I had the opportunity to spend last week with Danielle’s family on the amazing island of Aruba. Its my ideal setting: warm (hate winter), beaches (looove beaches), and very small (33km long). We stayed in a resort where in the rooms you get a kitchen to cook for yourself, a single bedroom and a sitting area. Coming from a 3 level house, this space seems like it would be too small for the 4 people staying there, but when you leave behind most of your unnecessary stuff, you don’t need the room.
And that brings me to this blog post. I realized there that you really don’t need the stuff you cling on to. They are just things that, if they were gone, you’d never really mind for more than a minute. So when I got home I started looking at what I have laying around the house and decided that its time for some spring cleaning. Against my will (i’m a collector and have grand ideas for most things) I’m going to get rid of things that don’t have a real meaning to me, that have been sitting around for quite some time and are just taking up room that could be used for something else.
I’ve got a countertop dishwasher that we used twice (just sold on Kijiji), a half-ripped apart piano in my basement that I wanted to make into a desk (over a year ago) that I’ll try to get rid of, a big chest from when I was a kid that now has water damage and has sat empty for a while, a printer that I never use, an old dresser in my garage, etc. The list could go on. I just have stuff that I thought I could use but never have and probably never will. I blame my grandfather for this, as he still has buckets of 30-year old bolts and washers and wheels that he stores at my house. I get the ‘must keep’ syndrome from him I’m sure.
So its time to simplify. To get rid of. To let go of.
I can’t throw out this stuff since I don’t like adding to landfills, so its time to get creative in disposal. Selling is the main goal, since I may as well get something for things, but creatively getting rid of other things (anyone want a piano shell?) will be the key. Donating will also work.
If anyone has suggestions for ways to get rid of things without wasting, I’d be happy to hear them!