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monica
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 1:38am | IP Logged
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i have been reading elizabeths book. i am inspired, encouraged and challenged all at once. thank you elizabeth! we have also just returned from 6 weeks in the states and i am overwhelmed with the stuff we have all around. so i am declaring war on clutter. my 15 mo old is now grown out of many of the baby toys we had around, but i am hesitant to throw them out or give away as i may have more children and those kind of toys in particutlar are hard to come by here in romania. i was also wondering how some of you clutter free, organized women decide which baby and maternity clothes to save. i have bags and bags of them in storage that i would love to get rid of, but my sister in law pitched all her baby stuff and then had another and had to buy every thing all over again.
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doris
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 5:14am | IP Logged
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Just what I'm going through at the moment -- although the other side. I gave away all my baby stuff and now I'm having another. Trouble is, the friend to whom I gave it all is now expecting twins and I don't have the heart to ask for it back...
I suppose my own solution for the things I have kept is just to look critically at everything and see what I'd really want to use again -- after three dc there was plenty that was stained, broken or otherwise unappealing! Obviously, it also much depends on how much storage you've got.
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Home educating in London, UK with dd (2000) ds (2002), dd (2004), ds (2008) and dd (2011).
Frabjous Days
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amyable
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 7:03am | IP Logged
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As our family grows I'm realizing we can get by with less and less (per person, I mean). I wash clothes almost every day, so I don't need 15 maternity shirts, I need, say, 4. My kids play with each other now much more than "toys" so I don't need many of those either.
I think I do tend to get caught up in the thought of "what a waste, now I have to buy it all over again" when I give away something I wind up needing again. But I don't think the logic of that holds. Waste? Waste of what? MY money? Well, it really was God's money to begin with - and I gave what I purchased with it back to "Him" when I was done by donating it to charity. If He wants me to have it again, we'll have money when the time comes to buy it.
That being said, we do save some things from kid to kid.... I'm still a work in progress.  The baby will have one favorite merry-go-round toy that makes noise at the slightest touch (so works from very young to older when they can actually push the buttons, etc) and a rattle or two. All of his sisters enjoyed the same toys! :) I save some clothes between my first two girls (2 years apart) and my last two (also 2 years apart) but only a very few special items between those two groups (3.5 year gap). If this baby coming in a month really is a boy, all our girl clothes that my 2yo has outgrown will get donated (maybe just to a friend expecting their 7th) because who knows how long it will be before we have another girl?
One other thing that factors in to our personal decisions is needing more breathing room in our small-ish house - the *stuff* of our lives makes it difficult to really LIVE and BE with my family in an optimal way (I'm too busy dealing with stuff!) so it is much better to have it gone! Everyone's situation is different though - if you can't get things in Romania that you could get here, that should definitely factor into your decision making. 
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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Tami
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 7:26am | IP Logged
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amyable wrote:
I think I do tend to get caught up in the thought of "what a waste, now I have to buy it all over again" when I give away something I wind up needing again. But I don't think the logic of that holds. Waste? Waste of what? MY money? Well, it really was God's money to begin with - and I gave what I purchased with it back to "Him" when I was done by donating it to charity. If He wants me to have it again, we'll have money when the time comes to buy it.
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Amy, that's an incredibly wise insight. One of the best ways I've seen of expressing the rightness of "letting go of .... even if I may need it when....."
Very well put! 
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God bless,
Tami
When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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St. Ann
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 9:07am | IP Logged
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I have also been dealing with this issue recently, and am in the process of major de-cluttering!
I do think that living in Europe does give me a different perspective on this question. And I know that there is a difference between Germany and Romania economically speaking, but one fact is certain: There are still living survivors of bombings and hunger years during and after the 2nd world war in our countries, in addition to the effects of 50 years of communism in your country. Even though my dh,personally, never lived through the war, his parents did. It has made its impression.
My dh would think I was nuts if I would 'buy all new' if we would be so lucky to be blessed again. We put a lot of thought into all of our purchases and try to buy good quality that will hold up to many years of wear. Also, friends have given us quite a bit on children's clothes, we therefore have ended up with more than needed for the younger ones, which I am trying to change. I am getting rid of what we will not need again even in the case of another child.
We do have an attic, where we have the cradle and baby bed, the changing table, little potties-2-(1 for each bathroom), an electric eating lamp, clear plastic bins with lids(from Ikea) for baby clothes and maternity wear, all the linen for baby beds...
One girlfriend is borrowing some things right now, and I would gladly lend more to close friends...I can keep track of it better.
Maybe I am just not ready to say it is over. I am 44 and my youngest is 3.5years. I don't know how old you are Monica, but you could very well be blessed again!
If you have space, store the most important items and clothes you know you can use again. You can always pass it along when a friend is in need.
