To B.E. in France

 B. E. commented in the NYT about her problem with too much stuff and how she wished her husband wouldn't give her any gift for her birthday ( see  http://community.nytimes.com/comments/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/children-of-hoarders/?permid=15#comment15 )

I hear you, B.E.!   I agree, I dread Christmas and birthdays with the influx of more stuff that I don't want.   Try asking your husband to get you flowers (no vase!) or exotic chocolates (and don't save the box!) or a bottle of fine wine - something that can be consumed and doesn't become yet another object.   Or maybe a new hardcover book on the best seller list that you can promptly donate to the library after you've read it.  
I keep saying "Make a donation in my name" but no one heeds this.  

There's a children's book called "Too Many Toys" by David Shannon.   There's a wonderful description on how every occasion calls for another toy to be added to the young boy's huge collection - his birthday party, other birthday parties, a trip to the dentist, a visit to a fast food restaurant, etc.   It's easy to see how we get inundated with stuff.    Go to the library and check it out.   I have taken it out many times to read with my little one.  An absolute charmer and the mom is a kindred spirit.

Ever onward

I recovered the cleared off spaces this weekend, and got downstairs respectable enough that I could open the door and let in my kid's friend (and parent!).   The back of a minivan was stuffed with old boxes to be recycled and taken to the dump.   The current mini project is clearing out a bookshelf in the kitchen.   I took a half a dozen cookbooks I never used to the library to donate to the book sale.   I'm not sure why this bookshelf is taking me so long to finish, but I'm only about halfway done to making it respectable.   I took a "before" picture, so when it is done, I'll post before and after shots. 

It's still amazing how quickly a cleared off kitchen counter can get recluttered though.   Sigh.  But I'm not giving up.

1 step back

I'll just say it.  I'm back sliding.  :(  
The kitchen counters are starting to clutter up again.    There are legos on the family room floor.  (I know because I stepped on one of the little buggers - man do they hurt in your bare feet)

Last weekend, I put the veggie garden in, instead of doing more clean up.    It was finally sunny and if I didn't get it done, it would get too warm to grow peas and lettuce.  

I have a couple things to motivate me though... a playdate for the little guy this weekend AND it is dumping day in the county.   Dumping day is when you can take big ticket items and haul them to the site and free yourself from these large objects that you don't need anymore.  

So, I can recover my newly taken territory before it gets out of hand again and free myself of some big ticket items.   And I have the push of knowing that there will be people coming over to ensure that it gets done.