storage..stuff...spiral...

It's kind of funny...we live simply, but sometimes it still seems like we have too much stuff.  It's usually when things start to pile up...too many library books, other things not being put away properly.

We have found that keeping things fairly organised helps things run smoothly around here. 

We recently downsized our storage unit from a 6 x 3 meter to a 3 x 3 meter.  When we moved out of the house last June, we put everything we still had into storage while we went camping.  I know, storage costs money and was our stuff really worth what it cost to store it?  Yes and no... yes to the photos and sentimental stuff, no to everything else.  But we were running out of time and needed to do something with it all so we made a decision and there you go.  When our big caravan arrived, we got a lot of things out that we moved into the caravan - books, craft supplies, clothes, practical stuff etc.  We brought over our washer, dryer and large refrigerator too, just to make it really comfortable here (they are all in the outside area).  We are happy to sell the fridge if we get a buyer though.  We sold off some larger items such as our couch and we took our mattresses to the tip as no charity will take them and they didn't sell.  It feels good to pay much less for storing our extra stuff.  Every time we shuffle our stuff around, we need to reorganise.  Every time we reorganise, we get rid of even more stuff.  It feels like a spiral, going around, up and down, in and out, but always moving and getting lighter and more focused as needs change.

In the past week we've been having another sweep through and it's surprising at how much excess we were able to take out of the van.  Some of it was donated, and a little of it will go back to our storage unit.  Mostly extra books and toys that the kids aren't using or needing at the moment.

We are all enjoying the lighter feel of the place, and the smoother flow of energy.  I remember a time when accumulating material stuff was fun for me.  Now, getting rid of it gives me a thrill!  Just living with the things we actually use and that delight us suits me so well.  I've realised that I get overwhelmed fairly easily and too much stuff probably added to my stress.  I don't like it when there is too much to do and I need to pace myself during those times.

I am grateful that my children have gotten into the mindset of keeping a couple of  boxes of their  favourite toys and really enjoying the things in there.  When they are ready, we rotate stuff in and out from some of the extra stuff we have in the storage unit.  Summer loves clothes, but she is very aware of only keeping clothes that she loves and that she feels great in.  When something no longer feels great to her, she will easily let it go. 

I doubt that we can ever totally get rid of some kind of storage unit for a little excess and sentimental stuff.  I do fantasize that we can though.  For now, I'll continue to enjoy to gradual lightening of our load, a little ebb, a little flow....it's all as it should be.