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Time To Purge Our House Of Crap

15 March 2018
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So the other day we realised that we are running out of time to get our lives in order for this trip.  Three and a bit months to be exact.  Which sounds like a long time, but considering it feels like we had Christmas yesterday, I’m not counting on it going slowly.  That sudden fear meant that we got started on striping the campervan (which is completely gutted now – yay).

Then one random afternoon last week, I figured it was time to start packing up some of the house.  I started with random crap in the kids cupboard.  Actually consciously packing in baby blankets into the ONLY box that I had packed so far.  Guys why?  Why did I pack in the blankets?  We aren’t having any more babies so why do I need a baby blanket?  And even if we were having more babies do they really need teeny tiny little blankets?  NO we freaking don’t!

So I gave up.  Sat on the couch and moped on Instagram stories.  As I tend to do when I actually have a lot of other stuff I could be doing be feel completely overwhelmed to actually do.

Later, over supper Seth was just mentioning how some of his friends think that we have lost our damn minds for not starting to really do anything yet.  And they are so right even though they didn’t actually say it in such strong words.  We are not doing enough to get everything in order.  But hot damn, that’s going to change now.  I think I needed to get myself into a space where I really start to feel that pressure, to really get myself into the game.  It’s been coming on slowly but now I feel it in full force.  (It’s also why in this state of overwhelm, I haven’t been posting as much as I used to.  Or at all in fact.)

It’s time to get crap done!  Here comes the purge.

Instead on focusing on the kids stuff, it was time to look at my own stuff.  Which is hard right?  Because it’s just SO much easier to get rid of other peoples things.  So much freaking easier because I’m generally not attached to their toys.  Or their little trinkets that they save – like rocks, lids of bottles or that sparkly heart they found on the pavement.  I’m ruthless as hell with their stuff.

But my own…  Not so much.

Now listen, I grew up in a home where things were kept.  Not everything.  But a lot of things.  We had clutter on all the counters (probably a lot of it was my own crap that I put there, but as a teen you don’t take responsibility for that stuff do you?  Not a chance!)  I may have picked up this habit from my Mom (in fact I’m sure that’s something she embedded into my genes), but there is always a use for something.  So ipso facto it’s worth keeping.

Side note, I always thought that was ifsofacto. Learn something new everyday!

Seth on the other hand is the King of getting rid of things.  Haven’t used it in a couple months?  Chuck it.  Don’t like it anymore?  Donate it.  In fact don’t even bring it into the house in the first place.

Which means that over the last 11 years that we have been together I have learned to let go.  I part with things much more easily than I used to.  That seems pretty huge for me actually.  I’d say that I have come a long way.

Which is why I was surprised as flip when I opened the drawer next to my bed.  (In truth it’s actually a three level chest of drawers, but still).  Oh my gosh.  OH.  MY.  GOSH!

Stuff.  So much freaking stuff!!  Aside from sharing some of the more interesting finds on Insta stories, I actually had to tweet about it because it was so ridiculous and I think it’s still worth sharing again because how in the heck!

It actually blows my mind how much crap we have accumulated in case we may need it one day! A thread of crap I’ve found in my bedside drawer. pic.twitter.com/o9SumrMveo

— Cindy Alfino (@CindyAlfino) March 14, 2018

A foam donkey
23 stickers that have lost their stickiness
15 hair ties
A broken picture frame
5 books I never read
3 loose buttons
4 empty condom boxes
2 manuals we got in 2007
47 products I used 3 times
5 different mini manicure sets
15536 random bits of paper

— Cindy Alfino (@CindyAlfino) March 14, 2018

3 pregnancy tests (one for each kid – if I chuck them, how will I know I was pregnant?)

— Cindy Alfino (@CindyAlfino) March 14, 2018

9 ribbons
6 magazines that the blog featured in but I’ll never read again
A baby changing mat still in its original cover
10 pamphlets on how to raise a baby ???
A toy gun
About R10 in change
18 pieces of broken jewelry

— Cindy Alfino (@CindyAlfino) March 14, 2018

A charger to a phone we no longer have
19 random flash drives
A cassette tape
And old school video tape
A million other little bits of crap!

— Cindy Alfino (@CindyAlfino) March 14, 2018

Did everything end up on my bed? Yes
Did I fall asleep halfway through sorting? Yes
Did I just shove everything still on the bed into a drawer so I could actually go to bed? Also yes pic.twitter.com/DVbKxpRO4a

— Cindy Alfino (@CindyAlfino) March 14, 2018

The good news is that we managed to throw away three bags of crap and pack a box full of things to giveaway.  Yet I still have an entire drawer full of things!  HOW?

