a minimalist...

i am not.

but i'm trying to be.

about a month ago we took a very quick and very last minute trip to disneyland.

we had been talking about going for a couple of years, but couldn't ever pin down a date to go.

we finally just did it...on a whim.

that's the best kind of trip if you ask me. just super last minute and spontaneous.

i didn't like the fact that it was so short, but hey, it was an adventure that i would do all over again in a heartbeat if i could.

while we were there we stayed with my brother and sister-in-law.

they live on this cool peninsula in long beach.

picture this.

if you walk out their front door and go to the left, there's the ocean. and if you walk out their front door and go to the right, you'll run right into a beautiful bay for swimming.

it was a dream come true.

definitely a life i could get used to.

their place was perfect, too. not huge. not fancy. but very clean, and organized, and completely devoid of clutter.

in fact, at one point, i asked my sister-in-law where all their stuff was.

were they renting a storage unit? i wondered.

no, she told me, this is it. we have a couple of boxes out in the garage, but no, this is everything.

i decided then and there that i needed to make some changes in my own life and home.

i have a confession to make.

i might be a borderline hoarder.

i just have this problem of hanging onto things - thinking they will serve a purpose, or be of good use to me at some future point.

somewhat counterintuitive is the fact that i also like being organized...

so rather than getting rid of things that i don't currently use, i am constantly buying bins and organizers to stash my junk in.

it's getting ridiculous, and really starting to cramp my style.

we have so much stuff, but no more space to put anything.

let me just tell you, it's not easy keeping a clean house when it's filled to the brim.

and let's not even discuss our garage situation.

i'll just say that both of our cars have been kicked to the curb, and leave it at that.

today i decided that i had had enough.

i grabbed some trash bags and headed to our master bathroom.

seemed like a good place to start.

i went through the linen closet, and the cupboards under the sinks, and the drawers...

and i just went crazy dumping, and throwing, and purging.

it felt oh so good.

i filled two huge garbage bags with trash, and another couple for goodwill.

i laughed when i came across this...

a giant plastic IHC bag filled with medical supplies.

for a couple of weeks after i had isaac, different nurses frequented my home to administer iv antibiotics.

a medical supply company had delivered everything these nurses would need for my home care. don't even ask me why i have held onto this stuff for nearly 6 years...and through two moves. seriously, i wouldn't even know what to do with this stuff if i needed it.

i have an influx of iv starter kits, iv catheters, sterile syringes for iv flushing, heparin syringes, gauze sponges, alcohol prep pads, and 1000 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride irrigation USP (whatever that is?).

so anyway, if you have a use for any of this stuff...it's all yours...you'll just have to dig through my trash can to get it.

aren't you proud of me?

i'm making strides towards minimalism.

and it's empowering.

i feel like i need to be completely honest by mentioning the fact that after all that dumping, and throwing, and purging...

i took a trip to walmart for more bins.

correction: i'm taking baby steps towards minimalism.

and it's empowering.