Let It Go

Tad was home this last week, and we spent lots of time cleaning. We spent one whole day cleaning out the garage, another whole day cleaning out the shed and two other days doing yard work. We also spent that cleaning time making piles of things to be donated. Now it must be understood that we are NOT packrats. I am really a pretty organized person, and things have NOT piled up. We'd never qualify for an episode of "Hoarders". We have lived in this house for 8.5 years, though, (the longest we have ever lived ANYWHERE) and things have accumulated a little, since this is where we raised our 3 kids. We ended up making 4 trips to the Youth  Ranch donation drop-off, just in this week. That doesn't include the fact that I make a big trip to the drop-off about once a month. Most of it was stuff we've used well and outgrown the need for. It was all good and usable. The beauty thing is, it's now OUT of our lives, OUT of our heads and OUT of our house. We don't and won't miss it, especially since the kids are all (going to be) out of the house. I love the mental freedom of a good de-cluttering. I know that there are tons of blogs showing how to organize things in one's home, but I've always thought it was better to have less to organize in the first place. I don't have before and after photos, since this is not that type of blog, but suffice it to say that a little more breathing room is a wonderful thing. It will also be much easier for the movers to pack our household goods.