Hi everyone! It’s time for another Let’s Talk post. I was so happy with how much you all enjoyed the last one (which was also my first), and you can be sure there will be plenty more coming your way. If you missed the first one, click here.
Today, I want to talk about something that has completely taken over my life the last 10 days—moving. Now, I wouldn’t exactly call this topic dear to my heart, because, wow… I forgot just how exhausting it is. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, it’s a lot! But the good news? I’m coming out of the worst of it, and I’m still standing.
I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a micromanager when it comes to packing. I prefer to handle my own personal belongings—especially my dishes, sentimental items, and anything that holds meaning for me. It’s definitely more work, but I like to be responsible for these items. After a full week of nonstop packing, I now hear the sound of tape and bubble wrap in my sleep. Please tell me I’m not the only one?
I also believe in the power of giant lawn bags and reusable totes. If some things were not moving fast enough, I would load them up to the gills and throw them in my car. Whatever it takes to get things done! Plus I know that within a few weeks, most if not all of these will be opened and sorted through. We still have things in storage from our big move 3 years ago to our new home, which will remain there until we make our final move. That will be a day of serious celebration:)
The only thing keeping me sane is reminding myself that this is (hopefully) my second-to-last move. We’ll be in this home for a year or so before making our final move—back to our home, once it’s renovated. After that? You will never hear me say I’m moving again. Ever.
One upside to this whole process? Taking stock of everything I own. I’ve gone through so many boxes, closets, and shelves, and it’s been surprisingly eye-opening. There were moments of excitement rediscovering things I had forgotten about, and other times I was scratching my head, wondering why on earth I was still holding onto certain items. Those went straight to the donate pile.
This time around, I’m making a promise to myself: when we settle into this house, I’m going to be intentional about unpacking. No more mindlessly stashing things away—I want to take my time, organize, and really evaluate what belongs. If I come across things I haven’t used in ages….they’re going to a new home where they’ll actually be appreciated. And anything that I simply don’t need that no one else could use, well they are going right into the dumpster outside our house (quite convenient and makes you more likely to purge).
Okay, confession time. This move has made me realize that I might have a slight issue when it comes to shoes, handbags, and dishes. I have more than I will ever need, so I’m officially placing myself on a self-imposed shopping embargo—no more adding to these three categories. (For now!)
To be fair, I truly enjoy, cherish and use my handbags and dishes. Many of my handbags I’ve had for years, and I actually rotate and take care of them. My dishes? Well, we all know how much I love them. Those two are justified in my book.
Shoes, on the other hand… that’s where I need to be honest with myself. I tend to wear the same styles day to day, and even when I go out, I now gravitate toward a shorter, more comfortable heel. Long gone are the days of stilettos or anything remotely uncomfortable. I just can’t do it anymore, no matter how good they might look.
So no new shoes for me in my near future. And for the many pairs, that I don’t wear or know I will not be wearing, I’ll be donating to someone who will actually wear and love them.
One of the biggest tasks ahead is going through boxes and bags of clothes. And when I say bags and bags, I mean bags and bags. Some of them have been sitting untouched since our last move—like the eight enormous bags of clothing and accessories I saved for my niece. Many are pieces I wore when I was younger (hello, size 2 and 4 days!), and some still have tags on them. The next time she visits, she’ll be leaving with a brand-new wardrobe.
All those huge black lawn bags on the far right are just some of the many loaded with clothes both for her and ones I need to sort through myself. I actually had a few unexpected surprises- finding a pair of pearl earrings I had finally accepted that I lost and was so upset about, as well as a handful of other nice little surprises:)
As for the rest, I’m making a conscious effort to be more mindful about what I’m keeping. I have a tendency to hold onto things just especially if I paid a lot for them—even if I know I’ll probably never wear them again. But this time, I want to be more assertive and streamline my wardrobe. If I don’t love it or wear it regularly, it’s time to let it go. Not an easy task for me, someone who holds onto things and does not let go easily.
