My wonderful, wonderful friend, Rochelle, took all three kids for the day today. (I take her daughter occasionally for overnights, but I’m just adding one more kid who entertains my kids. When she takes mine, she quadruples her child population, so I am particularly grateful to her.)
With an afternoon to myself, I put on an audio book and started shoveling. Actually the kids’ rooms didn’t look so bad, but I was determined to go through everything and get rid of all clothes too small, stained, ripped, or simply unworn. I got rid of stuffed animals never played with, puzzles missing pieces, toys that liked to scatter but were never actually played with, and collected “treasures” that weren’t (scribbles on paper scraps, rocks, etc.). I went through everything but the books, but I will do that with each child. As I sorted, everything that didn’t immediately go into the garbage or recycling got tossed into the hallway.
This is what the hallway looked like just before I hid everything in my room and went to pick up the kids.
Most of it is bagged in the car ready to be donated or recycled or returned to original owner. Some I’ve kept but have hidden in boxes. They are nice toys, but I don’t think their absence will be noticed, especially with Christmas tomorrow. I’ve attacked my own closets without mercy as well, so I’m not just taking things away from the kids.
It’s not very catchy, but I’m going with “Less stuff in 2014!”
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