders. Every closet, every cabinet, every drawer is full, too full. I’m sure this is a DUH kind of statement, but when things are cleaner and uncluttered, I just feel…calm. How can I start doing Yoga that I very much miss doing or light a beautiful smelling candle in a cluttered room? Okay, yes, I could do both of those things - I have plenty of space for it. It just wouldn't feel right.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit my brother in California. His house was amazing. The decorations were sparse but chic with clean lines everywhere. Everything about his house was calming – even the garage was insanely clean. I aspire to be even HALF as good as he is at decorating, organizing and keeping next to no crap (big brother needs to HEEELLLLLPPPP ME). A friend I dance with - same thing, similar style - and I love it.

It may be time to really make the kids and husband hate me (and trust me when I say, they will all be very vocal about it) – BEFORE I LOSE MY MIND.

Comments

Declutter the House (and Mind)

Wow - it has been a LONG time since I've posted here. Maybe that's a good thing, ha! I'm posting now because I am setting a challenge for myself. It's the 30 day Minimalism Challenge. If you have never heard of it, the rules are simple. Basically you get rid of stuff every single day for 30 days. The usual rules are 1 thing on the 1st, 2 things on the 2nd, 3 things on the 3rd and so on until you have gotten rid of 465 things. I tried it once before and didn't make it very far, maybe day 5. I found that growing number to be kind of intimidating so I am going to change it up a little bit. I am going to write down numbers 1-30 on pieces of paper and randomly pick one every day. That will be the number of items I get rid of that day. The idea is these items must be OUT of your house by midnight each day. In my case, I'm sure that the husband's car trunk will hold quite a collection for a weekly donation run since I don't have time to make that run d...

The Final Countdown

Well, I did it. I made it through the month of purging. 465 items officially, but since I didn't count most of the stuff I threw away, I would estimate closer to 575-600 things. There are a number of things I have learned in the process. First, I have kept a lot of stupid things. I came across so many items that genuinely baffled me as to why I kept them. They had no use, no sentimental value, no reason at all for keeping them, and yet I did. I would say, even the spaces I went through, I could probably get rid of more, but I am happy with where they are at for now. Once I go through the other spaces in my house, I am sure I will circle back around and get rid of even more. Second, it was much easier getting rid of things than I thought it would be. I have purged items before, but never in such quantities. I attempted this challenge once before but I don't think I even made it through the first week. Excuses and time just got the best of ...

Writing

When I was younger, I always wanted to write. I kept notebooks and notebooks of poetry and I was meticulous about them. If I had to cross out a word or, God-forbid, tear out a page – I had to start over with a whole new notebook. I thought for sure that someday, I would write books. I loved to read them, couldn’t get enough, why couldn’t I write them too? If only it were that easy! I started many fiction stories and often, no later than page 10, I would realize exactly how tedious writing a book is. I just did not have the patience for it. When I read a book, I read quickly. It’s something I have always done, because I am impatient. I want to know the end-game right now. I taught myself to skim (thanks Stephen King for putting SO much detail into a book that I learned this little trick). Don’t get me wrong. I READ everything, but I process it a second later. It’s like driving a car. When you drive, you don’t (or should...

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep

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