Needless to say, I have so many tasks ahead that if I stayed home for two or three weeks straight, working from morning to night, I could easily keep busy the entire time. But—I’m not 30 anymore, and I’ve decided to take a more methodical approach and pace myself.
Instead of exhausting myself, I’m committing to 2 to 3 hours a day of focused work on these projects. The ultimate goal is to have everything unpacked, sorted, and organized within the next few weeks. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will this process be—but one thing I do know? It will get done. I’m determined to bring some order to this temporary chaos.
Another silver lining in this move? Since I know this isn’t our forever home, I’m approaching it almost like a designer showcase. No major construction or heavy-duty, permanent changes—just lots of fluffy aesthetics (which, thankfully, I have plenty of thanks to my business!).
It’s been so much fun creating little vignettes here and there, adding groupings of blue and white, layering in textures, and making the space start to feel like “home”. Even though this isn’t our permanent home, I still want it to feel inspired and put together—and honestly, sometimes playing with styling and decor is the best part. Amazing what. cluster of ginger jars, or pillows can do!
There’s plenty of things I would love to do, but am using restraint and only focusing on aesthetics. Once we settle in here, we want to fully focus on the real project, our home renovation. And before I know it, we will have to start making major decisions and I want to be able to fully dedicate myself to that process. To be sure we are really taking our time with decisions for our forever home and not making them in haste.
So, end of story is I am exhausted, but feel like we have accomplished a lot this week. The very last truckload comes today. Meanwhile, I continue on with the organization, purging, donating, etc…I know in a few weeks, everything will have found a place and the dust will settle. I am really looking forward to some downtime this weekend, and just glad the worst is over! I also am confident that when we move back, we will be moving with everything we want and need (no surplus) so that’s another silver lining.
I have popped more Pepto Bismol, Aleve, Tylenol this week alone than I have all year. And of course a lot of coffee!
So, for anyone who is moving or has moved recently, have you ever found something during a move that you completely forgot you owned? Or do you have a hard time letting go of things, like I do? Also—do you tend to tackle big projects all at once, or do you prefer to pace yourself?
Always like to hear your take, thanks for stopping in. Wishing everyone a great day and smooth end to your week……
MAJOR SALE ALERT- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOST PHENOMENAL SAVINGS ON CABBAGE WARE. YOU WILL NEVER EVER FIND THESE PRICES AGAIN! EXTRA 20% OFF THE ALREADY SALE PRICES. THESE ARE CLOSEOUTS AND FLYING OFF THE SHELVES AT THESE PRICES.
Thank you for the reports. It brings back memories of our 2019 move. We didn’t get rid of enough so I will be planning another purge next fall! Also, thank you for your posts- you have reignited my love of all things blue, white and chinoiserie. We will be taking some careful steps to add more!
You brave soul! Now I know why I have never moved and never will! But you are so good at it and have so much patience! Much good luck getting to your forever home!
Tina, I think you have reasonable goals. Beautiful things just find their way into your hands and home. It’s what makes your home Enchanting. I have moved many times and each time I have eliminated those things I no longer had use for. Rarely did I have regrets. I, like you, am headed to a new home in a year. This will be my last home too. I want to use what I can and part with what I can’t. I owe it to my new house and I want to own my things not them own me. Best wishes.
As I started reading this, my recent downsizing move came to mind. Dishes are also my favorite, and letting go of some of them along with beloved furniture and decor was much more emotionally draining than I ever imagined. My grandmother’s china and crystal and a Habersham handpainted console were the most difficult. I still moved too much, had furniture built to store dishes and now realize I don’t need any of it. Intentional unpacking, as you say, is quite important, and sharing with others can be rewarding, too. Keep us posted, love your blog.
Bayer Back & Body to the rescue! I, too felt the need to pack all of my priceless and personal belongings during our recent out of state move. I gave to my kids & family what I decided to part with, held a large estate sale, and gave the leftovers to our moving crew & their families, It was exhausting but rewarding at the same time. Best of luck with your reno….I love your progress reports!
