Post Move Clean Up

So I am still slowly unpacking things. Which is probably crazy, though I would say 90% of our stuff is unpacked. I am still trying to make decisions on which pictures go where and that sort of thing. I have so much more wall space but for some reason I suddenly feel like all the pictures we have might be too much.

I think partially this sudden fear of having 'too many pictures' is because we had wonderful window ledges in Europe which provided space to put a few pictures without it giving the appearance of over crowding. If my husband and I ever 'settle down' and buy/build a house it WILL have ledges. I LOVE them.

I also saw a recent article that mentioned only framing and displaying the most important photos (like a wedding pictures) which also started making me evaluate what pictures we are displaying. Most of them are favorites but others probably could be switched out. So I might be re-evaluating some of those. Pictures are the toughest. The memories are there but the physical representations are hard to let go of and that is why we all need to keep them.

 Even with skipping the photos I have managed at least two large boxes of stuff to pitch and I have several other rooms left to go. I am so excited and relieved already to get rid of the extra junk. Even though I had de-junked before the move I find this time around I really need to do it after. It has been an amazing realization, for me, personally, to see what I really 'need' and clearly do not.

 So what about you? Do you de-own before or after moving? I'd love to hear from you!

Kay xxx

Starting

As we prepare for our big move (81 days and counting) I have already pitched a lot of stuff. A few big bags of cloths and goods. I have not, however, been as bruital as I want or should be to achieve my uncluttered dream.

When we returned home from a stressful church morning (ya know, one of the mornings you wonder why you bothered to drag your children and yourself out at all) and I was  itching to dejunk some thing. So, I hit the kids room.

I recently read a great article about making a capsule wardrobe and thought I could stand to go through my girls drawers and sew if I could manage to make them a capsule style wardrobe. Not only did it seem appealing from narrowing down the size, but also it could help my husband dress our girls in clothes that make sense and allow my three year old to make choices for herself without looking so removed from presentable.

Not long ago I went through the girls storage bins full of the baby stuff and the sizes our youngest is waiting to grow into that was her sisters. I felt I had gotten rid of a lot. I only saved gender neutral baby items and a sprinkling of clothes specific to each girl that have meaning. I also went through and removed things that would never be seasonable for my youngest since we are moving to an extremely cold climate. So while I was eager to shed some stuff I decided to start with the clothes in the dresser.

After using serious judgement and thinking about comfort and what I tend to pick for her to wear I got the littlest little down to 19 items in her dresser and 11 hanging in her closet. This doesn't include pjs which will meet the chopping block soon. It is hard. I am always worried that family will take it personally if I don't keep something they bought but often it is totally based on the kids preference, comfort or practicality. Also we live 4000 miles away, they truthfully will never know but I still have that guilt! Anyway, I felt so accomplished to have a basket overflowing with clothes going out. I still have some tweaking to do. A lot of the tops we have are patterned which mostly doesn't matter but there is one skirt that doesn't match any of the tops I chose to keep. It is one of the cutest skirts that my oldest passed down and so I haven't been able to let it go. Especially since she just recently grew out of it and there is a lot of wear left. So it stays for now. Next step, Little Miss and my own wardrobe!



Kay xxx