Well, there you have it. The kids are off to school, doing well, and you're looking forward to a bit of time around the house that's, well, quiet. And then - blam! You're descended upon by some new flu germ that you've never fallen prey to before. I spent yesterday on the couch, alternately throwing up or leaking tears from the effort of trying not to. At 1:00 o'clock, I realized I had a problem. I couldn't go get the kids, and everyone else related to them was working. So I had to call my husband home, which he arranged with complete grace, even though he had to conduct a meeting from his cell phone as he went to get them. And then I crawled back to the couch and went to sleep. All during this incredible day, when I was wearing a path from the couch to the bathroom, my three-year-old raised herself. Seriously, she pottied herself (who knew she could?), and brought me granola bars to open for her. I did manage to get up once and get her a jelly sandwich and some water, but that's as much as I could manage.
The point to this entry, other than garnering sympathy, is I had some serious time to lay there and look around me. (I couldn't manage any knitting, and reading was sporadic.) As I'm looking around, I realize my house is a flat out mess. It gets like this whenever I don't work on it constantly, picking up and decluttering. Every day it's the same thing, put things back in their niche and in the hamper, drawers, fridge, cupboards, wherever it belongs. It occurred to me that my house was FULL! Too much stuff. And so I'm considering (it hasn't been fully decided yet) taking a week off from crafting, and using that time to move things out of my house that we don't use. Seriously, I opened a drawer for a girlfriend the other day to give her baby bibs. I had a baby bib drawer, and the littlest one is three. I have been avoiding this for too long. But I'm just considering it, because it sounds like no fun whatsoever. But I think that I'd be happier if my house was less messy, and more peaceful, as I knit. I'd probably lose many guilty feelings of the things there are to do, while I sit and craft.
But this sounds like no fun, you know? So - hey, I had some time - I thought I'd try to make it a bit more exciting. Why don't all of you look around your house and find something you should have thrown out long ago? Then leave me a comment about what it was. I'm entering my baby bib drawer, two years overdue. I'll be very interested in reading what everyone else has collected but should have gotten rid of, and I'll do a drawing and send the winner a prize. Don't worry. It won't be stuff I need to get rid of, but some verrah nice yarn, I'm sure. And a second runner up will receive some of those awesome stitch markers from Arleta. She does a really nice job. So leave me your comments! And don't worry. I'm not delirious. I'm really feeling much better today.
O.M.G.
5 weeks ago
18 comments:
I'm glad you are feeling better! The stomach flu is no fun at all.
Coincidentally, I just went through the diaper bag that I haven't had to use for a while. Guess what I found? Size 9 month pants and sweatshirt. It was buried at the bottom of the bag. Plus I found a single serving of baby formula (the dried powder). My youngest is three. Apparently I hadn't gone through the bag, at least not dug to the bottom, in a while.
I sure home your feeling better soon..what a day you had.
When my daughter and grandkids decided to move in with me I had to "unload" 2 bedrooms...I found size 10 pants that I've had for 12 years, new with tags that I'll still save to "get back into" and my daughters coming home from hospital and cute bibs that I liked and she's 33. I've cleared out alot of stuff but those things though I should of gotten rid of..I'll still hang onto. Oh and afew suckers that were her favorite..still in the wrappers...UCH!
The flu in September? That bites! I am in the process of cleaning out our walk-in closet as I prep for my return to work - work clothes in one area, donate some clothes that haven't been worn, etc. And my purse, of dearm don't even get me started on my purse ;)
your house sounds just like mine... I like to keep everything.. and the hubby... he throws things away like there is no tomorrow...
Every now and then I get into the groove to clean... start upstairs and go all the way down... probally getting rid of at least 2 or 3 garbage bags full!!
The thing I go thru on a regular basis tho is my bag... it's my purse/lunch kit/knitting holder
I can always find some sort of granol bar of other goodie down there... one time I even found a set of car keys from a vechile I had sold about 8 mths before!! No wonder I couldn't find them in the house...lol
Hope you feel better!!
You should have called me! I'd have brought your kids to ya. Glad you're feeling better, though.
Ok, I have 6 bags of hand-me-down clothes to go out, and a huge pile of papers covering my dining room table. Those are the first. .... There's a lot more stuff that needs to go!
Oh, and thanks for the nice comments about my stitch markers!!
Get well soon! I am getting rid of all of the clothing that will never, ever fit me again, nor will my not-yet-made potential daughter want to wear if I ever end up having a girl and she's the same build as I am.
Good timing... today we were moving dressers around and I cleaned some clothes out of the drawers. Including a pair of black spandex leggings that were last in style (and last worn in public) in the late 80's. Oy.
