Throw it all away

If you haven’t noticed already spring is a comin’, and let’s face it, us northern folk will still be stoking wood stove fires for at least another month or so. With that being said, it is the perfect time for clearing out all the spaces. From my clothes closet, dish cupboard, pantry and the kids rooms (eeek!) all could use a good purging. I laughingly say this as I throw away a turmeric spice container best by 02/22/2017...

I started in my own closet the week when temperatures got down to negative twenty. That’s when our well decided to freeze up and all the laundry piles just weren’t shrinking. It was a good time to go through those pieces I had only worn once this season, had holes in the underarms or those “goal pants” I was just tired of staring at. I became realistic that my closet was NOT going to grow to that of Cher’s in the movie Clueless and I was more than ok with that. In my mid thirties I had invested in more costly choices, and with the softer better quality fabrics, they were easily my favorites. Minimalism over abundance was the victor in this battle.

Now those goal pants that I lovingly bagged up to donate at the local Goodwill, did not leave me defeated. My current post pandemic Covid +15lbs body was not to stay mind you. I had started working out almost daily (which is crazy for me) six weeks prior, initially for twenty minutes now moving up past the forty minute marker. I use an awesome free fitness app in the comfort of my living room or bedroom with no judgement if I stop for a breath, or that I may still smell like a French fry coming right home from work. I started this routine not just for my physical appearance, but my mental state relief as well. This has always been a saving grace for me, getting to go to bed physically accomplished and tired was a game changer. Plus they say summer bodies are made in the winter so let’s go!

Next I moved to the pantry, sorting through our canned goods, lining them up in the first in first out rotation. I don’t know why with a family things get put back in the most random places, even though the hole that they initially came from remained gaping, but say la vie. I am lucky enough to have a pantry cupboard with four very large shelves. We have our baked goods and spices on the top, snacks and cans on the second, pasta noodles and protein powder on the third and the fourth is our catch all. It ranges from candles in case the power goes out to the old hampster ball that still remains even though Peep has passed. We live within our means and every part of our three bedroom one bath cabin gets used. Hence the need to remove the unused expired items that lurk in the back.

I recommend a big glass of Cabernet to get you through this next part, the little kids room. So the three bedroom cabin we live in is my most favorite space, however our two little girls share a room and they are busting at the seams. The legos and doll house constantly need organized and so does the desk we moved in this year for distance learning purposes. We also live by hand me downs, so our girls ages four and almost nine have tags up to 10/12. I consider this a blessing however finding room for all the in between sizes requires a purging just like the one from above. I pack up, shedding a little tear the twelve month old adorable pant sets knowing we are moving onto the next stage of our lives. The results are outstanding and will last about 2.5 days, I am ok with that. Life is good and the sun will be warmer in a few months.

I still have the abundance of cups, not knowing how we accumulated so many since the last purge, to clean out, but I decide this will wait. Not only have I taken up this new writing hobby, but I also have gotten to enjoy a few new books. I do better with my reading in the fall and winter and now have a pile four high that I want to get through before we live outside for the summer. As cliche as it sounds, I love poring a cup of hot tea and cracking open a new spine.

And now I am staring at a fish bowl that needs cleaned, so I leave you fellow comrades (reading 1984 currently), happy purging!