It is that time of year, spring cleaning. Cleaning the
dirt and grime but also the things that have accumulated over the cold, wintry
months. No room is exempt in our house!!
Closets, drawers, cabinets, chests, shelves… all of it
has been gone through. It shouldn’t, but it continues to amaze me how much
“stuff” we have. I like to think that we are a normal (haha) family that lives
a moderately comfortable life. We are not the hoarders from the tv show, but
there is excess. Americans are spoiled. We live for stuff, we work for stuff,
and often we suffer for stuff. Why? Again, I ask why? Majority of people in
this world are happy with only possessing the essentials to get through life.
This purging process has made me take a deeper search
into our “stuff”. Recently, I have been looking into minimalism. We aren’t
going to move into a tiny house and have 3 pair of underwear. What I am looking
for is living with less to get more out of life. “Stuff” dings the pocketbook
and creates stress. I want to diminish both.
My kids are the type that are truly happy with the box
the toy came in, rather than the toy itself. I want my kids to have imagination
and play outside. I have significantly cleaned out their toys, clothes, and décor.
Please don’t think that they are limited to a couple toys and are constantly
bored. I have found that having less IS more. My kids have responded positively
to having less. Their appreciation for what they do have has grown and I hope
it keeps doing so. We draw, cut, glue, craft, read, and pretend more.
Dillon and I have purged about 1/3 of our clothing,
shoes, accessories so far. The knick-nacks that would sit and collect dust…and
that I’d have to spend time dusting have been sorted out also. Again, don’t think
our walls are bare or keepsakes have been tossed, that is NOT the case. I am
talking about that 1992 cardboard framed etched mirror that was won at the
carnival at age 12, and the like. It has “lightened the load” literally and
figuratively.
Having a yard sale is a bit of work, and you don’t
usually make a whole lot of money. Flip side is that we get to use it as a
teaching lesson for our kids. You don’t have to hold on to “stuff”. To sell,
donate or pass on our “stuff” is a positive thing. I am constantly saying we
cannot keep everything, so that the ties to “stuff” that society teaches can be
broken.
You are in control of your “stuff” and the choices
that are made with it. I can tell you, from personal experience, take a deep
look into your things. There are several methods to purge, organize and clean
out. Find what fits best for you and your family, you won’t regret it.