...where I am coming from.
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Stephanie
Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03
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chicken lady
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 6:35pm | IP Logged
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Well I don't live in Romania......so I don;t know if this helps. I have been majorly decluttering this summer. I gave away my cradle, baby clothes and all but a few select beautiful infant toys. When my dc outgrow clothes, out they go. I feel very weighted down by clutter, I see it as a sign of hope to give it away, trusting that if I need it again God will provide. Another awareness I have had, material possesions overcrows me spiritually. Simplifying allows room in my life for spiritual growth. I need to make room for the gifts God has for me, I never truly understood this until this year. I must say it feels wonderful. I was also able to see what we truly needed, nstead of just seeing all these boys shoes or whatever, when I tossed, I realized my one son had no shoes  YIKES that was bad  But OK, off I went and Liam is now set with shoes.
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JennGM
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| Posted: Aug 14 2007 at 6:43pm | IP Logged
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Good for you, Molly. You're inspiring me. I have only one child, but I saved all his clothes. Now, 4 years later, I finally have another pregnancy. But I really need to go through those boxes. Emotionally I wasn't ready at the time, but I know I don't need or want all those things. They are a burden. I need to at least streamline, save some necessities and nice things, but really some things could be pitched and rebought when the time comes.
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Philothea
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| Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 4:00pm | IP Logged
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Hey Jenn -- are you a psychic? Just kidding, but look at your signature .... I think it mught need some adjusting. 
To be on topic, I'll add that I saved a lot from my first son, more than I really needed. My plan (so not to get overwhelmed) is to wait until I actually need to open the tub for the size boy #2 is in, THEN go through and donate/throw away what is not needed. If I tried to do it all at once, I'd get too flustered. So I have a 0-6 mo., 6-12 mo., 12-18 mo, 2T, 3T, and so on tubs -- which will not get opened again until baby 2 is IN each size, even though I know I have way too much in the bins. That way I will only deal with one size at a time and the emotional distance from the first time they were worn will help me be objective.
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JennGM
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| Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 4:04pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, I fixed it. I was thinking the actual due date is 1/08, but he's actually coming before Christmas, so there was my brain confusion.
The emotional thing was also thinking that there might not be another, so this will be a much better outlook opening those boxes!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Patty
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| Posted: Aug 15 2007 at 6:27pm | IP Logged
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I used to save almost everything but not anymore. Our kids are 23, 21, 18, almost 16, 14, 11, and 7. The boys are spread out (6 years and 7 years apart) so I stopped saving stuff for them long ago, except for the occasional very special outfit. (First Communion suit or a really good winter coat maybe)
I've never missed anything I've given away, whether clothes or toys. Most of us have way more than we need. I'd much rather have the peaceful atmosphere than bins and bins of things we're not using at the moment. I'd rather "keep the river of giving going" as I heard it stated once. Let it go and let it bless someone else. Don't worry that you "may need it someday" because when that someday comes, you will have what you need. Trust Him!
Which reminds me...I should go through that storage room...
Patty
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StephanieA
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| Posted: Aug 16 2007 at 7:17am | IP Logged
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I save decent girl's clothes. I have 3 boys, then 4 girls, then a boy. No way do I want to shop for girl's preteen and teen clothes more than I have to. Once I find a nice church dress, play dresses, nice pants, I save them and pass them down. It would be a waste of my limited time to give everything away only to go shopping again. I dislike shopping mostly.
I'd rather be outdoors or reading a book
Blessings,
Stephanie
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Maryan
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I saved almost everything... and have used most of it again, and again, and again,... and if you go by the old wives' tales about heartbeats... it might be AGAIN! But how many people have that many gender in a row!!
But... before I put it away, I do purge the stuff that we didn't wear as much and give it away (I love Amy's thoughts). But all of my boys have been 20 mos. apart or less. Sometimes they don't go into bins -- just change closets!! I don't save more than one bin per size per season because they usually get birthday or Christmas presents to add to the collection.
And it has saved us money. For example, (KackyK can attest to this) all my boys wear polos on Sundays in the summer. So I just keeping buying another navy in the next size up for my oldest, but I have all the other polos from years past... or another orange one on the days I need to be able to spot them in a crowd....
I'm sure at some age my oldest will revolt against wearing the same color polos -- but for now it keeps our budget low!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
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MarieC
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| Posted: Aug 16 2007 at 9:16pm | IP Logged
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Maryan wrote:
| and if you go by the old wives' tales about heartbeats... it might be AGAIN! But how many people have that many gender in a row!! |
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My cousin and his wife had five boys...no girls! And she is from a family of 6 girls...no boys!
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Marie
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dds-98, 00, 02 and 09 & dss-03 and 06
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: decluttering vs. saving for future kids
