Out with the old, in with the new

I love MS days. You know, when the MS truck comes and gets the pile of stuff you've wanted to take to DI forever but who has time to drop stuff off at DI? So when I get that phone call from MS I am more than happy to scour my house for more goodies to donate to make their trip out here worth it, and to make me feel like I just deep-cleaned my house, one of my favorite feelings in the world (don't we all love it?). Here's how I do it, because this is something any person with a home needs to do to de-junkify:

• First, numb yourself. That's right...don't do this when you're sad, solemn, nostalgic, loving, etc. This is much easier if you go through this process as unbiased and indifferent as possible.
• Look through all your board and card games. Look again, because 1/3 of those babies you have not played this year, or the last. Time to give it up. Don't have it "just to have it". If you were lucky and it still has its shrink-wrap on, you can re-gift it this Christmas.
  
• Go through all your kids' stuffed animals. There are a few there from teachers and from dollar stores and from Easter baskets that aren't getting the love more than a couple times a year. Your kids won't notice their absence. Ok...they will, but just for a screaming short-moment. Don't tell me they don't have 10 other stand-bys in line for lovin'.
• Look through your kitchen. Pots and pans, plates...drawers of measuring cups...how many do you really need? It is so nice to have LESS STUFF in the kitchen, because it is the place that is constantly increasing with stuff.
• Look through old books/dvds. Time to give away the vhs. Time to give away those books by Nicholas Sparks and Richard Paul Evans. How many times do you want to re-live a doomed romance or a sappy plot?
• Clothes. This is my favorite part. The more you get rid of, the more empty your closet is and needs a re-fill. Justified shopping!
  
• The husband's stuff. This is the hard part, because they are more difficult than the kids when they find out you got rid of their stuff. Who knew? Even if they never use it or never will. Beware of sentimental attachments they have with "stuff" (I can't mention item(s) to protect husband's identity). I still don't get it. Item is in back of storage gathering dust and mites and rendering itself even more useless, yet husband refuses to let item go. I feel angered that I can't win this battle, but won't give up just yet. MS comes every few months.

So, that's where I am with all of this. What a joy losing excess baggage around the homestead. No one can see the difference but me, but I can FEEL it too!

Can't wait to go shopping. Need some new shoes, new jeans, and maybe a few new books...