AWTM's post about being 'Spartan' started me thinking...
We are anything BUT 'spartan'. My husband is a pack rat and I find I have a few of those tendencies too (thanks, Dad). Thankfully, military life imposes it's own limits on our stuff and I find myself constantly flighting against the tide of "stuff". Often, I feel like a salmon swimming upstream.
For example, the Navy's MWR here sponsored a "Giant Yard Sale and Craft Fair" and, for $10, you could reserve your own 10'x10' spot on a nice big field in the midst of this big yard sale. What a wonderful idea! We had a lot of things to sell off - a jogging stroller, a Kelty backpack, tons of kids' clothes (they grow up too fast, don't they?), toys that were rarely (if ever) played with, books that had been read and needed to be passed on, random items that had no place in our house. So we dutifully packed up our cars and trucked them down to this wonderful sale. And we sold most of it!
Can someone please tell me why there is still no space in our garage for a car? I just don't get that.
My theory is this: the remaining "stuff" expands to fit the space. Our stuff did so in the 4 hours that we were at the yard sale. I swear, we came home and the glorious patch of concrete in our garage that had been there at 7am when I left was no longer there. The bikes, sporting equipment, holiday decorations, and beach gear had claimed it. It's a conspiracy, I tell you!
The same goes for the inside of our house. I spent a morning cleaning out the linen closet in the main bathroom. I took 2 bags to the thrift shop full of sheets, blankets, and towels that no longer matched our decor and had no use. I took 1 big bag to the trash full of old cosmetics, expired medicines, and hair "stuff" that was no longer used. And yet, there is STILL no room in that closet!
I just don't get it.
What are YOUR strategies for dealing with "stuff"?
