A Crowded House

One of the calls we received on our last radio call-in shows was from Leena who had just moved into a small two-bedroom apartment with her two children.  She had downsized a fair bit, and was frustrated by the lack of space for her things.   I was very sorry that we didn't have much time to talk to her since it was right near the end of the show.

Leena mentioned that she'd packed up some things already in boxes, and had them sitting around, and was contemplating moving again, back to a larger space, although she really wanted to avoid paying higher rent costs.

Here are some quick tips if you too are in this situation ...

1.  If some things are already packed, then clearly they're not really needed on a day-to-day basis.  Decide whether you can part with them - give them away or sell them.   If you don't need them on a day-to-day basis, but want to keep them because they've got serious memories attached, like family pictures, then see if they can be either stored on CD, or if they're heirlooms to be passed down to your children see if they can be stored at another family member's house.

2.  Have a look at what you're keeping around - is it magazines that you've perhaps read (or not) and because you've invested money in them, you think you should save them?  Nope.  Ask your doctor or dentist if they'd like them in their waiting room.  Seniors homes love them as do hospital waiting rooms.  If you REALLY want to read them again - take a walk to your local library.  

3.  Photo albums in general take up tons of space.  If you don't have access to a scanner, you probably have a friend who does.  CDs or thumbdrives take up so much less space.

4.  Are you a book hoarder?   Just love the feel of a good hardcover?  Again, if space is really tight, the library is the place for you or start getting your books on a Kindle or some other kind of e-reader.  There are some books that I know I'll read again, and if so, I keep them.  But others I just know I won't bother - I enjoyed them fine the first time but they're not worth a 2nd go. I trot these ones down to either the library for their fundraisers, or the second hand bookstore.

5.  Are you keeping every piece of fridge art your children ever did?  Time to sort through that.  Don't worry, they're not going to care when they're 30, or 50 or 70 that you didn't keep every piece of school art they brought home.  Pick out 2 pieces a year to keep, and YOU choose, not them.  If they're seriously attached to some pieces, buy some dollar-store frames and put them up on their bedroom walls until they too are sick of them LOL.

6.  Have too many dog toys?  Cat playthings?   Seriously... quit spending your hard earned money on multiples of the same thing in different colours.   Your pet's favourite plaything is YOU.

Good chi for your home depends on the energy being able to flow easily through your home - think of it like a breeze if you will.  Clear out the blockages, keep the things you have a serious attachment to... like your kids, your pets, and perhaps that one picture of your grandmother.