I was just looking in one of our closets for something and noticed I still have the hideous dress I had to wear as a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding; they just celebrated their 20th last month!
your post made me laugh-the part about cleaning; not the part about being sick...although the story about your 3 yo was funny.
i just threw away a piece of cardboard that i had punched two holes in and strung two different color cords. i used this to show my boys how to tie their shoelaces. i don't want to tell you how old they are now but it was a LONG time ago!
Glad you're doing better. I know how tough it can be to be sick when you've got a little one to take care of...good thing she could bring you her own granola bars :-)
I definitely believe in de-cluttering. I organized my stash recently, went through all 3 kids' rooms & carried out a couple of big trash bags, but I'm still not done. It's not fun, but you'll love the results.
Hee hee...what should I have thrown out a looooong time ago?
You mean besides every bill I paid for the last 6 years? OK. That would probably be my 5 past computers, still lying around and being used as dust collectors and foot stools.
Glad your feeling better.
Okay here it goes. I have a phone that hasn't worked in years. Hubby got it before he met me when he opened a bank acount. It is ugly. You know the type of phone alam clock. I should have tossed it the year we got married (18 1/2 years). Hey today is a new day do you think it will get tossed?
I'm usually pretty good about not keeping things we don't need or use. My huge problem area though is magazines (well and yarn and fiber but those don't count right?). I should definitely not have magazine subscriptions.
I'm in the process of getting rid of about 5+ years worth of accumulated BH&G, Sunset, and other house/garden magazines. Unfortunately, for me this involves going through each one to make sure there isn't an article I need to save...(OCD much? no...)
After nearly filling our 90 gallon recycling container, I've only got 2006 and 2007 to go at this point and I've managed to not tear out too many house ideas and recipes. Wish me luck!
Hey Lady,
This is Amanda. Mom gave me your blog. I am digging out my house. I came to the same reality as you just the other day. Mom an I are having a White Elephant Sale and then at the end I am having a charity pick up what ever dose not sell.
I have over a thousand pieces of bath salts and fizzes we made...thinking they would sell somewhere. I have a room packed with yarn, cloth, kids clothes, baubles of all kinds, kids old toys and bouncy seats.
I have cleaned out my kitchen. I had 21 Art Cafe Mugs. What in the world do I need that many mugs for. So, cleaned, tagged, and in the box. Tons of green glass bottles that went from a collection to a crazy clutter. All in all, it is been a lot of work and I have gotten nothing done. I am working on a tribal dance costume for my Halloween camping weekend. I am in the middle of two sweaters and a bread spread. I also have two skirts and two dresses begging for me to start them.
I took a week and read all the Harry Potter books. (now I caught up with the rest of the world). Now, I am on a mission to find the floor. I also think my kids deserve to live clutter free. Some of it has been hard to let go, but it is something that needs to be done.
Mom says HI!
Amanda
I've got my cancelled checks from 15 years ago, my husband has every pay stub he's ever gotten and I still have all of the crib pads and sheets - Ryan is 3 now and has NEVER slept in a crib =) Feel better?
hope you are feeling much better now.
I'll only answer this question if you promise not to send me Anything - and I really mean it. No matter HOW nice ... well,
I've spent much of the summer decluttering. I documented (ugh, how embarrassing) the clean up of my sewing room, and got rid of, via freecycle, 40 lbs of fabric stash, 75 or so old patterns, 3 boxes of books, and a host of old computer hardware. Then dsd and I went at her room and all the stuff in the basement, prior to moving her off to college, and Goodwill was the beneficiary of countless clothing items.
It's literally taken all summer.
I still have more books than will fit on the shelves, I still have more fabric/patterns/yarn etc than I can get made up in anything approaching a reasonable amount of time (my lifetime)...I still have approx 70 pair of shoes. LOL.
But, I will tell you, it is liberating. I can only remember one or two things in a whole lifetime of divesting myself of "stuff" that I've wanted something back.
So, take it in small pieces, and as you let stuff go, bless it knowing that someone else will find new life for stuff that is just cluttering up your space.
(want some books?) ;)
oh, and Happy Birthday !!!
I hope it counts if I can tell you of an item I found when I was decluttering before. I did a really good job and don't have weird old stuff hanging around any more. The item:
Prescription dog medication. The dog it was prescribed for recovered from the ailment and lived another 9 years. He had been dead for several years when I discovered the vial in a closet I was decluttering.
If you stall on your decluttering efforts, get the book "Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston. It is very motivating. The feng shui aspect is minimal, but she does go into the stuck energy that stagnates when we cling to objects that no longer serve us.
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