A while back, I ranted about wanting to get rid of stuff. Since that rant, we have moved from our three bedroom house to a four bedroom house with slightly more square footage but slightly less living and storage space (but one more toilet!) and one person–my brother-in-law–has moved out (of state) with his new wife.
Several car loads of stuff also found a new home at the Goodwill, and several more’s worth found its way into the garbage and recycling, which in the course of moving out we completely filled every week for a month after we were substantially moved into the new place.
It’s a really, really good thing that my brother- and sister-in-law moved, because the original plan had been to cram all 7 of us plus a dog into the new place. Had that happened, I probably would have had to get rid of more stuff than I did in the move, because there’s no GARAGE in this place. It’s a townhouse, see?
I spend my weeknights in a sublet room in the town where I work, because there’s no housing here for rent that will fit my (not so) little family. I bring a minimum of stuff up to work, because I pretty much entertain myself online after work and don’t need much. Most of my stuff, other than books, is related to hobbies which I pursue on the weekend.
In the process of moving, my children were each given their own room, and it has come to my attention that each of them has more stuff than reasonably fits in those rooms. The fourth bedroom, therefore, has become the repository of toys, along with books, our home server, and crafting supplies. It has the potential to be a cluttered mess, and I really should do something about that.
Even more critically, between Snort’s Lego fixation and Princess Fartypants’ many art projects, their rooms require hazard suits to enter–or at least, good footwear, lighting, and careful balance.
This is what it looked like AFTER I spent several hours cleaning!
Cluttered messes are stressful, and Her Highness in particular does not need more stress. It is proving very difficult to convince her to let go of a lot of her stuff–and I understand that, I was the same way.
I still AM the same way. Even though my office and the room I rent don’t look too bad (well, the room I rent doesn’t look too bad…the office is starting to look lived in), I still have so much STUFF. All for hobbies I haven’t actually done in months. Years, almost. I smell a post on work-life balance coming on.
Anyway, now I want to get rid of stuff to encourage my 12 year old not to become a hoarder. Huzzah for reasons!
Ravin's Rantings 
Posted on March 1, 2016
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