Learning to live with less (a goal!)

One of my goals is to learn to live with less.  I currently find myself in a situation where I have too much stuff.  I could have been happier purchasing a smaller home, on a smaller piece of land.  I don't use about 3 rooms in my house- one is empty!  There are closets in the bedrooms and the living area, no pantry and no attic or basement.  So I'm glad I can't pack it away and forget.  I am faced with my stuff (and my husband's!).  My mother-in-law essentially has 3 pantry areas.  And they are well stocked with baking goods, canned goods and coffee mugs, etc.  So she has everything and then some but I don't want that much space.  I have a cabinet that we use for canned goods/snacks.  I figure it keeps me from over-purchasing and for two people, I really don't need so much extra food on hand.  Now, we did add a large utility cabinet to the nook, but its not holding our food, just my brothers food and some extra kitchen utensils and our pots and pans because I have a very poor designed U shaped 9x10 kitchen.  And unlike my mother-in-law who has the counter space, I rarely bake.  So I don't own a rolling pin or muffin tins (gasp!).  I figure if I bake it, I'll eat it.  I just borrow what I need when I need it.

I used to be one of those people that had boxes of bathroom stuff stored (lotions, shaving cream, toothpaste...) I am just fascinated with it.  I've worked hard to organize and I've got it down to two and a travel size items box.  I practically live 5 walking minutes to a Target, I think it's ok if I run out of something.

My husband is a (huge) fan of Star Wars.  Yes, I knew this going in.  However, I was unaware just how much SW related items he had.  I think he could open a store-- or a museum.  But we've gone through it and he's made the tough decisions on what to keep and what to let go.  He kept about 1/3 of his large collection.  The problem is, it's been slow to sell.  Ebay and Craigslist are really the only channels besides garage sales to get this stuff gone.   We thought it would be easier.  So that whole mess is 'out' in the larger of the 3 rooms we don't use.  It's awful.  I don't want him to just give it away because he did spend money to acquire it, but I'm just so sick of seeing the mess everyday.

Collectively, we have a nice DVD collection (over 500) and a nice book collection spanning subjects such as Star Wars, How to write and film movies, Health, Nutrition, a few biographies, Cars, Anthropology and why religion is the worst thing ever created by humans-- more on that later.

I find I'm happiest when my bed is made, and the room is devoid of "stuff" i.e. the pile of comforters that need to be cleaned because the (real) dogs laid on them, the beautiful mailbox my Dad painted for us for our wedding reception which is filled with wedding cards we received.  There's also computer parts, because our computers and desks are in our room, and some other stuff that just has no home.  So much calmer when the room is empty.  Maybe I'll do that this evening, get rid of the extra stuff.  It might as well join the Star Wars stuff downstairs....

Perhaps this is too ambitious for a Monday? we'll see
#minimalization #minimalist #anxiety #depression #stuff #starwars