Goal: 52 Things Will Leave the Mouse Pad Update

Dear Friends and Family,

I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. What do I mean by meaningfully? No, it doesn't mean I'm giving away things loaded with meaning. It means it's purposeful decisions to remove something that has found a home in our home. In other words, clearing out old bananas doesn't count, they never found a home. Clearing out old toys counts since they would linger in the basement given no active actions on our parts.

The List (most recent departures listed first):

1. burp cloths... Ask me why it was so difficult letting these go and I will not be able to give you a good answer. They were piled on P's dresser. I internally debated giving them to my sister. I kept them in March. This time, I bit the bullet and put them in the bag for my sister. I kept 4. I gave her 8.
2. diaper bag... This one is comical because my sister gave me the diaper bag when we were expecting P. Now that P is potty trained, we've been using a smaller bag. And, even if it was from my sister, I put it in the bag for her.
3. random pile of stuff on the stairs to the deck: put the gardening tools and extension cord back in the garage, put the slippers with the other slippers, brought down an anonymous faucet head for Mr. mouse to assess, left the flashlight, and last but not least, threw out a pair of old shoes and a bag of rusty nails.
4. What do you call an old swimsuit missing one underwire? Junk, that's what you call it.
5. We've got friends coming over in a couple of weeks. Nothing like company to motivate a little clean up - especially of the basement where they'll be sleeping. It was also a good time to do a sweep of the basement for stuff for my sister. Looking at the baby stuff, I started sorting it into three piles... one small pile to keep, one small pile to give to my sister, and one large pile to throw away. In the toss column: 2 old breast pumps and one box.
6. Also in the toss column was a peg toy we inherited, but it's missing pegs.
7. Next in the toss column was a set of giant pipe cleaners that P never really grew fond of.
8. And, to round out the toss pile were a random Halloween themed cup and five empty boxes.
9. For my sister? two booster seats
10. book: Cooking for Baby
11. toy: toy computer
12. toy: baby animal puzzle
13. toy: bird house with four plush birds
14. toy: Mega Blocks table and blocks
15. junk: 4 planters, 1 watering can
16. useful, just not for us: 1 hose reel, 2 hoses
17. useful, just not for us: P's toddler pool
18. junk: 2 rusty lounge chairs, 1 stool
19. junk: 4 solar lights that no longer light
20. junk: a bucket and a lid
21. useful, just not for us: a basket
22. books: Gone with the Wind, Brave New World
23. toy: Mr. Potato Head MLB edition
24. baby gear: the Boppy
25. odds and ends: new drawer used for kitchen towels
26. odds and ends: guest bathroom counter
27. useful, just not for us: crock pot
28. useful, just not for us: hurricane with almond candle
29. junk: old bath salts and perfumes
30. baby gear: foam roll
31. baby gear: 256 2 oz breast milk storage containers
32. toy: truck (combo riding and push toy)
33. toy: dog security blanket
34. toy: battery-operated toy train
35. toy: stacking pyramids
36. toy: hammer and eight nails
37. useful, just not for us: cane

We'll see if I can get to 52 this year. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse