Keeping Things- or NOT -Part 2

Fair warning, the first photo is a scary one! I'm just glad that there wasn't any garbage on this pile, although, to me, it definitely looks like it is a pile of garbage. And that's all my stuff...

I should have taken the photo a little to the left. The bookshelf was a mess, too!

So, first I had to figure out what everything was. It seems that this is a catch-all spot. We don't know where to put something...it goes there. Uh, not any more!

The sterilite drawers have arty/crafty/fabric stuff. The Wally World bags are full of more fabric. The canvas bag is full of yarn (and you can see a few skeins of yarn up top of the boxes to the right as well). In between the boxes and the drawers are felt sheets and under that is fleece. I like fabric :) I just don't have anything to do with it lately. 

In front of all this is where we put our shoes. The rug that they are on is about 6.5 feet and the shoes run the length. How many of those do we really wear!? Yeah, that was a good question.

Where to start. It just looked like a daunting task but it was actually kind of fun to get going and sort through things. The blue tote that you see under the boxes (with Noah's Ark Animal Workshop logo on them) is full of unstuffed animal skins. I am technically still an independent crew member but I have never done anything with my 'business'. I buy them because I love them... and never sell them. Yea...anyway. I started there.

Took out all of the unstuffed animal skins (which I'd conveniently stored in large plastic bag inside of the tote) and filled the tote with almost all the spare fabric that wouldn't fit in the drawers. Fit perfectly! Next I went through the boxes that are on top of the drawers and consolidated the items to one box. Threw away a lot of strange little things (scraps of paper with no purpose- those went into my recycle box that sits on top of my printer -in another room), and found that we do have safety pins! Score!

I didn't quite fit all the fabric into the tote so the remaining bit I put in another tote that sits at the bottom of our hall closet (it holds curtains, all those tshirts that my ds has outgrown throughout the years and some other odds n ends). The mustard colored box is a sewing box. It holds thread and needles. My mother in law gave it to me the first or second year I was married- so I've had it for quite awhile :)

I went through the shoes and decided that the snowy season is over here and that neither of the kids will be able to wear their boots next year. They will be donated to a 2nd hand store tomorrow. There were two pair of dress shoes that are dd's so they went in her room. Now there are five pair of shoes where there were 10 :)

Here is an after photo: 

Doesn't that look so much better? I even herded all the dust bunnies (ugh), vacuumed the rug as well as swept under it. I wasn't happy with the bookshelf though so I did a little rearranging. Here's the finished product!

 

LOL don't mind the vacuum. I emptied it after taking the photo...figures. 

Before

After

Ahhh, it feels so nice to get rid of things and/or consolidate. I've not figured out yet what to do with all the animal skins I have. I have at least 50 (and I have stuffing too!). But for now they have gone to a closet that is rarely used for anything. So they are out of the way and my living room looks a little bit better :)

Ahhh...it feels good :)

Keeping Things- or NOT

I've written a few posts about keeping things and then wouldn't you know, I didn't go and take my own advice. Interesting how that happens. Anyway.... Long story short- I DID do something about it today. I cleaned out my entry way. Threw away a lot of stuff (things that I wouldn't feel good about giving away) and packed the back of my car full of things to give away tomorrow. 

In the other houses we've lived in we had either a storage shed and/or a second garage for the things that aren't used often or are keepsakes (or were in boxes that hadn't been unpacked from the house before the house before...ahem...moving on...). In this house we have one very small garage that wouldn't and doesn't hold very much of the items that previously we had tucked away. 

That's where the entryway comes in. It was gradual. Put dd's child bed frame in there...put in the Christmas decorations box...put in the coolers...the chairs...before I knew it, it seemed that the entryway was a death trap with who knows what in there!

I should have taken a photo before I started the process. I can just tell you it was a mess in my entry way. I am a packrat to a fault! There were boxes from purchases I've made in the last year just because I might need the box or the stuffing if I ship something. 

