What to do with that ol' box of baby clothes.

If you're like me and you still have a couple boxes of memorable baby clothes that you can't bear to part with because you still remember the moment they wore it, here is what I suggest. To save on room I first remind myself that it is the memory not the item that I love and usually I have pictures of that day or time that I can look back on. I suggest that you cut out the most valuable part of the item, some part of it that will evoke that memory for you still, and store it in a box to make a quilt out of later. The rest of the garment can be thrown out. I was originally going to make one for each of my kids for graduation but then I thought I will make it for myself.

When they are out in the world and away from me I can wrap myself in their baby clothes and all my memories. There are thousands of "how to make a quilt out of baby clothes" videos and even if you are not a sewer this project might be worth exploring. There are also hundreds of experienced quilters who will take your precious pieces and make the quilt for you. Worth it, I think. And when downsizing I always say to myself that I "can't take it with me" but I am not entirely sure I wouldn't want to be buried with my babies clothes. Is that morbid? It is atlas the one sentimental item I think is worth holding on to for now. I donate most things but these lil' squares don't take much space, except for in my heart ;)

I agree.

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/minimalism-benefits/

Waking from suspended animation

The last month is virtually a blur. There have been so many important events, purchases and recitals because the school year is ending. I have been floating above myself narrowly observing my life through this layer of stress that was consuming me. Would we get out of our lease? Can we? How can we? We did everything we could, offered all we had and thankfully due to the stability of our long time relationship with the management company and what little bit of faith I had left…we are there. Doing the right thing pays and we did not have to sacrafice our integrity. 

We are on to phase two of our downsizing adventure. The extreme downsize.  We have some odds and ends to clear up of course. Mainly, a birthday party to throw for my daughter so she doesn’t miss out while we are in limbo. But all in all we are preparing to move our stuff into storage for the summer and embrace our gypsy homeless holiday. The guinea pig and ol’dog in tow. We have the smallest cabin booked at a local RV park for the first 19 days. This is because my husband is still working in town. I have been so lucky to have had the option to opt out of work this summer which I embraced due to our unpredictably situation.

After that we are excited about our road trip back home to visit friends and family alike. We have about 10 more boxes to comb through in the garage. 5 are the kids’ old clothes and 5 are christmas decorations. I plan to pare both categories down to two. We have already thrown out the fake tree and look forward to shopping for a temporary real one when the season comes. 

Beyond that we are packed. And what surprises me the most is the kids resilience. They are sleeping on their mattresses on the floor of their empty rooms. I have heard little concern from them about this. Feeling like we are on a gradual downward slope of which started as a great adventure. We encountered some challenging obstacles but I can see a clear path to the finish line and just want to enjoy the view from here on out.

If you are on a cliff somewhere out there, hold on.
Hold on, don't panic and breath.  
I've been there and help is coming. 

Technical Difficulties.

So this is the hardest part. A situation that is out of my of control. As we have lined up all our ducks in a row we sit helplessly as we await word to get out of our current lease. We never imagined that this would be the one sticking point that would delay our plans. Units rent all the time and we just assumed that given 2 months full notice that this place would be off our plate by now. But alas it is not. We are currently trying to decide what our next course of action is as we stuggle to balance our obligations with our families needs and some kind of summer enjoyment. My poor daughter's birthday is again amoungst the packing boxes this year.

The upside of downsizing

Downsizing makes me question my values everyday. When my impulse to buy kicks in I have to stop and think, where would I put that? Which leads to the inevitable question, do I need it? It makes me value my space and constantly re-evaluate my options. As we continue to simplify our lives I have come to wonder. If I had all this crap in my house....what kinda crap do I have in my body? Have I been just as lazy with that to? Yes I have. 

Not only are we letting go of the non-essentials but now we are striving to add more natural necessities. For once I feel like I am walking in direction instead of surviving or wondering aimlessly. 

What are you eating tonight? And where did it come from? Food for thought!