help me understand purging

[soontobe]

I guess this is a slight spin off of the 'do you have too much stuff thread' and everyone is talking about how they need to purge/the just purged etc. i for one and terrible at purging. i always say 'but i may need xyz next year for whatever reason and then i will just have to buy another one' many times this has been true. something i haven't worn or used in years suddenly will be very useful.

for example-my mother is excellent at purging, so when we out grew our toys she got rid of them. but now she has grandchildren at her house all the time so she had to go buy new ones....

anyways i guess my question is why do you purge? do you figure if you need it again you will just buy another one? i thought this place was about saving money:rotflmao:

i would really appreciate honest answers but no nasty ones:)!

[karstmama]

i used to keep things in case they came in handy later, but when they would have come in handy i'd forgotten i had them, or couldn't find them, or wanted a different kind anyway.

so keeping an old corded phone = good idea in case the electricity's out. keeping your old cordless ones = silly. you just need to decide what things are silly to keep.

if you're considering another child, your baby stuff would be reasonable to keep. if you were a 6 going into your first pregnancy but haven't seen that size in more than 5 years, your old maternity stuff should go. it's all about balance!

[wellyes]

To me the idea of hanging onto toys for 25+ years to avoid buying new ones for grandkids is crazy! I can't think any any item that might not ever eventually be useful. Old food jars and random buttons and empty pill bottles can be repurposed, eventually. But for me, I like to have stuff that I use or that I love. Junk lying around is suffocating.

But I guess it depends on how much storage you have. I have a 1300 sq ft house and no garage. If I had a rambling old farmhouse I might have a different mindset.

[KrisM]

I have kept a couple toys to keep for when younger kids come over, but I doubt they'll make it to my grandkids. I can't imagine keeping things for another 25-35 years. I'm 41 now, so if my mom kept toys, that would have been for 35 years!

My space is worth something to me and many times it's more than the value of replacing something. Also, others might need my item more than I do, so offering on freecycle or donating helps others as well.

[hillview]

So I purge
Toys and kid items that the kids have outgrown or that they don't ever play with
Clothes that don't fit or that I don't wear or that I don't wear
Stuff I no longer need

For example I don't use my popcorn maker often and considered purging it but we DO use it once a month or so, so I kept it. The kids NEVER play with their imaginext toys so I got rid of them. The kids rarely play with the once loved play kitchen so I kept the toy food/pans but got rid of the kitchen (it was huge). I have some old yoga pants that I rarely wear but when all the other cozy pants are dirty or I am feeling lousy I wear the old ones so I kept them.

HTH
/hillary

[zephyr]

I am in the purging process as of last month. I've been a packrat my entire life, including my childhood. After reading a book called Clutter's Last Stand, I've had many questions answered and am working one drawer at a time. It has been extremely freeing to get rid of stuff I've had for years but never used. Sorry for the rambling. Anyway, the author says if you haven't used it in a year, you most likely won't, with the exception of some things. He says some things aren't worth keeping around, especially big things that take up lots of valuable space and could be rented or borrowed instead. hth.

[tmahanes]

My mom kept kids books and nice toys like wooden blocks. It is cool to see B playing with them! DHs mom yardsaled EVERYTHING he had as a kid and it made DH mad. I am planning on keeping nice wooden toys.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[sunshine873]

There's a fine line. Yes, some things you may use again. But you need to weigh the value of keeping that item (that includes storing/moving it - which may cost space or $$) vs getting rid of it & possibly re-buying down the line if it turns out you do need it. Like karstmama said, I have kept many things only to not be able to find them when I do need them, so I end up re-buying anyway. That's wasteful. If you have the space & a good organization system, then it may be a whole different ball-game.

[HIU8]

I purge b/c I cannot stand ANY clutter of any kind. I do a twice yearly consignment sale for kids, so I purge clothes and toys 2x/year. During the year I do keep bins in the laundry room of purgeable items so I can keep up with it. There are some items I will not purge (the sweater my great aunt made for me, my kids naming outfits, some classic books and toys that were mine as a kid and the family cradle that has been used for 8 babies so far).

I also purge b/c I live in a 2400 sq ft house with a small storage area in the basement. DH will not allow me to store anything in the attic (we have 2 attic spaces and they have 2 x 3's in them). DH won't put boards down and he is afraid that storing things in there may result in a fire (thank you neighbors whose attic caught fire last year....).

