Downsizing

As I'm sorting through things and deciding what to pack, what to ship, and what to sell/give away, it amazes me how much stuff we've accumulated in the five years we've lived in England.  Most, but not all, of the items are related to the kids.  For the first year or so that we were here, I didn't really accumulate things since initially we thought we'd only be here for a year.  Then it turned out that we'd be here for another four years, so I slowly started getting my kitchen gadgets and knitting materials and the like.

Of course all of that is dwarfed by the amount of stuff we have for the children.  There are books and toys and clothes and Doomoo seats and furniture and blankets and nappies, etc.  I've spent this week going through their old clothes and toys, seeing how I can downsize (thus why I've been scarce here lately).

While it's not that fun to go through everything, it is somewhat nice to downsize.  It forces me to really evaluate things honestly.  Anything that doesn't really get used or worn goes in the pile to sell/give.  It does ensure that I don't get too attached to material things.  There are some things that end up in that pile purely because it's not really feasible to take back to the US, like our crockpot, but  most of the things are those we truly don't need/don't use.  I'm starting now so I don't have to frantically go through things the week before we leave.  If you don't see new posts from me for a bit, though, this is why.

Now, off to see what's next on the list.