I Might Need It Again Someday
I don’t like being told what I ‘should’ get rid of… it’s my
stuff. I do keep a lot of stuff, by I
keep it orderly. Like the 10 plastic
storage bins in our extra bedroom. It’s
all perfectly good stuff and it’s not going anywhere until I decide I don’t NEED it anymore.
You’re probably thinking what the heck is this woman doing
with 10 storage bins of “stuff” in her extra bedroom? I’ve got "important" stuff in them.
Two of them have extra blankets in them. Okay, so we have two beds in our house, each
of the rooms with those beds has a place with blankets and sheets stored for
that bed in that room already, so why do I need to keep 2 bins with more
blankets? First, I might need them
someday and they are costly to replace.
If the power were to go out in the winter for an extended period of time
we really would need them, and they are too nice for the yard sale, but since
they have been used I can’t give them away for wedding gifts.
One of them is full of books… some of the books are
scriptures. I have a habit of turning
every set of scriptures I’ve ever owned into a coloring book. I highlight them to death. I make all kinds of notations in them, until
there is no room for anymore. I read my
scriptures daily. I end up replacing my
scriptures on an average of every 3 years.
I have been a member of my church since age 17. That’s almost 29 years. That is 7 sets of scriptures (I’m due for a
new set next year). They take up a lot
of room all by themselves. I have also
bought my husband a second set of them since we have been married. He isn’t as bad as me… he doesn’t mark them
all up, but he has put his through the wind sheild of a semi-truck at
65mph. I’ve got some other books in
there… I’m sure they are really important, but I couldn’t tell you what they
are.
Another tub holds memorabilia. Stuff from our wedding, from when my boys
were in cub scouts, stuff from when they were in school, baby albums, and other
stuff… I don’t even know, but it’s important I can’t part with stuff… even
though I haven’t seen it since the last time I moved some of the tubs and
couldn’t remember what was in it until I peeked under the lid (like the rest of
the tubs).
Another tub holds some of my husband’s clothing and some
seasonal clothing, like winter coats, etc…
The other five tubs are my clothing. You are thinking why is this woman storing
five tubs of clothing in her house?
Doesn’t she know where the nearest Salvation Army donation box is? Yes, I do know where it is. I am just calorie challenged.
Yes… that’s the problem with half of the tubs. I’m calorie challenged.
I have various sizes of clothing in them, and some of the
ones in the tubs are the ones challenging me now. The ones in my closet fit fine. Should the ones in the closet start
challenging me, there is a tub in that room with clothes in it to solve the
challenge. Should the clothes in the
closet suddenly begin to create a dilemma of another sort, I can find a tub of
clothes that no longer challenges or intimidates me and I can rejoice in the
victory over the tub and switch its contents for what is currently in the
closet. Thus the need for the other five
tubs.
Not all the ‘stuff’ I
need to keep is kept in the storage tubs; I have other places I keep my stuff
too. I have lots of those clear plastic
craft boxes. The kind you sort beads,
and thread into. Yes, they contain
thread… I have 4 with various colors and various shades of those colors just in
case I decide I ever want to take up cross stitching again… I know it is 2011,
and I haven’t done any since 1998, but I might just get the urge again… one
never knows, kind of the same thing with the 3 boxes of beads.
I also have those nice plastic stacking drawers, you know
the kind I mean, they even come with wheels.
I have purchased enough of these that I have them stacked 6ft. high (no
kidding, they are taller than me) in one corner of my closet. They contain things from my scrapbooking
craze of 2000-2002, drawing and calligraphy equipment (some going back to high
school – yep almost 30yrs old), don’t forget the glue gun… You get the idea. But I might use it all again someday, and it
is very expensive to replace.
I’m sure I’m not alone in at least some of my storage of items, and the logic behind it. But there is one thing I’ve been told
repeatedly that I should not keep but I do anyway…
Make-up. I need to keep this stuff. I occasionally decide to change up what
colors I wear and go rummaging. Make-up
is expensive. I know what experts say… if it’s a year old, 3 months old for
some stuff, chuck it… so why do they give you more in the package than what you
will use in that time if you should throw it out? It’s a conspiracy to take more of my
money. I am wise enough not to be taken
advantage of. I hate to spend money on
make-up that I’m supposed to throw out in 3-12 months if I’ve paid anywhere
from $5.00-$15.00 (that is my personal splurge limit). I refuse to do it. I’ve never had any trouble with using make-up
older than that… I do not ‘share’ my make-up with anyone so any cooties are
mine anyway. So, if you must know… I
have eye shadow that is perfectly fine that is 12 years old and it’s not going
anywhere until it’s used up… probably in another 12-15 years.
