My 50 Things

I've been reading several minimalist blogs lately and in the "minimalist world" when you refer to 50 or 100 things, that's typically the amount of things you own.  Many people have pared down their lives so much that they can easily count the number of things they own.  Well, I find this concept very interesting but I'm nowhere near a goal of owning such few things.  For me, it's unrealistic, especially when I'm about to have two kids (and I have a husband who likes stuff).   Even for just my personal stuff, it's not a goal I want to achieve.  I like some variety in my life and I like to have beautiful things around me.  I'm not comfortable with bare walls, I like art and photographs to brighten up my life.  I appreciate having more than three shirts and two pairs of pants because I get bored with my wardrobe quite easily. 

I do, however, want less stuff in my life.  Our 3-bedroom apartment is constantly cluttered with piles of stuff everywhere.  I know adding an infant to the mix won't help things so I need to pare down before the baby comes.  My goal is to eliminate as much stuff as possible before September (when baby is due), maybe August if we move to Tacoma before the baby comes.    The two kids and I will be moving in with my parents in Tacoma for several months while we search for a house there and Brian is overseas.  That is another reason to downsize, because we will be sharing my parents' house and don't need to bring a ton of stuff with us for those few months and I don't want to pay to store stuff that I really don't need in my life. 

So my 50 things refers to what I've gotten rid of so far.  None of it is actually gone yet, just set aside in my friend's garage for an upcoming garage sale, but I know that nothing will be returning to my life.  If it doesn't sell, it will go to the women's shelter or Goodwill immediately after the sale. 

The book I've been reading, "Throw Out FIFTY Things", has you keep a list of items that you are getting rid of as you go through each room.  Each category of items counts as one thing (eg, 5 lipsticks, 10 shirts, 17 magazines all count as one thing each).  Since I didn't do one whole room at a time and just did one piece and another piece there, my list was very haphazard.  It took up 8 pages in a small notebook.  I condensed it today and combined a lot of categories to keep it down to 50 things.  I love making lists and counting things (what can I say, it's the math teacher in me) so I liked keeping track of everything.  But I was shocked to find out how much stuff I had that I wasn't using and didn't need to keep around.

Many of the items I'm getting rid of are small and don't take up much room, so it didn't seem too bad around here, but it was still crazy to think I've been keeping all this stuff for no good reason.  In most of the categories, I'm still keeping the same amount of stuff that I'm eliminating.  There were a few things that are gone for good (like the enormous amount of bubble wrap that I had been saving - it was Freecycled to someone who was moving).  In my list, I didn't include all the piles of paper and magazines and most other things that have gone straight to the garbage or recycling.  I also didn't include any of Brian's personal items but I did include Julian's stuff (since I was the one choosing to get rid of it) and shared belongings that Brian and I both agreed could go.  The hardest thing about sorting through things with a toddler is that your piles frequently get moved to places all around the house where you didn't want them to be.  Julian thinks that he has found dozens of new playthings as I empty out the closets and drawers so he moves them to where his toys are or puts them in a drawer or something so I have to rediscover them later. 

Here's my list (which will be updated as I continue to finish my decluttering process):
1. 52 shirts (regular, maternity, and nursing)
2. 12 prs of pants
3. 14 sweaters
4. 12 prs of socks
5. 7 nightgowns/prs of pajamas
6. 9 skirts and dresses
7. 159 items of kids' clothing
8. 17 prs of earrings
9. 17 bracelets
10. 7 rings
11. 3 watches
12. large trash bag full of bubble wrap
13. 12 pieces of furniture
14. 70 toys and games
15. 13 things from my underwear drawer
16. 22 hair accessories
17. 16 makeup items
18. 60 other things from the bathroom (mostly travel size toiletries)
19. 400+ postcards
20. 8 pkgs of stationery
21. most of my rock collection
22. 166 items from when I was a teacher (pens, rulers, scissors, protractors,etc)
23. 71 things from the kitchen
24. 3 prs of eyeglasses
25. 224 CDs and 2 CD binders
26. 9 pillows and 3 pillowcases
27. 18 bags (includes backpacks, purses, wallets, etc)
28. 3 candles
29. 22 misc. plastic containers
30. 12 scarves/sarongs
31. 13 misc. kid items (baby carrier, pacifier straps, etc)
32. 2 DVD players
33. bag of sewing supplies
34. 25 misc. electronic accessories (cables, chargers, adaptors)
35. 219 books (incl. some of those expensive souvenir guidebooks from tourist destinations)
36. 13 prs of shoes (both kid and adult)
37. 15 necklaces and pendants
38. 104 knickknacks and home decor items
39. 10 small electronic items
40. full-length mirror
41. 10 seasons of Friends on DVD
42. 2 tablecloths
43. 2 swimsuits
44. 6 blankets (adult and baby)
45. 1 hat and 1 pr of mittens
46. 4 prs of knitting needles and 10 skeins of yarn
47. 3 blankets (adult and baby)
48. 2 prs of sunglasses
49. 22 holiday decorations
50. 39 random items

***List updated as of 6/12/2011