Oh, my BIL is a hoarder and my MIL is almost a hoarder (call her a massive collector). So it's all around me. I tend to not want it in my own home.

[lalasmama]

I am the queen of "But I May Need That Later!"... Case in point, when the new baby comes, I'll be using the Fisher Price baby monitors that we bought (second hand!) 10 yrs ago, when my niece was on the way. People have rolled their eyes at me every time they help me move. All I hear is "this better be stuff you actually use!"

About a year ago, I started purging some of my baby stuff, for a very reasonable thought process: I'm now in my 30s, on my way to having a good paying career (as a lactation consultant), and it won't be a financial burden to have to buy things for the baby, whereas, I had been amassing things though my 20s, while having multiple pregnancies that would have left me and the father pretty darn financially strapped (I miscarried each of those pregnancies in my 20s). So, basically, I didn't feel the need of that safety-net anymore, so I could let them go. Of course, LOL, I'm kicking myself now for getting rid of the onsies, because I hate paying those kinds of prices for such a tiny bit of fabric :) I kept some things that I really LOVED (a playmat of pictures of laughing babies for tummy time, my sling that I used when DNiece and DD were babies, some receiving blankets that I liked the pattern or feel of), but got rid of nearly 3 moderately sized RubberMade containers.

Emotionally, I understand the "But I may need this later!" feelings. I feel like I need that safety net. But, realistically, I'm paying for all that stuff I'm not using... I'm paying for it in less closet space (because I gotta store it somewhere), in a storage unit ($50/mo), in the back shed that's so full it's otherwise useless. And I'm paying for it in anxiety, because I always feel crowded in my own home because "there's not enough storage". And, as silly as it seems, "stuff" begets more "stuff". After purging a lot, my spending and shopping habits relax a lot--I'm not always "looking for xyz" or such. And, while we aren't financially wealthy by any means, I'm not throwing out/purging things that will cost a lot to re-buy. And the calm that comes from space vs stuff is worth whatever I do need to rebuy.

If you haven't used it in the last year, you've likely spent more money/space to store it than you would to replace it when you are ready and actually do need it.

[Simon]

We often need to purge items other people give to us. For some reason, we have family who like to give us things with the expectation that we will keep it so that it stays in the family but not in their home. Here are some specific examples of things we "purged" in the last 12-18 months.
A living room chair and lamp we didn't really like
Two dressers + mirror + rocking chair, all belonged to Grandma then my Mom who wanted me to keep them. They were mostly sitting in the basement.
A set of 12 puppets sent to us, but intended for adults not kids
A set of 3 wood ducks (home decor), sent to us with broken parts
A large collection of canning jars and stuff from when Dh wanted to learn how to can food. I gave him 2-3 years then the stuff had to go.
Overgrown and unwanted houseplants (7-8 large pots)
Lots and lots of clothing. (changing sizes due to pregnancy)
Lots of toys and items from when we thought we might homeschool (with kids in daycare, you need a lot fewer toys at home!)
An incomplete set of 40 year old encyclopedias

Our 1st floor is only about 850 sq feet, so most of this lived in the basement. or garage. In one large stroke we gave away enough things to fill a small U-haul trailer. We arranged for pick-up by a local charity. So far, the things we regret getting rid of are very few and all in hindsight:
Beds: we should have kept one of them for the guest room.
Ice skates for Dh and Ds1
Kitchen items: platters and 1-2 serving bowls/dishes

[g-mama]

Because if you never purge, you will become a hoarder, right? All the excuses for saving things "you might need" are what you hear the people on the show "Hoarders" saying. ;)

[hellokitty]

Because if you never purge, you will become a hoarder, right? All the excuses for saving things "you might need" are what you hear the people on the show "Hoarders" saying. ;)

Lol, this is the way I think. My parents are hoarders, it drives me nuts. The ability to purge is my way to avoid becoming like my parents.

[kijip]

There is a carrying cost as far as I am concerned with the clutter from never purging or holding on to lots of things just in case. The cost of me storing those things is not inconsequential especially since clutter makes me nutso!

Also, when we have kept a lot of things just in case, invariably I can not find them when I need them or forgot I had them and I GO GET MORE ANYWAYS! :ROTFLMAO: We used to have SOOOOOOOO many more books than we do now. And I used to forget which ones we had and then go and buy a copy for someone to read or add them to my library cue. Not helpful. I now only keep the ones that are very, very special and that is increasingly few. I can always check it out of the library later, right?

