First Monday in May

 

Things that I didn't know I was hoarding: 

- Storage boxes. This one may not count as I wouldn't have so many storage boxes if I hadn't had so much to store, but I have easily emptied a dozen if not more large plastic storage boxes, which had been dotted, largely unseen and ignored, around the house. I wonder what compelled me to buy them? How I didn't notice that I kept buying more? And how my conscience justified buying plastic box after plastic box? Odd. Must have seemed important at the time. 

- Bags. I didn't think I had a lot of bags, but it turned out I did. I've given a whole bunch away, but I still have at least six, so I'm not done. 

- Jewellery. Jewellery is small so it doesn't take up much space, but I really had, and have a lot. I cut out strips of cardboard to put the earrings on for donation, and originally cut a piece of card into 24 pieces, thinking I'd overdone it a bit. In the end I had to do the same again with another piece of card, and I still have a jewellery box full, so again, not done. 

- Jumpers. I think I knew I had too many jumpers really, but as they were almost all homemade I overlooked it. I don't know how many I have now, too many still. I think three is probably the right amount, and I have more than that. but the bulk of them, homemade jumpers included, have been donated. 

- Craft supplies. Again, maybe I knew this, but as they were all scattered about the house, and as I didn't have an excessive amount of any one things, it just didn't feel like that big a deal. In the event, once I got going on the craft supplies I found I didn't really want any, and it turned out to be boxes and boxes of things to put on freecycle.

- Yarn. Craft subheading here; it turned out I had 3 full bin bags of yarn. Bits and bobs leftover from projects. I could never have gotten through it all. 

- Books. For too long I've been in the 'it doesn't count as clutter if it's books club'. It does, it is. I would like very much to rely on the library rather than hoard books like a dragon. 

- Ill fitting swimsuits and underwear. They are expensive so I feel like I can't get rid of them, even if I won't ever wear them. No more. 

- Blankets. I'm yet to get rid of a blanket, but I acknowledge that there is an issue here. 

- CDs & DVDs. There are a handful I use still, and I definitely haven't gone over to digital streaming. I just watch and listen to less these days, but because I have already pared CDs and DVDs down by about 75%, it's only my very favourites that are left and are hard to part with, even if they're barely used. 

- Baking stuff. I do enjoy baking but I have collected pans for every occasion over the years, and decluttered a few every now and then, but my cupboard is a little full and inconvenient, and some baking pans are used once a year, if that. 

- Clothes. Obviously, who doesn't? I don't have a huge wardrobe but I do have unworn items that I feel some guilt or sentimentality about.

-  Old artwork.I have been smashing through this, but there are definitely still a couple of boxes to go through and they might be tougher. I've talked about this before, how up to this point I have held onto an idea of myself as an 'artist'. Even if I do return to making artwork, which I may well do, having a stack of old drawings and prints behind me won't make me better. I think because it represents so much time and work, as well as hope and ambition, I worry that if I destroy the evidence it may as well have never happened. But it's in the past. 

- Makeup. I go through the odd phase where I think I am going to wear make up so I buy some, but it has been months now since I have even worn mascara, and the longer I don't went makeup for, the more sure I feel that my face is alright without it.

-