Here is a photo (don't mind the dirty floor- next is cleaning it- and those odd n ends off to the side) after purging stuff:

And here in the next photo you can see by the black line on the left how much more room I cleared up:

And although you really cannot see the doorway behind me, to get an image of how much was in this room, put a box or two along the way that the vacuum is on, with some stuffing, newspapers, and other odd items. It was a tight fit!

I stacked all plastic totes (and Christmas ornaments in a plastic bag on top of that...) together on one end of the entryway:

Next to the totes are our camping chairs (in the back with the two balls on top), and folded chairs in front. And you can see the tiki torches tucked behind the totes. In front of all are our coolers. We like coolers :) come in so handy for camping.

In the other end of the entry way is my dd's bed from when she was little. It was handmade by her grandfather. I rather have it where it is more protected from the elements. We will keep that until she moves out and can take it herself...maybe a granddaughter some day will use it :) On top of the bed frame are the k12 boxes for when I need to send back the equipment... Figured I'd better keep those!

And last but not least: 

The coat tree. We never seem to keep from knocking it over in the living room and this house has a long skinny room, limiting the available space. It is nice also to take off wet jackets in the entry way instead of tracking it into the house as well. I really should go through the items on the tree... At least one of those jackets I haven't worn in quite a while... Mental note!

It may not look great but it looks so much better and it is organized in order of use so it is easier to find what I am looking for now.

I am taking a photo after I post this of one particular area in my living room that is next on my list. I will take an after photo also to show the difference. I'm excited about this part :)

I dread the day when I have to purge from my bookshelves. But I know it's needed- even talked to dh about it last night. 

Keeping Things- When It Is Time to Purge

I've made two posts that have been about Keeping Things and What Should I Keep? and I think now it's time to talk about when it is time to purge.

One of the most important reasons that I personally can think of to get rid of the material possessions we have is because they have become an obsession. By obsession I do not mean that we constantly think about them or that we are creepily protective of them. I mean that they take the time we are to devote to others- especially to God. When we have to work extra hours to get that newest gadget (when we've already got one- or two- of the same but older, 'out-dated' models that still work fine) or the latest fashion (when we've got a closet full of clothes and half we do not wear). Then it is time to purge ourselves of our excess. It could be more than a material possession purge we need at that point, but that is a different topic for a different time.

How do you know when it is time to purge? Here are some physical signs that it's time to get rid of some of the material possessions in your life:

• There is no longer a place for things. When you get to the point that you need to rearrange what you currently have in order to fit in a new to you item, it's definitely gone too far. This may seem like it is obvious put the pack-rats among us will understand that often we do not realize it has gone this far until it is too late! An example here would be when you have three shelves and four items so you squeeze them together on the shelf because you just can't part with one of them.
• Things are no longer being used and are put away to make room for something else. This sounds a bit like the first sign but there is more to it. I would say this is more along the lines of tucking away a pair of pants that you used to wear so that you can fit your new jeans in the drawer. If it's not being used, it should be donated, sold, gotten rid of.
• Items sit and aren't used. Much like the first two signs, this one can be simply for the sake of collecting the items. Think of a set of 16 dishes that are on a top shelf just in case there is extra company. While there is nothing wrong with having extras, if they aren't being used, they could be given away. And realistically, if you've never entertained more than a few extra people at a time, what is the likelihood of entertaining sixteen more? 
• It takes a longer and longer time to clean. This of itself does not necessarily mean that you have too much stuff but generally, the more you have (knick-knacks, clothing, toys) the longer it will take to get things organized when cleaning. The longer it will take to dust because more items have to be moved and put back; more loads of laundry must be washed and dried, folded and put away; toys have to be picked up (and sorted?) before the floor can be swept and/or vacuumed.
• It is difficult to find what you need when you need it. Okay, that may seem like simply a lack of organizational skills but really if you have too much, what you are looking for will be harder to locate. In our house we have 7 bookshelves (ahem, yep) and if they are not organized well we cannot find the book we are looking for very easily. If we only had 3 bookshelves, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take much to find the particular book.

