Yes, I can be a bit of a shop-aholic when it comes to clothes but I am pretty practical about other stuff. And I am not a hoarder. Really. Friends pay me with free lunches to help them organize and purge. Still, I have had this deep yearning for less. Less space, less property taxes, less rooms and furniture and books and papers. And a pool. We really want a pool (our backyard is too small because our house is too big for our city dwelling lot). I have blogged about this before.
I don't want a formal dining room and a breakfast room. I just want one big farmhouse table that can serve as both. I don't want a formal living room but yearn for a cozy sectional where we can read and watch movies as a family.
So, we are doing two things. We are keeping our eyes out for a smaller, original house in our neighborhood that we can renovate (VERY hard to find). AND in preparation, I am trying to pare down to half of what we own. So far, so good.
We got rid of half the games, books, toys in the media/play room. I have gone through some closets and drawers and gotten rid of plenty of kid clothes.
On this rainy Monday, I am working on my closet. Now keep in mind, I just did this to my closet (and much of the house) in March for Lent. But now I am trying to be ruthless. Still, it is hard. It is hard to part with shoes and clothes that I think I might want to wear about a day after I get rid of them. It has happened before.
Another toughie is this armoire...
Is FULL of paper and design/shelter magazines that I cannot part with. I need to but I am struggling. I have years and years of Traditional Home and Southern Accents and Veranda and House Beautiful in there. I don't need them. I never look at them but I am attached to them. Why?
And then there is this little table....
It was Harry's kindergarten class auction project in Charlottesville. Each child did a self portrait on a tile and someone made it into a table. We bid on it at the auction and it has been his bedside table ever since. But he is in 7th grade now. He does not know any of those kids anymore since we moved away. He has outgrown it and so have we. But still, it is so hard to get rid of it.
Here is Harry's tile...
It is way too heavy to ship or I would see if anyone from his old kinder class wanted it.
I know that I will feel lighter once we make these changes in our life. Will is going to college in 3 years (and it might take us that long to find a house). We don't need everything that we have been blessed with. It is not what life is about.
I will share one tip with you....we are not interested in having a garage sale for lots of reasons (one is that I am purging slowly over time). So instead, as I have a room finished, I e-mail my church Mom's group and let them all know that the items are on my front porch and free for the taking. I invite people to come take what they want and after a day or two, I pack the rest up and donate it. Win-win!
P.S. If you are looking to simplify your life, this book was really eye opening to me....7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess
and this blog too. Janet lives a very simple, pared down life and she constantly inspires me.
