Eric and I are trying to reduce our impact on the world a bit, and one way we know we can do that is by continuing to eat less meat. We’re certainly having some now that Lent is over, but we’re trying to make a point of keeping our meals vegetarian several times a week. Last night we tried this recipe for lentil tacos, and they turned out wonderfully. I also tried my hand at homemade pop tarts, and they were really, seriously delicious. Next time I’ll have to make a double batch! That’s part of the “buy less processed foods” thing we’re also trying to do. We certainly don’t buy a lot of Pop Tarts, but I tend to love my cereal so I’m trying to find new, homemade breakfast alternatives. That one’s a keeper.

Two things have really made an impression on Eric and I lately: 1) a documentary called No Impact Man. The movie was really good in showing how much we can do in reducing our waste and how much would be so hard for us to change because of how ingrained we are in the culture. Eric and I have been talking about how the family in the movie was able to cut out so many things that would have been crazy challenging for us, but they didn’t even consider a few things that we are already doing. 2) we’ve also been reading the book Following Christ in a Consumer Society by John F. Kavanaugh. Woah. Don’t read this if you’re not ready to be totally ashamed of the way you live as an American consumer.

I only mention the movie and the book because they have been the topic of the majority of our conversations in the V household in the past week or so. I’m sure they’ll both continue to influence the decisions we’re making and the next projects we undertake! Don’t worry about my going complete hippy on you, though. I’m still commuting 20 miles to work every day, we’re still using toilet paper, and I’m already planning the next Target trip…

Ha ha! I decided to leave the canned title and type in my own post

Not just another weight-loss blog, I’ll be focusing on not just reducing the junk in my trunk, but reducing the junk in my house, from too many shoes to harmful chemicals disguised as shampoo and all-purpose cleaner (I’m not a tree-hugging hippie, but I play one on TV. Oh wait, we don’t have cable ;-P ).

My first home-based project will actually be a series of projects from the eBook “30 Day Declutter Boot Camp” by Patrick Ray and Tanja Hoagland.

My first body-based project will be the Turbo Fire 5 Day Inferno.

More details to come in upcoming posts!

The weeks ahead are much quieter for me, at least in comparison, and I’m looking forward to more evenings at home with my family. Double hooray!

Next on my list of “to dos” is to make real progress on my nasty habit of “piles-as-organization.” It drives Eric nuts and, frankly, it doesn’t work as well as I’d like to believe. I finally cleaned out a purse yesterday that I hadn’t used since before Jane was born. Ouch.

not good.

I am, believe it or not, still keeping up with my Decluttering 2012 project and I look forward to getting a handle on all the “stuff” again. Happy Spring!

The first involves a bit of back story.  I’d been helping my mom’s family clean out my grandmother’s home and garage, and I’d been able to select and keep a few furniture pieces that held loads of memories for me.  I was so glad to bring home these items; they put a smile on my face and made me think of her.  As the moving truck pulled up in our driveway, I gave directions on where I wanted the things to go.  We were the last stop on their list for the day; they’d dropped some things off at my sister’s house and my parent’s house and now were finishing their job at ours.

After getting things placed in the right rooms, I headed back into the garage, where I discovered them unloading a decrepit, broken-legged cedar chest onto the garage floor, complete with unattached lid (with holes in it).

I flipped.  “I said I didn’t want that!!” I hollered, in a joking-but-not-really-joking way.

One of the movers cracked up.  “Yeah, he said you’d say that,” he laughed, referring to my dad.

And why, you ask, would I not just cart the falling-apart cedar chest to the curb and pitch it?  Because my great-grandfather made it.  Those little words completely transform my view of that piece of furniture; it makes me responsible for it, in a way, and makes me feel the need to fix it, to mend it, to make it usable again, however that might be done.

The other piece of furniture is a beautiful chair that was in my other grandparents’ home.  It has an ornately carved back of dark wood, with hand-embroidered back and seat cushions done by my grandmother:  again, she made it, and now I feel responsible for it.  It actually hadn’t been a problem until our last move; up until now, the chair always had a place to “live,” even if it didn’t exactly match the rest of the house.  Here, though, there really was no place to put it; it was just sitting in the basement collecting dust, until my daughter needed a chair in her room.  I threw a bedsheet over it and cinched it with a big purple ribbon:  instant slipcover for a chair that would have otherwise never been used.  (My dad was teasing me about being so cheap that I didn’t want to buy a chair, but it’s hard to justify buying a chair when there’s a usable one stashed in the basement.)

