I keep reading lovely posts about decluttering and living simply and avoiding the endless build-up of baby clothes/toys/accessories (excluding strollers. Ain't no one gonna touch my stroller stash) and it all seems like a good idea and then I turn to my own apartment and ... stress? panic? fail? The problem is that I have a really hard time parting with stuff:
1. I am sentimental. I like souvenirs from travel, old letters (JD and I used to write a letter a day when apart. I like to stash old cards/letters inbetween books so it's a total surprise when I come across one. There are a lot of letters floating around the apartment). My parents also saved most of my childhood toys and it's practically impossible to get rid of those.
2. I love to shop, but I tend to buy inexpensive items so I have far more cheap cardigans than I need, for example. But when I sort through clothes it's hard to get rid of perfectly-nice items just because I don't "need" them. I also have a sinking feeling that this is the pinnacle of JD and my disposable income for a long, long time and that I'll be looking for these items in a few years. I also feel like I am giving away my pre-baby self in order to make room for baby items, which is probably true and necessary but still a depressing thought.
3. The fusspot is a first grandchild (sort-of) and showered with books and clothes. I have done a decent job of keeping the toys to a minimum (toys I dislike such as those that make noise/are large plastic items/have branding/are party favors get a shelf life of one week and then goodwill) but it's still hard to keep the classic forever-toys under control in a small apartment (i.e. her blocks, brio, box of dress-up clothes, play kitchen set (which dates from around 1982 ...), toddler bicycle). I have no idea what to do about books given that we already have two overflowing bookshelves of children's board books and picture books and we really do spend a chunk of every day reading (plus they are in several languages and many were stored from my childhood). I also don't exactly want to pare down the babies' clothes too much given that we are to be laundromat-people in another 2 weeks and I really have no idea how that is going to work with art projects/toilet training/spit-up/baby food.
4. I am a wishful-thinking type of gal, and I truly hope that our family continues to grow. Hence, can't really toss outgrown baby items although they for the most part go in storage at my in-laws.
But we are moving from about 600 square feet to about 500 square feet, sans any closets (although with a real-sized kitchen! YAY to no longer having the silverware stored in the top drawer of the kid's bureau!!!) and I really need inspiration to downsize. I really want to do the sorting/discarding in our current apartment because I think that it's going to be pretty miserable to have piles of stuff lying around in the new place that we don't have any storage for.
Any good thoughts for inspiration? Tricks which have worked for you? Good websites?
ps - please don't suggest a storage unit. I am already worried that I lean towards the hoarders side when it comes to sentimental/baby items and I like the fact that I have to keep that under control by having our storage restricted to one very-large closet in my in-laws basement. We also don't own a car and I can't imagine the hassle of renting a car every time we needed to get something out of storage.
pps - 11 large boxes packed already and not so much as a dent in our 10 bookshelves ...
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4 comments:
For things that you should get rid of but are sentimental for-- take a picture of them and then get rid of them.
I am from a family that hoards- so I am definitely of the de-clutter/minimalist possession ilk. We have a rowhome with a basement and there isn't enough storage if we don't constantly stay on top of it. It's hard- but you really need to look at things with a very critical eye. My clothing is one of the harder ones for me. Knowing that I most likely will not replace an item- it is extremely difficult to get rid of anything (very limited discretionary clothing budget for myself) but if I truly haven't worn an article in 2+ years- I give it one last try-on, let the hub weigh in & send it on it's merry way to a new home if it just isn't working. We have one toy box for munchkin that if it overflows we need to start reassessing. She also does have a small basket of various blocks which will stay too. She has her own bookshelf and we are de-cluttering our bookshelf as we move her things to her own space. We live in a more suburban type section of the city- sidewalks, side streets back alleys- which also means we have the 'big' toys. They are going to prove difficult- I can tell.
My best advice is to look at everything with a very critical eye. If it is truly something that you, JD, fusspot or dumpling will love & cherish- make it work in the new space (going up the vertical spaces with shelves or hanging baskets can work wonders for storage) but if there is even a little hesitation then put it aside and at least thin of it as no longer yours- if that works, it can go!
Good luck!!! Packing & moving really is one of my least favorite things. Except when it is all done I do feel a great catharsis when I have purged unnecessary things from my life!
I definitely empathize with you on this one. Although our apt is bigger than 500 sq ft- we are downsizing, but will have part of the garage to store out stuff! And boy do we have stuff! Something that worked for me in terms of storing papers/cards/letters is either make a folder or put them into a scrapbook and they'll fit neatly into your bookcase (if you have room!)
I'm also crazy about bins/cubbies...I just saw on someone's blog that they built cubbies along almost the entire wall-floor to ceiling.
I am on the receiving end of a friend who loans out used baby toys and clothes to friends. It's ok if she doesn't get it all back, but it gets it out of her space and gets more use.
For my own clothes, I agree with what Jenn said. I assess if I haven't worn it in years and have my husband weigh in on it too. Bodies change and tastes change (what was up with large bulky items in the 1990s that gave me no shape!).
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