[mezzona]

the need for us to purge originally began when we had to move into a smaller space. whenever we move into a bigger space, i find we tend to buy more things.

I have found that when i have less, it is easier for me to clean. easier for me to find things, and I have less need to organize.

it was hard to purge at first, but once I did one cabinet, I just wanted to purge more. for me, it felt somewhat liberating to release my grasp on objects.

I like to donate the things I purge because I hope that it would be more useful in someone else's hands rather than sit in my closet being of no use.

there is a service called rentalic that helps you rent out your stuff to people in your area that have a need or use for things that would otherwise sit unused. just another option for those who don't want to fully purge because they might need it again someday.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Dh is like this. He hates it when i want to sell stuff on CL or ebay because "we are never going to earn back what we paid, so it's not worth it" and "We may need it again, and then we'll have to buy it again, and we'll lose even more money."

here is why i think he's wrong.

Let's say there are 100 items that I no longer really use, and i could sell on Craigslist. On average, lets' say I originally paid $15 for each one, and can sell each item for $5, so if i sold all 100 items I'd make $500.

Now, lets look at the likelihood that we will need one of those items within the next, say ten years (e.g. we end up having another baby, whatever). Say maybe we need 5 of those items. Even if we had to pay a little extra (say instead of $15 we had to pay $20 for each item) that's $100 total. Yes, we had to spend $100 to re-buy some things. But we had made $500 earlier on selling stuff earlier (so we came out $400 ahead), PLUS WE GOT TO ENJOY THE EXTRA SPACE AND LACK OF CLUTTER. That, IMO, makes it worth it alone!! SO you really have to look at the big picture, versus looking at every single thing and thinking "but i might need that!." Also add the fact that products are always changing and improving, and say if we have another baby in like 5 years, we will probably want the latest and greatest version of whatever baby item (bouncer, exersaucer, whatever) instead of the old used version we have. If then we want to sell the one we have, it's likely too late now, because less people will be interested in buying it bc it's so old and outdated. So, you can lose $$$ that way too.

Now I'm going to print this out and show it to my DH when he gets back. LOL

eta: i should add, my mom was really good at purging. to the point where i think she went a little overboard. she basically did what that guy in the blog did (sold entire life's posessions except for what's in 2 suitcases) because we were moving to the US. even after we moved, she was always obsessed with getting things we didn't need, not buying stuff unless we REALLY absolutely needed it and it was on sale or whatever. she always said she never wanted a big house with stairs because then it's a lot harder to keep clean (and only now am i realizing she was right!) i remember growing up she used to often donate our older toys to the kids she worked with (she was a preschool teacher in very disadvantaged communities). she grew up in a 3rd world country, so maybe this colored her view as us being relatively spoiled and having more stuff that we needed. as a kid i remember i used to get so upset because she had this attitude that we didn't deserve to have so much stuff that we had, almost like we were selfish for wanting to keep so many of our toys that we didn't use (yet we both thought we were the type that had much less than our classmates, because our parents never bought us the latest and greatest toys). the ILs on the other hand (raised in the US) are the polar opposite..they bought their kids tons of toys all the time, and kept pretty much everything. I'm trying to find some sort of balance between that. i admit it's really hard , especially in this country when everything is "buy buy buy."

[gatorsmom]

I think I have pack rat tendencies. But my mother was a master purger so I've learned from her. In order to effectively clean, I let the feeling of clutter and suffocation start to build up and then I really can effectively purge. But, I have different rules for purging different things around the house. I don't let old bottles and reusable containers clutter up my kitchen for long at all. If I cant find a use for them in the first month, they get recycled. I'll keep one set of stained /holey clothes for the kids to play in but other clothes that get stained or torn, are thrown out. If it's an absolute favorite shirt or something, I might try to repair it, but normally out it goes.

I regularly go through my own clothes and give away anything I haven't worn in a year or two and know I won't really wear again.

As for toys, I just went through our toy boxes and took out all the infant toys. I'm saving those for my brother who's having a baby. I also took out all the happy meal toys (some are cool and the kids still play with them like the spy gear toys from a few years ago. I keep those). I also took out toys I've never seen them play with since they received them. I'm giving them to goodwill too. I made lots of room for our new Christmas toys.

