Hoarding

As some of you might know, I do my best do be ecologically aware.

NO! Don't Stop Reading! I promise not to get preachy!

Anyway, I started this blog in the hopes that I would stay motivated, and I made a few changes. Not many, but a few.

Like reusing things. Things we usually consider disposable. I started making an effort to throw fewer things away.

SO I started saving everything, thinking I could find a use for it later.

In a perfect world, I could find a use for these things. But turning old coloring books into wrapping paper takes time, and when I put off wrapping things to the last minute, I simply don't have the time. I usually grab a gift bag and shove the gift in there, which isn't the same thing. Even though I do re-use the gift bags.

Still, I kept saving everything. I save old clothing to sew with. I save ribbons and bubble wrap and especially brown boxes. It turns out there's a fine line between being green and becoming a hoarder. I'm not emotionally attached to any of this stuff, but I don't want to waste it.

The thing about brown boxes is... well, they take up space. They take up a lot of space, and every time anything is delivered, it comes in a new brown box. Which takes up even more space. Brown boxes are not really useful to wrap things in - items are usually already in boxes or the wrong size. And when it comes right down to it. I usually only send one or two packages a year.

After Christmas the guest room as a complete mess. I finally went in and started throwing things away.

Here is the recycling pile I had piled in the hallway.

This is almost all cardboard boxes. I have no idea how it all fit in one closet. It's gone now, off to the recycling. I'm very happy at the room I now have in that closet!