Out-Count for Tuesday, July 31

Out today:

• full trash bin (picked up/gone)
• 2 cloth shopping bags full of books donated to library (and if I ever want to read them again, I know where to find them!) PLUS we serendipitously arrived there just in time for children's story time.  :)
• 2 sales in my Amazon marketplace (used) shop!

I intended to do a lot more but, you know, life happens.  The beach left me exhausted (and Noah amped) yesterday, and today said son did not take more than a 45-minute nap.  Have a few more clothes getting ready to be listed, some craft books to list on Etsy, and then time to de-stash some craft supplies...

and just for another 1,000 words worth of story, here's a photo of the current state of my dining room/culling workshop.  Don't judge, just love.  And if you see anything you like, let me know!

Thwack!

I just spent an hour this morning relentlessly chopping down my garden/overgrown yard.  It felt awesome.  I give up on this garden.  From now through the rest of the summer I will patronize the farmers market instead of feeling guilty and horrible every time I look out in the neglected yard.  It's too hot for this nonsense, and let's face it, all I was really farming out there was mosquitos.

Tonight is trash night.  In the meantime, Noah and I are hitting the beach because all this stuff will (sigh) still be here later, but I will never have another gorgeous July 30, 2012 at the beach with my favorite 2-year old.

Some accomplishments since my last post:

• took photos of/made listings for several of my nicer (too big) dresses - these are being sneak previewed by a few friends before the go public but will be up here soon!
• took photos of/listed on eBay 3 pairs of toddler shoes
• gathered two cloth shopping bags of books to donate
• gathered one large box of books to list (mostly craft books, on Etsy)
• washed, dried, and folded 3,000 loads of laundry (feels like)
• garbage out count: 1 large bag
• recycle out count: 1 kitchen-size bin
• do I get points for NOT going to any yard sales this weekend?
• kid clothes out (sell/trade/donate): 1 jumbo diaper box full
• took super-scary "before" shots of the current state of our house - DISASTER!  I will share them with you soon but I have to work up the nerve.

Off now to take some more pix of some more clothes!

Out With Lots of Old Clothes, In With 5 New Items = WIN

Did not get a very big offer on trade-in kids clothing - last time I went was when my son was very young so everything was like new to brand-new and I traded in a LOT - but got rid of 4 bags of clothes (1 to them, 3 donated), and got 3 long-sleeve shirts and 4 sets of cotton jammies for him in the next size up for autumn in trade.  I have to think of it in terms of 4 bags in my way vs. 5 things we will use.  WIN.

Unfortunately there is not a similar shop nearby for women's clothes (someone should open one!), but I found out about a local Facebook group that is similar, so once I get some pix of my clothes I'm getting rid of, I'll post them here on the blog and in that group, and maybe put a few choice items on eBay.

Out - (Some) Clothes & Books

Out: 3 bags of clothes and an activity table that Noah has outgrown.

About a bag went to the re-sale/consignment shop, and the remainder went promptly over to the thrift store down the street from
the re-sale shop.

After I left the thrift store - without going inside, TYVM - I drove to the UPS store and sent off 2 large boxes of books and games to Amazon to sell in my Amazon Marketplace shop.  More books have been set aside to donate but I haven't made it over to the library yet.  I would say after they are gone, I will have gotten rid of at least 50% of our non-childrens books.

Tonight while I took a much-needed shower (damn this heat) my husband and son cleaned (organized) the fridge, something I've been trying to get to for days.  It still needs to be culled more and cleaned, but at least everything fits in it now!  They also not only took out the trash, but also REMEMBERED TO PUT A NEW BAG IN THE CAN.  A+ boys!

I gave myself a pat on the back for the stuff I've done, but in truth I feel SO OVERWHELMED.  Now, when I look at my stuff, I just see hindrances, things to go through.  Part of me wishes a tornado would just come and pick up the house and take it away.

I ignored the urge to re-read them...

To the recycle bin!

All these magazines went out unopened today (some never read at all).  Don't worry, there are more.

I also have 3 boxes of books sorted to sell, with one of the 3 boxes nearly ready to ship out to Amazon - tomorrow I will print out the barcodes and then I should be able to UPS them out tomorrow afternoon.  One of the more time-consuming ways to get rid of, but good in the fact that it gets them literally out of my way and into Amazon's storage right away before I even sell them.

The rule for keeping (non-childrens) books is that it has to be a rare print, an oft-used reference (that can't be easily replaced by internet, such as a few choice yoga books), or one of those favorite books that we like to be able to pick up and read over and over and over again, ex. Christopher Moore's Lamb, a few Neil Gaiman, etc.  The kids books are a whole other, well, box of books.

Have a box of dvd's ready to sell too, but there are a lot more "keepers" there, esp. in these days of no video stores!

Done today - some books listed, 2 bags of garbage out, magazines out.
Books - in progress
Next up - craft de-stash or clothing

First Impressions

Thanks for following me over here!  I just started setting up this blog last night, so it's still a bit rough.  I'm going to try to keep it simple, though, because that, my friends, is the whole point of this story...

Anyone who has been to my house for even a second knows that I have too much stuff.  Not just a lot, too much.  And a lot of it IS COOL STUFF, but piled up, never hung up on walls, project never finished (sometimes never started), tons of supplies for hobbies I have abandoned or don't have time/space for anymore.

I even have a lot of virtual stuff.  I do.  I have archived emails from years ago, for no particular reason other than I never trashed them to begin with, and never got around to doing it after that.  I have 92 Pinterest boards.

I also have lots of stuff that I can't find.  I have at least 5 tape measures and I never can find even one (note: this is partly due to my son thinking they are the coolest thing ever and wandering off with them).  I have 2 pairs of pet nail clippers but my cat currently has ferocious talons.

STUFF like this has been an ongoing theme throughout my adult life, and has progressed since buying our house ten years ago.  It has weighed me down when its whole purpose to begin with was to make me happy.  Now it has to go.  And I am going to document it here.  I will shame myself into it with humiliating admissions and before-photos.  I will confess my sins and hope that someone is out there who will listen and urge me on.

Source: anabundanceof.blogspot.com via Holly on Pinterest

My name is Holly, and I'm a packrat.  If anyone else would like to introduce themself - as a packrat, an inspirational minimalist, or anyone in between - I would love it.  And maybe you could subtly share this page with others who you think might benefit/relate/want to buy my cool stuff.