Me with Candice, Rachel, and Chase on-the-way.
When baby number three came along, our oldest wasn't quite four. Needless to say I was in maternity clothes a good part of those years. Most would think it strange if I had continued to wear them long after the need was gone. As comfy as that might have been, it wasn't too hard to pass them along to another mommy-to-be.
It's funny, though, how other things hang on beyond their useful or logical timeframe. Some things stay due to their sentimental value, but others simply escape our notice. It wasn't until my kids were in high school that I noticed I still had coloring books and crayons taking up a prime spot in a kitchen cabinet. It was a great idea when my kids were small but, that's not what I need in the cabinet today!
Life is short and keeping more than we need from the past, or saving stuff for the future can steal space, time, energy, and money from the present. Check out Timely Tips for a "Living in the Present" checklist.
TIMELY TIPS -
Living in the Present Checklist
1. Closet - If there's a style or size you would love to wear again, but aren't wearing right now, keep your two favorites and store them in an under-the-bed container, or hang them in another closet so they're not taking space from the clothes you're presently wearing.
2. Bathroom - What happens when you run out of your favorite make-up, shampoo, etc.? You buy more. So, all those make-up samples and hotel-size items that have piled up because you're "going to use them someday" need to go. If that's too difficult, replace your current supply with the samples until you've used them up!
3. Pantry - Remember all those special sauces you purchased five years ago when you were going to learn to cook Chinese? Or what about the ten cans of beans you bought for the chile cook-off you missed? Maybe that's not you, but most pantries are harboring expired and unused items that are taking prime space from what you currently need. Make a quick and clean sweep, tossing the expired, and removing for donation the items that are good, but haven't been used in 6-12 months.
4. Garage - "But it's still good!" If there's something in the garage because you've replaced it, chances are it's going to stay there indefinitely. Your kids probably aren't going to want it, and if your new one breaks it's unlikely you'll bring in the old dirty one from the garage. And, if you're like most people, you need that space for the more important things you're using right now... like your car!
5. Storage Unit - If "living in the present" criteria were used for your storage unit items, what would stay? Maybe holiday or event supplies, baby furniture until you're past that stage, or current home business products. But boxes of stuff that you haven't missed since your last move? Probably not. Clean out your storage unit and start thinking of a fun way to spend or donate your next few months rent money! (Sorry Derrel, but since the self storage industry grosses over $22 billion annually, you can afford a few less customers.)
WISE WORDS:
"You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present"
-Jan Glidewell