My mother did keep some toys from my childhood. She kept the ones I was really attached too and some of the toys that she noticed were always played with. She kept all my barbie dolls and the hand sewn clothes she had bought for them. She kept my old FP little people schoolhouse, hospital, and record player. She was right- my kids LOVE those toys. She also kept some old star wars toys and our smurfs. She had all those toys boxed up sitting at the back of a shelf for a long time. Im so glad she kept those few things. But everything else was given away.

So I think you have to find a balance. Obviously you cant keep everything n the world, so you have to decide based on what you will uses and what has value for you.

[brgnmom]

OP, I like to regularly purge & organize things around my place b/c I feel liberated and the process is liberating *to me*. ;) I know that it is possibly easier to just keep and store things, but in my situation, I've learned to live in small apartments (pre-kids and w/ two kids now) and it feels amazing to be able to maximize our living area without clutter. I recycle mags/bottles/cans, donate old toys, sell larger items (most recently, our only double stroller... and I'm down to two singles - a reversible one w/ air tires and an umbrella stroller, both of which I've used for a good 5 years for two kids - DC2 recently turned 1 and still rides in both, depending on the scenario).

Anyway, a couple of factors continue to motivate me to purge:
1) it makes future moves so much easier and tolerable for my family
2) I like making space for people & activities versus cluttering the living area w/ unused items. I thrive on an airy type of feeling in a room - versus feeling trapped in a cluttered place.
3) my mom has set an excellent example of purging and staying organized... I've also seen the darker side of not decluttering and just continuing to store things via my MIL - who keeps expired snacks around and she has offered one of them to my DC1 before. I still haven't brought that up to her... we don't stay over at her home though when we visit b/c even though she has plenty of bedrooms and square footage in her home, a large majority of the living area is taken over by storage bins, amazon boxes, and all her online shopping scores.

& 4) most importantly, it is so liberating to be able to give away some items that others find helpful to them. When we still lived on the east coast, my Dh's former colleague was expecting his first baby and we just gave away DC1's exersaucer to him and his wife.

I almost forgot to mention that one area that I really need to purge still is my maternity wardrobe. I'm 12-months postpartum w/ DC2 and while I'm not actively wearing my maternity wear anymore, a small part of me wonders if we'll ever have a third child. I may just keep the maternity clothing around a little while longer - but I've already purged all my older non-maternity clothing from before that was fading or just didn't seem like anything I'd wear again. Goodwill has become a friendly donation center to me. I just remembered that I also donated old dishware/ceramics that we don't use, so that we could buy our new corelle set.

[soontobe]

I guess the thing I have hardest time with are sentimental things, pictures ds made etc. We have tons of this stuff and I feel like it takes up a lot of room but I just can't get rid of it. What do u guys do with that type of stuff?

[KrisM]

I guess the thing I have hardest time with are sentimental things, pictures ds made etc. We have tons of this stuff and I feel like it takes up a lot of room but I just can't get rid of it. What do u guys do with that type of stuff?

I have 3-ring binders with those things in it. I go through some as I get it and some at the end of a school year. My favorites go in the binder. If it doesn't fit, I take a picutre of it and the picture boes in. I also keep holiday/season stuff with my decorations and put it out each year. I have 15 years worth of kids :) and if I kept it all, I'd drown in paper!

[jren]

I sell all of our old toys/baby gear to a consignment shop that pays on the spot. I usually only sell an item once it's had plenty of time to be used (like, years), or if we have other items that are similar enough in use. For clothes, I have a boy and a girl and know our family is complete. Any of their clothes are given away to either family members, Goodwill or another charity as soon as they don't fit any longer. I usually do a purge at the beginning of a season, getting rid of the last year's stuff that doesn't fit anymore. Occasionally, now that my DD is getting older, her stuff has lasted more than one season, so I wait a year for some of her clothes.

I don't see a need to keep things that others can use now. My mom keeps everything, and has given my DD some of my old clothes from when I was a kid, musty smell and all. Then they mysteriously disappear in my house.

[Melaine]

I continuously purge stuff from the house. Partly because of our space issues, but also because I truly prefer to rebuy if necessary. Keep in mind that I am extremely cheap when shopping and so when selling I sometimes make money, come even or lose just a little. I am also realistic about whether or not we will use things again.

The only things I really hang on to are things that are super hard to come by, very expensive or heirloom type items. I sold almost all of the girls' equipment, gear and clothing and now that we are having another, I'm still happy that I did. I would rather buy most of that stuff again used from someone that just finished using with their 6 month old, then something I bought used 5 years ago then used myself, then sat in the attic for the last 5 years....YKWIM? Also, better things are coming out all the time, so if I don't love it enough to keep it then I figure I can find something better if I need it later.

