Out-of-Control Purge

Last Saturday, June 13th 2009, will be deemed Purge Saturday. In my quest for a more simple home with less stuff, I went to town and just dumped all those things that I have been keeping in storage, but never use. I have had a few motivators. The book It’s All Too Much by Peter Walsh from Clean Sweep, per the recommendation from Carmen, my friend and simplicity advisor/expert. She was right, this book is inspiring. He asks questions that really get you thinking – why the heck am I holding on to this stuff? I paid money for it? I have a fond memory of it? On and on. Then Saturday morning I watched a recorded episode of the show Clean Sweep. Holy cow! The house they cleaned and organized was atrocious, but it was interesting. Not sure I need to ever watch the show again, but it did give me that little push I needed.

Pretty much after Tyler canceled his cement mixer reservation because of the high chance of rain, I got to work. I thought, “let me just go see what I can get rid of”, but then I just couldn’t stop! So I spent the entire day, I mean the whole day, out in the garage. By the end I was tuckered. And the boys had a wonderful day of hangin’ (more on that later).

Tyler and I also went through our memory boxes Saturday evening. We had cap and gowns from our graduations, high school term papers, etc. All gone. It feels good to get rid of stuff.  Now I have a very large sell/goodwill collection (see pic to the right). Not sure yet what I am going to do, but we have a few items that might be worth selling and then it gives me a little extra cash to buy more stuff!:) Just kidding. There are just a few books on my wish list!

Tyler took pictures of his old trophies from baseball and then dumped them. I found numerous framed pictures I was holding on to in boxes (we saved all the pictures of course), and ran into a prized picture (will post it soon)

The trash, oh, the trash! I have 3 large black bags of just garbage and the trash can is filled to the brim for the garbage truck this Friday. THEN, I didn’t even think to take pictures of the 3 large black trash bags that we took to the paper recycling bins with all my old nutrition files a few weeks ago. Tyler could barely lift those bad boys! I didn’t realize I had so much garbage, I mean, plain ol’ garbage. I suppose, sometimes it just has to be the right time, or at least a long enough span of time to see these “things” differently. Nevertheless, it has been done, I feel good and less weighed down and want to do more! Carmen warned me this would happen, once you get started, you can’t stop!

Carm also told me I really haven’t done enough until it hurts to get rid of stuff. I am still not even sure I have gotten there yet. I did get rid of a few items from the past (nick-nacks, wall pictures, etc.), but nothing I can say “hurt” to see go. I tossed a breadmaker I haven’t used in at least 8 years, a pasta maker I think I used once after we received it as a wedding gift, an exercise step I haven’t used in 4 or 5 years and several oops-purchases (place mates, chandelier etc). I also gave our ping-pong table to my friend Christina who has more space – OK, maybe that hurt a little, but it is just too dang big for our house. And any “hurt” in passing it on  was overshadowed by the joy of giving it to the Jensen’s, they like doing stuff like that with their two kiddos!

My books (every kind – fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks) and 3 sets of China (passed down from our families and have barely been used in our 13 years of marriage) are the areas that I fear are my weak points right now. I asked Tyler, “what are we going to do with these sets of china?” He said, “pass them down to our kids!” Aye carumba!

More simplification to come!