I think this is my biggest struggle with some sentimental “stuff:”  that sense of responsibility toward it, the feeling that it’s my “job” to “take care” of it; that it’s been “entrusted” to me.  There are plenty of sentimental things that I’m happy to have, but some items have turned into burdens more than blessings.  In spite of that, I admit that I don’t know how to get past that idea of ”responsibility” and finally let go of them.

Over the course of the next few years, I lost my grandparents, and gained more sentimental things:  this time, furniture related.  (I joke that our house is decorated in “acquired traditional.”)  Now, though, I was becoming more aware of how overwhelming all this “stuff” could be, because I was helping to clean out the houses, and I was becoming much more deliberate in the choices I was making.  Do I want my grandmother’s corner cabinets from her dining room?  Yes, please!  Do I want nine-tenths of the other furniture?  Absolutely not.

Two moves later, I was finally able to look at some of this “keepsake” stuff and be a bit more harsh in my evaluations:  our lugging it around so much had a lot to do with my change in attitude towards all of it.  One afternoon I forced myself to go through boxes of old photos and was able to pitch three-quarters of them.   I’d been taking pictures since middle school, and who wants pictures from middle school?  Ugh.  I read through old notes and letters, and was horrified at how obnoxiously self-centered I was:  trash it.  I went through my binders of papers written for school:  out.

One over-arching rule dictated my ruthlessness:  does this make me smile?  A few photos, a few notes and letters, yes, absolutely!  They brought a smile to my face every time I looked at them.  But after moving pounds and pounds of papers, over and over, I thought I was ready to let go.  Once they hit the recycling bin, I kept waiting for the sense of panic I sort of expected:  What have you done??  You got rid of that?!?  But it never came.  Instead, I was surprised to find that I felt more relief than panic.  We’re not planning on moving again, but that’s a lot less stuff to have to deal with if we do.

I think that rule is a good place to start when dealing with sentimental clutter:  does this make me smile?  Most of my paper stuff had been carried around for so long that lots of it meant very little to me anymore, and once I finally made myself go through it, it was remarkably easy to plow through quite quickly.

What if everything makes you smile?  What if you’re knee-deep in sentiment and all of it “makes you smile,” but you’re overwhelmed by the amount and know that you need to give some away?  Take a picture.  If you’re really crafty you could make a scrapbook full of “special” things, and write why they’re special–and then pass on the things.  If you’re not so creatively talented, keep the photos stored on your computer and look at them whenever you want a smile–and then pass on the things.  (A screen-saver of “special things” could be great–a continual scroll of things that make you smile.)

I’m definitely not one of those people who thinks you should get rid of everything.  There comes a point, though, where it really is too much, and I think we know it when we get there.  That is the time to do something about it.  Preferably before your sixth move.

Do you feel like you want to get more done, need a sense of calmness and refine your balance?  The answer could be to achieve a deeper understanding of self discipline.

Self-discipline might seem an old-fashioned concept these days.  Many people are not sure whether diligence or discipline is a good thing; it makes them feel they are being told to act in a certain way.  When you are struggling to find a balance between long working hours, housework, your relationship and family, you may scoff at the suggestion you need to be more disciplined – after all, you already work hard!  But diligence is about streamlining and focusing, keeping your mind clear and learning not to be distracted.  Perfect the art of diligence and you’ll achieve more with less effort.

1.  Focus on the result

You can instil self-discipline by thinking about what you’ll be able to achieve.  A musician or artist brings lasting happiness through their talents, but only if they first practise with diligence.  Then, seeing the joy their work brings, they feel content and confident.  One reason so many of us have trouble accepting praise or being happy with our lot is that we lack the independent confidence that comes about because of our devotion to something.  Whether you’re learning yoga or starting to knit, think how good you’ll feel once you’ve improved.  You could even set yourself a goal – becoming a yoga teacher or designing and making your perfect cardi.  Reaching a goal like this will leave you with a lasting sense of achievement, peace and confidence.  You’ll feel more capable and more in control of things.  You can apply this to any situation: rather than thinking about getting through a boring day at work, focus on how good you’ll feel that you’ve done the work to the best of your ability and can leave on time.

 

If you’re prone to strong negative emotions, you’ll find discipline is a balm …

2.  Create a clean mind

If you live with diligence you can learn to focus your mind and therefore deal more easily with the busy and stressful life that is so common today.  A good method is to learn to meditate.  Clear a little time and space in your day to breathe mindfully.  Be aware of each breath entering your body, focus on how the breath turns with perfect naturalness, feel the breath return, changed by your body., back into the world.  Count each breath, returning to one again when you reach 10. Concentrating only on your breathing is the first step towards learning to focus and having control over your thoughts.

