Dear Friends and Family,It's a new year. And, I'm beginning another round of my clutter diet. The goal? I am going to try and have 52 things meaningfully leave the mouse pad this year. It's a purposeful decision to remove something that has found a home in our home. I'm evicting unwanted tenants.There's different questions different people use to gauge what should stay and what should go. There's do I still love it, does it serve a purpose, when did I last use it, etc. My guiding light question will be knowing what I know today, would I buy this today?The List (most recent departures listed first):
- I'm feeling a little guilty, but not guilty enough. I'm bringing a bag of stuffed animals in for a friend who just had twins. P got them as a gift, but we never put these in rotation, so they're new. All the stuff P got that we never used. I'm feeling a little guilty, but not guilty enough.
- Change of plans, we brought some stuff down for P's cousin instead. There's a tower of stacking alphabet blocks.
- Next is a small zoo Mr. mouse's folks got P for her second Christmas.
- There's a bucket of blocks P got from my parents.
- There's two puzzles. The first, Mr. mouse bought once when we were traveling. It's got four little puzzles each with four pieces. The second, we got as a birthday gift. There's only so many US state puzzles one kid needs.
- And, last, but not least, an art kit for the bath. More stuff we got that we never used.
- I've been sick for three days now and so I'm going to focus on something small for today. My friend Pete offered me $50 for my four year old crib and mattress. P's slept in it almost every night since she was three months old so we've gotten full usage out of it. It'll be a little sad, but she loves her big girl bed so I guess she's ready for the change.
- We had a small refrigerator sitting on our landing. It used to be in Mr. mouse's office until they moved offices and sneaking a refrigerator in got too complicated. Then, we used it for parties on the deck, on occasion. However, it's latest use, gathering dust while sitting on our landing for the last four years, didn't seem like its best use. So, when we learned the nursery room that P stays in when I go to church needed a refrigerator, we dropped it off.
- I'm writing about clutter because sometimes it's easier to focus on a small thing than to try and process a storm going on around you. And, I am truly getting rid of something so I have the slight endorphin rush from progress against clutter. This one is almost comical. I have 12 Disney coffee mugs I bought in 1994 so almost twenty years ago. Actually, I bought close to two dozen mugs, but donated a batch some years ago and kept only my favorites. The colors are them are really nice. The feel of them is really nice. I haven't used one ever. They're still new in box. I found a friend of a friend who has a car with a vanity plate of Disney Lover. I am going to give the last 12 mugs to her. I am still sad to have these mugs leave the house. I don't use them. They sit above my stove in the cabinet. They need to go. Would I buy them today? Possibly, if I came across them somewhere. The problem is, I don't think I'd come across them anywhere today. So, I guess I couldn't or rather I wouldn't buy them today. Be strong, mouse, let them go.
- The next two are almost trivial. I almost feel guilty counting them. Yesterday, I went into a bin of light bulbs we had and I found a plant bulb from the pile of random bulbs that sit in our garage. I brought it into work and gave it to my friend who now uses it to light up the plant I gave her. (see below, second from bottom)
- useful, just not for us: swim diapers
- junk: old telephone and two routers
- useful, just not for us: sandwich maker
- junk: three plastic cups
- useful, just not for us: bagel slicer
- useful, just not for us: more aqua globes
- useful, just not for us: two winter coats
- baby gear: two baby gates
- baby gear: three baby gates
- books: five or more kid books
- toys: two noise makers
- toys: Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders
- toys: elephant pull toy
- toys: peg puzzle with farm animals
- toys: two bags of blocks
- useful, just not for us: house plant
- useful, just not for us: exercise ball
- junk: 15
- useful, just not for us: 14
- toys: 11
- baby gear: 7
- odds and ends: 3
- books: 2
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