See if this sounds familiar. You move into a house (or apartment, whatever) and get to work decorating. Then some time passes and you decide to repaint, get new furniture, and basically just get a new look. And what do you do with all the stuff that no longer goes with the room? You box it up, pack it away, and stuff it in the attic.
Wall Decor
If you’re still holding on to old artwork from days gone by, it’s time to say goodbye. Let go of your 3D digital art. Wave bye-bye to your old Anne Geddes prints. And if you still have your old Whitesnake of N’SYNC posters… just, no.
Chotchkies
Okay, I’ll share. I have a bell I got as a wedding favor from 2 friends who got married in college (15 years ago), I don’t really talk to anymore, and they’re now divorced. Why am I holding on to this bell? What little knick-knacks are you hanging on to that are just cluttering up your life? Think about things like little ceramic jewelry boxes, bells from now-divorced people’s weddings, and vases. Exactly how many vases do you need?
Candles
Dear God, the candles. I don’t even know how many I have, but it’s way too many. As I sat down to write this I couldn’t stop thinking about this short from SNL on giving candles:
It’s just so dead on… Ditch the peach candle!
Pillows
Okay, this one might strike a nerve. Throw pillows. They kind of suck. What’s the first thing you do when you sit down on the couch? Move the pillows out of the way. Then when you get up, someone puts the pillows back. Why, oh why are they there?!
Now it’s time to go to bed. What do you do? Take the pillows off the bed to sleep, then put them back on in the morning.
I know people are oddly attached to their throw pillows, so this might be a tough one to swallow. But I think if you take a minute and think about how much time you spent moving pillows around, you’ll get on board. But hey, this is a go-at-your-own-pace sort of thing, so no worries if it’s too soon.
Want a god chuckle about throw pillows? Check out this scene from “Along Came Polly”
Where to donate home goods
Items that are in good shape can be donated to Goodwill, Salvation Army and the ReStore (Habitat for Humanities thrift shop). Many local organizations hold annual tag sales and would gladly accept home items as a donation.
Next week: Clearing out the Kitchen
