We leave for France on Wednesday. This is a good thing.
The other good thing is that we’ve rented out our apartment while while we’re gone. Everything extraneous must go!
Every drawer must be cleared of clutter and cleaned. Our clothes need to either be packed in a bag to go, or packed into storage.
I can now safely say that each surface would quite easily pass the white glove test.
Recently I read that we hang on to things like soy sauce packets and chopsticks because we think we’re being frugal and clever, but in fact, the drawers become overrun with these things.
Guess who’s guilty of same? And guess what else got pitched? Yup. Kept two pairs of good chopsticks and the rest (of which there were dozens) and all those silly packets are gone, gone, gone.
I’ve decided to ask myself this question about everything. “Colleen, is this just another example of the Soy Sauce & Chopstick (SS&C) operating principle?”
I looked at some of the blouses and pants that I have been unable to let go of and pitched them in the donation box. I cannot begin to describe the lightness that move alone evoked. We all know the rules on these things are pretty simple. If I’m not using it and holding on to it only because one day I might find a use for it…well, clearly it’s a SS&C issue. Out it goes!
The fridge has been freed of dated sauces and salsas. The toiletries are in snapped containers and in storage. There is nothing under the bed except the floor. Our place is as free and clear of clutter as a nice hotel. Kind of inspiring actually. We are officially free of clutter and there is a spaciousness I feel that is not just because of the new-found space in the closet…I feel like I’ve lightened something within as well.
Perhaps one could try living like this on a regular basis?
There is something like this “de-cluttering your cupboards” physically and mentally by Louise Hay but I can’t pinpoint where it is in the book……
Hope you will have a fantastic time in France. It certainly will be much warmer than Offa’ Dyke.
Catherine…I don’t know about the Hay book, but I know that de-cluttering works on a multiple of levels. It’s very freeing.
I do believe you’re right about the comparison to Wales. France will be slightly less daunting than hiking Offa’s Dyke. Funny, you should bring that trip up. Kevin and I were walking somewhere yesterday and talking about how much we loved everything about that experience (well almost everything), because we both are positive it would have been better to do it in 15-days instead of 13 (my knees groan just thinking about it!).
All I can say is, I love your life!!!
have a wonderful time, and I can’t wait to hear your lovely,
inspirational stories!!! France is definately on my bucket list!!
Be safe!!
Hey Laurie, You know who is inspiring me right now? My mother-in-law. She is traveling to Europe with Kevin’s sister and husband and will be coming to visit us in France. She is 75-years old and psyched to be able to say, “See you in Paris!”
The woman is incredible and I can’t get over what great shape she is in. She is making me love this whole trip even more. Can’t wait to spend time with someone so cool and with such enthusiasm to see everything!
And as for your bucket list…pick one thing on that list. Any one thing. And then, as Nike said, JUST DO IT! Looking forward to hearing your inspirational stories right here 🙂
Ahhh… France. That would be the easiest way for me to leave the clutter behind. I love the Soy Sauce & Chopstick analogy and will put it to use this week. It just seems like whatever I throw away I instantly need, like the very devil himself is playing evil tricks on me. But I can see the extremes it can go to; my Xman said the other day, “I needed to make a [insert whatever here] and I finally got to use that jar of screws you always bugged me about”. Such a crow of victory! I’m surprised he even found them again. Sigh – you’d think that would drive me to a fit of decluttering but I think I’m pulling a ‘Grama’… wait until I have to move house and leave it for the kids to do.
And here’s a sign that I truly have SS&C syndrome: I was reading Karen’s post and thinking, “Hmm, I wonder what those pieces look like?”
Ha! Laurie…I think the trick to the whole shmozzle is to only let in something new-to-you if you let something else go out the door first. And yes, the devil is in those jar of screws and every other thing that’s dumped on the counter 🙂
But hey, maybe if you throw three big things out you can shift Karen’s furniture in. Win/win for everyone!
Oh Colleen, before opening your blog, I said to myself “please let this blog of Colleen’s inspire me”. Secretly knowing that it undoubtedly would. I have a dilema with my heart strings and hard to break nostalgia. Moving homes on May 1st we are “out with the old and on with the new”. For our fresh new start and our new appartment we have decided to only have the bare minimum, some pictures and decorative things, but few at that. For which I am fine with. Until Paul says, “please tell me that we are not taking that old sofa set, lets buy a nice, crisp, new leather one”! He says, with a question in his voice, not a demand. My sofa set was purchased 23 years ago, before Jessica was born, from a place down on main street in Vancouver. It had the original horse hair stuffing and strange, beige plastic covering. I had the three peices rebuilt, recovered and voila, a gorgeous antique set from 1920. I see his point, but I am feeling as though the furniture has been apart of my life, having seen the good times and the bad times. Weathering the storm with me. It has been peed on, vommitted on and it has endured 4 moves. Some happy moves, some not so happy. Plus, two more stylish recoverings. The worst part really, is the I can’t find anyone to take it! My children do not want it. The consignment store says no and Love’s Auctioneers says, no way. Hmmmmph, as it seems antiques are a thing of the past, ha ha no punn intended. Stiff upper lip, onward I go, and the furniture must go too. If you know of anyone that would be interested, I’m all ears. If not, well life has its way of working things out. On this melancholy day, thank you for down sizing, your home will be a treat for your lucky house swapper. And I can’t wait to hear about YOUR new diggs in France. Oh, yes I have been inspired, thank you.
Oh Karen. I LOVE those pieces. I can visualize them in every detail (except for the vomit…I’m pretty sure I don’t recall any stains 🙂 I believe the other part of the rule is that if a piece is beautiful and functional and you love it, well, perhaps you don’t need to throw it away at all. (Sorry Paul).
But there is also the idea of a fresh start and maybe it’s enough that you have the memories…such are the dilemmas of the editing process. I must say that I like the idea of a blank slate and carefully picking only the essentially beautiful into your new world.
Good luck Karen!
I will traipse about main st on Saturday to see whats up. They are in mint condition and many sources have told me old is out, new is in. I think it was the furniture they were talking about, lol! Thank you for the validation Colleen!
Hey Karen. Good call on Main Street. That’s the place to go. I love poking around up there.
And yes, I really hope they were talking about the furniture and not me!
yeah baby, can i relate to that feeling! yesterday we cleared out all the junk in our townhome to make room for drywall. it felt so incredibly good.
so exciting that your French trip is becoming a reality, it has been a long time in the making. when you come back we will be able to invite you to our clutter free (i hope) home and celebrate freedom!
bon voyage.
Ah Barb. You have been living with the forced clutter of renovation for SO long. I can’t imagine how good that must have felt to see a cleared space and to really see the potential of what it’s to become.
I look forward to celebrating your spacious new home very soon. Meanwhile, I’m going to try cluttering my head with a few new French phrases…au revoir!