I feel so...abnormal. We finished taking down the Christmas decorations the other day, and I did something out of the ordinary...and completely out-of-line with my natural packrat tendencies. I threw away all my Christmas lights that came off the tree...even though I had just bought them and they worked perfectly fine. I also threw away all the hooks that came off the ornaments on the tree. It was kind of strange...something I'd never experienced before. I LOVE the feeling!!
It all started when the dog decided that our (fake) tree needed to be "marked." Well, the "marking" got all over one of my favorite ornaments, the tree branches, the light strings, then ran down onto a new board game box, my hand-embroidered velvet...dry-clean-only...tree skirt, and into the carpet...which I did not find for several hours, so it had lots of time to soak in. I cleaned and cleaned...still smelled it...couldn't figure out how to properly clean a light strand without either creating a fire/safety hazard or leaving part of the smell there. Well...the next best thing was to throw the lights out. The funny thing is that I didn't like those lights anyway. I have this thing about using chasing lights on our tree, but instead of running them around the tree, I run them up and down so it creates a "twinkling" effect. It's really beautiful...at least it was in years past, but those old sets died on me this year. So I went to Walmart and found what I thought was the "jackpot"...CHASING LIGHTS!!! When I got them home, they really didn't chase, they just alternated between every other bulb. Really disappointing, but I figured I'd make them work this year and look for new ones next year. but I had no intention of getting rid of them, just storing...because you "can't" get rid of anything that's still useful, can you? You never know when you'll need a set of chasing lights that doesn't really chase fro something that I have not dreamt up in all of the years of my life. It COULD happen!!
Well, anyway, it was a blessing that the dog peed on them. I didn't have to put them back in my storage box. But that just got me started...The ornament hooks were me "rebelling" against my natural inclination to keep them. I have no idea how long I've used those ornament hooks. It may have been years now. But as I was putting the first ornaments away, I notices 2 unopened packages of ornament hooks in the storage box that I bought in 2006!! That's when I said...forget this...CHUCK THEM!!! Next year, those lonely little hooks will be hanging on the tree. They'll be so happy.
Then I went on to the gift boxes...all those gift boxes that I put shirts or blankets in...GONE!!! I am so tired of storing these things. It will be worth it to spend a few dollars to buy more next year if necessary. I never need them. If I have to give a gift during the year, I always buy a gift bag.
I am so loving this time of "weeding out" my house. If only I could "weed out" the dog with the rest of the stuff. I'm dreading to find what he's going to "mark" next.
to get a dog, I will not be sharing your blog with him:) When I took out my christmas stuff this year, I found 4 packages of ornament hooks. I buy them every year "just in case".
-Jennifer
I inherited the packrat tendency fom my parents. (My dad used to take us dumpster diving when we were kids. Ugh! My mom complains about the stuff he brings home . . . unless it is something she needs.)
My husband and I have made several local moves since we were married. After one of these moves, I found a huge box of plastic grocery bags and rags that I didn't even remember packing. After that, I decided the next move would be different! My new cleaning motto is "be brutal!"
Three years ago we moved to an old farmhouse (the owners gave us the option to rent for six months before we decided if we wanted to buy it). I took five huge van loads to Goodwill before the move, three more after, then another two when we moved back five months later! And this past summer I cleaned out another three van loads of stuff! Where does it all come from?
My mom was nice enough to save a pile of my baby clothes, school papers, and stuffed animals for me. Ofcourse, I can't let go of them NOW. I must have had at least a hundred stuffed animals! I was so releaved when a mouse went through that box and I had to throw a bunch of them away. It is so freeing to get rid of all that STUFF, isn't it?
I tell my kids, "Get rid of some of this junk now. The longer you hang onto it, the harder it is to let go of it and it will become a burden to drag it all around."
Man...you are brutal. :-) THIRTEEN VAN-LOADS!!! Can you come to my house? I'm sure you could scrounge up at least 10 van-loads of stuff. :-) I may be able to give you a "run for your money" in this area. There's so much junk here. Do you see those pictures of the Jonah lapbook? Little does anyone know...That was the only clean space on the table (or in my school room for that matter). And the only reason THAT part was clean is because I shoved all the junk to one side of the table so I could take an "uncluttered" picture. I am the queen of "illusions." :-) I really need to just rent a big dumpster...and I'm beyond "yard sale"...It's more like a "Free-to-Good-Home" Sale. At least then it will be gone because it's probably all going to end up at Goodwill anyway. <sigh>
Welcome to my blog...Why "gidget"? Well...my husband tried to teach me how to surf before we were married. I was lousy at it, but he called me his "gidget" and the name stuck.
Why "Treasure Trove"? I love sharing about my sweet little "treasures"...and God has blessed me beyond measure....and no, I didn't mean that to rhyme.
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