Only a few more things to do, and then my step-mums move is finally over. Monday was the day the movers came, and boy did it turn out to be a long, loooong day 😉
The last few days have been crazy with packing, disconnecting electrical items, cleaning up the new place after all the workers (who incidentally are still not done.. according to the grapevine. I believe they are putting the finishing touches on the bathroom today), the move itself, unpacking, reconnecting electrical items +++
All I’m going to say is this… moving is a pain in the… 😉 and I’m glad it wasn’t my house this time around!
I would like to think that, now that I have cleared away quite a bit of stuff, it would be reasonable easy for me to move (if I ever were so inclined) but having witnessed the chaos of the last few days, I’m not so sure any more.
I knew my step-mum had quite a few things, but I didn’t realise how much, until stuff came crawling out of the woodwork. And I’m starting to think that even as much as I have decluttered, there are way more, than I realise, hidden away in my nooks and crannies.
Maybe it’s time I take another look at all the little things that are hiding in “plain sight” in my closets, drawers and shelves. See if there isn’t a way to reduce even more. I should probably implement the moving test going forward with my decluttering task. A moving test, huh?
To me, this is to implement questions like;
- If I was to move to a different country or a smaller house, would this item be worth paying good money to have it moved, or would it fit in a smaller lifestyle?
- Would I keep this item if I myself had to physical carry/haul this over to the new place, with no help from anyone…
Hmm, I can think of a few things that would not survive the “hauling it myself” test 😉 I mean, even if thing are small and don’t take up a lot of space, I’m telling you, when you pack all that stuff in a box, it quickly becomes a heavy load of stuff… and even the smallest box becomes heavy after you have lugged around 50 of them!
I don’t think I’m quite at the packing party level, like The Minimalists did, especially after the last few days (if I don’t see another moving box again, I would be really happy), but I can still “pretend in my mind” I’m packing up, right?
So that is what I will do… ahem… in a couple of weeks time! I just need to get this current move out of the way first, and there are still a few things that needs to be done (guest bedroom/office to set up, basement storage room to sort out, curtain rods to be hung, pictures to put on the walls, books to unpack… you get the drift) before I can lean back and relax.
But at least I have made the decision (and a decision is half the work, right? 🙂 ) to do a pseudo “packing party” as soon as this real “unpacking party” is over…
Want to join me, in my “packing party” endeavour?
Minimalist Sometimes 
This actually sounds like a really great idea. You know I tried the packing party thing when we moved last year, but doing it without packing sound better. I realize it’s more difficult because of the kids, there are so many things is like to get rid of that I know I will have to replace at some point so I just don’t go there in the first place, but my goal this year could be to reeeeeally take a close look in my cupboards, because I do have things stuck in there that I do not want to bring if I moved again. Which I won’t in a looooong time I hope. Preferably when the kids have moved out, then I can clean out their things with a good conscience too 😉
LikeLike
I hope I don’t have to move either, in a veeeery long time, but I’m sure the house could benefit from a “packing party” critical eye 🙂 maybe we should go it together? Your cupboards, my “whole house” 😉
ps. I might need a little longer time-frame than u for my end of this bargain, but I’m sure you’ll be gracious and and give me that.. Yes??? 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely! I’m in! I’ll mull this over for a bit and then try to figure out a plan 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those are definitely some good questions to ask when decluttering! Not sure what is involved in joining your “packing party”, but I could potentially be in… but I’ll definitely be trying to keep those questions in mind when I am doing my decluttering tasks. Let me know your plan and I’ll try and join in. 🙂
LikeLike
I was originally planning on just pretending to pack! Go through room by room, and ask me the moving questions as I look through my stuff. But your question, made me realise that I had not really made a proper “packing party” plan 😉 Now I’m thinking I should actually pull things out properly (not just one shelf at a time or one drawer at a time), to get a feel for how much I have… I was thinking about doing my “pretend packing party” over a couple of long weekends (as soon as I’m done with the real move) and do room by room. Give me a minute or two (or until tomorrow) to mull this over, and I will come up with a good plan on how to do this 🙂
LikeLike
Ha! We are forcing you to make the plan official!
LikeLike
We have moved 11 times in 34 years . . . the last move was the easiest since we sold most of the furniture (and the two ton tessie PIANO!!!) with the house in Maryland. And we still have stuff stuffed in nooks and crannies waiting for the boot.
Declutterers Unite!
LikeLike
It’s funny how the stuff still stays with us regardless of how many times we move 😉 11 times is not a small number. When I was a “kid”, we moved quite a lot (and I mean a lot), and as much as I didn’t always like moving, it was a great way to keep my stuff under control. Now that I don’t move very often any more, it’s much easier to accumulate…
After having been on a declutter spree the last few years, I have to admit, my house IS filled with less stuff now, than when I moved into it in 2006, and that’s even after coming home from US in 2009 with almost another whole house of stuff! But, then again… I still have a few nooks and crannies… 😉
LikeLike
We moved nearly every 2 years as a child. Then as an adult, I’ve nearly repeated the pattern. Now that I own my first place all by myself, hopefully I’ll break the pattern!
You are an inspiration!!
Melinda
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hear you, as a kid I moved a lot to. I remember that by the time I had lived 4 years in the first place I bought myself, that 4 years was the longes I had ever lived in one place.. and would you believe, I ended up living there for 14,5 years before I mived again.. Now my record to beat is those 14,5 years 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! 14? I can’t even imagine! I think my record is about 4. I’m 54, so that’s a LOT of moving!! Well, it’s 4:23 a.m. I’ve enjoyed talking to you so much, Anne. But I gotta go sleep! Good night, er, morning!
LikeLike
Nity, nite. Sleep tight… We will catch up later 🙂
LikeLike