Living In Squalor

We sometimes joke that our friends would be surprised that we occasionally (occasionally or more frequently than not) "live in squalor." Living in squalor happens when we haven't picked up around the house in a while, or when we have cat fur that have become tumbleweeds, accumulating in corners and under the couch. Well, if we ever did live in squalor, we are certainly living in squalor now. We are in the middle of packing and sorting. You know, the part where all your belongings are sitting in limbo and out in the open, not tucked away in the back of a deep closet. Boxes on boxes of books shoved into a corner, and bags or things to be recycled or given away.

I used to think that the reason squalor occasionally exists in our house is because we just have so little room. Of course, that was just me fooling myself. We went to someone's apartment yesterday evening (in the neighborhood) to look at a bed frame we are thinking of buying second hand. His space was small, but so neat (and stylish!). I'm not sure where all his "stuff" was, but I told Chris that I wished I was him- where moving would consist of just the furniture and three (maybe four) small measly boxes of belongings. 

I don't think we have a problem with getting rid of things, we just have a problem with how often we go through and get rid of items we don't need. But perhaps we need to look at how we come to accumulate things that we don't truly need.

I've always heard the saying that moving is a great time to clean. You should only take with you items that you love and/or find useful. (This gets tough with items like the paper shredder. I hate the paper shredder, but it is useful. And it is sentimental- Chris carried this paper shredder that weighs probably over 40 lbs in a backpack through Manhattan...twice! He'll be sad if we ever have to get rid of it).

So, my goal for the new place (and I'll have to be Chris on board) is to keep it minimal. 

*First photo: making progress with packing. Oh, that bin of dirt houses our wriggler worms- an item that I love (granted it's an eyesore) AND find useful!