Fawn's 2012 Count

[fidgiegirl]

So Fawn, I was thinking: do you keep a lot of sentimental stuff? Is that included in your count? Or have you purged it ALL?

I was looking at your jewelry, specifically. I have a lot of crappy jewelry (and a few nice pieces) that I never wear. Necklaces bother my enlarged thyroid (I know, weirdo alert). Bracelets get in my way, earrings give me an infection. I wear my wedding ring and that's all . . . but for some reason, I can't part with it. And this is because a lot of it is sentimental.

Ok, kinda hijacked. But wanted to know.

[Fawn]

Kelli- I am the least sentimental person on the planet. I have a sliver and turquoise cuff that was my grandmothers that I wear when I am getting fancy-dressed up and a mother's ring that I designed. Everything else rotates out every year or two.

I have a box in the basement that has my most favorite drawing done by DS#3 of us cuddling on the couch and the "vocabulary list" that DS#2 created when he was very angry with me and his sister which includes all the swear words he knew at the time and then used each word in a sentence. Also in the box are assorted Mother's Day cards that they have drawn for me over the years.

I am one of those people who lives in the moment and I have little desire to create a museum of what our life was like before. I do not throw out the kid's stuff, but I make it clear that it is theirs and their responsibility.

I honestly do not know how to help people who are sentimental be less attached to their stuff. My mother feels that the spiritual essence of her dead relatives transferred to their belongings when they died, and for her those things are to be protected at all costs. Two months ago some of my grandmother's costume jewelry was stolen from my mom's house and my mother felt like she lost another important connection to her mom. To me the love is the important connection and nobody can take that away.

Different strokes, you know.

[fidgiegirl]

Well, it's comforting to me on some level to know you have SOME sentimental stuff, at least. You don't include it in your count, and it's not a lot, but if it were me, I wouldn't want to get rid of EVERYTHING, either, which is why I was wondering.

I have culled it a few times, and need to do so again, I guess. Every time I go through it I think, why do I have XYZ? Yuck. When 5 years ago XY and Z were still super important to me. In fact I have several old journals in the garage that I culled about six months ago and nothing short of burning them will satisfy me. I even moved them rather than throwing them out in order to burn them up and know they don't exist anywhere anymore. Like then I can let the angst on those pages go.

Ok! Back to your regularly scheduled fawning over Fawn!

[winterberry]

This is fascinating. I have a few questions, not to be nit picky, but I want to know how you do this... No shampoo? What about the books that you get with your gift certificates? Do you keep them?

I like your blog. Could never do what you do, but your example makes me realize how much I could get rid of, since I probably have at least 1000 things! Maybe I should take a count and see if I can decrease by half.... Thanks for the inspiration.

[Fawn]

Kelli- I do count the sentimental stuff: the ring and the braclet are in my count (and photo: near the front of the table of clothing) It's true, I do not count the saved pieces of paper...I guess because I am saving it for the kids and not me. That is, it is hard enough on them that I do not want them to get me object gifts, but what if I trashed the hand-made Mother's Day cards they gave me? I'm just not that mean.

winterberry- Those are just the kind of nit picky questions I like to answer. No, no shampoo. Years ago I read a book called "Curly Girl" which advocates that folks with frizzy, curly hair just "wash" their hair with conditioner, no shampoo. The theory is that the soap strips off the natural oils that defrizz hair. And it works. I use my gifts cards to buy books that I can't get through the library system. After I have read them, I pass them along to a friend that I think might enjoy the book or if no one in my circle springs to mind, I gifts it to the "Friends of the Library" who have a twice a year book sale to support the library. Which only seems fair, since I get a lot of books through intra-library (or is that inter?) loan, which costs the library extra.

There is shampoo and lots of books in my house. The kids use the shampoo and own most of the books. But at any given time, I probably have 3-4 library books and a library movie and maybe some other item that has been gifted to me that I haven't figured out who to pass it along to yet.

[Sissy]

I always enjoy these posts. I have to applaud for all of your effort on being a single mom, too!

I have so little energy that my dds are on my case about not caring about the grandbabies and laying around on the couch so much. I am going to as 4 a four day work week. I did that during the winter when business is naturally slower, but I can still easily get my stuff done in 3 days, but I don't want to push it and well, I need the money for 4 days at least. Thanks for the push.

[Sissy]

Fawn, I love your blog. How do I get to the first post? When I find a blog that I want to follow I try to go back to the first post to "acquaint" myself, lol. I couldn't find the archives??

[Spartana]

Hey Fawn - impressive as always!! Not sure I can beat your count (too many shorts and tennis shoes :-)!) and really don't know how you keep it so low with kids but congrats. I have also been getting rid of a few remaining things I no longer need - lots of clothes and most - if not all - of my many tools. The old grease monkey in me has a bit of trouble parting with them but my new simple living goal is to NEVER have to work on anything again - and that goes for yard work (all the yard tools have been gone when I sold my house) - so off to craigslist they go! I've also gotten rid of some sports equiptment too. I'll do a count again but even though I am of the 2 plates and 2 spoons kind of girl, I don't think I'm near 100 items - close though and closing in on you fast :-)!

[shadowmoss]

I'm still the 2 10x20' storage unit girl. I am making a list of stuff I have down here that will be sold or donated rather than shipped back, and it is most of the stuff. I'm hoping that what I go back home to visit my stuff in September (as well as visit my Mom...), that I can get myself to purge a lot of what is in the units. Like maybe all stuff in one unit and only the Jeep in the other.

You are always an inspiration. I am not planning on cutting my waist-length hair any time soon, though.

[Fawn]

Sissy- here is my first post http://singlemomenough.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/hello/ Thank you for your interest. I read about the sad news about your husband. I am sorry that you as a family have to go through this. Though, most folks have to go through it at some point. It is one of the most difficult parts of being human.

Spartana--I know that you are competative by nature...but you can relax. You retired at 42...I won't retire until 61. You beat me by a mile. You wouldn't by chance be selling a kayak, would you? I am thinking about getting one.

shadowmoss--think how far you have come! Did you not used to have 93 pairs of black pants? And remember, SL is about freedom from the things you do not want, so as to more fully enjoy the things that you do want. [Anybody want a spare teenager?...I have 4 at my house now...3 bio and one sort-of adopted...