I think that quote above, or something similar to it, was on a t-shirt I bought from the Body Shop way back in middle school. Deep red with black and white writing on it. Fashion blunder? Yes. But the quote has stuck and so it finds me here, ready and open to making a big change in my life and my family’s.
Almost a year ago my husband and I sold our 586 square foot condo and purchased our current 1100 square foot home. We had a baby on the way and wanted a room for him and more space.
Our realtor told us to remove as much as we could from our little condo. For two hot August days we purged and purged and purged. Neither of us are particularly tidy and we had boxes of unopened mail, crammed bookshelves and lots of stuff. Cables and chargers for long dead gadgets, scratched DVDs, loads and loads of useless items we had either been too lazy or scared to part with.
We weren’t ruthless. Whatever we hoped to one day use again (or for the first time as many items were still in original packaging) we packed away in our storage locker. It would be out of view but not forgotten as we would schlep it to our new home.
After a thorough and detailed cleaning from a woman we hired off Craigslist (I was 7 months pregnant and in no mood after two days of decluttering to scrub the floors) our home was ready to sell. Ready to sell and the most calming beautiful place to live in. The clean c0unters, floors and shelves were stunning. We kept asking ourselves why we had not done this before. Despite the anxiety of selling and buying a home I felt relaxed and focused in my home. It was easy to maintain cleanliness between showings, nothing to dust or mop around.
Our realtor commended us on our work and our condo sold quickly and above list price. We had multiple offers and the realtors all commented on how well our condo showed, how easily their clients could imagine living there in the clean open clutter free space.
Despite this lesson learned we have continued on our collecting ways. I look around our home and all I see are things I need to do. Cleaning, bills to pay, statements to file. We purchased a one wall entertainment unit for our new home and every shelf and cubby hole is something I need to sort and organize and dust. And I never get around to it. Our DVD player broke a few months ago and it is still sitting in the entertainment unit, the new working DVD player just stacked right on top of it. Sewing machines and craft boxes and projects abandoned months ago. All of it weighs on me.
And I have a lot of time for this to weigh on me. I am a stay at home mother at the moment and a large portion of my day is spent in our living area/dining room, moving my son from the exersaucer to the pack and play to the blanket on the floor for play time with me and to the high chair for a meal.
Before going on maternity leave I had visions of getting a lot done. Visions of writing more, of finally having an organized home, of more time with my husband. My son is almost 11 months and none of that has happened. I’ll often avoid being home for large sections of the day, getting out for extra long walks or meet ups with my mom friends, to avoid looking at my home.
My husband works from home which has some advantages but he works very long hours. We see him in passing as he goes out for a mid-day jog and then he’s back to the grind. After dinner he returns to his office and usually comes to bed after I am asleep.
Why does he work so much? Money. We need his income for our large mortgage and bills. And stuff. We need money for stuff.
After reading a few articles on the minimalism I am intrigued. I want more time. So does my husband. More hours together as a family, more time and focus for me to write and exercise. More of what we love to do and what energizes us.
I still have a lot of reading and thinking to do on this subject but this is our start.
We are here. Now. I try so hard to get stuff done with a home business, a toddler, a kindergartner who needs driving to and from school …time gets away from me and so does my motivation. I look around the house and feel lost in a sea of stuff. I feel like taking my toddler out shopping or to a play centre is doing him good because he gets out of the house….it’s probably my therapy for getting out of the house too, just as you mentioned.
We are starting this weekend. It has to change!
“I’ll often avoid being home for large sections of the day, getting out for extra long walks or meet ups with my mom friends, to avoid looking at my home.”
I know that feeling. It is the pits! I’m glad you’ve taken action in this and can enjoy your space now:)
Congrats on 1 year of blogging! I love reading your posts and am inspired by each one!
Thank you for your very thoughtful blog. I have read through almost all your archives since I found your blog last week. This post hits especially close to home, as I am in a similar situation (in month 7 of my maternity leave), having recently moved (decluttered/stored to sell our condo) into a bigger house, swimming in stuff and stuff to do. The image of the entertainment unit wall is exactly what I have (except with the classic IKEA Expedit cubby unit), each cubby full of something I need to do/sort/organize.
Something’s got to change. Thanks for your inspiration.