Clutter makes me Sick

Since I am so busy today with School and coaching my son with soccer. I would wirte about why I am decluttering and reducing our belongins. Although I am selling some of the treasurers we no longer need  It is not to earn money myself, but to simplify my life. For me "Less is more" has been a personal motto for a while now. I have always been a fan of the pure lines the Shaker and Arts and Craft style, the simplicity of it and the cleanliness of it. Back when I was pregnant with #1 we bought our lovely farm house and moved in. I took that as an opportunity to reduce the clutter. Well by the time #3 had come along we acqired a whole diferent sort of clutter. It doesn't seem to matter where it comes from it just to multiplies, like those dust bunnies. At times the clutter overwhelms me , not that is not the right word, it overcomes me. I can feel ill from too much stuff. It may not seem cluttered to some but to me it is too much. You see I like my flat surfaces clear, I am not much for trinkets and tchotkies. No coffee table books on my coffee table suits me fine.

Clutter begets clutter begets chaos. You just can't organize clutter. You have to let go of it. Why do we hold on to some things. How many of us have desk drawers or purses full of receipts and slips of paper that once ment something but no have long ago lost thier meaning? We all have our reasons for holding on to things. Sometimes it is because it make us feel better, or holds special memories or we think having something will make us into a better person.  A wise person once said you should possess your possesions not let them possess you. So why do we persist. in keeping  things that weigh us down?

I have decided it is time to let go of those things that weigh my family down, to make room for more in our lives. When we have sooo many things they become a burden a hinderence and we spend out time caring for our possessions instead of living life. We work to afford them. We work to take care of them.  Ask yourself this question: "Do I take my self worth from the value of what I own? Do I measure myself by my possesions?" If the answer is yes then you may want to join in my adventure in reducing possesions by 20%.

Today I decided to attack the spice cupboard. Baking season will soon be upon us and I want to be prepared. Let's face it, it is no fun to be wrist deep in flour or dough and need a certain spice. Especially when you live where I live and have to plan trips to the store a day ahead. (takes that long to get there). So attack I did. Some how the spice cupboard ends up being the location for those things no one else knows where to put.

Like salt shakers. Seriously how many salt shakers do we need for a family of 5?

I can't tell you how many times I have been at the store and bought a spice and find out 2 months latter that I have 3 containers for pumpkin pie spice. We only make pumpkin pie twice a year. How much pumpkin pie spice does a family need? As I was cleaning out the spice cupboard I was taking inventory of what I might night for holiday cooking. Turns out I have enough ginger to make gingerbread cookies for an army.

All those other holiday spices are in good order. I will have to get some Bell's Poultry Seasoning for Thanksgiving. But we are in good shape - if anything a little over stocked. Better start baking

80/20 Rule or Less is More

Recently I was reading about the 80/20 rule. How we only use 20% of our things 80% of the time. Now I have always believed this to be true about clothes and I have at least one child who I know it is true for. They seem to wear the same jeans/shorts every day to school. This particular article implied that this rule fits our entire lives and houses. It seems that we only use 20% of our belongings 80% of the time. Most of us live in houses filled to the gills with things we are not using. Grandma Pebble's china handed down to us, the ruby red Depression glassware collected by our mother and our one vice, books, books, books.

After reading this article I came to a decsion. I have decided to reduce our belongings and acquisitions by 20% in the upcoming month. I hope you will follow me on this journey, and if you feel drawn too, to join me on this journey. I will be selling and donating "excess inventory" as I go along. As an interesting observation I have decided to weigh and track the total that I reduce by. For me reducing the bulk of the items in our house wil be the easy part. I always seem to have a bag going for donations. The challenge will be to purchase less to bring into the house. I am not a big shopper but never the less, the odd thing seems to make it into my carriage at the store. So for October I will try to delay purchasing these so called non neccesities.