One of my goals this year is to simplify and one of the ways I plan to do that is to sell or donate at least 1,000 ordinary items that are crowding our closets and drawers by the end of July. My goal date is set for the end of July because my neighborhood has a big community yard sale every summer and while I don’t mind dropping stuff at the thrift store, I’d like to see if I could make a few bucks at the yard sale first.
Just when I think I’m done with the kitchen… I circle back and FIND MORE STUFF I don’t use on a regular {or even yearly basis} that I know I can do without. Seriously, by the time this is done, I should be able to cram everything I want/need into the back of my car and head east.
Gee, to feel 19 again… wouldn’t that be like, totally RAD? Remember when you could stuff everything you owned in the back of your car? It was a magical time I tell you. Pure magic.
On a side note, my husband hasn’t even noticed my decluttering efforts. But then again, it’s not like he opens cupboards. Wait. That’s not true. Occasionally he will get up before for me and use his french press to make a cup of coffee which means he has to open a cupboard to retrieve a cup. But still. You’d think he would have noticed by now something was up.
But then again, when you’ve been married for 20+ years you probably don’t suspect your spouse is boxing up all the excess junk you’ve got lying around and has plans to sell everything but the essentials at your neighborhood yard sale. You probably just think wow, things look really organized around here. She’s finally got her crap together. Bahahaha.
How many cake stands does one family need? Seriously, I’ve whittled my collection down to 2 now. And you know what, I can’t imagine I’ll ever bake more than 2 cakes at a time so I think I’m good.
Ahhh. Getting rid of clutter. It’s cool. You Should try it.
~Mavis
Year to Date Totals
Donated: 20 items
Gave Back: 45
Recycled: 24 items
Tossed in the Garbage: 59 items
Yard Sale Pile: 556 items
So far this year I’ve purged 704 items. Only 296 more items to go!
See what else I’m getting rid of this year:
- Halloween Treasures and Craft Supplies
- Magazines
- Party Platters, Placemats and More
- Cleaning out the Closet
- Gift Bags, Binders, Glass Frogs and More
- Casserole Dishes and Pie Plates
- Dessert Plates, Crock Pots, Tablecloths and More
- Cookie Cutters, Pickle Forks, Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer and More
- Used Books
- DVD’s
- Rubber Stamps, a Soldering Iron, Seashells, Smencils and More
cptacek says
*places bet that those cake stands leave by the end of the year.
Brianna says
Husbands come with a lot of stuff! Before we were married I could move easily with 1 car loaded with all of my possessions. On the last move, we had 2 kids and a newborn, two trailers, 1 motorcycle, 1 snowmobile, 2 quads, a camper, one SUV, and 1 truck. We also had 1/3 of a commercial greyhound trailer moving truck full of our boxed possessions and furniture. We have to move in 14-23 more months again and I am already cringing. I wish for the days of single car moves again. I tried over spring break to get my hubby to go through his possessions and all I ended up with was half a trash bag of shredded documents. The man acquires stuff with ‘plans’ and we hang onto it…..move after move. Every time I get rid of my stuff or baby/kid stuff, he adds stuff in its place. We are trying to save up to buy our first house on our next move and I have showed him and explained that with our budget we need to cut down the possessions and I would like to finally be able to park a car in a garage. I am purposely looking at houses with not a lot of extra rooms because I don’t want all the stuff and himto feel he needs to fill it.
Mavis, when you clean your garage and show the stuff you are getting rid of, I will definitely show that post to him so he can maybe get inspired and understand that not every garage is a storage unit or black hole. I can’t wait!
Mavis says
Ha! It’s all of their “grown-up toys” that take up so much space. I hope the picture helps you inspire him…keep me posted.
Zoë says
That bottom cake stand is gorgeous!
connie says
I just went thru all my baking pans, you are so right, I had 5 bundt pans, really and I haven’t made a bundt but once this year..i cant believe how many gadgets I have bought in the years and haven’t used them, im keeping only the basics…loving it
Helen in Meridian says
Every time I see a bundt pan I am reminded of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the to-be inlaws bringing a bundt cake to the Greek family.
jules says
I don’t have a cake stand. Never have – a plate suffices. But I would LOVE to have your mini-muffin pans … I have 5 kids and I am constantly making muffins, my mini-pans only have 12 holes, and so I have 4 pans. But if I had those large ones like yours, I could get rid of two.
I have been de-cluttering also this year. It makes me twitch to see ALL the stuff in our house. I feel like just opening the doors to the public and saying Come On In, it All Goes!
Dena says
I’ve seen muffing pans used to press into garden soil to mark spacing & location of seeds! Just saying!
Connie says
I have been cleaning out like crazy! The odd thing is that I have done this consistently over the years and am still finding things to donate. We have been in this house 33 years. On the other hand my husband still has nearly everything he has acquired over the years. I remember moving all my belongings in my car -such freedom! It was an unsettling feeling when I realized I couldn’t do that anymore.
Rho says
Mavis, you make me laugh out loud almost daily, that is a feat!!