We’ve been doing a LOT of de-cluttering at Chez WSDN lately. One garbage bin has not been enough for the volume of crap we’ve been chucking out. I think we need a SKIP. And that’s just for the boys rooms.

I think de-cluttering is one of those activities that should be featured on ‘Dirty Jobs’ because NO-ONE EVER WANTS TO DO IT. And I can understand why. It’s dirty, sweaty, labour intensive and time-consuming. Even the mere thought of starting is exhausting. In another past clutter-free-life I might have subscribed to minimalist living but this current one with the Boys Wot Live Here just proves we’ve all missed the memo. 

Looking around my house NOTHING about it says ‘minimalist’. It’s more like ‘maximumist’, to be honest. We have ‘stuff’ everywhere, on bookcases, tables, couches, chairs. There are rugby boots discarded on the floor, school bags thrown any which way, framed pictures leaning against the wall waiting to be hung, books and papers stacked haphazardly on the kitchen bench. Where does all that paper come from? And junk mail catalogues, OMG. Out with you!

All of this seems a million miles away from when we first moved here. We really WERE minimalist back then. We had virtually nothing in the way of furniture and things you collect when you have a house. 

I’m not kidding. 

We’d moved from a tiny three bedroom townhouse into this 5 bedroom, two storey house that seemed so big, it kinda swallowed us up. I remember standing in our large front room one morning, listening to the echo of my voice as it bounced off the walls in the sparsely furnished space. I’d made a promise to myself I’d only buy good quality items for the house when we moved in, so there were a lot of empty spaces in those early days while we saved up enough money to get the next ‘thing’ on the list. 

13 years on, we have so much stuff it’s ridiculous. School holidays start at the end of the week so I’m determined to continue the Cull. That skip may be needed sooner rather than later.

And in that same vein, things around here are changing too! I’m sure you’ve all noticed, right? After having the same old look at WSDN for what seems like ages, I decided it was in dire need of a freshen up too. A change is as good as a holiday, right?