As a jet pilot my dad was stationed at a large air base in Virginia Beach VA. I was a young child (during Vietnam) when we got there, but we moved about 7 times to bigger and better homes as Dad rose through the ranks and positions available in a huge military town. My parents had to eventually move to Northern VA, DC, and Italy but returned to VB when they retired. I always had the belief that ‘home is where your stuff is’. As an adult I have continued to move around and while exhausting, it’s fun to use your “stuff” in new ways. Even though I don’t have a specific childhood house, VB is still what I consider home. Thanks for taking us on this ride with you!
I have been moving since Thanksgiving weekend into a house I renovated. I spend 2-3 hours almost every day going to the big historic home and getting clothes, oil paintings (smaller ones), china (I have an addiction to china), glassware and other personal items. There is one more truckload of furniture—not a lot—to come. I did not want movers taking my personal items or china and glassware, so I take a little every day.
Hi Tina,
My husband was career Air Force with the Presidential Wing of Air Force One in Washington D.C. and we moved constantly. Florida to DC, DC to San Francisco, SF to Denver, back to DC (where we moved 3 times into new houses). He retired from NASA so Florida, Houston and Seattle to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He’s from Oklahoma and we moved into a home we totally renovated, too. Yes, you have my sincere sympathy. Moving is the pits. Cross country moves are the worst! I worried about everything being intact upon arrival and I got lucky. Very few broken items.
I’m like you shoes, handbags and dishes. We took a small bedroom and made it a dish pantry just for all the beautiful dishes I’ve collected. Yikes, My boys are gonna murder me when they finally see all the stuff I find so hard to part with. Our order usually came 2 weeks before packers came and I’ll tell you that is very short notice. Especially when you need to pick up dental and medical records, get the kids in the new schools, find the house and did it solo. He usually went ahead of us do to his jobs, thank God I had my mother with me for 22 years. Tulsa, I finally got the house of my dreams remodeled and it was our last move. Retired, I did pace myself and got to plan, sort and organize while the reno was happening over the course of a year and it feels so good to root and call Tulsa home. It’s all worth it Tina. Your new home looks amazing and I’m sure we’ll all love seeing the beautiful things you will do in your forever home. Big Hugs, Suzanne
Quote from Anne Lamott (if you haven’t read her, check her out)–“Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks all over it.”
I don’t want to be a slave to my stuff, and I want to live in the reduce/reuse/recycle mindset. The process you are describing I have done, Tina, and there is no drawer, closet or corner in my home that if I were to pull everything out I would not remember what is there. I have an ongoing “donate” bin in the garage which gets bagged up/donated as soon as it is full, which is every few weeks. Every item I bring into the house is a replacement for something I already have—-I will not increase quantity. I also live by the advice of a friend years ago: “Have nothing in your houses which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” I try to be really ruthless with the “beautiful” part.
It is easy to forget that while we are spending time moving our stuff around from place to place, the time in our one life does not stop and wait! How much time do we want to devote to our stuff, to objects that do not love us?! Sometimes I have to be very firm with myself to face the temptation to hang on—-it is so hard. The “acquiring” thing is powerful. Depression parents, the “I could use this…” voice, etc. etc. Tina, wishing you courage and lots of energy for the process!!
Moved 18 + times in less than 30 years. Rule: if you do not love it; if it does not have sentimental meaning —PURGE
When it come to clothes—same rules but add that you don’t feel good in it and/or have not worn them in 3 years—donate —do not keep.
Ask yourself: how many dishes,glassware, linens do I need
And isn’t it the best when you find something you thought you lost forever. (Like your pearl earrings) it’s like getting a gift all over again and even better the 2nd time!
If you know someone who really wants, and will love your shoes, definitely gift them. If not, why not start a Poshmark account and sell them? You can either keep the $$$ or donate.
Moving is so exhausting! We have had several corporate moves, but our last one was when my husband retired. I did most of the packing and was intentional about what we would move and what we get rid of. We did countless drops offs that summer because I soon as I got one bag of things we no longer needed; it got donated. I don’t envy you during this process but know it will be worth it once you are actually in your forever home. Hope you have a relaxing weekend and get some quality sleep.
would love to see your temporary home… it looks stunning. As you said, homes of this magnitude and architecture usually becomes victims of neglect or the wrecking ball! Get some rest!
I just finished moving after being in my home for 43 years. The packing was easy but not the closing. I never threw away more things in my life. I read a blog every day called Be more with less. I never knew how right she was!
Thank you for your post, Tina. I can definitely relate to having too many things! But like you, I love having extra dinner plates.
Recently, I had to move my mum into a residential home due to her dementia. To afford the lovely home she now resides in, we had to sell our family home—a difficult and emotional experience. As a result, I now have so many more items that I don’t actually need but can’t bring myself to part with.
I find sentimental items the hardest to let go of. I don’t have space for them, but I just can’t seem to say goodbye!
Hi Tina
I tend to pace myself I agree a few hours a day is all you need ! Little by little you will get the job done . Love both of these homes ! You are truly blessed !!! Keep going forward !
We just downsized and did a temporary move in Dec as we wait for our new house to be built. I am still recovering to date. I don’t know how you have so much energy, but I wish you could sell that to us too! Just do not unpack too much (I think I have) because we have to move it again. Best wishes on everything. You are amazing!!!
Perfect! I am in the exact same place! It is sooo exhausting. We moved into a temporary place while our forever house was being built, it is finished now but we are slowly moving things in & setting up….I agree about being intentional about not storing things away & forgetting about them! Thank you for sharing!
Want your daily dose of Enchanted Home? Then join our email subscriber list and don't miss a single post of The Enchanted Home delivered right to your mailbox!
Hi everyone! It’s time for another Let’s Talk post. I was so happy with how much you all enjoyed the last one (which was also my first), and you can be sure there will be plenty more coming your way. If you missed the first one, click here.
Today, I want to talk about something that has completely taken over my life the last 10 days—moving. Now, I wouldn’t exactly call this topic dear to my heart, because, wow… I forgot just how exhausting it is. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, it’s a lot! But the good news? I’m coming out of the worst of it, and I’m still standing.
I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a micromanager when it comes to packing. I prefer to handle my own personal belongings—especially my dishes, sentimental items, and anything that holds meaning for me. It’s definitely more work, but I like to be responsible for these items. After a full week of nonstop packing, I now hear the sound of tape and bubble wrap in my sleep. Please tell me I’m not the only one?
I also believe in the power of giant lawn bags and reusable totes. If some things were not moving fast enough, I would load them up to the gills and throw them in my car. Whatever it takes to get things done! Plus I know that within a few weeks, most if not all of these will be opened and sorted through. We still have things in storage from our big move 3 years ago to our new home, which will remain there until we make our final move. That will be a day of serious celebration:)
The only thing keeping me sane is reminding myself that this is (hopefully) my second-to-last move. We’ll be in this home for a year or so before making our final move—back to our home, once it’s renovated. After that? You will never hear me say I’m moving again. Ever.
One upside to this whole process? Taking stock of everything I own. I’ve gone through so many boxes, closets, and shelves, and it’s been surprisingly eye-opening. There were moments of excitement rediscovering things I had forgotten about, and other times I was scratching my head, wondering why on earth I was still holding onto certain items. Those went straight to the donate pile.
This time around, I’m making a promise to myself: when we settle into this house, I’m going to be intentional about unpacking. No more mindlessly stashing things away—I want to take my time, organize, and really evaluate what belongs. If I come across things I haven’t used in ages….they’re going to a new home where they’ll actually be appreciated. And anything that I simply don’t need that no one else could use, well they are going right into the dumpster outside our house (quite convenient and makes you more likely to purge).
Okay, confession time. This move has made me realize that I might have a slight issue when it comes to shoes, handbags, and dishes. I have more than I will ever need, so I’m officially placing myself on a self-imposed shopping embargo—no more adding to these three categories. (For now!)
To be fair, I truly enjoy, cherish and use my handbags and dishes. Many of my handbags I’ve had for years, and I actually rotate and take care of them. My dishes? Well, we all know how much I love them. Those two are justified in my book.
Shoes, on the other hand… that’s where I need to be honest with myself. I tend to wear the same styles day to day, and even when I go out, I now gravitate toward a shorter, more comfortable heel. Long gone are the days of stilettos or anything remotely uncomfortable. I just can’t do it anymore, no matter how good they might look.
So no new shoes for me in my near future. And for the many pairs, that I don’t wear or know I will not be wearing, I’ll be donating to someone who will actually wear and love them.
One of the biggest tasks ahead is going through boxes and bags of clothes. And when I say bags and bags, I mean bags and bags. Some of them have been sitting untouched since our last move—like the eight enormous bags of clothing and accessories I saved for my niece. Many are pieces I wore when I was younger (hello, size 2 and 4 days!), and some still have tags on them. The next time she visits, she’ll be leaving with a brand-new wardrobe.
All those huge black lawn bags on the far right are just some of the many loaded with clothes both for her and ones I need to sort through myself. I actually had a few unexpected surprises- finding a pair of pearl earrings I had finally accepted that I lost and was so upset about, as well as a handful of other nice little surprises:)
As for the rest, I’m making a conscious effort to be more mindful about what I’m keeping. I have a tendency to hold onto things just especially if I paid a lot for them—even if I know I’ll probably never wear them again. But this time, I want to be more assertive and streamline my wardrobe. If I don’t love it or wear it regularly, it’s time to let it go. Not an easy task for me, someone who holds onto things and does not let go easily.
Needless to say, I have so many tasks ahead that if I stayed home for two or three weeks straight, working from morning to night, I could easily keep busy the entire time. But—I’m not 30 anymore, and I’ve decided to take a more methodical approach and pace myself.
Instead of exhausting myself, I’m committing to 2 to 3 hours a day of focused work on these projects. The ultimate goal is to have everything unpacked, sorted, and organized within the next few weeks. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will this process be—but one thing I do know? It will get done. I’m determined to bring some order to this temporary chaos.
Another silver lining in this move? Since I know this isn’t our forever home, I’m approaching it almost like a designer showcase. No major construction or heavy-duty, permanent changes—just lots of fluffy aesthetics (which, thankfully, I have plenty of thanks to my business!).
It’s been so much fun creating little vignettes here and there, adding groupings of blue and white, layering in textures, and making the space start to feel like “home”. Even though this isn’t our permanent home, I still want it to feel inspired and put together—and honestly, sometimes playing with styling and decor is the best part. Amazing what. cluster of ginger jars, or pillows can do!
There’s plenty of things I would love to do, but am using restraint and only focusing on aesthetics. Once we settle in here, we want to fully focus on the real project, our home renovation. And before I know it, we will have to start making major decisions and I want to be able to fully dedicate myself to that process. To be sure we are really taking our time with decisions for our forever home and not making them in haste.
So, end of story is I am exhausted, but feel like we have accomplished a lot this week. The very last truckload comes today. Meanwhile, I continue on with the organization, purging, donating, etc…I know in a few weeks, everything will have found a place and the dust will settle. I am really looking forward to some downtime this weekend, and just glad the worst is over! I also am confident that when we move back, we will be moving with everything we want and need (no surplus) so that’s another silver lining.
I have popped more Pepto Bismol, Aleve, Tylenol this week alone than I have all year. And of course a lot of coffee!
So, for anyone who is moving or has moved recently, have you ever found something during a move that you completely forgot you owned? Or do you have a hard time letting go of things, like I do? Also—do you tend to tackle big projects all at once, or do you prefer to pace yourself?