3.  Make space

Uncluttering your mind can also mean tidying things in your day-to-day life.  Clean your desk and your email folders and keep them clean.  Make lists of everything you need to do: break each job down into small, do-able segments.  Further control your time by replying to non-urgent emails only when it’s convenient.

4.  Master your emotions

Yes, you can discipline yourself in this area, too, and you’ll find your relationships with others will become smoother and happier.  If you’re prone to strong negative emotions, such as anger and jealousy, you’ll find that discipline is like a soothing balm.  Pause before you respond in anger.  Consider what a more thoughtful and compassionate response might be.  Now act on it.  With practice, you’ll no longer be a slave to rash emotions.  You’ll probably also find that others start reacting to you in the same way.

We’ve heard the stories of massive amounts of paper serving as fuel for a house or office fire, and clutter that blocks a door slowing down safe exit in an emergency. Well, Erin Doland of Unclutterer gives us more reasons to think about safety, like hazardous mold hidden behind clutter in a basement or garage that can poison the air. And there are safety concerns once you start decluttering too. You need to make sure any hazardous items are disposed of properly.

As you start your spring cleaning, remember to donate your gently used furniture, appliances and building supplies to ReStore. But to learn more about all those other items that may be hazardous, visit Montgomery County’s disposal information.

And read more tips on www.unclutterer.com!

I’ve written before about how living with less stuff and more life is important to me. I have felt that way even more in the last few months as baby gear accumulates and I have less and less time to spend with Jane. As much as I hate the things that clutter our lives, I find myself sucked into consumerism as much as the next girl. The following are three problems that have tripped me up in the past few months, even in my attempts to simplify, along with how I resolve to conquer them:

• Baby Jane Babies need very little, but ads would have us believe otherwise! I have been sucked into a great many impulse buy that was unnecessary in the months before and after Jane’s birth. We have been so blessed with hand-me-downs and borrowed other items–environmentally and financially friendly decisions–but I have bought more things because I felt left out of that part of preparing for our little girl. Jane now has much more than she needs, and I feel guilty that I have contributed to that. Solutions: I plan to continue to pass on items that I don’t absolutely love or aren’t gender-neutral. Larger items or those in new condition can be sold. I will allow myself to gift Jane with used or environmentally friendly items with found money.
• Filling Empty Spaces As I’ve been more strict about decluttering, I find myself making excuses to purchase items. “Surely,” I tell myself, “if I have donated five shirts, I deserve to buy this one.” Solutions: Late in my pregnancy, when very few things fit me, I realized how few clothes I was actually wearing. And I still never felt as though I needed much! By rotate accessories, I can have  fun with what I already have. In other areas of the house, a similar rule applies: I can survey what we’ve already got to get the job done. 
• Sleep Deprivation Oh, the decisions we regret when we don’t make them carefully! Sleepless nights=buyers remorse. I find myself making little purchases as pick-me-ups after a hard day or week. Solutions: Treating myself is not a bad thing, but it can be done in moderation and without bringing more clutter into my home. A long walk, a Red Box rental, a DIY project for myself can make me feel good!

I have to keep reminding myself that money can’t buy memories. With a mostly-free Saturday ahead and a Target trip scheduled, we’ll see if I can adhere to my own policies!

Those are the houses that get me.  I’m amazed by the amount of waste generated by an “average” family in an “average” area of an “average” city.  I actually wonder how they do it.  Do they just have a really big family?  Do they not recycle at all?  Do they just buy that much stuff?  Are they cleaning out years worth of accumulation?  (This neighborhood is not that old.)  How do they do that?

So there I am, on my high horse, with my family that generates one bag of trash a week (though definitely a full recycling bin every two).  I consider it a successful birthday party if we can still throw away one bag of trash on party week; it’s actually something I really work toward.  (Silly, I know.)  I hate the idea that there are people who are piling on in landfills without a care in the world.

And now…..

Now we are tearing apart our decrepit deck, and there is a dumpster sitting in our driveway.  No more high horse for me.  We are about to generate, in two days worth of demolition, more trash that we’ve probably put out in our entire time living here.  Now I will take my self-inflated ego, newly punctured and deflated, and admit that yes, we make trash, too.  Sometimes, we make lots of it.  There comes a time, though, when I have to recognize that something just isn’t usable.  It isn’t recyclable, or donatable, or–in this case–even safe.  Sometimes, things have to get thrown away.  Hopefully, next week, we’ll be back to one bag of trash.  But it will take a lot of “one bag” trash days to make up for this morning.

