Time to declutter

I love my home.  I love that it is comfy and cozy and filled with a lot of things that mean a lot to me.  For example, I like nick nacks and what nots.  I don't have a lot of them, but each and every one of them has a spacial memory for me.  For example, I have a tiny tiny Wedgwood ring box that I normally keep safety pins in on my dresser.  I also have a small decorative heart shaped house that I normally display on my bookshelf and keep quarters in for laundry day.  I have a few small boxes of other such memorable brick-a-brack items.  As well as framed pictures, holiday decorations and art objects that I've been holding on to for the eventual day we'll move into a 'permanent' home. 

In spite of the fondness I have for my personal treasures, those boxes were closing in on me.  Not to mention that my collection of clothes, purses, and shoes (that I rarely wear) keeps two closet floors covered with boxes two deep, and the shelves filled to the ceiling.  For the sake of my sanity, I had to make some decisions.  I started by narrowing my stuff down to my absolute favorites.  It was still too much.  Finally, I took the plunge, I rented a small affordable storage unit to house all of my seasonal and not currently in use items. 

The result was better than I could have hoped for.  I can clearly see all of the things I use in my closets - as well as the floor and shelves in all of our closets.  I also have instant access to the things that I use.  It feels so good to not have to re-arrange our storage closet every time I need something.  It also feels amazing to be able to see all of my purses and shoes at a glance, which has cut down on the time and frustration I normally encounter when preparing to go to an event.  Most of all, I love the feeling of cleanliness not having an overabundance of stuff has filled our home with. 

I've learned that de-cluttering does not have to mean - get rid of.  De-clutter can also mean trim down and find suitable storage for.  And, that an orderly home helps me to think more clearly, and feel much more content. 

I'm happy,

Andrea