Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Wrapping Things Up

What do you call an anti-hoarder? A purger? That is me.

I really don't like clutter and am constantly trying to get rid of things. The Hoos and I are a good match, because cleanliness is crucial for him, so I get rid of the piles and then he cleans under them.

Never has this been more apparent. We are preparing to put our house on the market and I can't get rid of stuff fast enough. Bags of books are brought to the library for donation during my lunch break, boxes of crafts and baby books, deposited at day care when I pick the girls up.

I am also finding that I am making life decisions based on what I am willing to part with:

When I packed up my maternity clothes and handed them off to a neighbor? IT FELT GREAT.

Baby clothes? In a giant bag to give to my cousin.

Infant stuff? Still being used by my dear friend Kiki for her beautiful little boy. AND the Hoos and I discussed - when she is done? She can pass them on to the next friend in need.

When we gave another neighbor a baby backpack and extra convertible car seat? Liberating.

Diaper bags? Cradle bumper? College-era backpack? Goodbye and good riddance.

And this is only the beginning. I have been freecycling, donating, passing on and tossing things with reckless abandon.

I realize that getting rid of stuff is the easy part - packing up what remains and physically moving? Way more daunting.

4 comments:

Tiffany said...

I feel everyone should move every few years in order to de-clutter!

Anonymous said...

Don't worry, new stuff will come into being in new digs! The more space, the more we fill it!GG

Wenderina said...

I'm with you. I feel physical relief and emotional joy when I remove STUFF from my house. I got rid of any guilt and nostalgia with the first batch that went out the door.

A's Mom said...

I totally agree! If I had the time I would get rid of so much while hubby is gone. Thankfully I don't have to worry about moving it all when the time finally comes. That's one thing I LOVE about military moves. We just have to make sure we are within our weight limit.