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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Boomerang stuff interferes with my journey to minimalism

How am I supposed to become a minimalist when DD keeps bringing back stuff that we'd given to her? When DD went off to university, we furnished her condo with stuff collected over the years. These rainbow glasses I'd bought at an auction for only $7 bucks (in a box full of other stuff!) no longer fit in DD's life now that her home includes rambunctious kids. (We later came across a set of these at an antique store for $20 per glass.) Though I love these as much as she still does, I know I won't use them, so they've gotta go. *sigh*
As she was growing up, each year on DD's birthday we included a "good gift," something she could use later in life. For instance, we got her a couple of crystal lamps for her second birthday. Even though she hasn't kept all those gifts she received through the years, she's commented to me that she wished we still did that. Yet another birthday "good gift," this key caddy sat at DD's back door until Grandbaby's high chair recently claimed its floor space.
I'd been wanting a new fireplace tool caddy for ages (though it never made the priority list), so froggy turned the trick!
DD doesn't always bring me cluttering stuff; she brought me this turnip last week. Where she works, people often bring in produce to share. Determined not to let it go to waste, I peeled the turnip right away and cooked it in my small slow cooker with a little sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Oh, happy day--my seed order arrived yesterday. I'm still finding it hard to believe that Hubby (chief gardener around here) agreed to add starting all these seeds to his to-do list!
To brighten up this gray winter day, I'm looking for adventure, so this is where I'm headed next: Top 10 Adventure Blogs. Where are you headed next?

9 comments:

Lindy Mint said...

Those rainbow glasses are really cute. I can see how it would be hard to let those go.

Happy seed growing!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tradition you had going for you DD birthday gifts...sorry, some are coming back to you though...but at least they weren't lost...:)
~~peace & love & joy & blessings~~

cathy@home said...

I love those coloured glasses.

MegSmith @ Cooking.In.College said...

I can't wait to see what you grow with those seeds. Gardening is just my favorite thing in the world!

That frog key holder-now fireplace tool holder is adorable.

Anonymous said...

This posting makes me feel claustrophobic. My own mother cannot resist buying me useless crap that I don't want. She has her own large home to fill with stuff...and she cannot resist buying things for me. I have asked her not to, I have brought stuff to the Goodwill and have sold her gifts online. And still she cannot stop. My sisters feel the same way. I brought stuff back to her home that I refused to open and take out of the packages and they sit there and gather dust. She blames me for cluttering up her home with the items. But no one asked her to meddle and purchase them in the first place. She has her own home and her own life, why does she feel the need to interfere and clutter up mine?

ff said...

I totally appreciate that you got stuff for her growing up...I think it was a really smart idea. And when you have kids, it's not that you don't want the old stuff, it's that all that kid gear takes over.
I hope you take those glasses to the antique shop or somewhere like that and make some money off them if they've got to go anyways! And I love the creative reuse of Mr. Frog, there!

Practical Parsimony said...

Buying her future gifts when she was growing up was a good idea. You have a good relationship with her and "things" in that she feels she can just return what does not work with children. You enjoyed them and she did. Looks like you can find an antique shop to love them now.

The frog reuse is genius. Cute!

My computer just scared the living daylights out of me--it chirped like a tree frog! I was typing the word and now I am just discombobulated!

Dmarie said...

@Anonymous, my mom used to do the same, but somehow I've convinced her to stop. Once DD had a home of her own (with husband), we stopped giving her household stuff. Despite the fact that she said she'd still like to get her "good gift," it's too hard to know whose tastes to please...hers or her hubby's. I never mind when DD brings back stuff we'd given her through the years. I'm not attached to many of my belongings, so I'm not surprised that she's not either.

Melinda said...

Lol ~ there's no end to the "stuff", is there? ;) That frog is adorable though and you put it to such good use!

I'm so excited too, I just found an awesome seed company, all organic seeds at great prices! The order came super quick too, and I'm dreaming of warm spring days... :)

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