Yesterday, I was able to take a large tote of clothes plus additional objects to our local consignment shop. One of the two hardest items for me to part with was a bridesmaids dress from my sister’s wedding that never got worn. It wasn’t that they didn’t get married, she and her husband have been married for almost 11 years now, but 2 days before their destination wedding on his home island of Oahu,  her husband changed their formal event to Hawaiian Casual. Meaning the $200 in dress and shoes never got worn and I have never since had occasion to wear it. And while I have grand plans of renewing my vows one day I doubt we will ever actually do it and the dress will just continue to take up space in the our closet. The second was the suit that I got married in. Since it was a second marriage for both of us, we eloped, we went to a local town with us and 3 friends and said “I do.”  We also found out we were pregnant 15 days after being engaged and while we didn’t have the wedding we planned I married the man of my dreams and that was all that mattered. The suit, while I loved it at the time, I do not anymore. I tried to do the fun idea of wearing it on our anniversary but after the first 2 years of wearing I had gained weight and couldn’t wear it for 2 years and then these last 2 years we didn’t go out for our anniversary. I would have rather stayed   at home with our child (now children). So after several days of thinking about it I decided to let it go. I have our wedding pictures to look at if I ever really want to remember it. But by letting that go I was also able to get rid of the shoes and wool coat I only ever wore with the suit. It felt good to say goodbye to these items.

As I have been tidying areas up if I felt something didn’t belong there or was not wanted needed I have just been piling it into our basement. Needless to say the pile has gotten quit big and now its time to start sorting it I have donate piles to two different organizations, worth garage sale pile (for the best of best), freecycle pile, an ebay pile for those special items that need to go that route and of course the trash pile. Its going to be hard but I need to get cracking so even if it means staying up late after the kids are in bed its worth it to get it out of my house. “the Pile” takes up about a 7×5 foot print and is starting to take on a personality of its own. Yikes!

My current hang-up with getting rid of things is the thought that I could get money for some of them.  Usually I will donate without hesitation, loading up my car for Goodwill and dropping things off while running errands, but these items are such that I keep thinking I might actually be able to sell them.  That results in a total hold-up, though, as I think and sort and put off taking pictures and put off placing an ad on Craigslist and on and on….Weeks later, I have to confess that I would probably be much better off just getting the stuff to Goodwill and being done with it, if only for my peace of mind.

In a moment of clarity the other night, I realized that I needed to approach the basement differently.  Each time I walk in there, I’m overwhelmed by all the stuff, and I try to think of what I should be getting rid of and what needs to be moved….but I have no plan, no map to lead me in the way I should go.  It became suddenly obvious that what I needed to do first was to define what a basement should be used for.  In our family, the basement is for storing seasonal decorations, tools, and a few tubs of toys that only came out occasionally.  Once that mission was spelled out, the reality of how much junk was in there became apparent.  I had already noticed that the basement was where broken things went to die, and once my criteria for basement storage was outlined, all the things that didn’t fall into those categories leapt out at me in a new way.  I realized that if I truly had only those items in the basement that fit in my plan, it would look a completely different way—that was eye-opening.  It recharged me, and made me ready to attack the room with fresh eyes.

This same plan of attack can be used for each room in your home.  What is this room’s purpose?  What do we do here?  What is the room used for most frequently?  With those questions guiding you, begin to outline what should belong in the room and what makes no sense there.  By defining a room’s purpose, I can see more clearly that magazines don’t belong in the kitchen, boxes of markers and colored pencils don’t belong in the living room, and Legos don’t belong in the dining room.  (Actually, we’ve adapted to Legos in the dining room, but that’s another story.)

To use another example, take our garage, which is another area where things get dumped and never leave.  What should our garage be used for?  Storing two cars, gardening supplies and tools, and bikes and some sports equipment.  The swimming toys that got dropped in the corner this past summer should be living somewhere else (seasonal storage is in the basement, remember?), ancient (“antique?”) fishing rods need to be gotten rid of (we don’t fish!), and while storing basketballs here makes sense, do we really need three?  Especially since we no longer have a basketball hoop?

Remember that your plan for your room may be different; each family uses the rooms in their home differently.  Set your family’s mission for each room, and make sure each item in the room serves that mission.  When everything has a “home,” it’s much easier to put everything away.  Remember, also, that other family members need to have a say in what is going on.  When it became clear that the dining room was the room of choice to build with Legos, I got a couple of pretty baskets to set on the bottom shelf of a cabinet.  When we need the room, the toys go in the baskets; it takes about two minutes to clean up.  We use that room rarely enough that the kids can enjoy spreading out and having a place to set up and not have to tear down every thirty minutes.  So be ready and willing to adapt and work with the others in your home—it’s their home, too.  Even if it means the dining room is referred to as “the Lego room” by your youngest child.

Thinking like that helps drive me to get going! If I don’t get some progress in motion right away, those accumulated months will just keep landing farther and farther away.

