His Stuff Runneth Over
The longest I’ve ever lived in any place (besides my parent’s house) used to be one year.
I’d sign a year-lease and move out by the first of the thirteenth month or I’d cancel my lease early and have to pay all these penalty fees, including my deposit because of roommate issues (did I ever tell you story about how I went to Europe for a few weeks and came home to find my beloved goldfish floating belly up in a tank of beer? Or how about morning I woke up to a roommate naked on the foot of my bed, next to a neat little puddle of his own vomit? AND A GOOD MORNING TO YOU, SIR!) or neighborhood issues (did I ever tell you the story about the helicopter that landed on my roof c/o your basic garden variety drug bust? Or what about the time the neighborhood kilt-wearing flasher chased me to the front door of my apartment completely naked from the waist down? No?) or just because I found a greater deal on a greater apartment with more bang for the buckage.
That was up until we moved where we are currently living, more than three and a half years ago holy shit that’s a long time.
One of the major pluses of moving every year is that it is impossible to accumulate stuff – one is basically forced to sort through and discard superfluous goods and items while packing for the move, which I love. And which up until yesterday I haven’t had a reason to do.
No we’re not moving. But Archer’s twin bed did arrive and with it the fire under my ass to go through EEEEEEVVVVVERRRRYTHING to make room for Fable.
Since Fable’s birth, she’s been sleeping on our bed, sharing a dresser with me and a closet with Archer’s walls (I’ve been hanging her dresses on the various hooks and nails around Archer’s room because there’s no closet in Archer’s room.) Basically, Fable has yet to have any space of her own, including a crib. (Her crib is Archer’s old crib which has been converted into a toddler bed for some time.)
Yesterday, when the twin mattress arrived to our no-space-place (the storage bed-frame will be here any day oy vey) I figured it was time to dig through dust-bunnies and get rid of everything that wasn’t totally beloved.
Two hours later? I had eight trash-bags full of toys, stuffed animals, changing items, blankets and pajamas to donate to local shelter which HOLY SHIT! How in the…?
It was amazing. I had no idea we had accumulated so much crap over the years. I was stunned and a little bit disgusted by the accumulation of so many unnecessary things. When you have kids you are told you NEED all this stuff and it just isn’t true. As evidenced with Fable and her lack of most baby items we had with Archer because we thought we had to have them.
I still have a lot of work to do with the rooms in terms of reorganizing, changing, even discarding. Hal and I will be switching rooms with Archer next week, so that there’s enough room for him to share with Fable. (We’re currently in the bigger room.)
I’m looking forward to our big move. To reorganizing Hal and my space into something cozy, more minimal. To setting up Fable’s crib and Archer’s bed, designing two unique spaces in the single bedroom the kids will be sharing. This time with the knowledge that when you have little space? Less is SO TOTALLY more.
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I just discovered the blog http://www.thisyounghouse.com and wow– my life is changed. I am inspired to redo my entire home. Check it out, I think you’ll like it.
I love roommate/bad housing stories!
How about the time I went to get in my car and there was a homeless man sleeping next to my driver side door? But not just sleeping, sleeping in his FORT he built using one side of my truck as a wall. There is no weirder way to start a morning then pulling back a garbage bag-flap-door and asking a sleeping bum to please tear down his tent so I can drive to work.
Oh memories…
Do you have any “must have items” list for soon to be parents? Less is more and I don’t want to put unnecessary items on my baby registry, but I don’t know what I really need either.
Well no wonder you don’t have space! LOL. But I am totally with you – we move every year (my husband’s job) and let’s just say local shelters love us.
I lived in my house for 5 years before my husband & I divorced & I moved out. I threw out so much stuff!!! I still am going through boxes & donating. I hate moving but enjoying getting rid of all the crap!
LOL @ Roomie Stories
I remember being so astounded at exactly HOW MUCH expensive shampoo I was running through…I mean, I knew I washed my hair daily, but it didn’t seem like I was using that much, ya know?
Turns out my male roomie was happily using my oh-so-pricey, oh-so-sweet-smelling shampoo for shower activities which had much more to do with his not having a girlfriend than with him washing his hair…(wink, wink, nudge, nudge).
Or the time I realized that half of my lingerie-drawer had gone mysteriously missing? Turns out my female roomie had a weekend getaway with her man of the week, and just didn’t like anything she had to wear in terms of underthings. Thinking I was also going to be gone that weekend, she figured she could return early, launder the items, and return them without my knowing. Can I get a loud “EEEEW!?!?!”
I have been going through all of our crap and throwing stuff out. The amount of clothing that has taken over our house..makes me sick!
I actually do, randi: http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/straightfromthebottle/archive/2009/03/04/straight-from-the-bottle-s-top-five-must-haves-for-infants.aspx
I’m such a kid, I want to play with that Little People’s farm thingy you have there, it looks like a much better version than the one we got my son this year for his birthday.
I’m so excited for you to be moving rooms and getting Fable all set up, I love spring cleaning like this. How the hell do you find time? I just have time to daydream about it.
Genesee – you local? You can totally have our Little People farm.
Looks like you will make some local kiddies very happy with all that loot. Hope you’ll post snaps of the final product once the new duel room is done. Always looking for ideas on how to more with less!
I don’t know if you’re definitely planning on donating to a shelter, but you could also try to sell some of that stuff.
Here in Memphis they have “Once Upon a Child” – kind of like a Buffalo Exchange/Plato’s Closet but for kids stuff. Cash could go to decorating the room (or some more fabulous clothes for Fable).
Sara – Will absolutely post pics when it’s finished!
Oy! I have been needing to go through and get rid of things for some time now. It is hard since my loving husband is a tiny bit a pack rat, but you have just helped to light a fire under my ass! Must get rid of stuff!
Wow, you have had some crazy roommate/neighbor moments!! I’d love to read more about them. Seems like you had quite an adventure there.
Girl, get it done. You rock my face with your skillz. I desperately need to do this but ice cream distracts me.
Ooooh, I adore that plush monkey on the second picture. If you’re thinking about giving it away I would love to have it. For reals
If not, then Archer’s lucky to have such a cute friend to play with hehe
The part about moving every year and not being able to accumulate stuff – YES. Until we moved into our current apartment (it’s been just over two years!! omg), my boyfriend and I had moved every 9 months- 1 yr (we met at the very beginning of college, so, dorms/ summer housing/ temporary apts/ etc). And it was so weird to realize about 3-4 months ago that, wow, we’ve been in the same apartment for two years, and wow do we have a lot of stuff all of a sudden.
I bet Fable and Archer’s room will be super cute
Cati – I know! I love the monkey! But it lost one of its eyes and freaks Archer out. Ha!
oooh see that’s why i can’t throw stuff out- i think fable wants your little people farm and archer needs his pirate hat…omg and that giant horse is crying right now because he wants to sit on archer’s new bed….