So far, Brett and I have rid our home of 272 unnecessary belongings. Thanks to regular trips to various donation drop offs and a few trips to friends’ homes, we have actually removed most of these things from our home already. It feels great.

Here are the photos from this past week.

Finding things to get rid of is still easy. My house is literally full of unnecessary stuff. And I haven’t even gotten started on the kids’ toys yet!

Truthfully, I have never been very attached to my belongings and I’m not very sentimental about “stuff,” so it is probably easier for me than the average person. In fact, when we moved into this house, I threw out my wedding dress without even a second thought. Why keep a dress that I will never wear again?

In an effort to keep an open mind, I recently picked up this book at the library: The Things that Matter by Nate Berkus.

It’s my nature to question everything – especially my own ideas – and though I feel strongly that minimalism is key to a happy and meaningful life, I do want to understand the importance people place on their possessions [since I apparently missed this gene]. I’m already reading a lot of books about minimalism and waste reduction, but when I saw this book I realized that there is another side of my belongings to consider.

This book reads like an autobiography but subtly shows how a collection of things – even mundane and seemingly meaningless things – can serve the purpose of connecting us to people and places that we love.

[I should mention that this book isn’t saying anything about how many or what kinds of possessions one should or shouldn’t own. It isn’t against minimalism in any way, nor is it for it. It is just stories about lives and the possessions that accompany them.]

It doesn’t change my perspective on minimalism or make me suddenly want to hang on to my middle school artwork, but it does give me a broader perspective. When I bring things into my home, I want them to be purposeful, yes, but maybe it’s okay if they are just plain beautiful or meaningful to me.

I don’t know if I’ll find many things like that, but it’s good to keep an open mind. 😁

Karis