Exciting Things Ahead

After years of renting, the same non air conditioned place I might add, the Hubs and I are finally taking the plunge into home ownership. This is a nerve-wrecking and exciting time for our little family. We are moving from the only place we’ve called home for the past 7 years. It’s where we first moved in together, where we planned our wedding, where we first brought our babies home to. As bittersweet as leaving the familiar is, I am looking forward to the next phase in our family’s journey.

Now that the mushy bs is out of the way, there are pressing issues to address. How in the world am I going to pack and move 7 years worth of crap, or roots as a more eloquent person might describe. Hubs and I are working full time and each take care of the kids alone while the other works.  While we aren’t exactly “Hoarders” material, we have a lot of stuff crammed into this 900 sq ft apartment.  My “get it done” side wants to just load everything into the pickup and drop it off at a donation center. It can be a nice exemption for next year’s taxes. My frugal/cheapy self who is worried about a new mortgage wants to sell it and make back a little profit. That’s when my busy and oh so tired self kicks in and says, “WTF! You don’t have time to sell it, dump it all”. This is serious conflict.

The thing about belongings is that they are there every day. They are a part of your background, your decor. You walk by things that are crammed in closets, cabinets and drawers without a second thought. They just are there. When you find yourself in a position where you need to move, make room, or just declutter, they are suddenly interesting again. My belongings each hold a story, a memory, or the plan I once had for them. Annnnd… this is how people end up with wall to wall crap. It’s so easy to romanticize. Now is the time to take the rose colored glasses off and be realistic, harsh and practical. The last thing I want is to clutter my new home before we even live in it.

We have approximately 4 weeks before we close on our house and will most likely only have 1 day where both Hubs and I can take off work AND have a sitter. It has to be the perfect storm of moving days. My intent is to divide and conquer.  Everyone keeps giving advice from their last move, “Pack one box each day and put it aside”, “Put out a keep box and a donate box and start throwing stuff in either”, “Burn everything and start new”, (ok, that last one may have been the little voice inside my head trying to get out of packing).  This week I am putting all of the advice into effect, except the burning… maybe. The timing is perfect, it is the the first week of spring, there is an aura of renovation and new beginnings in the air.  I am arming myself with a plan of action, a call to arms, a hail mary if you will.

So if you are moving soon, or are in need of a serious downsizing of crap, join me. Let’s rid ourselves of the unnecessary. Let us be free of junk, of useless outdated clothing, of lotion bottles we didn’t even know we still had in the cabinet.

I will be documenting my progress. Come, change with me