I wonder if I would be as obsessed diligent as I try to be in keeping our household on the minimalist end of possessions if we lived in a house as opposed to an old walk-up apartment?
But the fact on the ground is I get so tired of the Sisyphean routine of sorting toy messes everyday after the kids rip through the rooms. Seems rather inefficient to clean, say, two hours for every 30 minutes of play.
So I gave away two armfuls of toys to a newly renovated vegan restaurant near D's school that we often frequent for lunch. I hope their vision of a play area by the dining tables turn out to be an invaluable asset for business and atmosphere.
After coming home, I also recycled about a small bag worth of plastic and paper toys. More to sort through tomorrow, including laundry aka too much clothing. How did we accumulate just so much stuff merely from halting our nomadic lifestyle for a year or two? My spending habits really must change.
As I took breaks from downsizing, I thought fondly of our week-long stays in Milan, Louvain la Neuve, and Bielefeld. In each of these places, we had stayed at airbnb-style housings furnished with the bare necessities and very simple kitchenettes. I enjoyed the simplicity of it all and hardly felt any lack. Surely if we can get by for a week on that kind of setup, there really is no need for anything more in our "real" day-to-day life.
I have to be careful, though, not to accidentally embed secret hoarding instincts in my children by going too austere too suddenly. These little housemates sure like to collect things...
This particular housemate tried to keep a whole bunch of to-be-donated items by sitting on them. I sense a future environmental activist who will protect ancient trees by the human shield method. Good practice, buddy.
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