Binging and Purging

We arrived back to our city apartment on Sunday afternoon, after the kids and I spent a week at my parents house in the suburbs for Christmas.  I was so depressed.  I started putting the kids toys away and wondered where I was going to store all of their new toys.  I started to open and put away my Christmas presents from my parents, one of which was a Temptations bowl set from QVC, which I absolutely love, and I began to get teary.  Where was I going to find room for these?  I took it a bit further and got upset that I have no counter space for the Kitchenaid I want, for all of the baking I intend for my daughter and I to do, trying out all of the new recipes from all of our new cookbooks.

In an instant, I climbed up on a chair in the kitchen and removed a set of margarita glasses and a pitcher from the top shelf of the cubbard and I threw them in a garbage bag.  A couple of unused vases and random pottery were casualties of my kitchen clean up as well.  Since the margarita set was only used once since I received it 6 years ago, it HAD TO GO!  The one and only time I used it wasn't even for drinks.  I used it to put the chocolate covered pretzels in it, that I made for the Dora The Explorer themed Birthday party I had thrown for my daughter's 3rd Birthday.

We don't live like "normal" people, I cried to my sister.  Yes, poor Joannie got to be on the receiving end of a phone call I made describing my claustrophobia.  "We live in the city" she said, and began describing how all of us that do, are for the most part, all in the same boat.  I cried to my mother too.  They both offered helpful advice to talk me down from the ledge.

So, yesterday, my daughter and I went through all of the old toys and stuffed animals in their playroom.  We emptied the ZOO, and she told me which stuffed animals and dolls were most important to her to keep.  We gathered some old books and toys to be donated, and are choosing a few to keep at Grandma and Pop Pop's house for when we stay with them.... One of 3 pull toys, one of two toy phones, 3 of many stuffed toys...you get the picture. We made a huge dent but still have more to go.

I started going through some of my closets and drawers too and I threw out 3 huge black garbage bags full of stuff we don't use.  I'm ordering more super slim hangers from Bed Bath and Beyond today and will continue to empty out closets and drawers.

Next and most painful step..... going through the kids baby items that I can't seem to let go of.  The crib monitor, the crib sheets, co-sleeper covers, my Boppy, the baby bottles, blankets....I'm getting all teary as I write this.  So, perhaps I will save that for another day, when I'm not feeling so sad.