Saturday, January 1, 2011

Out With the Old

This is how I spent my New Year's Eve: up in the attic, pulling out things to take to the thrift shop. I've never been much for making New Year's resolutions, but this year it just seems like something I need to do--like my psyche is pointing me in this direction. I really love our house, but it's too full to work as well as it could. One day I found myself daydreaming about adding on a few rooms. Nuh uh. That is not the solution.


Remember throwing out fifty things? I've probably thrown out two hundred and fifty things since then. Each time, I delve a little deeper into the layer of permaclutter that has blanketed the house. What's interesting to me is how the goal keeps changing. I'm no longer content to have a place for everything and everything in its place. Now I want to open things up, create more space, and have room to breathe.

I'm still going to have stuff. I'm not a minimalist. Those interiors in Dwell are very appealing, but I know I couldn't live like that. But I can do better.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Me too! I spent yesterday digging through boxes from storage and kept thinking" why did I save this?"!

Melanie said...

There is definitely something about a new year that makes me want to purge. The older I get, the more I want to retain only what is really useful and important! Happy New Year to you and yours.

http://musingsandmeanderings-mlp.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I too noticed that. I am looking through my kitchen drawers and going "why do I keep half sets of measuring spoons and cups? Dented cake pans? several wine corkscrews that don't work?" It's time to start discarding. If it is still good, I can donate it. Otherwise, dump. My closet is drowning in plastic store bags that have made their way here over the holidays. I'm taking the vast majority back to the store recycle tomorrow. I do have a lot of art magazines that I would like to give to someone who might like them. I'll ask my friends who teach camp and save a few for me. Any other ideas, besides dump in the recycle?

Linda

Allison said...

I've been on a purge kick for the past week, too! Maybe I watched one too many episodes of "Hoarders"!
We were even to rearrange my huge fabric stash and create a little sewing nook in our basement.
While we did have to toss a lot in or next to the dumpster (for the junk man and alley scavengers), I took a lot to my local thrift store and posted some stuff on Freecycle.
You may also want to call your local school and see if the art teacher could use the magazines.

Sherry from Alabama said...

What a great way to start the new year! I spent my whole summer decluttering and our house looks like it has grown so much. Now I just wish my three guys would catch the same de-clutter bug. :)

Wishing you a happy and blessed new year!

Sherry @ A Happy Valentine

Christy said...

i did the same thing!! i have two giant bags of things for goodwill and am posting two chairs on freecycle tomorrow. I just couldn't take it anymore.