What do I do with this stuff?

I've been going through boxes in the garage to decide what is and is not going to Texas with us on the PCS. For the most part, I'm not having trouble deciding what stays or goes. I mean, we will definitely not be needing a full set of martini glasses or a multi-purpose cake plate, and since they're fragile, they probably wouldn't make the trip anyway. My biggest problem is what to do after I decide to get rid of things I no longer have a use for.

There are three main categories for these items: Trash, Sell, Donate.
Trash: This one is pretty easy. Either something is broken, dirty, or otherwise unusable. (Don't forget that some "trash" can be recycled!) No-brainer there.
The next two get tricky. How do you decide something is worth selling? Where do you plan to sell it? Is it worth the trouble? If not, and you decide to donate it, where will you take it? Are you worried about the likelihood of it actually being used?
Sell: This requires more work on your part than making a donation. You have some options, but try to keep it simple.
     You can have a yard sale, but be realistic. Will you really get up at 6AM on Saturday and Sunday to set up your items? Are you willing to haggle with people and accept the fact that you probably won't sell much? If you think a yard sale is a possibility, make sure you sufficiently advertise and see if any of your neighbors would like to get involved. (I'll talk more about yard sales in a later post.)
     If you don't want to give up your sleep-in days, consider listing items for sale online. You can list most items on Craigslist (for free!) or eBay. If you have books, video games, or DVDs, you can list them on half.com or the Amazon marketplace. ***Be sure to check each site's policies and listing fees.***  The pros here are that you don't have to physically haul your stuff in and out of your garage or worry about severe weather. Cons? It still takes time, and you have to be accurate with your descriptions. Either way, this stuff is still taking up your space until it's sold.

The best solution I've come up with here is narrowing down your options and forming a plan for the stuff that doesn't sell.
Scenario 1:
     I decide to have a yard sale. I advertise on Facebook, in the newspaper, and on Craigslist for a week. I make between $100-$500. Whatever is left over gets donated to the Salvation Army. Whatever they don't take goes in the trash or gets recycled. Done!

Scenario 2:
     I have a lot of books and DVDs to sell, so I post them on half.com. (I also advertise these listings on Facebook and any relevant online forums/communities.) If they don't sell by Christmas, they get donated. The end!

If you're more worried about recouping your space than your money, I'd say donating everything is the way to go!

My life in boxes...

     I know I haven't posted in a few days. I think I am trying to hard to come up with something informative or useful, more like a news article. Well, that's not gonna happen today. For anyone who knows me, you know that I am a newly initiated Army wife and my husband just got orders, so we will be moving in less than two months. Since he's still at AIT, the responsibility of sorting and packing our things falls on me. 

Everything I own, besides my clothing and furniture!

     Right now, all of our bulky furniture is at the condo (which we are feebly attempting to sell) and everything else is packed away in my in-laws' barn. (Storage barn, not animal barn.) This week, I have decided to start going through things, and I'm pretty proud of myself for being able to get rid of things I don't need. Seriously, how many occasions require champagne flutes? What about the cake stand? I've made one cake in my entire adult life. And the wine glasses? We don't even drink wine! (I'm a rum or beer girl when I'm *not* pregnant or breastfeeding...) Thanks, wedding registry. Don't even get me started on how we were pressured into registering for things we didn't want or need because "people are going to buy you things anyway." That's another post for another day.
     My other priorities at the moment are finding sponsors for the Merry Fluffy Christmas giveaway blog hop and waiting anxiously for my copy of Make it Paleo to review. :)

     Tomorrow, I will be attending my first ever babywearing group meet up, so I'll have pictures and such to share. Until then, it's back to the boxes! 

An Open Letter to Those Who Love My Child

Dear Loved Ones,

     I am almost hesitant to pen this out of fear of seeming ungrateful. Please be assured that is not the case, and I also do not wish to offend or alienate anyone. This is just how I feel about the childhood I want my daughter to enjoy.
     I know baby toys are cute, and baby clothes are immeasurably cuter, but these things in general are fleeting. Babies outgrow clothes every week, and toys are only good until they are no longer developmentally appropriate. I know my little monkey is only four months old, but soon she will be old enough to enjoy experiences. And ask your children how many of their toys were important enough to remember. There are very few in my memory.
     What I remember are trips to Skate Mania, Uncle Donald's Farm and Silver Springs. I remember sleepless nights before going to Disney World and getting to see NSYNC live. Some of my favorite memories don't involve things at all, but spending time with people I love. Even if we weren't doing anything special. Even if we sat around the dinner table long after it had been cleared and just talked (but especially if we were also playing Scrabble or Checkers or War.)
     That is the childhood I want for my daughter. I want her life to be full of experiences, not objects. If you love her, please spend time with her. In our home, money and objects do not equal love and they do not come for free. They must be earned. I'll spare you my "that's what's wrong with the world today" speech and give you the Cliff Notes: I do not want my child to ever anticipate, expect, or even worse, be led to believe that she is entitled to a gift. Instead, shower her with experiences that will become wonderful memories.
     If you are unable to spend time with us, and you'd like to show your love in some other way, books and learning toys are always welcome as are cards and phone calls just to say hi. Thank you for respecting my wishes, and most of all, thank you for loving my child.

