The Anti-Hoarder

Until about a couple years ago, I considered myself a hoarder.  I’m not gonna lie…I was just a couple of elementary school nightstands and Barbie dolls away from a serious problem.  I kept everything, and I mean EVERYTHING!  Just ask my mom.  Most of my junk…I mean childhood treasures… are still in her basement.  I knew I had a problem.  That’s the first step to recovery, right?!  Recognizing the problem?!  And that’s when I discovered the joys of donating to Salvation Army.  My hoarding problem didn’t stem from the idea of letting something go, it just felt wasteful to throw something away that was still perfectly useful.  And forget having a yard sale.  I’m not a yard sale kind of gal.  There’s just something about strangers traipsing around my yard that just doesn’t sit well with me.  So knowing that my old items would live on and also help a charity, helped me give up my hoarding ways.  Don’t worry…I’m not going to be on a reality tv show anytime soon.  Enter Salvation Army donation system.  Yes, that’s right, a system.  C’mon…you must know me by now?  Of course I have a system!  Remember back from this post when we purchased an old bamboo chest for $5 from a flea market?  And later moved it to the entry in this post?  As seen here:

I love how you can see the boob light in the mirror.  Haha…I said boob!  I am seriously 12.  How do I have any friends?  I believe the term you are looking for is……anyway.  Well, the chest finally has a purpose.  You see, my Salvation Army ways have meant that I come across potential donation items during my cleaning sprees and reorganization madness.  Usually, I make a mental note to take an un-loved item to Salvation Army and then never do.  Either that or things begin to pile up and get out of control on the kitchen table.  Not any more!  Now, as I’m cleaning or as I come across things that we no longer need or want, I immediately take that item and place it in our formerly empty, just for looks, even though it’s not much of a looker, old bamboo chest:

Ahhhh…a purpose!  As the chest fills up, and it certainly has filled up since taking this picture, I’ll take my goods over to the Salvation Army and start all over again.  But only after I’ve properly photographed and documented my donation for tax return season!  Gotta love every tax write-off that you can find!

Pssst…Do you have slight hoarder ways?  Did you also come up with a “system” to help change those hoarder ways?  Please tell me it’s not just me?!