Always like to hear your take, thanks for stopping in. Wishing everyone a great day and smooth end to your week……
MAJOR SALE ALERT- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOST PHENOMENAL SAVINGS ON CABBAGE WARE. YOU WILL NEVER EVER FIND THESE PRICES AGAIN! EXTRA 20% OFF THE ALREADY SALE PRICES. THESE ARE CLOSEOUTS AND FLYING OFF THE SHELVES AT THESE PRICES.
CLICK HERE
YOU, you really do “feel” my mind…although not moving…I DO need downsizing for posterity…how I ❤️ my stilettos (🙄) franki
Thank you for the reports. It brings back memories of our 2019 move. We didn’t get rid of enough so I will be planning another purge next fall! Also, thank you for your posts- you have reignited my love of all things blue, white and chinoiserie. We will be taking some careful steps to add more!
You brave soul! Now I know why I have never moved and never will! But you are so good at it and have so much patience! Much good luck getting to your forever home!
Tina, I think you have reasonable goals. Beautiful things just find their way into your hands and home. It’s what makes your home Enchanting. I have moved many times and each time I have eliminated those things I no longer had use for. Rarely did I have regrets. I, like you, am headed to a new home in a year. This will be my last home too. I want to use what I can and part with what I can’t. I owe it to my new house and I want to own my things not them own me. Best wishes.
As I started reading this, my recent downsizing move came to mind. Dishes are also my favorite, and letting go of some of them along with beloved furniture and decor was much more emotionally draining than I ever imagined. My grandmother’s china and crystal and a Habersham handpainted console were the most difficult. I still moved too much, had furniture built to store dishes and now realize I don’t need any of it. Intentional unpacking, as you say, is quite important, and sharing with others can be rewarding, too. Keep us posted, love your blog.
Bayer Back & Body to the rescue! I, too felt the need to pack all of my priceless and personal belongings during our recent out of state move. I gave to my kids & family what I decided to part with, held a large estate sale, and gave the leftovers to our moving crew & their families, It was exhausting but rewarding at the same time. Best of luck with your reno….I love your progress reports!
As a jet pilot my dad was stationed at a large air base in Virginia Beach VA. I was a young child (during Vietnam) when we got there, but we moved about 7 times to bigger and better homes as Dad rose through the ranks and positions available in a huge military town. My parents had to eventually move to Northern VA, DC, and Italy but returned to VB when they retired. I always had the belief that ‘home is where your stuff is’. As an adult I have continued to move around and while exhausting, it’s fun to use your “stuff” in new ways. Even though I don’t have a specific childhood house, VB is still what I consider home. Thanks for taking us on this ride with you!
I go through my home several times a year and clean out. It helps keep clutter to a minimum and that in itself is so freeing.
I have been moving since Thanksgiving weekend into a house I renovated. I spend 2-3 hours almost every day going to the big historic home and getting clothes, oil paintings (smaller ones), china (I have an addiction to china), glassware and other personal items. There is one more truckload of furniture—not a lot—to come. I did not want movers taking my personal items or china and glassware, so I take a little every day.
Hi Tina,
My husband was career Air Force with the Presidential Wing of Air Force One in Washington D.C. and we moved constantly. Florida to DC, DC to San Francisco, SF to Denver, back to DC (where we moved 3 times into new houses). He retired from NASA so Florida, Houston and Seattle to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He’s from Oklahoma and we moved into a home we totally renovated, too. Yes, you have my sincere sympathy. Moving is the pits. Cross country moves are the worst! I worried about everything being intact upon arrival and I got lucky. Very few broken items.
I’m like you shoes, handbags and dishes. We took a small bedroom and made it a dish pantry just for all the beautiful dishes I’ve collected. Yikes, My boys are gonna murder me when they finally see all the stuff I find so hard to part with. Our order usually came 2 weeks before packers came and I’ll tell you that is very short notice. Especially when you need to pick up dental and medical records, get the kids in the new schools, find the house and did it solo. He usually went ahead of us do to his jobs, thank God I had my mother with me for 22 years. Tulsa, I finally got the house of my dreams remodeled and it was our last move. Retired, I did pace myself and got to plan, sort and organize while the reno was happening over the course of a year and it feels so good to root and call Tulsa home. It’s all worth it Tina. Your new home looks amazing and I’m sure we’ll all love seeing the beautiful things you will do in your forever home. Big Hugs, Suzanne
Thank you for The Enchanted Home blog, which is always a bright spot in my day.
