Downsizing feels so good

I have been in a mad dash to downsize my junk. My 1,200 square foot (rounded up) house feels smaller and smaller as our family grows. Some days I think I want to move, but really, I just want to make this cozy house feel workable. And it is. This is my home.
I fall into that trap that "I might need this later." It's taken a lot of convincing, but I finally realized that if I get rid of something that I might need, there isn't any reason I can't buy another.


This is just a small portion of what I am donating.

That being said, my goals were to move ALL of my clothes and shoes out of my son's closet. Since I joined my husband in our home in 2008, we each claimed a closet (his in our room, mine in the spare room). Well, that spare room became the nursery and I just kept sharing the closet with a baby. That baby girl moved out and into the other bedroom (at which point I moved my craft room to the unfinished basement). And, another baby moved into the nursery. I am about to go back to work and don't want to sneak into his room if I forget something.
I cleaned out at least 3 times in the last 9 months while I have been off work with the kids. I have done kids' consigment sales, yard sales, eBay, swap sites etc. On this last time around, I started getting rid of stuff I still liked, but just wasn't wearing. I mean, how many sweatshirts do I need?  And, I am just donating. It's a tax deduction and the easiest way to unload quickly.

This last go round, I think I cleared out 8 garbage bags of my shoes and clothes. I made sure to write it all down for tax records. One round of cleaning and I donated about $1,200 worth of clothes and shoes.

This doesn't happen overnight. I swear, I haven't felt able to relax since I had a second child. There is SO much stuff. I try so hard to just go through and clean, clean, clean. I have a section of the basement for yard sale stuff and try to have a yard sale every other year. Some years I do great...sometimes I do not. I enjoy having yard sales though, so it's no big deal for me.

I finally feel success. The big key for me were two questions, "When is the last time you used this?" and "Would you buy this today?" Man, did things fly onto that donate/trash pile. I still have a lot to do, but what once seemed SO overwhelming is now well under way. I organized and uncluttered so many spaces in my house during nap times and play times or quiet evenings. I have to say, I am prouder of myself that I thought I would be!