The real key for me is finding such good deals on things in the first place, that selling them or even donating them is not painful.

Oh and I also feel like buying stuff for #3 I am making better shopping decisions than I did the first time around because now I know better what I need. I'm trying to streamline the baby-stuff too, and I'm kind of glad all the old stuff is not around.

ETA: OH, also a big motivator for me is that things go more smoothly in our budgeting when I have more discretionary income. I get "my money" for things the girls don't really "need" by selling their old stuff. Works well for us.

[hellokitty]

The only kids toys I am keeping for future grandchildren will be our wooden train sets, our massive ( and very expensive) Lego collection, and star wars stuff. The rest will be sold or donated to friends, family or charity. I just sold off a ton of bigger toys to my friends on Facebook. It was so easy and I made $200 and our playroom is decluttered! I will prob do round two in feb, since we have more toys in the basement.

[BabbyO]

Well, I purge because my house is only SO big and I refuse to get a storage space or live where everything is disorganize, or impossible to find. We still keep a lot of things we probably don't need, but we do purge about once a year.

My criteria is generally:
1. have you used in in the last year? No - purge or put on the "watch list" for next purge
2. Have you used it in the last 2 years? No - purge
3. Do you KNOW you will be using it in the future? Keep but store in a labeled bin. Purge when you're done.

For example, DS1's clothes hadn't been used in 2 years, but I knew we were going to be trying for DC2 so I kept things. DS2 has outgrown his NB clothes...I've given the neighbor who's expecting almost ALL of the NB clothes. I WON'T be saving any clothes for when DS' are grow with kids of their own. MIL did this and I feel Obligated to take the items...even though I don't really like any of them.

In general, my 2 yr rule works well for me but there are rare cases where I wish I had something back.

But the feeling of getting rid of all that extra clutter...SO amazing. Right now I'm hanging on to a bunch of clothes. My body hasn't settled into its final size/shape after DS2 and I have clothes that range from Sz 4 to Sz 12. (In the 3 years since I conceived DS1 I've gone from a Sz 12 to a Sz 4 and back to a Sz 12 now). Since I don't know where I'll end up, I'm hanging on to them. However, I KNOW that I only have 1 year after I stop nursing DS2 to determine what clothes are fitting and what needs to be donated.

[lizzywednesday]

I have a small closet and pack-rat tendencies. This makes it very difficult for me to purge, but when I do, I go a little overboard.

I usually use the "have I used it in a year" rule - if I haven't used it in a year, out the door it goes.

It's hard for me to do this with t-shirts from events I've participated in, so I've washed them and bagged them in a clear trash bag that's taking up space. I have a friend who makes quilts & pillows from these things, so I may ask her if she's looking for more supplies or if she can send me instructions so I can make my own!

I've picked up a lot of great ideas from folks here about what to do with (future) artwork (DD isn't yet 2, so no preschool projects to "save" yet, though she's discovered coloring) and baby clothes (I'm starting to network for hand-me-downs, but DD being the 1st girl on my side and significantly younger than all the other girls on DH's side, this is hard)

I recently went electronic for books and now have a library card, so I'm not as inclined to pick up a paperback at Target as I might have been in the past.

We have plans this weekend to get the house into holiday shape, so that means going through our storage cubby under the stairs. (I think that I'll clean it for real this year because it's gross. And I'll get some "damp-rid" because it's got a musty smell. Ewww.)

I think the biggest challenge for me is blocking out enough of the right kind of time to get the job done, so knowing we have some of that time dedicated to cleaning coming up makes me feel really good.

[fivi2]

I also think (at least for me) that there is enough stuff that I could get rid of guilt free - the broken worn out stuff or stuff that doesn't fit or has been outgrown. I could make a huge dent just with that and save the hard to get rid of stuff for later. As far as artwork goes - my girls produce a ton. I put my favorites in a box. I go through it often. It becomes easier to get rid of when you see that they will keep drawing hundreds of pictures!

[luckytwenty]

I used to hang on to things but when I did accidentally get rid of items I thought I'd miss, I found that I never needed them in the first place. The only thing I really hang on to is photos. I find that everything else I thought I "needed" really held little power/value.

