Saturday, January 26, 2008

I Squashed the ClutterBug.

Clutter drains your energy - and you don't realize it till it's gone. Every item in your home has an energy to it. When items go a long time unused, unloved and uncared for, they become stuck, stagnant energy that actually physically drains you of your energy. ~ Ariane Benefit

WHEW!

That was a wonderful way to spend the morning! I had been dealing with much, too much clutter in my house. My closets were full. My cupboards were full. The storage space under the beds were full. And my tolerance for it all was gone! So I decided to do something about it. Something radical.

I cleaned it all out. Every last thing that I haven't touched in over a year or more. Every last thing that I just knew I would need someday. Stuff that I would eventually get around to. That project that was going to be so cool and creative once I actually did it. Turns out, I didn't need it, I never got around to it, and I never created it.

Turns out the world didn't stop turning either.

But guess what I DID do with it! No, don't guess - that's no fun for me. Let me tell you!

I gave it all away!

Yep! I emailed all my friends and relatives and told them to be at my house 10 a.m. sharp to get some really great steals! I flatly refused to accept a dime for anything (the less you have to pay, the more you take, you know) though did hint a little that any donations of chocolate would be greatly appreciated (thank you Tre' and Katie!). The stuff went like.., well.., like FREE STUFF!

Before:

After:

Before:
After:
Before:
After:
Have you ever dreamed of waking up one morning and having 50 lbs suddenly gone? That's what this felt like. Though, sadly, I didn't lose any body weight (that might have something to do with the chocolate, however) I did lose a lot of stuff that was weighing me down. You know how cholesterol can clog your arteries? Well, clutter clogs my spiritual and mental arteries. It drags me down, scrambles my mind, makes me irritable until I finally come [] <- this close to wanting to light a match. But since the insurance companies and law enforcement agencies tend to frown on arson, I decided to do something a little less criminal. Sorry, if you missed it and though you might be waiting for me to say, "Maybe next year", there won't be a next year. I'm placing a big box in the corner of the garage and marking it "DONATE". I'll be you-know-what if I ever let that "stuff" back in!

All that is left is going to be boxed up and donated. Next stop: the home organization aisle at Wal-mart!

8 comments:

Laurel said...

Bravo to you!! I intended to come by, but was deterred by a baseball game. Truth is, I probably don't need any more stuff anyway. I need to do what you did. Great idea!

Lisa-Marie said...

That looks like soooooo much fun. I love to get rid of stuff.

If your still wanting to get rid of those cute red couches, I'll take em!!! hee hee.

Ariane Benefit said...

AWESOME! What a wonderful job you did!!! And thanks for quoting me! It's so cool to know I inspired someone! Come by and visit again!

http://blog.neatandsimple.com

I wish you many more clutter busting, feel good days. P.S. Great music!!

Leandra said...

It sounds awesome! I actually started doing some of that this weekend in preparation for our move.

Irene said...

That was brave! No wonder you feel lighter! Well done.

snaphappy said...

What a wonderful idea!

Clean ClutterFree Simple said...

I love that idea! I wish I had the guts to do it...it's still hard to let things go. At least when I donate to the thrift store, I don't have to see people take individual items away. Congrats on your "loss".:-)

Daiquiri said...

Oh, I feel a breath of fresh air just THINKING about doing that around here! What a great idea to have your friends and family come over to "shop". I always go straight to donating it, but I like your idea better.

My "crafts to do someday" supplies are taking over way too much of this house. If I work up the energy to do the same, I'll let you know :)