Sincerely,
Mama

Are Cloth Diapers a Gateway Drug?

When I began researching cloth diapers, I'll be honest, I was not really concerned about being environmentally friendly or conserving waste. I was more interested in the money-saving aspect. I realized I could save at least $500 my first year of diapering, so I started to wonder how much more I could save if I used cloth wipes. I bought Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion and filled an empty wipes container with extra washcloths I got at my baby shower. The best part is I have less of a mess with poopy diapers because I can just wash the wipes with the diapers. Easy peasy!

Now I was hooked. It was so easy, I started thinking about all of the other disposable products in my house. What about Ziploc bags? Paper towels? Napkins? How much money could I save if I had reusable versions instead? If  you think about it, you don't really have to go too far to find linen, cotton, bamboo, or hemp alternatives. Many Etsy stores sell unpaper towels for as little as $1/piece. Bear with me, as I'm not a math teacher... If you go through two rolls of paper towels a week, and a 12-pack costs $15, that's $1.25 per roll which would be $2.50/week. That comes out to about $130 a year. If you keep a stash of about 30, that's a savings of almost $100 just in the first year.
We pretty much hemorrhage Ziploc bags in our house, so I wondered how I could save by using reusable snack bags or Bento boxes for lunches. Planetwise actually sells snack bags in five different sizes/styles. (I'll have to get back to you on the math, but you could definitely replace hundreds of plastic snack bags every year.) And a Bento box is a great way to provide your kiddos (and yourself, if you bring lunch to work) with a waste-free lunch and save you about $250/year!

I personally love the idea of scratching these items off of my grocery list. It also helps to declutter the pantry. How much room does your bulk stash of paper towels take up? Do you have a drawer dedicated to five different types of snack bags? Wouldn't you love to use that precious storage space for something more important and less wasteful?

Saying Goodbye to Good Makeup

I have been such a lazy blogger lately. Last night, my poor baby was waking up constantly until she finally conked out for a few hours at 8am. I am completely exhausted. I won't rant about the Army (not just yet) but it is really hard to take care of an unhappy baby at night when you are the only one who can get up with her. It's nights like last night that make me miss my tag team partner. :(

When I have these lazy days in which I barely make it out of my room, let alone the house, it makes every little bit of clutter that much more obvious. It's easy to see the pile of clothing or the stack of boxes, but the hidden clutter needs attention too. (Kind of an oxymoron, no? Hidden clutter?) When you attack the clutter you can't see, you make space for things you actually need.
My biggest weakness is my makeup trunk. Yeah, trunk. Once upon a time, I LOVED dressing up and wearing bright red lipstick with crazy eye shadow. Then I got a real job where I had to dress more conservatively. (It's sort of frowned upon to show up as a high school teacher looking like a student.) Then I had a kid and had absolutely no time for putting on a face. Now I have two gorgeous eye shadow palettes and three cosmetic cases full of designer product.
The Kiersten that put her big girl pants on today says, "You don't use it. You don't need it. Get rid of it." The louder, more emotional side says, "BUT! It's so pretty! And it was so expensive! And it doesn't really take up that much room." That last sentence is total denial on my part. My train case full of makeup takes up 40-50% of my counter space, depending on how much time I've had to put things away. I hate to see it go to waste, which is another reason I've held onto it for so long. Instead of just tossing it in the trash, I am going to put it up for adoption. I know a couple people who would love to give my Alice in Wonderland and Naked palettes a home (*cries*).

When you have an item you know you should get rid of, but don't want to throw it away (and you probably couldn't sell...) consider giving it to someone who could get better use out of it. My loss is my future sister-in-law's gain. :-D

To Sell or Not To Sell

One particular trap I believe most people fall into while trying to declutter is the "But I can sell this!" trap. I know I do. Who has clothes in their closet with the tags still attached because it was cute and/or a great deal? I have at least one dress that fits this description. It was on sale, my favorite color, and it made my butt look phenomenal. I have yet to wear this dress. Partly because I got pregnant shortly after I bought it, but also because I have nowhere to go all dressed up! (This is another trap -- The "Someday!" trap -- but I'll save that for another post.)
Nothing provides a clearer visual of throwing away money like getting rid of something brand new and, if you're like me, you HATE that! So what do we tell ourselves? "I'll sell it!" While there is nothing wrong with attempting to recoup a piece of your original expense, there is one question you always need to ask yourself before you make that decision:
Is it worth it? Is it worth the time, effort, and maybe even more money to try selling an item?
In order to list something for sale on eBay, CraigsList, or any other online auction/classified/swap website you need to:

