One Family's Trash
I am feeling spritely, bouyant even, tonight. Almost as light as air.
I feel as if in some way I have unloaded several pounds of baggage. Which is not surprising, I guess, since I kind of have.
We had a yard sale today!
Our goal was not so much to make money but to rid ourselves of the extraneous possessions accrued over 11 years of marriage, 8 years of home ownership, and 5 and a half years of parenting. All last week I went spelunking in the various closets and bins in our house. On Friday I went wild with the neon-colored stickers -- our selling tactic, we decided, should be beyond-bargain-basement, just-about-giving-it-away prices. I think it worked.
Jeff and I are almost giddy over how much we were able to sell. Double stroller? Gone within 10 minutes. Exersaucer, old bike, bouncy seat, car seat, baby gym, big plastic sliding board, ride-along tractor? Outta here, baby. Undesirable unused Christmas presents, dust-collecting unused wedding presents, random detritus of modern living? Adios.*
I think we sold about three-quarters of the stuff that we put out. And though I can't help but take it slightly personally that no one wanted to buy, say, my lovely nursing stool or crib bedding (Dialog in my head: "Hey! Why are you walking away? What's wrong with our stuff? It's nice stuff! Come back and buy something!"), I will soon get over it.
Definitely by next year. I've already started making a list of things we can sell at our next neighborhood yard sale.
*It goes without saying, right, that I feel terribly guilty that we owned all this stuff to begin with?
I am feeling spritely, bouyant even, tonight. Almost as light as air.
I feel as if in some way I have unloaded several pounds of baggage. Which is not surprising, I guess, since I kind of have.
We had a yard sale today!
Our goal was not so much to make money but to rid ourselves of the extraneous possessions accrued over 11 years of marriage, 8 years of home ownership, and 5 and a half years of parenting. All last week I went spelunking in the various closets and bins in our house. On Friday I went wild with the neon-colored stickers -- our selling tactic, we decided, should be beyond-bargain-basement, just-about-giving-it-away prices. I think it worked.
Jeff and I are almost giddy over how much we were able to sell. Double stroller? Gone within 10 minutes. Exersaucer, old bike, bouncy seat, car seat, baby gym, big plastic sliding board, ride-along tractor? Outta here, baby. Undesirable unused Christmas presents, dust-collecting unused wedding presents, random detritus of modern living? Adios.*
I think we sold about three-quarters of the stuff that we put out. And though I can't help but take it slightly personally that no one wanted to buy, say, my lovely nursing stool or crib bedding (Dialog in my head: "Hey! Why are you walking away? What's wrong with our stuff? It's nice stuff! Come back and buy something!"), I will soon get over it.
Definitely by next year. I've already started making a list of things we can sell at our next neighborhood yard sale.
*It goes without saying, right, that I feel terribly guilty that we owned all this stuff to begin with?
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posted by Suzanne @ 9:43 PM
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