Getting to Minimum

No matter where we live or how big or small our dwelling, we all can suffer from an overabundance of possessions.

The trend in minimalism is on the rise and I tried to jump on this bandwagon early. I raised twins, who are now 20 and somewhere throughout the 15 years I have been in my house I have acquired an obscene amount of things I no longer need or use. I have been cleaning out and reorganizing but somehow, my house STILL isn’t empty. It’s me, I know. I have a problem and it’s that I hate filling landfills. I hate seeing perfectly good stuff go into the garbage. Kids toys I no longer need and don’t want to trash, clothes I will never fit in again but are are still in perfect shape. Glassware and dishes that someone somewhere will need. Electronics, paper, magazines. It would be so easy to just fill up trash bags, but so wasteful too.

I want to point out, I AM NOT A HOARDER.

When you walk into my house you would never notice the amount of stuff tucked away in the attic, laundry room and down in my office. Part of my problem is I have this little hobby called Upcycling, or reclaiming, or salvaging…whatever you want to call it, it equals STUFF I CAN DO SOMETHING WITH. So, I can’t just get rid of it, right? I have dressers and end tables waiting to be refinished. I have a box of jeans my kids grew out of waiting to be cut and made into rugs and t-shirts to be made into quilts. Boxes of materials, even more of material scraps. I have plans for recycled magazine bowls and painted tile coasters. I don’t want to trash it all. That would be irresponsible.  Besides, I DO get a lot of satisfaction in being creative. My inspiration and my free time just seem to be out of sync.
I have dreams of moving into a smaller place. A cozy cottage, preferably near a beach. I am monumentally aware that my “stash ” cannot move with me.

I’ve become very diligent about not buying anything I don’t need and if I DO buy something applying the 2 to 1 rule. For every one thing I bring into the house, I have to get rid of 2.

In the meantime though,I have years of filed paperwork and children’s school projects, clothes and serviceware to go through.  I need to clean out closets and drawers and all the toys stored in my attic. I need to organize all the craft stuff and be realistic about what I can complete and what would  better serve as a donation. What in the world do I need 26 coffee cups for?? 

I want to make sure I’m  surrounded by things I truly love, which has a very cozy feeling. When there is less around distracing you, you’re only looking at things that mean something to you. Plus I want my house easier to clean at this point in my life and owning less is a HUGE help in that department. It will feel great to be confidant that when the time comes to make my escape to the coast, I won’t need a tractor trailer to get me there. 🙂

 

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