It looks like this almost all the time, actually, most of the time it looks worse. This is where all the bits and pieces end up, you know, all the things that don't have a specific place. It makes me crazy but no matter how many times I've cleaned it up, the mess just keeps coming back. The cabinets above this space are also bursting with stuff. I don't have a junk drawer. I have a junk cabinet/counter space nightmare. I hate this part of my kitchen.
The other day I read a very interesting post on a blog called Unclutterer. It was not a how-to clean up your kitchen in 3 easy steps or tutorial on how to organize more efficiently. Rather, it took a deeper look at the WHY. Why do we in North America tend to have so much stuff? The author calls it “material saturation” which I think is a very accurate description. It got me thinking about why I have so much stuff and why I hang on to all this stuff.
I thought back to when I was pregnant with Lemon Boy. There was so much baby equipment that Claudio and I thought we needed before the big arrival. Huge stroller, swing, bumbo, bouncy chair, crib, bassinet, blankets, clothes, shoes, exesaucer, highchair, etc, etc. Why did we think we needed literally a ton of stuff to bring home this seven pound baby? Then, as the boys get older it's books, games, crafts, toys, toys and more toys!
Yet I can't blame all the clutter in my house on my children. Claudio and I contribute just as much and the endless mounds of paper, piles of clothes in the bedroom and general stuff that accumulates is more often than not from us.
The article quotes a researcher, Anthony P. Graesch, who followed 32 middle-class families in the U.S. in order to better understand how the families handled "material culture" otherwise known as their stuff. Professor Graesch states "the inflow of objects is relentless. The outflow is not. We don’t have rituals, mechanisms, for getting rid of stuff."
So true! It is so easy for us to buy more but sometimes it seems so hard to get rid of. I really want to be more intentional about this. I do get rid of clothes and stuff the boys have grown out of. I recently went through my clothes and got rid of a couple of bags there too. We donate to our local MCC Thrift Store which I feel good about as all the profits made at these thrift stores goes to their charity work, both locally and internationally. Yet I am still looking for more ways to reduce our intake and consumption of material goods (and clean up the clutter!)
So what about you? Anyone with some good ideas of how to intentionally live with less stuff? I'd love to hear your ideas!
Your picture made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI throw away...junk mail, broken things, and I get rid of things we aren't using. I do a post holiday purge every year.
post holiday purge, that's a good idea. Thanks :)
DeleteMove! lol that's how I did it. I can't believe how much I got rid of. And when I moved in I got rid of more because I didn't want to deal with it. Still have too much stuff but I think in all I get rid of 3 half tons (truck) of stuff. I too find it hard to get rid of stuff. I'd rather put it in a box in storage than get rid of it. But why? I don't know
ReplyDeleteha ha! I don't want to move but I can see how that would help me to purge because I hate packing!
DeleteLove your blog. I am a new follower from Mom's Monday Mingle.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Nice to meet you :)
DeleteOh boy...is this every mama's plight? I suffer from the same problem. We recently donated a ton of stuff this past weekend. It felt so good to unload...but there is still so much more to do!! Ahhh!
ReplyDeleteThat's how I feel! I organize and get rid of stuff in one part of my house and then move on to organize another. When I turn around, the first place is already a mess again! At least I know I'm not alone! Thanks :)
DeleteI found a book called "The house that cleans itself" by Minday Starns Clark. Lots of really helpful suggestions to deal with piles of stuff - what causes them, how to help people deal with them, helpful suggestions to work with your natural style. And some suggestions surprised me - like keeping duplicates of items so they are stored where you use them. Things like scissors - we have about 6 sets in our house so there is always one close by and it's easier to put away.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherri! I'm going to look it up in the library to see if I can get my hands on a copy.
DeleteI like the idea of a post holiday purge(as per the comment above). Maybe we could give it a name and make it a holiday too? I'm growing in my ability to be at peace with the fact that parts of my house are always going to be a mess. I clean it up periodically when I can't stand it any longer knowing that it will be back again soon enough. When I look inside me there's a mess there too and if others are willing to live with me, then I can live with a pile of papers on certain parts of the counter too!
ReplyDeleteWe could make it a family event and see who can get rid of the most stuff (our competitive family nature would probably motivate us to purge well, hee hee)
DeleteMove to another country!! We moved here to England 2 days ago with each one suitcase and one carry-on! It was hard deciding what to take but in the end we each took our absolute favourite clothes, books, toys, etc. It is really freeing to have so little stuff to clean up now! But of course who would actually downsize to this extent if you weren't doing such a big move! By the way, I've always had the same problem of a junk drawer that is never big enough and overflows to create a junk counter, too. What a great idea to blog about it and hopefully get new ideas for yourself and all of us! Also good to know we all struggle with this!
ReplyDelete-Carlana
Thanks Carlana! I think I would want to downsize if it meant I could move to England :) It is nice to know we're not the only one with messes in our lives, isn't it!
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