The Urge to Purge--with photos!

What. A. Mess.

This is one angle of our family room, the latest "victim" of my purging spree. It wasn't actually the family room that I was cleaning, as that is usually quite tidy. See the lovely shelves that store my 5-year old's art supplies and games? No? Well, they're there. Behind all that ... stuff. Believe it or not, it was the under-the-stairs closet, intended for my little one to use as a fun hidey-hole, that was cleaned out. Sort of. Thanks to Bethany at http.//bethany.preciousinfants.com and her Minimalism Challenge, I've been inspired to minimalize as well. Actually, I just needed a kick. When you're drowning in toomuchstuff, you know you can't breathe. Sometimes you just need someone to toss you a lifesaver and tell you to grab it. Seems obvious, but I can be very dense at times.

What you see in this shot is many Space Bag sacks chock full of children's clothing. You'd assume I had 6 or more kids, from the looks of it, wouldn't you? I have two. Just two. Wanted more, but had only two. After my first daughter was born, in anticipation of the 4 more babies I was certain would follow, I saved just about everything she ever had. Seriously. I found things in these bags that she never even used. I suppose I was saving them for baby number 2, but I honestly don't remember doing so. This kind of amnesia is what lead to the disaster-in-a-bag you see above. Yikes.

In the top photo you see the under-the-stairs closet. Doesn't it look like a great place to make a little kid's hideaway? A carpet runner, a little table, some books and a lamp would make it such a cute little place for a nearly-6-year-old. I am so ashamed that we've lived in this house nearly 3 years and I am just getting to this! My little girl could have been enjoying this for THREE YEARS if I'd done this sooner. Now imagine all the stuff you see in the family room inside that little under-the-stairs closet (along with the stuff still in there), and you have an idea of what my poor husband has endured for the last 3 years. Aaaack! Well, enough with the shame, time for a change. I hope to post photos after the job is done. Stick with me and let me know how you are doing in your purging adventure as well!