11 January 2007

the need to downsize--are you feelin' it?

i don't know if it's simply the excess of the holidays or what, but lately i'm finding that all i want to do is throw stuff away. i want to purge. i want open space. i want LESS STUFF.

i find that the more toys bb has access to, the less he can happily play with them. it's like there's so many things that he can't see them anymore. we usually rotate toys. we have a small house and our little living room IS his playroom, so we can't keep a lot of toys around. however, since the holiday, we have found ways to make more space for his toys (since he got totally spoiled with them) and i'm feeling like it's too much. he'll be standing amongst all his trucks, tractors and things with wheels and ask, "where's the trailer??" it's right in front of him, but he can't see it.

when i look around my house and i see all the things crammed into this little space i just feel like i want to toss things out the window. do we really need it all?

now granted, our storage spaces are terrible. perhaps if we put some money and effort into having better storage systems things would be more orderly, everything would have its' place. that's true, but it doesn't get to the heart of the feeling inside me. which is saying so loudly, "get rid of what you don't need and don't use!"

does anyone else ever feel this way?

6 comments:

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Oh yes. Each holiday and birthday, I get cramped. I try to donate and/or sell/pitch stuff at least once a year, but it really should get done every season...

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph said...

I have been DRASTICALLY feeling this need lately and freecycling things left & right! And being very strict on what is allowed to come in the house now!

Jamie said...

I totally agree. We have so many toys it is ridiculous. And we have the same problem that there are so many that she can't even see them anymore. I find that the less I put out, the more likely she is to play with them.

I love getting rid of stuff, and cleaning things out. I come from a family of packrats and I did not inherit it!

Leslie said...

just went to the consignment shop today with a big ol' old navy bag full of stuff. they take toys, too, and on a day like today, when my 2 older kids are at school, they'll never know which toys i sold right out of their rooms.

in other words, i love to downsize. :)

Anonymous said...

I understand what you are saying. I also need to downsize. That's why I bought tons of storage furniture.

Now, I have to downsize the ... well, storage furniture.

Hmp.

Mike
http://somethingaboutparenting.typepad.com/

beth said...

I totally feel this way. And I just don't know where to start. I have so much trouble actually letting stuff go, even when we are going to move or something. I just always have that fear that I'll need it later.

And I think Sam does better without so many toys out too, so now we have our closets stuffed with toys on rotation and have no storage for anything else.