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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Less Is More!

First of all let me thank all of you who have been praying for Ansley. She has gotten more rest. Judah now seems to have a touch of colic or not adjusting well to the formula. They are just working and loving through the  fussy spells. I have been of little help since I was fortunate not to have that with either of my babies. Again he is the cutest little thing ever, and by the way I did go back and get lots of sweet time with the little one.

Now on to the topic at hand. A common theme that seems to be coming up lately is, "Less Is More". If I want to be real honest, I need to admit that I have just accumulated too much STUFF!

The question I have asked myself is, WHY?
Can I learn to be content with what I have as opposed to looking at what others have, and wanting what they've got? Seeing a new trend and going for it, always something a little prettier, or so we think. The fact is there will always be newer, bigger, better, prettier, etc. to see. Yes, my house is long overdue for some updates, and we are beginning to tackle this.

I am beginning to take a closer look at some habits(of mine) that need to be addressed. Don't get me wrong, I love some thrifty shopping, and good junk, but the accumulation is beginning to weigh me down! My STUFF seems to be managing me, rather than the other way around.

My recent closet clean up came to a halt when the stomach virus hit, then Judah decided to make his arrival a bit earlier than expected(what a joy!),and  I subbed today, so it is still unfinished. However, tomorrow, I will be back at it, clearing the clutter! Getting rid of STUFF!

So how would you answer the following questions:

How much is enough?
Are my belongings a burden or a blessing?
How much time should I spend managing what I own?
I will be sharing some of my answer to these questions in upcoming posts, and show you the progress that I am making.

I will leave you with these pictures of some simple fall decorating that we did at my daughter's house.
The garland was made from fabric that I had on hand, another idea to help clear the clutter. Share with someone else.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on "Less is More".
Blessings!

10 comments:

Beckypdj said...

A friend came to visit my home for the first time, she looked around and said, "it's probably pretty easy to clean." I don't have a lot of stuff sitting around LOL. I have since moved and do have more than I did then, but not too much.

Everything I have seen on your blog looks very cool to me and I would love to have it!! But I know I wouldn't make good use of it, so I just look at the pictures.

I do have lots of Christmas decorations......but I use them ALL.

Have a very productive closet cleaning!!! Glad everyone is doing well and can't wait to see pics of Judah :)

Victoria said...

Congratulations on beautiful Judah! I know you and all your family are loving on that precious little boy.

Your post on "less is more" is timely for me. I lugged so much STUFF to my new house that it was crazy. We are in the process of cleaning out for our yard sale in 2 weeks! I hope to be able to let go of a lot of stuff that I kept before and still haven't used. :( How sad is that???? Thrifting can be a blessing or a curse....I definitely want it to be a blessing.

Jennifer said...

Since moving to our new home, I have been trying hard to make very conscious decisions about buying/accumulating and bringing new things into the house....do I have a place for this? do I really need this? how often will I use this?

It seems small...but it is a big step for me and I am gradually retraining my thinking and desires - but it is definitely a work in progress:)

I LOVE the garland in the picture!! Is it simply knotted on? Ok - silly question - probably more to it but is it easy??

Miss Debbie said...

I agree less is more and simple is good. I tend to buy things I like and keep them for along time. I change the seasonal things, but the basic stuff remains. I can't tell you how many times I have taken everything off a shelf or off a wall with the intention of cleaning it and then replacing it.... just to clean it and put it right back where it was because I still like it!! :-) I do go through my clothes at the end of every season and give away what I haven't worn. Just went through the scrubs I wear at work and have a bag full to give away. I do love to browse through antique and thrift stores,but I usually only buy what I have a purpose for... not just because I like it. That seems to help me.

Jennifer said...

Thanks, Jackie, for the directions. Absolutley LOVE your comment "trust me, you can't mess this one up!" Oh, you have no idea!! But I am going to try it tomorrow:)

mary beth said...

This is sooo timely Jackie! I have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, and in the last two recent moves, I got rid of a lot of it, just because I didn't want to move it again. I am purposing to use what I have, make do without getting caught up in the urge to add "just one more thing". It's refreshing, and a whole lot easier to dust! It's fun giving the stuff away too...repurpose, reuse and recycle!

Dawn Gahan said...

Jackie, please know you and your family have been in my prayers. With the passing of my grandmother last week, I've come to appreciate even more what God gives us in exchange. The little Judah a sweet example. Hope Ansley is doing well.

And as far as the accumulation of stuff . . . I'm with ya. I think I'm long overdue for a cleansing of sorts. I think my saving grace will be to take a picture of everything I purge myself of. I don't know about you, but a picture of a belonging can serve as much a sentiment as the actual thing in my belonging.

My love to you!

Dawn

p.s.phyllis sews said...

You are on the way to making a great change in your life. It is true we tend to have way too much stuff and for me, personally, it is our moves that have helped me downsize quite a bit. You get tired of packing all that stuff in boxes!

The key that I read about in organizing stuff is if you have used it within the last year, then it's a keeper but if you haven't, then it's likely that you can get rid of it. That being said, I do have one Rubbermaid box of special clothes that I want my daughter to have when she is married and has a child.

This is alittle long for a comment but I have made it my side business to use up other people's stash of fabric. It's been a fun start.

Christina said...

Are my belongings a burden or a blessing? That is a great question and unfortunately I might have to answer more to the burden side than the blessing. Thanks for putting that question on your list. Great for me to think on.

Love your garland--also your white painted brick. The garland looks pretty against it. Love,love,love using what you have.

Yay for more sweet baby time. Mine didn't really have colic, so I'm no help with that either.

Anonymous said...

The age ole' question..ha.! Glad to hear you are feeling better and praying for that sweet baby's belly to feel better too. I'm with you, mine never had colic praise the Lord. I know what you mean about having too much stuff. I feel like that way too often. I love the less is best look....today :)