Stuff, stuff, stuff

The good thing about moving is that it forces you to clean. Clean out, that is. I'm a pack rat and always have been (please refer to my 2nd and 3rd grade Trapper Keepers in my parents' basement...*), which has proven problematic (...for the cleanliness of my parents' basement). I think it's fair to say that it's in my blood, though. No specific tales to tell there, but Gramma was a major saver of Junk-That-Might-Be-Good-To-Have-Someday, and Dad's cheap so if saving something can save him money later, he will save it.

Every time I move, I spend a decent amount of time throwing or giving things away. This time's a little different than in the past, since wherever I'm going next will be my first real place. So the question when I come to something I'm not sure about is: do I want/need this in my real world life?

I'm finding that sometimes, the answer is: "well, yes... but do I need so many of them?!"

I am therefore calling for a moratorium on purchasing several items in my life:

- Stuffed animals. Next time I feel inspired to buy another stuffed animal, I am instead just going to have to sponsor a panda in China or something. I've actually bought very few stuffed animals for myself, most have been gifts because I think it's clear that I'm the type who enjoys a cute stuffed animal. I have, after all, slept with the same teddy bear almost every night since I was a month old - no shame here. Nevertheless, next time you're inspired to get me a stuffed animal - don't. Last time I was home I went through my collection and finally (heart-breakingly) made enough cuts to take up a large trash bag and then some (sorry ex-boyfriends who bought me really really cute bears... they didn't make the team). Oh, don't worry, they'll all be given away, not thrown away. The trash bag is just a holding pen.

- Sweatshirts. I will still have to buy a sweatshirt from the institution wherever I end up working, but other than that, my sweatshirt phase is finito. That's probably a lie, but I'm going to try. I have enough good quality sweatshirts to last me 60 years, and they're the type of thing that stays in the closet when there's weight gain, too, so there's no getting rid of what I've got - ergo, no need to buy more.

- Paper products. I have lots of stationary sets (remnants from a childhood of pen pals, plus some nice new ones I always intend to use) and wayyyyy too many Post-It Notes, not to mention a notepad cube that I've had on my desk for 4 years and use daily for random notes, but which is still 1.5 inches thick. And considering the fact that I consistently use the same pens over and over again(re: I am anal about which pen is used for which task... ask my classmates who I think all noticed and commented on my color-coordination of pens with classes last semester... embarrassing but I'm not ashamed since it keeps me organized haha), yet still have a huge collection of them, this moratorium applies to pens and pencils, too.

- T-shirts. Wayyyyyyy too many. And it doesn't help that I still fit into t-shirts I wore in 5th grade... they're impossible to get rid of because of sentimental value as it is, but still being able to wear them is the kicker. If they didn't fit, it would be easier. I could make them into a quilt (or five)... but then I couldn't wear them. And, okay, this is only a partial moratorium - it is so hard to say no to a free t-shirt.


Does everyone else have this problem, too? I feel like I can't be the only one. In fact, I know I am not the only one with the t-shirt and sweatshirt problem - here's looking at you, J.Halstead.


And I say this as I'm wearing a sweatshirt with the name Halstead on the back... no joke.

Also: the loft is sold!



*this reminds me of a great quote from John Mayer on I Love the 80s: "The Trapper Keeper was the genesis of OCD for my generation."