[JustJo]

Love this thread...thank you!

I'm getting ready to move and have been steadily clearing my house of 9 years of accumulated clutter...and it feels magnificent.

I've given away a car full of books and kids' videos (seriously, a car full...there was only room for me to drive) to a library in a poor part of town. The look on the kids' faces when they saw the videos was fantastic, and the librarian looked like she was gonna cry.

I've also given away 3 window air conditioners, a BBQ grill, a garden hose and reel, some folding chairs, about 10 lawn-size bags of clothes, kid toys, kitchen stuff....you name it.

Some I donated to charity; some I gave to friends. Some things I just hauled out to the curb and let whoever wanted to haul it away take it. I live on a busy street (8000 cars a day baby)....so it's the perfect way to recycle. I have yet to put anything out there...no matter how strange...and have it last more than a few days. Most things are gone in a matter of 15 minutes or less.

The more I get rid off...the more I feel like getting rid off. There's less to clean, less to fix, less to find a place for. I find that I actually need and use very few things on a daily basis. And my new mantra is "If I haven't used it in a year, then someone else probably will"....and out it goes.

I've cleared an amazing amount of stuff out of here....and still have more to go.

If it's not useful or beautiful or making me smile....then it doesn't need to be in my house!