When we declutter our material possessions (give away, sell, donate, throw out) it allows us more freedom. We have more room in our homes, vehicles, and/or yards. One of the absolute biggest and best benefits of decluttering, purging our excesses, is that we have the time for what we need to again. Our minds can focus on what is important.

There have been many who have posted about clutter in their lives lately and how they deal with it. You can read some at Our Worldwide Classroom, Jimmie's Collage (about mental clutter), The Midlife Housewife, and Mountaineer Country.

A few good posts to help with the organizational aspect of purging and decluttering:

Confessions of An Organized Homeschooler (Decluttering for Dummies)

MomGrind (Clutter Free Home)

Heart at Home (Top 20 Organizing and Decluttering Tips)

*I must say that I am by no means even close to an expert on this subject. In my first post of Keeping Things I confessed that I am a pack-rat. I am trying to use these posts as a way to help myself (and perhaps someone else) along to purge my house and self of things that I no longer need and that are simply sitting, collecting dust.*

This has been submitted to The Christian Home weekly blog carnival, under Homekeeping. Click here read the latest edition at Legacy of Home.

Keeping Things- What Should I Keep?

So last time my mind was on why I keep things. Those things that outwardly have no real purpose. Inwardly they may hold the key to something great- but often it isn't seen simply by looking at the item.

Jesus tells us: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:20-21

It seems simple enough what I shouldn't keep in my heart- physical, material items. These are easily destroyed. They can be stolen or corrupted.

But what of those items that you like and would like to preserve for future generations? As mentioned, items such as tshirts that have been lovingly been picked up at various locations for much-loved grandchildren; drawings from when a dd was 3 (her first smiley face); the best car drawing that ds 'ever' drew (when he was 8); or even those cds that contain educational programs that are just a bit too old for the kids (or too young..). Are those wrong to keep? Again, when I ask this question (or really any of these) it is a rhetorical one- you might have a different answer than I.

If you do not feel that they are wrong to keep (as I do not- unless they become obsessions and all consuming- where our heart is) then perhaps you've also wondered what to keep of all these things. I do this on a very regular basis. I go through my boxes and shelves periodically and purge items that I've decided their time has come (haha to 'go'). I often look around my little area -whether it is at my computer or the kitchen counter- and think to myself, "Is all this necessary?" Honestly, the answer is almost always, "No".

I came across a great post at Barefoot Voyage on how to keep the paper clutter reigned in. I highly recommend the post; it is full of wonderful tips and reasons why she keeps her things the way she does. It spawned this post, honestly.

Although I do not have grand tips and suggestions as to how or where to keep items, I do think there are some things that I personally want to keep- and here's how I plan to keep them. 

• Drawings- we are a family of artists. If you were to talk to ds he would say he cannot draw (phooey- totally untrue!) and yet I have papers and books full of his 'art work'. A year or so ago I'd purchased an expanding file folder for the purpose of keeping papers like these. Perhaps when the folder is full I will digitize the art work and then recycle the papers. It has also been suggested that the art work and drawings be used in scrapbooks for keepsakes.
• Books- we cannot get enough of books. But I've slowly been letting go of some of our unused or used up books. Ones that we no longer read or we didn't really care for in the first place. Paperbackswap and our public library are richer because of these :) The books we do keep are kept in all kinds of places. Fortunately, most of those places are bookshelves :)
• Clothing- some baby clothes that I've kept and don't wish to alter are kept in a safe box with other baby mementos to be passed on when the days come that my children are out on their own. My ds doesn't care about his clothes (is that simply a boy trait??) but I've kept every tshirt that his Grammy has ever given him (they are special and often refer to a specific place) and some day I will make a quilt or something similar out of these. My dd is more sentimental for clothes (a girl trait??) and has a few dresses that she doesn't want to part with because of memories. I have thought about using them in a similar way to create a keepsake for her. Fortunately they are both very good about getting rid of clothing that is too small or ready for the trash (I used to recycle/repair/stitch/sew/patch their older clothes to make them last longer but...too. much. work)
• Dishes- does that seem silly? We do not entertain other people very often at our home. We are a family of 4- really all we require are 4 plates, bowls, forks, spoons, glasses...or something like that. However, there was a time when I was younger that my mother had some Cornflower Blue Corningware that (although I honestly do not recall ever seeing them) have embedded themselves in my mind. I now have a collection of these dishes. They are all in one cupboard on one and 1/2 shelves. Someday I will give them to my kids (or grandkids). The rest of the dishes come and go- we even use jars for glasses :)

