Moving Project
We are moving .85 miles away from our current place. I’ve been on a sorting, purging, and organizing binge. Trying not to move a single item we don’t want, need, or love. When I clutch a piece of clothing that I haven’t worn in a year and think, Ooh, but I might need this for [fill in totally random event here], I remind myself that clothes do not get better with age. In the donations pile it goes. When I agonize over an item that I don’t want, need, or love, but that’s “too cute” to give up, I remind myself that it’s not right for me, but someone else will adore it. And then I can loosen my grip.
Let’s see . . . what else? Everything needs a place. The cooler, thermos, disposable cups, and disposable forks are stored together because they’re plastics. The pots and pans go in the cupboard closest to the stove. After almost nine years of marriage, our wedding china is now displayed in . . . drum roll please . . . our china cabinet. Not rocket science, I know, but I had to talk to a professional organizer to learn this stuff. I don’t have the gift.
Photos belong in picture frames (or scrapbooks). I flipped out when I browsed the boutique stores and saw that 4×7 picture frames were going for about $70. WHAT?! No way was I spending that much, but at least the idea was on my radar. So the other day, when I stumbled across super adorable $10 wooden frames that were an additional 50% off, I snatched them up immediately. Now I have a display of Ron swinging a golf club at his various tournaments over the years. Once I fix my broken scanner (one of my projects . . . I’m creating projects, with a deadline, for things that I need to deal with eventually but not urgently), I’ll upload the photo of him with his 80s haircut and the eyeglasses to match.
Do you have any other tips for me? I’d love to hear them.
Inspiring!
Jenny: I’m sitting amidst big brown boxes waiting for movers to arrive so I feel your pain! I did a huge purge of clothes, books, and magazines, and sold a few pieces of furniture. My biggest challenge in cleaning out was paperwork. Yes, I could scan it all and go paperless but that’s time-consuming and then I’d need a system so I could find these digital files when I need them. And because I’m a writer, I subscribe to a lot of magazines which pile up quickly. Maybe I need to get an iPad and iPad magazine subscriptions so I can manage my reading digitally, but there’s something nice about reading a paper magazine on the beach, an airplane, or wherever. Good luck with your move!
Love it! We just moved and I can’t believe how much stuff we got rid of. Even after moving, as I unpacked boxes and tried to determine where things would go in this new house, I ended up making three more trips to Goodwill because, really, what household needs 30 coffee mugs?
Elizabeth – this is going to be you oh so very soon!
Susan – yes, the paperwork, yikes. I’ve become a fan of labeled document boxes
Kari – that’s a good idea; purge the first time when packing and again when unpacking
I do think keeping what we don’t need is poverty mentality. Keeping something because we might need it is saying, “I can’t afford to replace this.” When one of or relatives died, we found a cabinet full of Cool Whip lids and containers. Tons of them. She’d survived the depression, and never got over the scarcity thinking. I often think of her when I am tempted to hang onto something I don’t need. I bless her and let it go.
Hope you are enjoying your new digs!
Michelle, thanks. That’s good to remember. I was amazed when we were looking at various places to rent how much stuff, stuff, stuff Americans have. As much as we got rid of, I want to pair down even more.