I am not, by birth, a very organized person. I like things organized but I’m not naturally apt to do it myself. I have the added problem of being a total packrat. But I’ve been making a really big effort lately, especially because (big news) we’ve decided to sell our house, with plans to move just one town over. We bought big, figuring we’d have kids and grow into the house. One kid later and we are totally overwhelmed by the house’s size (not to mention the size of the mortgage when you factor in daycare fees too) so we’ve decided to – as my Wendi friend calls it – “rightsize.”
So. I’ve been spending all my free time moving stuff around, and trying to get rid of anything we don’t need. My mantra is “no mercy.” If we haven’t used it or probably won’t, it’s gone. I have big black garbage bags designated as donation bags, plus paper bags for recycling and small white bags for trash. We gave my daughter’s old clothes to a friend who’s expecting a girl, and her outgrown toys to my sister. (We figure, once we’re ready for kid #2 we can borrow it all back.) We’ve designated which furniture we’ll sell on Craig’s List, and which small items can go on eBay.
I’m really proud of my progress so far, but I have a LONG way to go.
I was glad to see this article in the New York Times over the weekend. It gave me a little added boost of inspiration to keep plugging away at clearing out. And when this doesn’t work, I just pretend that I’m one step away from that “Hoarders” show.
It’s exhausting, but also really satisfying. Since the Humira tends to dry me out, I keep a full glass of water in whatever room I’m working in, and take mini-breaks, especially when I’m hauling heavy stuff. My husband carries anything really heavy, so I’m safe there. So far, so good!
