Time to declutter

As we're gearing up for a move, i'm gearing up to declutter. I don't want to haul all this stuff, yet again! It's just too much crap! Sure, there are things I love and I don't want to get rid of, but there are things I want to be without. I hate feeling like such a consumer. So, I'm going through things as we pack to move. I have some questions to pose as I come across stuff.

• Do I love this? Can the sentimental value be maintained with a photograph?
  
• Am I keeping this because someone gave it to me and I feel obligated to keep it?
• Have I used it in the last year?

Some things that are coming under real scrutiny:

• Clothing. I've actually been pretty good about this, having had my wardrobe shift so much in the past few years (pregnancy and nursing). If it doesn't fit, if I don't like it, if I can't nurse in it... off to the Goodwill. My underwear/sock drawer needs and overhaul though (don't worry, I'm chucking those!). Ali has quite a collection of clothing though. And the kids, it's harder, but I save them for future kids. they do have too much though, they couldn't wear all that I had, and you end up rotating favorites anyway. I will be going through their stuff too.
• Books. I've been dragging around these parenting books and books from college for several moves now. Books are heavy! And you know what, when I have a question/concern, I turn to the internet and my internet buddies for info! There are still reference books I want/need to keep, but a lot of them I don't need to keep. They need to GO!
  
• Magazines. I had a subscription to Yoga Journal for several years. Most of them are UNTOUCHED! I keep thinking I'm going to read them, but who am I kidding! Freecycle anyone?
• CDs. These take up so much room. We have one book full, it's time to move the rest to CD books. Easier to store. DVDs too.
• Kitchen gadgets. I'm not keeping several sets of each thing. I don't need that. I'm keeping the best and getting rid of the rest!
• Stuff I never unpacked since last moving... hmmm, do I really need that stuff? I don't think I missed it!
• Toys. With all these lead scares, I don't want the kids playing with plastic toys! REALLY! I didn't want them to have plastic toys from the get go, but somehow they make their way into your home. I guess I'm going to have to put my foot down and have a new rule about toys coming into our home. Especially for Grandma (sorry Mom, but you know you love that $1 section at Target... and you know I hate cheap plastic crap made overseas by tiny fingers. Save that money and buy my children 1 nice wooden toy or book instead. And not Disney Princess stuff, you know how I feel about that!). Anyway, there are too many toys, they don't play with them all and they get overwhelmed by them. I will allow some plastic toys (for instance, I think Legos are wonderful for children and would not deprive my children of these toys), but really, they are happy playing with frickin ROCKS! They don't need a gazillion toys.
  
• Baby gear... I'm torn on this. It's going to be a few years before we have our next and final baby. should I keep the gear or buy it if we need it next time around. I did pretty good keeping down the gear clutter, we don't have a ton, but we do have a few things I don't want to haul around for at least 2 more moves. 2 carseats we don't need, exersaucer (Elyas is still playing with this), bouncy seats... I should sell them now. At least we never bought the big space eaters - crib, high chair, playpen...

When we are set up in our new home I am hoping this really works for us! It will be so much easier to clean with less stuff, I'm be happier with less baggage, and it will highlight the things we do love! When people come over instead of looking at all the books in our bookcase(s), they will look at the pictures of our children we have hung on the wall, the wooden figures I have bought for Ali (one each Christmas). Simpler is easier, healthier, better.

Other topics on simplicity to come - menu planning, weekly cooking, cleaning schedule (did I just say that? yikes!)