Quote from Anne Lamott (if you haven’t read her, check her out)–“Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks all over it.”
I don’t want to be a slave to my stuff, and I want to live in the reduce/reuse/recycle mindset. The process you are describing I have done, Tina, and there is no drawer, closet or corner in my home that if I were to pull everything out I would not remember what is there. I have an ongoing “donate” bin in the garage which gets bagged up/donated as soon as it is full, which is every few weeks. Every item I bring into the house is a replacement for something I already have—-I will not increase quantity. I also live by the advice of a friend years ago: “Have nothing in your houses which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” I try to be really ruthless with the “beautiful” part.
It is easy to forget that while we are spending time moving our stuff around from place to place, the time in our one life does not stop and wait! How much time do we want to devote to our stuff, to objects that do not love us?! Sometimes I have to be very firm with myself to face the temptation to hang on—-it is so hard. The “acquiring” thing is powerful. Depression parents, the “I could use this…” voice, etc. etc. Tina, wishing you courage and lots of energy for the process!!
Moved 18 + times in less than 30 years. Rule: if you do not love it; if it does not have sentimental meaning —PURGE
When it come to clothes—same rules but add that you don’t feel good in it and/or have not worn them in 3 years—donate —do not keep.
Ask yourself: how many dishes,glassware, linens do I need
And isn’t it the best when you find something you thought you lost forever. (Like your pearl earrings) it’s like getting a gift all over again and even better the 2nd time!
If you know someone who really wants, and will love your shoes, definitely gift them. If not, why not start a Poshmark account and sell them? You can either keep the $$$ or donate.
Moving is so exhausting! We have had several corporate moves, but our last one was when my husband retired. I did most of the packing and was intentional about what we would move and what we get rid of. We did countless drops offs that summer because I soon as I got one bag of things we no longer needed; it got donated. I don’t envy you during this process but know it will be worth it once you are actually in your forever home. Hope you have a relaxing weekend and get some quality sleep.
Wishing you well in every endeavor!
Just read an article on Becoming Minimalist-we use 20% of our things 80% of the time-shoes, clothes, dishes… Food for thought
would love to see your temporary home… it looks stunning. As you said, homes of this magnitude and architecture usually becomes victims of neglect or the wrecking ball! Get some rest!
I just finished moving after being in my home for 43 years. The packing was easy but not the closing. I never threw away more things in my life. I read a blog every day called Be more with less. I never knew how right she was!
Thank you for your post, Tina. I can definitely relate to having too many things! But like you, I love having extra dinner plates.
Recently, I had to move my mum into a residential home due to her dementia. To afford the lovely home she now resides in, we had to sell our family home—a difficult and emotional experience. As a result, I now have so many more items that I don’t actually need but can’t bring myself to part with.
I find sentimental items the hardest to let go of. I don’t have space for them, but I just can’t seem to say goodbye!
Hi Tina
I tend to pace myself I agree a few hours a day is all you need ! Little by little you will get the job done . Love both of these homes ! You are truly blessed !!! Keep going forward !
We just downsized and did a temporary move in Dec as we wait for our new house to be built. I am still recovering to date. I don’t know how you have so much energy, but I wish you could sell that to us too! Just do not unpack too much (I think I have) because we have to move it again. Best wishes on everything. You are amazing!!!
Perfect! I am in the exact same place! It is sooo exhausting. We moved into a temporary place while our forever house was being built, it is finished now but we are slowly moving things in & setting up….I agree about being intentional about not storing things away & forgetting about them! Thank you for sharing!