[abh5e8]

well, we purge on a regular basis for several reasons. it keeps our 'stuff' more managable since we live in a small home. also, i tend to keep the best and give the rest...so like with kids toys, i'll keep a few of the best quality and most loved forever...but pass the rest one. that way someone else can enjoy them. my mother keeps EVERYTHING...down to the baby clothes, bottles and mobile I used as a baby. and now, i think what a waste it was...they are old and falling apart and not something i will use with my kids. but if she had donated them at the time, someone would have appreciated them and used them.

very rarely i have had to replace items i've donated. but when compared to the huge amount of stuff i have donated, its not a big deal. i buy what we need for now. it has saved me the headache and time and space (and money) to store, maintain, organize and sort all that stuff, so in the end, its a big win.

[Nicsmom]

To me the idea of hanging onto toys for 25+ years to avoid buying new ones for grandkids is crazy! I can't think any any item that might not ever eventually be useful. Old food jars and random buttons and empty pill bottles can be repurposed, eventually. But for me, I like to have stuff that I use or that I love. Junk lying around is suffocating.


:yeahthat: I'm very good at purging. I LOVE purging. Stuff weighs me down, unless it serves a purpose now. I feel great when I give things away that I no longer use, and I feel terribly guilty if I keep things that I don't need and that could make someone else happy.

I also believe that in my case it has nothing to do with storage. I have plenty of storage, but I don't feel it should be used to keep things I don't want or need. Storage, for me, is where I put things I am not using right now (like Halloween decorations) . Have I gone overboard in my purging sometimes? You bet. But I'd rather regret giving something away that holding on to junk.

[abh5e8]

:yeahthat: I'm very good at purging. I LOVE purging. Stuff weighs me down, unless it serves a purpose now. I feel great when I give things away that I no longer use, and I feel terribly guilty if I keep things that I don't need and that could make someone else happy.

I also believe that in my case it has nothing to do with storage. I have plenty of storage, but I don't feel it should be used to keep things I don't want or need. Storage, for me, is where I put things I am not using right now (like Halloween decorations) . Have I gone overboard in my purging sometimes? You bet. But I'd rather regret giving something away that holding on to junk.

yes...all this! nicely put. :)

[wimama]

I read once online that you should calculate out how much you pay per square foot a month for in rent or your mortgage. How much of that space is your clutter occupying. This is the cost of keeping the clutter. If you have lost valuable usable space to your clutter you truly are paying to store it. I agree with the previous posters, the likelihood of getting rid of something and needing it again is small. If you sell some of that stuff you are getting rid of you would about break even, even without calculating the cost you are paying to store those items.

I often look fondly back at the time I was in school living in Chicago. I lived for two years in a tiny little studio. I had everything I needed to live and I didn't have any clutter. I never missed the clothing or other belongings I left at my parents house. It was freeing to live that way and it was so easy to clean that little studio.

Clutter just seems to creep up on you. My DH and MIL both have pack rat tendencies. I hear but we can use that again way too many times. DS seems to have similar tendencies. I am trying to explain to DS why we must get rid of toys and belongings when we are done using them. I have even let him watch short clips of some of those hoarder shoes. I told him that "This is what happens when someone keeps everything that they still like or that they think they might use again." I ask him if he would like to live in a house like that and of course his answer is no.

While I do ask myself if I will use something again. I also ask "Do I have a place for this?" "How much would this cost to replace?" And, "Do I love this?". I used to buy things just because they were good bargains. But, too many bargains or having items I don't really like or love means I will not use them much or at all. So, they are not a bargain. They are clutter. Mostly, I have been trying to keep my goal of living more simply in the front of my mind. (Thank you Flylady for teaching me those questions!)

[Uno-Mom]

The book Simplicity Parenting helped me put words to feelings I've always had about "stuff.". What he says is very true and blatantly obvious when you watch a toddler enter a room. If the place is piled high with all kinds of toys, books, toys toys toys toys, they just kind of spin and move frantically from toy to toy. If they enter an open room with, say, just a play kitchen, two books and a box of duplos....they get focused, engaged and creative with those toys. I've seen it several times with Sprog before and after we cleaned up our living room!

For keepsakes, I've been keeping one or two special representative items from each category. You know, our favorite outfits that got into pots of pictures...that sturdy toy that got so much play...etc. I've kept extra baby clothes because kids like dressing their dolls up in real clothes.

For current toys I just keep many put away and trade them out.