Toys that declutter
The O. family, new owners of our big house, report their almost indescribable joy at cooking on an Aga. While I feel a pang at leaving it, I'm glad that the three-story home with two large gardens is now theirs.
We divested at least half of everything we owned to move into our condo; empty drawers and unsquished closets attest to our diligence. (Too good a job, I had to replace two or three small household items.)
Tech toys, which I always thought of as fun and frivolous, turn out to be terrific for keeping clutter to a minimum.
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| Clutter's little helpers |
Though it took a month for me to unbox the Kindle I received for Mother's Day I've realized I don't have to accumulate many books again. The catalog isn't perfect, but here's a way to keep books, always a huge space hog in our place, from encroaching.
The same with my iPod nano; I'm not such an audio buff that the sound difference between a CD and downloaded sound file bothers me; it's so small I have to make sure I know where I put it! Both were gifts, and while there are cost and obsolescence factors, I appreciate their remarkable storage capability.
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| Le Duc's library; partial view |
Lest you think I'm missing out on the joy of books–their smell, visual appeal and psychic comfort–look at Le Duc's library, and it's just a section. Then there are over 40 boxes of his books still in storage, which he swears he will tackle "soon".
The bugbear of bags and shoes
| Jaunty but shoulder-friendly |
Like many women, I'd piled up bags, many rarely carried. Lately I've been using one, a Bensimon nylon and leather "Sac Seau" with a wide strap, almost exclusively. Weightless, it bears witness that my days of big leather on the shoulder are over.
Two bags per season are adequate, the rest were just for love of the style or a good buy.
Shoes are harder to purge. I began to pack in late winter, loathe to throw out summer sandals. Now I have several boxes labeled Shoes Not Worn Much, and isn't that the case for 80% of them? Worn by Sept. or out!
When I do consume, I've adopted the One In/One Out Rule. Le Duc is not fully subscribed; he threatens to stockpile incandescent light bulbs.
But what's life without a few well-chosen grace notes, whether lightbulbs or pearls?
Comments
I've been paring down the shoes, and am getting ready to sell some handbags soon. Have too many that just are never used!
I've also made a list of all the professional books that I want to replace digitally. It's surprising, but nearly all of them are available through GoogleBooks or Nook. And I still have a bunch of CDs in physical form, but I'm going to start digitizing them, a few a day, very soon. Most of the more recent music only exists digitally.
Exactly!
a move must be the best stimulus for de-cluttering.
Are you walking with a lightness in your step these days?
I gave my husband a Kindle for his birthday and he loves it. I haven't tried it yet. I keep wondering if I will miss the actual book. I've read that most people do not miss holding a book.
Rubi: Storage units are evil; there, you incited me to come out about them.
LPC: The thing in/thing out rule works if you count things in boxes (like the lightbulbs) as one thing.
Pearl: Fantastic tip, thanks so much.
hostess: If my head was not full of irregular verbs, I would be!
Angel Jem: A name, now I want a name for mine...
laurieann: I can remember a time before computers :) The Kindle was a big transformational tool for me. I use my cell phone much less.
Susan: Have you been to the store to play with an iPad? That's apparently when they become irresistible. No, don't miss the books and love the Kindle access. Just wish absolutely every book ever written were available.
All our music is now on the iPod; CDs are still in storage, but likely to go soon.
As for handbags, I only have one - is that sad? My grace notes, as you so aptly describe them, are probably all food and kitchen related.
I have a pretty strict rule for myself about not buying "disposable fiction" so as to avoid drowning in books and bankrupting myself at one go -- and I was delighted to learn that I can carry on borrowing a lot of what I want in digital form.
And for classics, most of them are public domain and available free (GoogleBooks, Project Gutenberg, and others).
Actually, as a gift maven, you might be interested to know about Persephone Press who publish the most wonderful books-as-gifts. Sadly, expensive to ship overseas. (I'm not being paid to endorse the press, I was just too excited about a match for the aga book.)
Rubi: Thanks for a good idea, did not know libraries offered it.
Beryl" I'm not as annoyed by landing and takeoff restrictions, when I am preparing to meet my Maker anyway.
Chicatanyage: Yes, for travel too.
Dorky: We left our copy for the new owners., plus several other Aga cookbooks now out of print.
Love Le Duc's library. I find great comfort in having my books around and would have a hard time getting rid of them even with the new Kindle/iPad technology.
I'm really impressed at your ability to purge!
I have to agree about tech toys solving many clutter issues.
Susan Tiner: He will never stop buying books but now sees that he has to pay for storage, so that should cut down his habit.
I'm starting to eliminate shoes again, and handbags, but I suspect many things will move with me and it is only after I am in my new location that I will know what really works and what doesn't.