Last week William and I--along with three adopted great-grandparents--traveled down town Philly to check out Reading Terminal's miniature train display. It was a fantastic trip filled with some of William's favorite things: trains, cookies, and Bert (his adopted grandpa)!
. . . .
Although I don't foresee us moving any time soon, the desire for a simpler life (as stated in my previous post) has propelled me to look at things that I can change about my situation right now. We can't move out of our apartment until after the baby is born, money is tight, and my need to purge and organize (nest) has become intense. So, what does all that mean: major perspective shift in how I view my space and our things! I once told a girlfriend of mine that I'm a "closeted minimalist." She laughed. I would love to be, but I'm not. Andrew and I have stuff. Lots of it. So, when you have a one bedroom apartment, too many books, a toddler and a baby on the way, you have to re-evaluate. I'm going to take it slow--and I've promised I wouldn't try and move the bookshelves, or couches, or the desk, again.
Here is my plan:
1. Starting with one section at a time I'm going to ask myself if I should "re-shelve it, store it, or pitch it." I'm trying to convince Andrew that I'm not going to pitch everything. I love throwing things out and the very idea makes him break out in a nervous sweat.
2. Finding spaces for the important things like my clothes--which presently have no home and are thus all over the place--our keys, William's toys, my camera *ahem*
3. Being mindful of how to best use our space. We have massive closets that are haphazardly filled with boxes, books, and clothes--but I can never find the things that I need and have no idea what's actually in there.
Living with a lawyer I've learned to add disclaimers of all sorts to any of my bold statements, so, I will say that I will try my best to take on these tasks of re-organization with the knowledge that 1) I have obvious limitations (a toddler and a horrid pregnancy), 2) I will never become a brilliant minimalist, and 3) we will probably always have too much stuff! I need the perspective shift right now and desire the feeling that I can make an impact on the quality of our life--even if it's a small one.
2 comments:
Sounds like a fun tip! Little otter is becoming so big- what a cutie...
Hope you are feeling better and have a lovely holiday with the fam.
Oh I feel your pain my dear... even while living in a 125 sq ft cabin for 3 months, it gets cluttered and messy, and we hardly have any possessions! Take it slow & easy - it's always a process. :)
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