Soaking my feet
9/8/15

This week seems to be all about my feet.  From tripping earlier this week, to gingerly walking, and now decluttering my shoe collection.  To be honest, it wasn’t planned at all.  Really – who plans to trip and hurt themselves?  But really – I actually went through my shoes and bagged up the ones I’m getting rid of over the weekend.  I feel like I’ve got more somewhere and I’m not sure where.  But I don’t think so.  From what I remember I moved two large boxes of shoes from the old house to here.  I got rid of at least half of them.  If they looked old-fashioned then I got rid of it.  If I hadn’t used them within 2 years, I got rid of it.

It was surprisingly easy to get rid of these shoes.  The hard ones are those items that are not ugly, are not worn out, but I haven’t used for whatever reason.  On Saturday night, I went out with some girl friends and used a really cute pair that I loved when I bought them.  I’d only used them once before.  They were really high and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to wear them for very long.  I do not wear high heels as much as I used to.  Anyway, I hated the shoes after an hour or so of wearing them.  So I decided that I would get rid of them.  One of my girl friend’s daughters actually asked to take them off my hands.

So I created my own criteria to buying shoes – a checklist of sorts to go through before I get new shoes.

1. They need to be really comfortable.
2. They need to be cute.
3. They need to work with more than one outfit.
4. I cannot have something similar in my closet already.
5. I have to get rid of one of the current shoes.  Which one will it be?
6. I do not need it just cuz they’re on sale.

I’ve heard that getting rid of stuff is freeing and gives one clarity in our lives.  So far, I am starting to see this become my reality.  It was hard to start.  I couldn’t imagine cutting my clothes to half of what it was.  Funny thing is as I find more boxes to unpack, most of the clothes in the boxes do not get unpacked into my drawers or my closet.  Most of them go into another box to be donated away.  And if it is an item that brings back memories or I find hard to give away, if it isn’t something I would wear now, I have a bin in my closet for those items that mean something to me.  Right now that bin is half empty and I’m okay with it as it is.  I can’t even write the thought of one day donating those things away without me cringing.  I’ll just have to deal with that when that day comes.

I started with the easy items and it is getting easier as each week goes by.  The hubby has noticed and has even started talking about clearing some of his stuff as well.  I hope he does.  I hope the kids take notice and clear their stuff as well.  But I can’t worry about that.  I’ve got enough of my own stuff for now.

I’m not sure what’s next.  I am thinking about tackling the restroom which has a bunch of hair stuff that the girl and I do not use.  Or maybe tackling my bookshelves.  The bookshelf is a little overwhelming.  I have a hard time getting rid of books.  But maybe I’ll start by getting rid of my old school books.  Space is a premium right now and I don’t need my old econ books anymore. 🙂

I hope you find inspiration in me clearing out my life.  I’m not sure what to call it.  I think decluttering isn’t right because nothing is cluttered.  Since we’ve moved, things are being put away, out of the way, hidden away.  So decluttering isn’t really the right word.  I’ve been saying clearing out my life but that sounds so spiritual.  And I’m not sure that’s what I want to portray either.  I’m simplifying my life but I’m not becoming a minimalist.  At least, not yet. ;0

Well, it’s time to get some quilting done now that my foot is better.

~Melanie