KidStyleFile

Ok, so I wrote a little while ago about how I think we have a deeply entrenched instinct to gather and collect. How important the objects that fill your life are to giving you context and triggering memories, and shaping your understanding of the world.

But what if you don’t absolutely need everything that’s building up around you? What if your Collection is turning into another C word: Clutter?

I had an experience a few days ago which was little sobering. I got home, opened the front door, walked in, and my inner dialogue went like this: “Oh, nooooo!!! We’ve been ransacked….oh.no.no.no.noooo!!!” 5 seconds later, calming down: “It’s ok, it’s ok… no need to panic…silly me!..It’s just as I left it….phew!”

Thing is, we always seem to bring so much more into the house than we carry out. And it’s sometimes not easy to let go of this. How do you know what to chuck and what to cherish?

Some years ago, I read that if you really need to say bye-bye to an object, but are having trouble letting go, photograph it. That way you have it to access any time you feel you need its presence in your mind, but it isn’t cluttering up your physical reality anymore.

Hmmmmm….with that, I think it’s time to got get the camera, and start click-clicking, maybe put some pumping music on and use this cheesy but punchy little de-cluttering list from FlyLady.net to bring a little more white space into the picture.

Stay tuned for more super-fabulous bargains coming tomorrow, oh yeah!

PS Also, totally unrelated, I read this article in New York mag about a year ago via Parent Dish. For some reason it still pops into my head occasionally….I wonder why? What do you think: are you a “Grup”?