But I’ve realised that this kind of thing is a process.  It’s something that you have to do in stages.  We all have those sneaky drawers full of random things – we had three in my room.  We’ve still got another in the kitchen and an entire kist full of who knows what in the lounge to go through.  And that’s aside from like, the whole house that I still have to deal with.

Do you regularly go through your things?  Or are you more like me when you wake up 5 years later and realise you’re drowning in stuff?

 

 

Time To Purge Our House Of Crap was last modified: March 15th, 2018 by 321Blog
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18 comments

Marshe Lesch 15 March 2018 at 1:04 PM

Any start is still a start! Goodluck!

Reply
321Blog 15 March 2018 at 1:47 PM

SO true!!

Reply
Nicole 15 March 2018 at 3:31 PM

It is so difficult!
Not to add more to your already full plate… maybe look into the KonMari method. I have found it very helpful for the tidying, organizing and chucking of stuff.
Either way, every little bit you do goes a long way 🙂
Good luck x

Reply
321Blog 19 March 2018 at 9:54 AM

I’ll check it out! I need all the inspiration to let go that I can find!!

Reply
Tertia Burns 15 March 2018 at 5:36 PM

I hate clutter and my hubby is an absolute hoarder… I now make it a monthly occurance that we get rid of stuff we don’t use… donating some and even selling at a boot sale…

Reply
321Blog 19 March 2018 at 9:53 AM

I wish we had more local boot sales and things. We just end up giving ours away, which isn’t an issue for me, but being able to sell it may give my kids a bit more motivation to get rid of some of their toys haha

Reply
Adele 15 March 2018 at 6:40 PM

I love your posts. It feels like me
!!!

Thank you inspiring me to get my shit togsther (and throw some of it away)

Reply
321Blog 19 March 2018 at 9:52 AM

Pleasure!! I hope you feel completely rejuvenated after your purge 🙂

Reply
Melissa Javan 16 March 2018 at 7:38 AM

There’s so many baby toys and stuff I want to get rid of but I don’t. I find myself starting to pack and then put it aside again. Good luck to you guys.

Reply
321Blog 19 March 2018 at 9:51 AM

It’s SO hard – mostly because there are also so many memories tied to all the things!

Reply
March madness and a much-needed staycation ~ the Bird and the Beard 17 March 2018 at 2:09 PM

[…] Read more about her sorting-out-the-house attempt on her blog 3kids2dogsand1oldhouse.. […]

Reply
Cassey 18 March 2018 at 1:17 PM

I did a big purge of my stuff when I listened to the KonMari stuff. And now it’s a regular thing. Only problem is J and K’s things – I can’t purge their things, so I still feel overwhelmed with stuff -_- Luck with your process.

Reply
321Blog 19 March 2018 at 9:45 AM

I feel you – the more I’m doing it the easier it’s getting – YAY for progress!

Reply
Currently - 3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House 19 March 2018 at 1:01 PM

[…] of time to get our lives sorted out but I’m not going to dwell on that.  Like I mentioned in another post last week, the stress is what gets me moving and I’m definitely in action mode, so I’m not as […]

Reply
Lalannie Knoll 20 March 2018 at 5:13 PM

Hoarders unite!! After every successful purge I promise myself that I won’t collect stuff. And every time I do but I think I’m getting better. Why do we do this to ourselves. I always convince myself that I will need said item at some point as I hate wasting. Wish I can find the balance though. Also going to listen to the Konmari method.

Reply
321Blog 24 March 2018 at 1:57 PM

It’s a real problem actually. So easy to start collecting again almost by accident in the beginning.

Reply
Tara Midgley 23 March 2018 at 9:54 AM

I’m moved house twice in the last 12 months. ONce across the country. Once across town. Moving house is AMAZING for purging crap. The biggest things I learnt were to:
1. Get it out the house asap. Make a donation/garbage box and then DONATE or THROW IT AWAY. If it hangs around you’ve moved the problem not solved it. and
2. Be more ruthless. Think how ruthless you think you need to be, then quadruple it. Now you are getting there.

Good luck!!

Reply
321Blog 24 March 2018 at 1:55 PM

I hear you – everything you think you need you really don’t. I need to be a lot more hardcore!

Reply

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