Sorting

As I start to sort out the things that ‘spark joy’ from the junk I should have thrown in the bin years ago, I can’t help but think why on EARTH I have been living like a hoarder this whole time. Why was It okay to have boxes, toys, clothes, books and paperwork piled up so high they risked crushing us if we brushed up against a stack in the wrong way? Why didn’t my friends or family ask if I was okay and stage an intervention? Why do I have bus passes from 15 years ago? Whyyy!?

I’m also clearly being punished for my poor housework. Dust has been floating down from long-forgotten boxes and newly cleared shelves, attacking my nasal passage, and triggering such intense sneezing that my ribs and jaw now hurt.

So, as you can tell, all is going well.

I have so far managed to fill five huge bin bags with clothes with the aim to donate them to charity (three of them are stuffed full of just my child’s clothes. I have no clue how she managed to accumulate so much stuff, she hasn’t even been around that long!). Unfortunately, there’s a wrinkle in my plan as most charity shops are now asking people to pause on their donations (and for the love of God to stop dumping it outside their doors, it’s flytipping, and you know it!). With so much time spent in our homes over the last eleven months, many households have been decluttering (probably to save their sanity) and charities experienced a surge in the amount of clothing and household items being donated. This is an amazing show of support for individuals and families who have needed supplies to get them through this tough time, but it also created a glut in the charity shop market. With shops closed, supply far exceeds demand, and revenue has taken a significant hit.

It’s a crappy situation and I empathise with the tricky economics being faced by charities right now… but I still need to cleanse the clutter from my life, pass on some cute clothes for new babies to enjoy, poo and spit up on, and begin my new minimalist lifestyle (ha!). So…. does anyone want three bags of baby/toddler clothes?! At this rate, I’ll pay YOU to take it away ;)

Here’s an unrelated picture of me and our big ass front door. Pics of bin bags didn’t seem as fun.