Those are the things that I want to keep. As I look around me there are a lot of things I see that do not fit into the categories above, and that is okay. Those things come and go. I think that it is coming time to purge more of the unnecessary things out of our house (such as old DVD players, stacks of books for younger readers, and the strangely large pile of 'junk' mail...

I'm looking forward to some Spring cleaning.

Keeping Things

I keep thinking about having a yard sale. Or about making a run to Goodwill. Neither of those have happened and I wonder if I will get to it...eventually or not at all. 

How often do you tuck a paper away because someday you'll want it to look back on? How often is an outfit that no longer fits put onto a shelf because someday it might be useful again? How about those drawings and doodles that your children (or nieces, nephews, grandkids, or neighbors' kids) that have been carefully put into a pile to keep for another time?

Packrat or not, there are reasons to keep things. Homeschooling families in states that require a portfolio know first hand how important it is to keep some things. Papers showing improvement in subjects, to show that subjects were indeed covered, as well as showing mastery in the subject area. There are different ways to show these: photographs, drawings, essays, paintings, videos, commentaries, and many more. Funschooling has a great post on keeping a portfolio for school.

What of all those things that will not 'fit' into the portfolio for a child's school, such as the tshirt that he wore every other day until it was too small? Or the dress a daughter wore for years and loved that now hangs in the closet in its own special spot? Or the book that was read over and over for years that now sits on the shelf? Are these thing unnecessary? Should they be tossed?

There is a lot of talk and discussion about possessions and belongings- especially in light of being a Christian. Jesus told the man who wished to follow him that he needed sell his belongings and follow him, and later we are told to store up our treasures in heaven where neither rust or moths can corrupt. In light of this, is it wrong to keep things that hold memories? Is it wrong to have a box of items that have no purpose but for the sentimentalism of their owner?

I do not know if I have an answer to those questions. Perhaps they are better left between those individuals and God. Some questions that I have been thinking on in terms of keepsakes (or anything that we are reluctant to give away or get rid of): Why do we keep these things? What should we keep? Why do we need to purge ourselves of these things?

Let's start with the why we keep things. There are quite few reasons why people keep items. As mentioned above, some states require homeschoolers to keep portfolios. These may include many items other than pieces of paper. Included are photos, scrapbooks, notebooks, or perhaps the invention or items that were produced by the students. Generally speaking though, they are made up mostly of items that are relevant to schooling.

The reasons people keep other items that are not a means to an end (such as a portfolio) range from a need to have a connection to the past, a memory that they worry will fade, a connection with the future, a connection with a certain feeling and/or the simple inability to part with items. That last one seems rather unconnected to the others but perhaps it is a result of the others.

My name is Blossom. I'm a packrat. That's my confession. I have things that when others look at them they wonder 'why?' In a small container that can be used as an individual soda can cooler there is a napkin from a flight I took on Alaska Airlines and on top of this napkin there is a very dry leaf. In a large plastic container I have every tshirt that has been given to my ds (who is now 11) from his Grammy that he can no longer wear. These are the things I am talking about keeping and holding onto and wondering if they should be done away with.

I keep things because I cannot seem to part with them for sentimental reasons, for the possibility that they will be useful and also as connections to past and future.

Next time I will focus on what I should keep...if anything.