Scarlet H for Hoarder

“You have an impressive amount of stuff,” my new neighbor Darcy announced from her yard bright and early a Friday mornings ago. It was the start to The Cascades garage sale and my opportunity to get rid of all the stuff I’ve been hoarding for 20 years: my stamping collection, 22 pillow’s, an outdoor patio set I swore I was going to revamp five years ago that is still in need of some serious DIY attention!

I’m proud to say I can finally pull my car in the garage!  I can rip off the Scarlet H I had on my chest and promise that from this day forward, I’m going to live a minimalist lifestyle! And you know what? It feels pretty freeing. Getting rid of stuff was actually one of the most satisfying things I’ve done in awhile.

I normally drop my stuff off at Goodwill or Salvation Army and happy to do so, but really, there’s nothing better than seeing the smile on a child’s face when you give him a plastic sword and tell him, “As long as its OK with your mom, you can take this home with you.” And as the day went on, I decided that instead of taking a quarter for one of my once beloved stamps, I would much rather have a great big hug from my new friend Sam instead. I ended the day with a huge smile on my face, cash in hand and lots of new friends that I me. And I’m so excited to get the photos of my old patio set in the hands of its new owner, Kelly!

So, this spring I’m changing in my Scarlet H for M…. minimalist! 🙂