Regardless, I feel like things are happening fast. I have a meeting at the house this afternoon with a friend whose company can do drywall finishing to finally clean up the holes punched in our ceilings during last fall’s insulating project. We also have some seams that need fixing, and a fair amount of nicks and dings in walls. After all the drywall is fixed, work moves on to the painting. The last step will be carpets, in any rooms where I am unable to convince Cyndie otherwise.

I’ve disassembled our electric piano for Elysa to pick up this weekend. I have removed an old television from the wall-hanger in our bedroom and will be passing that on to someone at work who offered to find it a good home.

Last night I was looking for manuals to put with the piano and television and was amazed to see how many manuals we still have in our files for items that are long gone. I should say, “still had” because they’re in the recycle bin now! It feels especially good to be making progress on de-cluttering.

Took some steps related to a name Cyndie and I are considering using for our new property.

Feels like things are happening fast! Sort of.

Meanwhile, we don’t know if Cyndie will be working in Boston for a short time, or a long time. She is due home for another visit in just a week and a half, so we’ll see if all the changes I accomplish by then have an impact that motivates her in any direction.

I said to work on wherever you spend the most time, and I still stand by that answer.  It makes sense to tackle the areas where you always are, since you then get to enjoy the results more often.  I jokingly call our living room “my happy place:”  if I can sit in my spot on the sofa, and everything in my viewing area is uncluttered, I can pretty much ignore the Legos all over the dining room table in the other room.

I would add to that answer, though:  whichever area is making you craziest, that should probably be tackled first.  Maybe you spend most of your time in the living room, but your bedroom closet is so full that you can hardly get in the door, and it’s a trial each morning to just get dressed.  Every day you have to deal with the mess.  No one else sees it, but it’s a hassle to you, each and every day; maybe multiple times a day.  If there is something that is making your life miserable, constantly, even if no one else sees it, then work on that; your life will be more peaceful for it.

My laundry room closet is my favorite example.  Really, who is going to go digging in my laundry room closet besides me?  Absolutely nobody.  But when I reach in there to grab an extra bottle of detergent or a couple of rags, do I really want things falling on my head?  Obviously not.  I referred to the closet as “the pit of despair” when the caseworker came over to do our adoption home study a few weeks ago; while I doubt it’s in such a condition as to prevent us from getting a child, it’s not exactly my pride and joy.  So keeping it cleaned up, even if no one else is looking, really does turn into a priority for me.  I’m in there often enough that it makes life much easier to have it cleaned out and “company ready,” even though company will never actually come.

Whichever you choose, most-used areas or private spaces, I encourage you to start.

• Unnecessary complications and minor irritations:  I’ve had two little socks tucked into my laundry room cabinet for months, waiting for their mates to turn up.  Load after load has been done in my washer, and still those little socks sat.  Doing a deep clean-out of my laundry room closet resulted in me locating the missing socks—tucked away, at some point, waiting for their mates to turn up.  (Argh.)  Another perfect example:  each time I try to stuff one more plastic cup into my kids’ “cup drawer.”  If I just got rid of just one cup out of here, things would fit better.  Instead, I’m playing Tetris each time I unload the dishwasher.
• Missing out on what is truly important to you:  Each time you buy a new widget or goo-gah, you’re spending money you could have spent on something truly important to you.  Avoiding even a few $20 impulse buys results in almost $100 worth of money that could be earmarked for something magnificent.  Think of it:  One $5 thingy that you discover during your weekly grocery trips; maybe one $20 item you discover “on sale” each month, and one more “oooooh, I love it!  I don’t do this very often, so it’s okay!” $100 splurge every, say, four months ends up totaling eight hundred dollars in a year.  Eight hundred dollars.  (And sixty-eight things that you have to figure out what to do with.)  Don’t whine at me about not having enough money to do [fill in the blank] when you’re up to your ears in stuff.
• Wasted time:  This is huge, and I’m thinking about this because I just cleaned out the laundry room closet.  Again.  It appears to remain clean for about three days in a row, and I’m starting to think the only way to truly keep it clean is to take the door off and have it all on display.  By tucking things in there (out of sight) to deal with later, I’m skipping the less-than-five-minute route of dealing with something now, instead piling it up gradually into a morning-long project.  Less stuff, less time to deal with it.  This also covers the time you lose looking for things you’ve lost, because there’s no designated place for them or because they’re buried in all the other stuff you own.  More wasted time.
• Wasted money:  This may be a reach, but in the piles of papers stacked on your desk there could be old forgotten checks or gift cards waiting to be dealt with.  There’s also the more common occurrence of buying things you already have (but can’t find), or not returning things you don’t need (once you get home and realize you already have one).

