Too Much Stuff - Part 1

NOTE: This post somehow got incredibly long, so if you don't have time or the need to read, please move on to someone else's more inspring post! I tried to declutter the paragraphs of their extra words, but didn't have much luck. Guess words and toys are just attracted to me!

Since we recently moved, it would seem logical that I would have gone through everything and left behind any excess. I THOUGHT I DID! Our stuff made it into four garage/book sales in the past year (five - counting the church's garage sale shortly after we moved). Larger items were given to friends and family. And, we donated at least the volume of a small (think Volkswagen Bug or GEM car) car in furniture, clothes, and miscellaneous.

I thought we'd pared it down pretty good...

Why then, do I find myself shrieking, I mean shrinking, at the sight of a toy covered floor. Where did all those toys come from?? When it comes right down to it, I have no one to blame but myself - if I and my husband didn't give the items, they are most likely from a suggestion I freely gave when asked. In my defense, I don't always suggest toys!

So, I have two issues to deal with

1) how to determine what we keep, and

2) how to determine what to let into the house from now on.

In this post (Too Much Stuff - Part 1), I'll address the first issue, 'how to determine what we keep' from the toy perspective. I'll tackle the second issue in a later post.

What we keep seems to present the most disagreement. I like FlyLady's philosophy on decluttering and choosing what to keep. While I haven't followed her for a couple years, her suggestions really helped me get the stream-lining started. I went through clothes, toys, games, kitchen-ware, books, linens and furniture while asking myself the following questions:

• Do I love this item?
• Have I used it in the past year?
• Is it really garbage?
• Do I have another one that is better? If I do have another, should I really keep two?
• Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item?

If I'm helping the kids, other questions are included:

• Do you play with it?
• Is it educational or can you learn a skill from it?
• Would this be fun to have in the church's childcare room?

I add that last question because our kids spend about 2 hours per week at the church's childcare room. Sometimes its easier to let a toy or game go if they know they'll have the opportunity to play with it again.

My guide to how much/many of a particular toy to keep is that each kind must fit in a 22gal. or less tote - only two 22gal. totes are used for toys. If the tote starts to overflow; it's time to pare down.

These toys are kept in totes and are played with most often:

1. Legos - duplo (22gal. tote) and smaller
2. Thomas the Train
3. Dress-up
4. Fisher Price (22gal. tote)
5. Cars and HotWheel sets
6. Kitchen dishes, food and accessories
7. Dolls and clothes
8. Coloring books
9. Polly Pockets
10. Lincoln Logs
11. Blocks
12. Toddler

A toy box holds misc. toys (binoculars, balls, tractors, trucks, etc.) that don't fit the list. I've tried to keep close to this list and donate most 'other' toys. Toys are generally kept in one room. The exceptions are Angelina's girly toys (Polly Pockets, Barbie, Madeline and doll furniture) and Dash's smaller Legos, which are kept in their bedrooms.