And that extra fabric from the curtains...
And those socks with holes would make great puppets...
And...well, you get the picture.
I've been married 12 years on Sunday. We have moved on average every 1-2 years. Each move required boxes and boxes and boxes. After say, the third move I gave up hoarding cold chicken. I was sick of packing and unpacking treasures that I hadn't really looked at since the last time I had unpacked it from the last move. It was like my eyes opened and I saw how crazy it was to have it and not be using it. So, began the downsizing campaign.
It was so freeing not having so much STUFF.
But, after living in our apartment for the past five years, that habit returned with two ugly heads. I can't believe how much stuff I had collected. Ever watched the Veggietales show with Madame Blueberry and her adventure to the "Stuff-Mart". If you haven't, it's convicting in a sort of funny way.
Anyhoo, at first I was as resistant to downsizing as a child giving up her blankie. I did not want to let go.
Then I bought a book that reopened my eyes to the freedom of only having what I need. The grip hold loosened and the hoarding blanket fell to the ground.
The book? Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider
I really recommend it if you are thinking about living a simpler life. Sort of a step-by-step approach to gaining control of your life again.
What I've learned from downsizing:
1. It's freeing. Really, it is. You don't have to find a place to store the stuff. You don't worry about it, instead you enjoy what you do have. Crafts got cut quite a bit. I used to do LOTS of cross-stitch and other needlepoint crafts, but not in a long time. So, I cleaned out most of the crafty things.
2. It leads to a simpler life. After you downsize your home, you start on your activities and just do the ones that fit your family's purpose statement. This book guides you into making a purpose statement for your family. At first I was a bit skeptical, but after talking with my husband we both can't wait to finalize ours. We tossed the TV and cable already. We now have a simple monitor that is in the "TV room" that plays DVDs. We have both been reading more...and maybe I'll get to do a few crafts, too. Who knows?
3. It frees up the home. It is not so cluttered. I'm still working on this one since we still have a few boxes left that needs to be unpacked and I tend to make piles. But, we are still downsizing. I have a box ready to be taken to the give away table at our old building.Do you have any downsizing stories or tips for those who battle the two headed hoarding monster?
5 comments:
I haven't read Organized Simplicity, yet, but I've read many of Tsh's posts on this topic over on SimpleMom.net. I love it!
So fun to see you applying the principles!
p.s. Patrick grew up with Tsh!
Kim, that is just way too cool!(Patrick grew up with Tsh) I haven't been following her blog, but have wanted to. I read about this book from another blogger...I'll go and start following now. Love. This. Book!
I'm spending the rest of the work organizing and downsizing, too. My main reason is that clutter keeps my house from being functional. I need the things I use often in a place that is easy to access and easy to put away again, and I need to get rid of the junk/broken stuff/piles that just annoy me every day all year long. I read a feng shui quote that I think of often:
order precedes calm, calm precedes clear thinking, and clear thinking precedes success. I feel better in a clear and tidy home!
Nevada, well said. I need a clear and tidy home, too and that is one of my goals for this year. So, look out Spring Flea Market. I couldn't get it together for this past one, but boy am I going to rock the next one! Or at least nothing is coming back with me!
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