The Purge

I’m not sure if it’s because Spring is in the air or what, but I find myself going through our house and really questioning the amount of “stuff” that we have.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about stuff – why do we have certain things and why do we have so much of other things. Do we really need it all? Why are we holding on to it? Is it adding value to our lives or are we keeping it for the sake of keeping it?

I find myself wanting to scale back on “things” and keep the bare minimum…well, maybe a little bit more than the bare minimum. One of the things that has been on my mind lately is toys. Like how many toys do kids really need? At times, I’m sure it’s the organized side of me that looks at the toys scattered on the floor and just wants them all to vanish. I am all for my kids having toys but there does come a point where they don’t need 12 trucks, 120 books, 8 dolls and 10 trains.

Toys aren’t the only things that I find accumulating at our house. I am just as guilty of collecting things myself – including clothes and shoes. I recently found myself going through my shoes and wondering, “how many pairs of black heels and boots do I really need? Am I really wearing all of them? Why am I holding on to them?” At times I find myself thinking that some of them could be for work, some for this and some for that. In reality, when I have gotten rid of things, it’s been a good decision – I haven’t regretted it at all. So why justify keeping things for the sake of keeping them for one day in the future when you might (most likely might not) use them?

We are responsible for what we allow in our house and the AMOUNT of things we allow. My house became the way it did because I allowed it to. This is definitely a journey that I am on – I am learning as I go. One thing I know is that I am appreciating living with less clutter and being more intentional with what comes into our house.

A few things that I’m planning to do in order to continue in this way include:

On a weekly basis, as I’m cleaning, to put anything that we’re not using in a donation pile
Ask friends or family if they would like anything from our donation pile
Donate to a local thrift store
Take used textiles (that can no longer be used such a towels or clothing that is in rough shape) to H and M.
Before buying something new, ask myself if it’s a want or a need. If it’s a want, ask if it’s going to add value or bring joy to my life
Make experiences more a priority than things
Remind myself that this is a process and doesn’t magically happen overnight