What do you think of when you think of impulse purchases? …. A chocolate bar? A pair of shoes? …. How about a living room set?
Well that’s exactly what Mr.Complicated and I did this weekend when we set out looking for our very 1st ”grown up” dining room set. But joke was on us, cause when we got home and started to measure (because that’s how you always buy furniture right? You buy – then measure.) we found out that it might not fit! GO US! So it spiraled us into spring cleaning (in the fall) mode to reduce the clutter.
And what I found was scary.
In the closets- unopened bottle sets, an under-the-counter can opener (does anyone still use those?- clearly not I.), barely used chocolate molds from my brief stint where I thought I’d be a chocolatier, 2,4567 pens,& pencils, 3,204 cookie cutters, cookbooks, more cookbooks, unused coloring books, unopened toys… and bottles of bubbles? Dont. Even. Ask
-Then I looked up-
A pile of chotchkies on top of my refrigerator- similar to the one that use to make me shiver when I saw it in my Mother’s house growing up. {{AHHH!}}
How did this happen?? … Then I remembered.
- Kids fight over a toy? Take it away & hide it where they can’t see it… on top of the refrigerator.
- Kids playing with an annoying toy? Take it away & hide it where they’ll never find it again … on top of the refrigerator.
- Kids found something they’re not suppose to play with? Take it away & put it where they can’t reach… on top of the refrigerator.
Before you know it you have enough to open up a small store- on top of your refrigerator. Why wouldn’t I just throw these things out? …. Probably the same reason my closets were stuffed to the brim with unopened things I’ll never use.
Sentimental Guilt.
Everything comes along with the thought of “but so-and-so bought this” or “but we got this on vacation!”
Hello? Souvenir cups? …. yea, the guy who thought up that idea definitely had us hoarders in mind. (“I have this great idea. We will make the cups re-usable and plastic! We will call them Souvenir Cups- people can drink from them for years and remember the amazing time they had at the circus.” )
Who knows maybe its hereditary. Maybe my mom’s fridge pile stemmed from sentimental guilt too.
But I am breaking the cycle dammit! We threw out 3 huge bags of garbage.
… and then to offset some of the guilt, I threw a few things on Facebook in a “virtual garage sale”… because it always feels good knowing you can declutter your home by cluttering up someone else’s.
