This post is sponsored by BISSELL, all opinions are mine
I literally just cannot keep up anymore.
I barely can handle our living situation. Keeping it orderly is all consuming–forget about the kids rooms. I can organize with the best of them. I could have found a place for it all and straightened and staged it and bam! (old pictures as proof)
But the second he touched or played with anything, it would be a disaster again. At the end of the day we, as a family are drowning in stuff. I’m officially on a mission to rid ourselves of at least half of what we own, if not more. At the end of the day, we can appreciate, care for and find joy in only so many things at a time. Quinn’s room became the tipping point.
Because at the end of the day, this is how he is entertaining himself.
When I tucked him in, tip-toeing over all his things he said, “I cannot even find the things I love anymore”. The next day we literally emptied his room.
We stacked things in the hallway.
In Eleanor’s room.
When the room was empty, we took a deep breath.
It felt so good. I don’t think you understand the sheer volume of what you own until you touch all of it. So Quinn and I picked up things one by one with two questions– Does this make you happy? Do you want to take care of this?
I envied the way in which Quinn quickly and confidently chose what made him happy and what he wanted to take care of. I would also add that what he chose is different then what I would have chose for him. I think that is why it is so important to do this with your child. I don’t want to breach his trust and rid him of his things. I want to build skills in him that allow him to realize what makes him happy and that ultimately, his joy cannot be found in things.
I highly recommend following their lead. Don’t make them feel guilty for getting rid of something or impose your will based on how much something costs. Your child’s contentment is more valuable then hanging on to something, because you know it was an expensive gift/toy. The gift has served it’s purpose–they felt loved when they received it, had the thrill of receiving it and the joy of playing with it. Gifts and things are not meant to weigh us down. If your child no longer fines joy from it, say goodbye and thank it for a job well done and move on.
He inspired me and I cannot wait to share what I have planned for our home.
Then he did the oddest of all things, he asked us to paint his room. He just wanted it white.
He was very adamant about this. I even showed hims some white rooms on Pinterest, to be sure he knew what he was asking for.
It pained my husband a bit to paint over the chevrons, but I get it. Sometimes are eyes just need to rest and there is such a thing as visual clutter. I also busted out this BISSELL ProHeat 2X® Premier 47A23 Upright Deep Cleaner, I was given to test. This is not the kind of product I would think to buy, but it was the finishing touch to a fresh, clean room. If you have carpet, this is something to consider for sure. My mom already plans on borrowing it!
How do you keep up with that new carpet look while protecting carpets from spilled wine, pet stains and kids who forget to take their shoes off? Vacuuming alone isn’t enough. That’s where deep cleaning with Scotchgard™ Protector comes in. Scotchgard Protector works by placing a barrier on the surface of fibers to protect against future stains. Even if your carpets weren’t treated from the start, you can help build in some protection using BISSELL deep cleaning formulas with Scotchgard Protector.
BISSELL upright carpet cleaning formulas that include Scotchgard Protector have the substance formulated in, so as you clean your carpet you can also protect it from becoming stained in the future. This stain-protecting substance pushes liquids away from the base of carpet fibers. This means that when you have a spill, the liquid will stay at the surface longer so you have time to clean it up before the carpet is seriously damaged.
I’m jealous of how fresh and clean Quinn’s room is now. 2015 is definitely going to be the year of cleaning, simplifying and decluttering.
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