Box Me Out . . . Please

"Lose It!"
* decorative cardboard boxes -- sure, you see these utilized all the time on home makeover shows, perched on shelves in people's newly decluttered offices. Perhaps they are functional for some, but they are dangerous for me. What did I find as I opened some of my many decorative boxes: three years worth of calendar pages from Mary Engelbreit page-a-day calendars from the 1999-2001 years; scraps of cut scrapbook paper (that I admit that I used to use to glue to other cardboard boxes in mosaic patterns to make those boxes decorative); lots of other crap I have no business storing . . . even in a lovely box.

Not Ma Ingalls (or some similar old-fashioned woman)

"Lose It!"
* many more books, including three books on quilting -- I still believe I will learn to use my sewing machine, but I no longer believe I will ever make a quilt. I'm okay with that.

* Sesame Street counting flash cards -- tired of picking them up. They are on the floor not because they are being used for fun or learning but because they have been dumped their by one of the boys.

* more plastic crap

* more clothes I will never wear again

* grade school diary -- don't worry I ripped out the four pages I wrote on first

There's more, but I'm just giving you the highlights.

From Here to Maternity

"Lose It!"
* many items of maternity clothes -- I don't mind being pregnant, but I also don't plan to be pregnant again after this April (and if I do find myself pregnant again in the future, having no maternity clothes left will be the least of my issues). I've decided I am not obligated to save all my maternity clothes for future pregnant loved ones on the off chance that something ugly and lame to me might not be ugly and lame to them. Ugly and lame is ugly and lame. My mom is going to help me weed through my maternity pile tomorrow and select and save only the items future preggos might actually want to wear.

* baby boy clothes -- ditto the above. Saving the stuff that future nephews of mine might enjoy wearing. Donating the rest.

* random toys that I am sick of shuffling around -- mommy purges while the boys are otherwise occupied

I also want to mention that I read a novel a few years ago called From Here to Maternity. I can't remember the author's name, but I really liked the book.

I am going to SASH (and stash) less.

I lose a bunch of stuff in the Fall of 2009 that I never made time to tell you about. Tons of clothes, novels I know I will never and ever read again, and about eight more cookbooks. One of those cookbooks was a Macy's Culinary Circle one that featured my foodie crush Rick Bayless, but I had to get honest with myself that the recipes in that particular cookbook generally exceeded my skills and my patience. I can't remember what else I lost, but that's just a sign that the stuff was really meant to be lost.

2010 is going to be a HUGE year for losing, mostly because it has to be. Here's a partial tally so far . . .

"Lose It!"
* many more clothes, particularly ones that will not interest me at all once I am finally not pregnant and fitting into "regular" clothes

* at least six sashes -- why does a high-waisted girl who never tucks in her shirts and prefers not to cinch her waist in any fashion have a single sash, not to mention six of them? When there's no good answer to that question, there's no reason to keep stashing sashes.

* some kitchen accessories -- I won't go into detail, but I am having to grapple with tough questions, such as, "Am I ever actually going to host a Mexican Fiesta?"

* back issues of magazines that I love but can no longer justify keeping around on the off chance that I will ever reread them -- so long Bookmarks and Eating Well (comforted knowing that all the Eating Well recipes are on their website).

* socks with no matches -- I've held on to some of these lonely socks for years, thinking "You could use them as dusters or turn them into puppets." But I won't. Forgive me for not trying to find these socks a good home or use.

I know I'm forgetting stuff, but that's a start. I think I'm moving on to shoes soon and then going to do a nice weed-through of the craft cabinet.

What have you been losing in the New Year's Rush? I need ideas and inspiration.

I'm still alive and so is this blog . . .

. . . so please stay tuned in coming days and join me as I continue spending a "lifetime trying to use (or lose) the 'stuff' crowding my life."