I’m sure there’s more; I’d love to hear your ideas.  I think that once we recognize how much harm we’re doing to ourselves and our lives, we finally have the reason to change.

Its’ been more than a year since I paid any attention to the house. A pregnancy, an engagement followed by a wedding, a new baby who occupied the whole house, masked armed intruders, hospital visits and visitors , a trip abroad … the year has been so full of life that  the background to living  - the house- has just been that ;  a background that served.

Now, Im really trying to see  the objects around and see if they are necessary or useful. Beautiful, very little. Sentimental, lots. I remove at least one thing from each shelf I clean. And I’ve given away a water filter,  a set of floppy disks (yes, I am blushing) … and been tearing up reams of bills and paper.

It came to me that it doesn’t make sense to keep ‘one-sided- paper’  any more. There’s no one to use reams to work out problems. And kids don’t want this old stuff. And as for the  stacks of sweetly patterned paper – letters are so much in the past.

The questions you should ask while doing a clearing up process are according to Unclutterer 

Is everything in its best place? Does everything still have room for storage? Are the items you’re accessing most frequently in the most convenient to reach locations? Are items you’re not accessing very often in the less convenient to reach locations? Is there anything you need to do to improve your initial organizing efforts?

I don’t think I am using so much of my brain for each decision but as the cupboards get emptier, its heavenly.

I now have monthly shopping lists printed out, where I can smartly tick off items as they get over;  weekly shopping lists which are coordinated with weekly menus.. its an organizational high.

But what I’ve learnt is, while  having neat plans is good, life teaches you that you need more to handle it by throwing bouncers into your plans.  For instance, power shut down ruined my plan of the day  of getting the weekly quota of idli batter ready and  the next day , a falling tree extended  the power cut.

Drawing up plans is nice but learning to deal with the mixups needs more grace. Especially when one has to go help with a sick aunt four days after one lands back home. That showed me how far I need  to travel on the road to acceptance and grace.

Im loath to add any more layers to my life right now, but leaven it , people and incidents will.  Meanwhile, trying  to set routines and menus is nice, even if I don’t follow them a great deal .

What’s worse, though, is under the deck.  There is a storage area under the upper tier of the deck, about five feet high.  There are exactly three items we are storing there:  a large lawn cart, a lawn mower, and the (ahem) “scooper” for cleaning up the yard.  Unfortunately, the previous owners left us with a vast assortment of “goodies,” stretching back even under the lower part of the deck.  Plant pots, tomato cages, old fencing, a rusty old wheelbarrow…the list goes on and on.  I told the contractor I couldn’t guarantee we wouldn’t find a body under there somewhere.

That’s the problem with a storage area like that:  out of sight, out of mind.

The truly sad part is that some of that might have been usable before it was left to rot in a not-really-all-that-covered area.  Now it’s nothing but trash.

Our new deck plan involves getting rid of the built-in benches, the two levels, and the trellis, and instead putting in a simple landing with stairs leading to the large deck below.  No storage under the bottom level; it’s too low.  Covered storage under the stairs, where I’m measuring to ensure things fit exactly.

Once it’s done, though, it’s our job to make sure that area is not where things go to be forgotten.  There will be no more blaming it on the previous owners; it’s all on us.  I hope I’m ready for the challenge.

“Turmoil” is such a strong word.  When I read about “great wealth with turmoil” I tend to think in a “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” sort of way; of people with indescribable amounts of money making poor choices and ending up in the headlines on a regular basis.  What I think we forget is how, compared to so many others on this earth, we have “indescribable amounts of money,” which we’re using to buy things, which are in turn sometimes causing us “turmoil.”  Or, at the very least, the Message version:  “a ton of headaches.”

For some reason I’ve been thinking a lot lately about our second apartment.  It was a tiny two bedroom, but I loved it:  it was nearly new, so it was incredibly clean, and it had a south-facing sliding glass door in the living area that looked out on the street, not another apartment.  In hindsight, I keep thinking about how small it was, but it was just exactly right for our needs at that time.  A living room, a kitchen big enough for a card table and two chairs, a bedroom, and a “bedroom” we could use as an office.  (Also a big bonus:  a laundry room, which was the deciding factor in moving there.)  That apartment represents simplicity for me:  small, clean, sparse, basic, yet pleasant–the sunny living room guaranteed that.  We didn’t have a ton of extra “stuff” because we didn’t have a ton of money (insert “we didn’t need money, we had each other” type of quote here), which kept the place clean and simple.  No turmoil, no headaches.

