Friday Five - De/Re/Cluttering

Jan at RevGalBlogPals writes, "Since posting about decluttering, I am still muttering about the need for it in my house. How about you?"

1. What things do you like to hang on to?  Memories from my and my son's growing up years. Family heirlooms and artifacts. I have the plates from all the Methodist Churches my grandmother attended, a cedar chest from my great aunt, a china doll that belonged to my great grandmother, and some depression glass.

2. What is hard to let go of? Very little actually. In spite of what I've written above, I don't keep lots of stuff. Neither G&T nor I have much clutter tolerance, so stuff goes out fairly easily.

3. What is easy to give away? Clothes, small appliances we'll never use. manBoy struggled with giving away toys...when he was little, but we learned if he knew it was going to someone specific who needed it, he was good with it. We also would put things in storage for 6 months. If they weren't missed, then out they went.

4. Is there any kind of stumbling block connected with cleaning out? Time. I've been trying to take time each day/week to declutter my desk at the office. It's so much more peaceful and productive when things look nice! If I could learn to not clutter my calendar with too many obligations, I'd be in good shape.

5. What do you like to collect, hoard, or admire? I have a bear collection, stuffed and other, that I haven't added to in a long time. I have a collection of Willow Tree Angels in my office, but I'm picky. I collect the ones that seem to me to be different ways we come before God (contemplative, victorious...). My most prized "collection" are the friends I've made along the way and on the web.

Bonus: Tell us about recycling or whatever you can think of that goes along with this muttering about cluttering. The person I most admire for reusing, reviving, repurposing stuff is Mindy. Check out her blogposts here, and here to see just a couple of the great things she's done.