Dear Diary,
I'll just come right out with it: I have too much stuff.
And by I, I mean we - my family.
Even with the best intentions, I cannot satisfactorily weed out enough stuff. I hang on to things "just in case."
Just in case I shrink two sizes.
Just in case I need a box that size.
Just in case I paint the walls again and it fits into the new-old color scheme.
Just in case my husband can fix the little doohickey that's broken.
While staring at my piles, I started obsessing over the phrase too much.
It can turn seemingly normal activities into ugly scenarios.
Drinking (too much)
Eating (too much)
Talking (too much)
Sleeping (too much)
Working (too much)
Ok, so what if I use positive words/actions? Will that make too much any better? Let's try:
Playing (too much)
Laughing (too much)
Singing (too much)
Partying (too much)
Kissing (too much)
Nope. Too much is negative verbiage even with wonderful words.
What if I use too much with a good thing?
Nope again.
Too much of a good thing is still too much.
So, despite my inner desire to justify having too much stuff, I haven't been successful in proving that too much is not a bad thing.
But I'll keep trying.
Because I want to keep my stuff.
Just in case.
LJ
Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Time to Face the Mess
Dear Diary,
I have so many loose ends to tie, which is why I sit here in front of the computer, honing my writing skills and avoiding the unpleasant.
I took a good look at my bedroom this morning. It is this close to being featured on the reality show Help! I Can't Find My Bed, Nor My Spouse.
I have a fairly large bedroom, so it has become the place where I put things that don't otherwise have an active role in the rest of the house. I have a section which is the odds 'n ends holding area. It holds my things I only use seasonally or occasionally --space heater, steam cleaner, empty gift boxes, craft stuff, stuff to give away, and yes, even a crib mattress. And where else does one put the twelve-box package of facial tissues from Costco? Then I have a corner for the bins of seasonal and oversized clothes that will eventually fit my daughters. Then I have the ironing area, complete with hanging clothes, which has already been established in this diary as a limited activity zone in my house.
On top of that, I decided that this year the top of my queen-sized bed would be off-limits to all the birthday and Christmas gift wrapping in December, including removing sticky tags and cutting the annoying sparkly, yet festive, paper to size. (No more sparkly-paper-covered gifts from me.) So I created a folding table wrapping area, which, along with all the gift wrap and bows I had to keep nearby, used up the remaining space I had left on either side of the bed.
It's time to take down and pare down. And it's daunting.
I like to tidy. There is a satisfaction in that.
But it's hard to pare down sometimes. To let go of things I might need again someday.
Well, the time has come to face the mess.
If I were really shameless I would provide a before and after photo of today's work. Nahhh. Some things, like my messy room and my actual ability to clean it up, are best left to the imagination.
Shamefully Yours,
LJ
I have so many loose ends to tie, which is why I sit here in front of the computer, honing my writing skills and avoiding the unpleasant.
I took a good look at my bedroom this morning. It is this close to being featured on the reality show Help! I Can't Find My Bed, Nor My Spouse.
I have a fairly large bedroom, so it has become the place where I put things that don't otherwise have an active role in the rest of the house. I have a section which is the odds 'n ends holding area. It holds my things I only use seasonally or occasionally --space heater, steam cleaner, empty gift boxes, craft stuff, stuff to give away, and yes, even a crib mattress. And where else does one put the twelve-box package of facial tissues from Costco? Then I have a corner for the bins of seasonal and oversized clothes that will eventually fit my daughters. Then I have the ironing area, complete with hanging clothes, which has already been established in this diary as a limited activity zone in my house.
On top of that, I decided that this year the top of my queen-sized bed would be off-limits to all the birthday and Christmas gift wrapping in December, including removing sticky tags and cutting the annoying sparkly, yet festive, paper to size. (No more sparkly-paper-covered gifts from me.) So I created a folding table wrapping area, which, along with all the gift wrap and bows I had to keep nearby, used up the remaining space I had left on either side of the bed.
It's time to take down and pare down. And it's daunting.
I like to tidy. There is a satisfaction in that.
But it's hard to pare down sometimes. To let go of things I might need again someday.
Well, the time has come to face the mess.
If I were really shameless I would provide a before and after photo of today's work. Nahhh. Some things, like my messy room and my actual ability to clean it up, are best left to the imagination.
Shamefully Yours,
LJ
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