Let’s be real, though:  that was before kids and dogs.  If we had to fit our current family in that apartment, my feelings about it would be very different.  It wouldn’t be simple anymore; it would be cramped, crowded, and difficult.  (Where on earth would we seat everyone for dinner?)  So I’m not about to complain about the space we enjoy now.

What I need to be careful of, though, is how we fill that space.  More space doesn’t have to be filled.  What’s wrong with just enjoying….space?  Less turmoil, less headaches.

I asked my kids the other day, if they could keep just three things in their rooms, what would they be?  My pack-rat son answered immediately and decisively:  “My bed and my stuffed animals and my books.”  Even he, who is loathe to get rid of things, knew exactly what was most important to him.  (I won’t talk about how many stuffed animals and books there actually are.)  If we can keep the “stuff” in our spaces limited to what it truly important to us, keep it pared down to “a little,” we can hopefully save ourselves “a ton of headaches.”

Well, yes, I did have the receipt.  Unfortunately, it took me approximately fifteen to twenty minutes, looking in no less than ten spots in five different rooms, before I located it.  (It turned out to be exactly where it was supposed to be….long story.)  As I was digging through files and piles of paper, I was getting more and more irritated.  I really did clean out when we moved!  I thought I’d been staying on top of this!  How can we possibly still  have a Windows ’98 start-up guide?

In fairness to myself, we’ve been moving the “office” to an area of the kitchen, and so things are spread out much more than they normally are.  I don’t mean that to be an excuse, but the perfectionist in me needs to recognize that transitions are difficult.  It’s made it obvious to me, though, that even if I purged three years ago, it’s clearly time to do it again now:  especially if things are going to work well in the new area.

Why is paper so hard to deal with?  I think that the amount that comes into our homes, and the rate at which it comes, stacks the deck against us.  Even if I’m great at throwing junk mail into the recycling bin immediately (which I am), that still leaves “important” financial papers to be filed.  I’ve managed to curb most of those by going paperless, but somehow a few still come through.  And heaven forbid we get rid of anything pertaining to taxes; I feel like we’ve been brainwashed into thinking we’ve all got an audit looming just around the corner, so you’d better not throw those records out!  Paper clutter is the worst, I think, for the idea that “This is important!  You might need it someday!”  At its base is an issue of security; feeling safer because you have a file cabinet full of “just in case.”

I did a quick search on my Bible app and discovered that the word “trust” is used in the Psalms sixty-nine times.  None of those verses say anything about trusting in files and paperwork.  (But you knew that, right?)  The first three references that come up:

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”  (Psalm 20:7)

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”  (Psalm 56:3)

“In God I trust and am not afraid.  What can man do to me?”  (Psalm 56:11)

I’m closing with the words of Christ in John 14:1:  “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.”

(If you’ll excuse me, I need to clean out some files.)

I moved ALL my stuff (including furniture) in just one hour. Seriously ONE HOUR. That includes 15 minutes of driving between my old place and my new place. Becoming a minimalist made my move MUCH easier and way less stressful.

Now, full disclosure, I did hire movers (I am very small and can’t really carry a mattress and box spring on my own) but because I only needed them for one hour, the cost was comparable to renting a U-Haul and driving it myself. I also had enough furniture and stuff to fill my bedroom, a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Basically I had the equivalent of a fully furnished one bedroom apartment (although I actually lived in a two bedroom apartment with a roommate).

First, here are the things that I minimalized very successfully:

- Books
- Clothes
- Shoes
- Kitchen stuff
- Furniture

Paring down those five categories can help anyone’s move go much more smoothly. I would also recommend seriously questioning keeping anything breakable. If an object is a real pain to move, think long and hard about whether or not it’s worth keeping. Could you sell it on craigslist and have someone come pick it up and give you cash for it?

When you look at getting rid of clothes before a move, I would recommend culling anything that is dry-clean only first. Those clothes are expensive to maintain and involve hauling around heavy garment bags. This goes doubly for old coats – they are huge and heavy, and there are many charities that desperately need gently-used winter coats.

There are some other heavy items that I would suggest thinking twice before moving. Are these things really worth the trouble of moving them? Here are some things that I am very grateful that I did not have to move (and that you will be too):

- A couch (I gave mine to my roommate)
- A TV (I don’t own one)
- Breakable knick knacks (with one exception I don’t have any)
- A sound system or game console (I don’t own them)
- A desktop computer (I have a laptop)

If you have any of these items and have been wavering on whether to hold onto them or to part with them, an impending move may push you to sell or donate them.

