De-Cluttering

So, in six weeks I finish work and will be at home until 4th January 2011! I was originally only going to take six months leave but having worked out the money angle I decided to take nine months (with DH's full support) as we'll be no worse off months 6 - 9 if I work or I stay at home.

I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that I only have six more weeks to work THIS YEAR and I'm still going to get paid for the rest of it LOL. However, I am determined to reduce my stash intake significantly this year in all areas. So stitching, quilting, reading, toys, gadgets, general stuff that I just buy cos I like it, cute kids clothes, colouring books for Lia (seriously I have about 50 stored away!) and so on and so on, all will take a significant cut in 2010.

Right now I'm on a de-cluttering mission. It's going to have to be slow and steady but I'm determined that things will be sold/donated/trashed rather than left in boxes in the loft and garage. We have boxes we haven't touched since we moved two years ago which rather suggests that most of it is unnecessary to us continuing to live full and happy lives.

I've piled all my unread books into one place and I am picking them out one at a time, reading them and then getting rid of them - either by giving to friends or donating to charity. Okay, I'm only on book two out of about 150 but I will not go into a book shop and buy more. For definite. I have a £10 book token in my purse from Christmas that I will use if I absolutely can't cope without getting a couple of new books but other than that I will not go into a book shop! It's ridiculous that I have so many unread books - everything I own I bought because I really wanted to read it so I should actually get on and do just that.

Quilting and stitching stash will be a bit harder as I have some commitments to BOMs and stitched series but other than those I am determined to be good. Just as I bought every book because I really wanted to read it I bought every project or piece of fabric because I really wanted to stitch it so I really need to get on with doing just that.

It's not going to be easy - I can be a real spendthrift - but less money coming in and significantly less time available to me mean I'm determined to get my head into gear and try. I'm sure the longer I manage to get on with it the better I'll feel and the easier it'll be. DH is fantastic, he absolutely never nags me about my stash (although to be fair he probably doesn't realise just how extensive it is LOL) and he says that he doesn't mind because he sees me using it every day. However, what I am seriously determined to fight is the tide of things that arrive in the post that more than replace what I'm using up!

So, watch this space. I'm hoping to have lots and lots of things to post over the next two months as it's my last free time for a while. I'm also keeping a log of all the comes in and all that gets finished and goes out so I'm hoping that later in the year when I review things I can be proud of my achievements.

At least one thing is guaranteed to reduce - we kept all of the baby/toddler stuff from when Lia arrived and, because this is definitely the last addition to our family, we can use and remove it all now. No re-storing anything. In fact, because we know this is a boy we have already cleared out six bin bags full of saved girls clothes and passed them on to other family members. Admittedly we have inherited a whole bunch of boy stuff from others too but at least it'll be used and then passed on again.

Have I convinced you guys? Well all I have to do is keep on trying to convince me too LOL