Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Summer of No and Less

I have declared this to be my Summer of No and Less.  My revelation happened when I was cleaning out a wardrobe closet looking for a specific item of clothing for my daughter.  I emptied the closet and was surprised by what I found:  6 hand made baby blankets (my daughter is 12), 1 cheerleader shoe from 1st grade, tap shoes from kindergarten, a Hess truck, 3 Halloween costumes, 2 comforters, a beach towel, 2 sleeping bags, a Pooh clock and 4 parasols.  Why does my daughter have 4 parasols?

Of course, I did not find the item I was looking for.  There is too much stuff in our house.  The attic is full of plastic tubs.  The garage is lined with storage boxes.  My goal for the summer is to go through the boxes and plastic bins and decide what I should keep.  One bag of clothes was sent to the Goodwill already.  There are two more bags waiting in the hallway.  :)  I am dusting off my eBay account and ready to sell. 

I also need to practice saying "No".  I have one "No" on the books already for the summer.  My daughter had to choose between softball and soccer as her fall sport. I said "No" to trying to do both.  I think it is important for her to focus on doing one sport well.   She chose softball.   We have been warned that 7th grade is challenging...more homework, science fair projects and Confirmation preparation.

I am looking forward to this summer!  I hope I will have more room, less stuff and a few extra dollars in my pocket.

7 comments:

. said...

Saying No can be so hard for us Mums, but it's definitely a useful skill to learn. I think everyone these days tries to spread themselves too thinly. Better to do a few things well than a lot of things averagely.

Good luck with the declutter!

xMx

Michele said...

Thanks Marie!

Anonymous said...

Less stuff is always a good idea! We're trying to convert our spare-room into a dojo, only the spare room is full of boxes, and we just move the boxes into the cupboards because they're full of boxes too. What half that stuff is, I've no idea!

Michele said...

Anon: I haven't even started to look in the cabinets. Who knows what I'll find... :)

In one kitchen cabinet, I think there are at least 2 Perfect Brownie pans and spaghetti pots unopened in the box.

I have a lot of work to do!

Thanks for commenting.

Sue C said...

You should see the state of my garage! Last year we hired a skip so we could clear it of accumulated rubbish. It was looking tidy and spacious again when my eldest son (17)decided to clear out his bedroom. My son is a hoarder by nature so he had accumulated toys and games going back to when he was 5 (sadly a few not even opened or played with). After a week of looking tidy my garage was again full of unwanted stuff and has remained that way since last year.

So I will be joining you with your summer resolution of de-cluttering as I am determined that my garage will once again be tidy!

Michele said...

Sue: Toys are my weakness. I have toys stored at my parents house from when I was a kid. My daughter spent hours playing with the Fisher Price people/houses circa 1974.

Years ago, I would go to auctions to buy/sell. I was surprised at the price of old toys. Now, I look at my daughter's toys and wonder which ones will be valuable in the future.

Still...a lot of stuff has got to go...

Thanks for commenting and good luck with your garage de-clutter!

Rick Matz said...

"I saw an angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." - Michelangelo