Even though my move is done I still have lots of paring down to do. These are the things that I look forward to paring down on:

- Furniture (I still have a couple smaller things that I can get rid of)
- Kitchen stuff (as I figure out what I need for my new kitchen there are things that I can donate)
- Clothes (seriously, I have a lot of clothes)
- Random electronics (I have an assortment of small electronics devices that are broken)
- Random bathroom stuff (I have some drugs and medicines that I need to figure out how to safely dispose of)
- Shoes (I can see the light at the end of the shoe tunnel)

Moving is such a great opportunity to get rid of excess stuff because you really feel the pain and burden of owning things that you don’t use. It’s just SO MUCH effort to move things to a new house.

I’d love to hear your tips for paring down before a move.

I appreciate the idea, though; the thought that the less we have, the more freedom we have.  And I was reminded of the challenge when I was reading the “Simplicity” chapter of The Pursuit of Discipline, by Richard Foster.   “De-accumulate!  Masses of things that are not needed complicate life.  They must be sorted and stored and dusted and re-sorted and re-stored ad nauseum.  Most of us could get rid of half our possessions without any serious sacrifice.”  (p. 92)

That, to me, is a challenge.  That is a concrete, specific, doable idea, with very little “fuzziness.”  That means half our books…. half our CD’s….half our shirts, pants, sweaters, etc…half the stuff in the china cabinets…..[Sentimentality enters, stage left:  “But, but, but!!!!”]  There are a concrete number of things we own, which can then be divided by two.  Is it possible?  Could I actually get rid of half of all these things “without any serious sacrifice”?

Richard Foster reminds us, in that same chapter, that “if our goods are not available to the community when it is clearly right and good, then they are stolen goods.”  Keep that idea in the back of your mind the next time you open a cabinet or closet.  I will be.

Below… is the First of Three Series of Articles we will be providing for people who are getting ready to sell or are in the process….

1. Disconnect Your Emotions

When conversing with real estate agents, you will often find that when they talk to you about buying real estate, they will refer to your purchase as a “home.” Yet if you are selling property, they will often refer to it as a “house.” There is a reason for this. Buying real estate is often an emotional decision, but when selling real estate you need to remove emotion from the equation.

You need to think of your house as a marketable commodity. Property. Real estate. Your goal is to get others to see it as their potential home, not yours. If you do not consciously make this decision, you can inadvertently create a situation where it takes longer to sell your property.

The first step in getting your home ready to sell is to “de-personalize” it.

2. Make Your Home “Anonymous”

If there is a new home sales tract near your home, go visit.  It doesn’t matter what size the homes are.  What you will find are some wonderfully (but sparsely) furnished homes that anyone could live in — with the emphasis on “anyone.”  They are anonymous.   There may be a baseball glove in the boy’s room, but no family photos on the walls.

There may be “personality” – but no person.

The reason you want to make your home “anonymous” is because you want buyers to view it as their potential home. When a potential homebuyer sees your family photos hanging on the wall, it puts your own brand on the home and momentarily shatters their illusions about living in the house themselves.

Put away family photos, sports trophies, collectible items, knick-knacks, and souvenirs. Put them in a box. Rent a storage area for a few months and put the box in the storage unit. 

Do not just put the box in the attic, basement, garage or a closet. Part of preparing a house for sale is to remove “clutter,” and that is the next step in preparing your house for sale.

3. Uncluttering the House

This is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it.

Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers, closets, garages, attics, and basements.  You want as much open clear space as possible, so every extra little thing needs to be cleared away.

Take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas of clutter, as long as you can accept their views without getting defensive. Let your agent help you, too.

Part 1 of 2 on de cluttering…..

 A. Kitchen Clutter

The kitchen is a good place to start removing clutter, because it is an easy place to start.

First, get everything off the counters. Everything. Even the toaster. Put the toaster in a cabinet and take it out when you use it. Find a place where you can store everything in cabinets and drawers. Of course, you may notice that you do not have cabinet space to put everything. Clean them out. The dishes, pots and pans that rarely get used? Put them in a box and put that box in storage.

You see, homebuyers will open all your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They want to be sure there is enough room for their “stuff.” If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers look jammed full, it sends a negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of plentiful storage space. The best way to do that is to have as much “empty space” as possible.

For that reason, if you have a “junk drawer,” get rid of the junk. If you have a rarely used crock pot, put it in storage. Do this with every cabinet and drawer. Create open space.

If you have a large amount of foodstuffs crammed into the shelves or pantry, begin using them – especially canned goods. Canned goods are heavy and you don’t want to be lugging them to a new house, anyway – or paying a mover to do so. Let what you have on the shelves determine your menus and use up as much as you can.

Beneath the sink is very critical, too. Make sure the area beneath the sink is as empty as possible, removing all extra cleaning supplies. You should scrub the area down as well, and determine if there are any tell-tale signs of water leaks that may cause a homebuyer to hesitate in buying your home.