My 100th post - simplicity

While I feel bad taking Gabriella's place, I feel this sense of urgency to post about something that has been weighing on me for a while - simplicity.  It has been coming to me in small waves the need to have less, the desire to do more, to shift my focus from things that don't matter to things that have the utmost importance.  Today I just need to share them, publicly declare them, make them more real.  

I feel a bit like this..

Purging:  

No not THAT kind of purging, but if you know me at all I am constantly purging.  How can you constantly purge?  Well, honestly I don't know, it is amazing how "things" have importance one day and then two weeks later they don't.  When Ryan and I first graduated from college and moved in with one another we had A LOT of stuff.  Things that we have accrued while at college, furniture, portfolio stuff, high school memorabilia, childhood things, clothes, you name it - not to mention the stuff WE finally had the money to buy - nicer clothes, a few things from Pottery Barn, some antiques. When we moved from our modest sized home to our current home that in my opinion is pretty big, it was a whole new game.  Our house is deceptive in size from the looks of it, but we have over 3500 sq feet in this house and all but about 500 of it is finished. That is a lot of house in my opinion.  It is easy to want to fill the spaces- furniture, things. We've done well, but after mom moved in and all of the things she brought with - it gave us a whole new challenge.  Now that mom is gone, it has been harder than normal to purge some of the things in this home.  I try hard to keep the words of my Yia yia in my mind, "it's just stuff, it doesn't bring people back" when I look at things I want to donate.  These prophetic words from a woman who left Greece at age six and had to leave her favorite pet goat forever to come to America!  She knew what she was talking about! 

My mom was a keeper, so as you can imagine I have had (still have) a lot of stuff to go through. I've done well, pictures and memorabilia are the hardest because my children are so young - they won't really know who their yia yia was as a person throughout her life.  Sure I will tell them, but nothing beats holding her cheerleading letter in their hands, just as it is for me to hold the amateur boxing program and see my grandfather's name in it.  So I try as I may to simplify everything - I am the keeper of generational memories and fortunately and unfortunately I will undoubtedly pass this legacy down to my children.

Not to leave you with thinking I am a hoarder, I have passed most of these memory items, pictures and such on to my cousins, aunts, uncles and extended family.  I try to only keep what is really important to me and generally what is really important to me I hang on my walls (thus I have the butter paddles of my mom's on the wall in my kitchen in a shadow box with other items that were parts of my grandfather's life as a launderer).  Ryan and I both have the philosophy that if something means something to you, that you put it out, hang it up and display it so that you can enjoy it and share it.  What good does it do in a rubbermaid tote? That is also why in Penny's room she has two shelves filled with antique dolls of my mom's.  I have my grandmother's suitcase that she always used to travel filled with more doll clothes and things to fix antique dolls - this has been downsized from THREE containers to one - so I am pretty proud of my organizing skills.  

the living room

I try to loosely embrace the idea of Feng Shui - not to the core, but the idea of having so much STUFF that it clogs up the energy flow of your home, yourself.  I believe it - now I am not a supporter of having a home devoid of all things but we try to generally have our rooms pretty simple - seating, a table  and some pictures on the walls.  Our bedrooms are generally a bed, nightstands and a bookshelf or dresser.  Penny's room is the most filled because her doll things are there, but even then it isn't too bad.  Our bookshelves are our one case where they are filled to the brim with books - but I think those bring their own positive energy into an environment. 

I love the feeling of sitting in a uncluttered room or when I've just dropped off a few boxes to goodwill or the local shelter.  It feels like freedom, peace - knowing that I have removed something I don't need, and gave it to someone who could use it.  I try to think about individuals around the world from the most basic to even our European counterparts. I love watching house hunters international when their in Europe - England in particular.  They are looking at these 600 sq ft flats that cost as much if not more than my home and they are thrilled with the space!  Wow - that is an eye opener.  So if you take anything away from this way too long, rambling post - take this - that its okay to have things but have them where you can see them, use them, because an item loses its value if it has no use.  Look at the boxes in the closet, garage, attic - if you don't know what's in them, you don't think you'll use it - get rid of it, purge it and feel the freedom!

Thanks for humoring me on my spree - we'll see what tomorrow brings!

I had intended to cover a few more items here, but realize that this post would go on FOREVER, so I will save them for each day this week.  Gardening, Eating at home, Home organizing, Greening the Pages and Family time will have to wait. I think with the light at the end of the tunnel of winter shining brighter, and the fact that for our family of five to go to Dairy queen costs nearly $20, I felt compelled to get all my thoughts lined up so I can be more organized heading into spring.