• take and upload pictures
• calculate shipping
• have shipping supplies on hand
• maintain and update your listing 
• respond to any contacts from potential buyers
• make a trip to the post office or meet up with your buyer
• pay shipping/eBay/PayPal fees

Yard sales are an even bigger pain. For one of those you'll need to:

• advertise your sale at least a week in advance
• set prices for each item
• get up REALLY early (my biggest issue)
• physically haul out everything you're planning to sell
• haggle with people who want to pay you a nickel for a garbage bag full of clothing
• drag everything that doesn't sell back into the garage or house

In other words, are you willing to go through the trouble to list every single Beanie Baby you've ever owned to possibly make $5 a piece? What if they don't sell? Do you look forward to the physical demands of a yard sale when it's possible you'll end up with $100 and a horrible farmer's tan at the end of the day?
Remember, the goal here is still to minimize your clutter and get rid of STUFF. If you have listed items for sale online or plan a yard sale, you need to have a back-up plan for the items that remain when the party is over. How long do you give yourself to sell before it's time to just donate? You have to set a deadline! For the items I just listed (a ton of shorts, jeans, and pants that no longer fit since pushing a person through my pelvis has widened my hips) I am giving myself 30 days. After that, I am off to Goodwill to make another donation. Otherwise, things sit around and take up my valuable space which is exactly what I am trying to avoid.
Not to get off on a tangent, but that reminds me of the Storage Wars-type shows where they buy junk and then they show us their "profit" even though they haven't sold anything yet! Just because that old gas station sign is worth $300, you don't get the $300 until you sell it! Don't count your chickens, people. You may think something is worth a lot of money, but it's really worth nothing if nobody is willing to buy it from you. You are better off donating what doesn't sell instead of waiting for someone to come along and pay you for it. A clutter-free home is priceless!

A Moment of Weakness

Hi, my name is Kiersten and I am addicted to designer handbags. This particular bag almost did me in yesterday. As I was waiting for Plato's Closet (we'll get to that in a second) to evaluate the four bags of clothing I brought to them, I stopped by TJMaxx which was conveniently located two stores down. I was only there to look, but this B. Makowsky had other plans for me. I normally avoid the rows of more expensive bags, because I wouldn't pay for them even at the outlet price. BUT! This gorgeous, roomy, buttery soft, genuine Italian leather bag (in my favorite color, mind you) was on CLEARANCE! It was marked down to $80.
So the bargaining began. "I can get rid of another purse, so it wouldn't be accumulating." "This doesn't count as clutter, it's useful!" "I'll come back after Plato's Closet pays me. Then I'm not really spending any money." Once I recognized the symptoms of my addiction, I knew I needed help resisting temptation. I called on my Facebook friends to talk me down. (Great job, by the way.) And that was it. Do I still desire this bag? Heck yes, it's gorgeous! But it doesn't fit into my ultimate plan and it would be a step back in the decluttering process. So, as far as I know, it is still sitting on the clearance rack at the TJMaxx in the Gaitway Plaza waiting for some thrifty fashionista to fall in love with it.

Plato's Closet... I have a love/hate relationship with this place. I feel like their prices are fair. (I got $45 for 8 pieces of clothing yesterday.) The problem is that they are SO picky! I went in with four bags of clothes yesterday and walked out with 3 1/2 to then drop off at Goodwill. I went in last week and walked out with everything, because apparently I am an 80-year-old woman and my style is "too mature." Pssh. OK. But I see it this way: I have already committed to tossing out whatever I bring to them, so what do I have to lose?

I love donating clothes because they take up so much space, and once they're gone I feel so relieved that I don't have to wash, dry, fold, pack, or unpack any of these items ever again. Your mission, if you choose to accept it (is that phrase trademarked?) is to donate at least one bag of clothing this week. There must be something you own that is just too big, too small, too old, or too worn out to take up anymore space in your closet. So why let it?

Getting Rid of Things

I've struggled with clutter my entire life. I don't think I ever learned how to sort through my stuff and determine what was worth keeping and what was just taking up space. I'm convinced that my parents just tossed a few things and cleaned up my room when I went away for the summers as a kid.

That garbage bag is filled solely with my husband's socks and boxer briefs.

BIG TIME CONFESSION: Throughout most of my childhood, the floor in my room was not visible. I often had to clear a path just to get from the door to my bed. It wasn't a Hoarders-level situation, but I was a messy kid. What did I learn from this? It's difficult to have a MESS if you don't have STUFF.
Since I came to that realization, I gave made it my mission to lug around as little as possible. How am I working on that now?

This closet has undergone several declutters.

I am currently clearing out closets to prepare for our October/November PCS to Ft. Hood. And I'm doing it alone since my husband is in Georgia until said PCS. We tend to accumulate clothing and shoes most easily, so I'm starting there. Again, this post is on the verge of becoming too long, so I'll save my Plato's Closet rant for another day. But believe me, it IS coming!