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Welcome to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Every day in April (except Sundays), I’ll be sharing a short bookish
memory with you.
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I don’t like
stuff. Stuff stresses me out. Many of the surfaces in my bedroom and office are
bare. About half of my drawers are empty. I can fit the majority of my clothes
into a suitcase. I loathe shopping and do it as infrequently as possible.
Even though I
own a lot of books, my dislike of stuff extends to my bookish life. One of the
reasons I’m not on Bookstagram is because photo props become clutter when you’re
not using them. I’ve been tempted to buy a literary subscription box, but most
of them come with “goodies.” Bookish swag is fun to open when it comes in the
mail, but what do you do with it once it’s in your house? I didn’t even own a
pretty bookmark until my mentor gave me one last year. I just used a fancy advertisement from a
bookstore in Denver as a bookmark.
Even my books
are subject to frequent purges. I don’t collect books or have multiple copies
of anything. If a book gets less than 4 stars from me on Goodreads, it goes to
a new home. Still, my shelves are fuller than I’d like. I love being a stuff-purger
and can’t imagine living in a place that’s overflowing with stuff.
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| My office + Little G the dog. (Who doesn't understand what "get out of my picture" means.) |
Are you a stuff-purger like me, or are you a stuff-collector?
If you’re a collector, how do you manage your stuff so you don’t feel
overwhelmed by it?
Oh man if you saw the hoardes of stuff in my room!!! It's a horror show! Our whole house is packed with stuff (dvds, books, cds and more) and we'll be trying to sort that nightmare out over the summer. I have one box just full of bookmarks! You would have a panic attack if you ventured into my book cave I think...
ReplyDeleteYeah, it sounds like your cave would freak me out a little. Good luck getting it sorted this summer.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I feel like I am somewhere in between. I can purge stuff no issues. I usually do it when no one is around so my husband doesn't stop me to keep things. Still there are certain things I like to keep/collect - mugs, totes, books (even though I do purge these periodically too). But when things get to be too much I have to get rid of things!
ReplyDeleteI don’t know if I could live with someone who makes me keep stuff. I like giving away my stuff. :)
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I like "things" - framed photos, books, etc. - but I also like things to be very neat and organized. I have no problem purging clothes and books, but my husband is another story. He doesn't like to throw anything away.
ReplyDeleteI kinda wish I had more framed photos. All my photos would probably be of my dogs.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I would love to live on a sailboat... one of the reasons I have never pursued it was my books (I could do without most of the rest of the stuff). Now, with electronic books, I wonder what my excuse is? But my books are friends and many are well marked and I am blessed (or cursed) to have a large office with lots of books and then at home, even more books!
ReplyDeleteLiving on a sailboat would be awesome. Well, except for the part where I get seasick. :)
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I'm a wanna-be-minimalist. I really aspire to be one. Unfortunately, I seem to land on the collector side of the fence. A lot. I have too many clothes and multiples of things. I have physical books, but only allow as many as the designated shelves will house. If I get more, then some have to go. I do a systematic purge at least twice a year to keep things in check, although I'm still not close to qualifying as a minimalist. Maybe one day.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from A to Z
M is for Mall of America, Murphy Brown, My Cousin Vinny, & Mullets
I try really hard to keep my books limited to the shelves, but there always seems to be some in the dresser. Good thing I don’t have many clothes.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I'm neither a purger or a collector. I'd like to be a minimalist, but I lack the discipline and organizational skills to regularly throw things away and put clutter in its proper place. I like the picture of your office. It is very VERY organized :-).
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit of a collector. I have multiple copies of some of my books. I collect different editions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and I've recently started collecting different editions of the Harry Potter books.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do have the occasional purge. I used to find it really difficult to get rid of stuff, especially books, but I'm getting a lot better at it now. On a recent clear out of my bookcase I was even able to select about six books to donate to charity! ;-)
Cait @ Click's Clan
I’m so tempted to get fancy editions of Harry Potter. My HP books are falling apart. It’s hard to make myself get new ones, though. I always think, “What could I be doing with that money besides rebuying books I already have?”
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I'm a bit of both. I have what I call a Man-drawer (I have more than one really) where I just shove all the bits and pieces I don't want out, it's organised chaos, but the surfaces in my room are really clear.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about subscription boxes, I like them but rarely get them as I'm not sure what to do with the postcards, badges or any samplers. I've got a drawer that's almost full of subscription box-related stuff.
Today on my A-Z of my Favourite Things, M is for Museums.
Yeah, I really want a subscription box, but I’d have to find one that doesn’t come with “stuff.”
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I'm not really a minimalist but definitely not a hoarder either. In fact I've been known to get rid of things only to wish later maybe I wouldn't have given THAT book away or something lol. But I do like tidy, piles of stuff everywhere would stress me out. My desk is a little messier than yours but I like how clean and organized yours is. :)
ReplyDeleteI’ve given away a few books and then thought I shouldn’t have. I had a lot of Newbery winners as a kid that I wish I’d kept.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Your room is so neatly organized. It looks like it would be easy to find books by the way you've ordered them. As a homeschooling parent, it seems like we have a lot of resources out of necessity. However, this month I've been paring them down through the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
ReplyDeleteAnn, A to Z Challenge Participant
Harvest Moon by Hand – a blog about homeschooling, crafting, cooking, and nature
Maple Syrup; Martin Luther King, Jr; and Migration .
I can imagine that homeschooling parents need a lot of stuff.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I abhor clutter. I have been trying to simplify for quite a while. My daughter is a pack rat though, and she has mostly been away at school for the past 4 years, so, I still have all her things to deal with. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteSam @ WLABB
We have a lot in common. My garage is full of my sister’s stuff. Not cool.
DeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I have too much stuff. I do get rid of things but my husband and daughter are not as eager to let go of their items so the end result isn't close to what I want. I have books but got rid of a lot of them and have a vast kindle library...because no clutter. I hate shopping and don't have too many clothes. I buy more when I actually need them. I am so over stuff.
ReplyDeleteI am a collector. My books take up all the space I give them and more.
ReplyDeleteI have so much stuff. I'm ridiculously sentimental about objects. We are in the middle of moving a bunch of stuff that has been in storage for years (which should be a big hint right there that we don't need it) and yesterday I spent HOURS whittling two boxes of cards and letters down to one box. I love the way your office looks, but I'm pretty sure I would ruin it in about twenty minutes.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of minimalism, of keeping the house organised and tidy. But I acquire stuff like there is no tomorrow. I feel like it will either fit my bookstagram, or it is a memory, and I have lists of papers and to do everywhere so there isn't any hope for me and minimalism xD
ReplyDeleteI own a LOT of books, but I'd still say that in general I'm more of a purger than a keeper. I just get lots of books. :-)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction