See, the thing is, I think we're all used to doing this from time to time. We donate or hand down clothes to others and then go shopping again. Well, this time is different, sister. It's a new month, a new turnaround time for me. I foresee another move in a few months and I didn't have much time to donate/Craigslist/Ebay the last time. I'm still annoyed at all the shtuff I had to make room for in the storage unit aka garage. So, with that in mind, I decided I'd start the process now and just whittle away at it.
Here's the plan. I went through my winter wardrobe and set aside one trash bag of clothes. Then I went into the garage and went through my bins of spring/summer clothes and filled another bag. (That's not including the bag I filled a couple weeks ago with some pieces from my closet and the kiddos' closet.) Done. While I was in the garage I spotted some comforters and linens that could be donated, another two bags. My trunk is now full and ready to be emptied at the donation drop-off tomorrow. Yay! Ohh, but I'm not done. There are household randoms, decorative bits and pieces, books, dvds, and so much more that I want GONE. Did I forget toys? There are bins and bins of toy pieces and sets and cars and animals and who knows what. If my kids didn't have amazing memories, I'd just stack the bins and shrug, "We don't know what's in each bin if we don't open them so maybe nothing will be missed??" The kids won't stand for that, however. But I did promise myself that before we move, we'll go through each bin and clear out before hauling it again.
That's it, right? Get it ready for donation pick-up and we're junk-free! Ahh, but we're forgetting the items that are worthy of the Craigslist crowd and the even more savvy EBay consumers. If something is un-shippable or for a certain target market, EBay is the route to go. And lastly, there's the pile that won't go the route of Craigslist and EBay and must be given away to friends and family. This last pile means more than the rest because with every item, I know who will smile and be grateful for each thing and that means more than the bags and bags of money gone in an afternoon. Makeup is a whole 'nother story because they money adds up quickly, you have to consider things that can be sanitized or not, and you're limited on who you can pass the items on to, usually only close friends or family. Thankfully, it brings me a lot of joy to be able to share with my people and they are ever so grateful.
It's hard getting rid of things because A. We spent they money with every intention of using/enjoying these things, B. We don't know which route to go to be rid of them and C. There are often memories attached to tangible things, as silly as that seems. (There was a bin I found in the garage that held several pairs of old jeans, my esthetician uniforms, and a couple of skirts and dresses, all too small for me to wear now but items that hold memories and a chance to compare to the 'old me" one day, hopefully sooner rather than later!) and D. We think if we hold on to these things as least we didn't throw money away, when in reality, we already did. So now it's time to at least bless someone else with it. Never worry about giving away. We are promised to be repaid for this generosity for what we gave and then some. As soon as we release these things, the clutter, the tangible items that fill our rooms, houses, garages and minds, we feel the weight lifted. That is a great initial "payment" for giving.
If you haven't worn it this season, time to say goodbye to it. If you have items from last Spring/Summer, give them another chance this year and at the end of Summer, reevaluate. Same goes for household items and other miscellaneous things. If you forgot you had it, don't ever use it, can't remember why you bought it, pass it on. Take a look around you and start Spring Cleaning by clearing out and making your living space easier to move around in, with less to dust and wash and dry, less to pick up after playtime or even less remorse for the items that aren't getting any love. You know that feeling when the carpet is freshly vacuumed and the living room looks clean before people come over? Think of having that feeling long-term. Now that's a great feeling.
