We have signed with a realtor.  The house will go on the market April 1.  The two agents we hired are great. We went through the entire house and made a list of what should go and what should stay for staging.  We went as far as picking out suitable wall colors to help sell.  So, now, we have a little less than three months to clear out this house.  In one way, it seems totally overwhelming, but it also feels great to have a deadline to work with.

Today, I cleaned out two big drawers in the dining room hutch, as well as a tub underneath the bed.  They were all filled with wrapping paper, cards and bags.  They were all combined into the one tub and tomorrow will be going to my mom's house.  A small thing, but it means a lot to me.

Trying to keep the projects down to a manageable size is crucial to me.  Looking at the big picture is too overwhelming and it paralyzes me.  Doing a shelf, a bookcase, a drawer, is easier to manage.

I've created spaces to keep things organized.  For example, I'm keeping the big cedar chest that hubby gave me on our first Christmas.  It's cedar lined and has too much emotional attachment to get rid of.  So, it's going to have a home at my mom's house.  The things I will fill it with are currently being stored in the dining room hutch.

The big living room cabinet is filled with things to donate.  And so on.   

Decluttering is cleansing.

It really is hard to get rid of things that have sentimental meaning, as I'm finding out.  How can we achieve our desire to rid ourselves of our house and belongings with the heartfelt meaning behind certain items that have such sentimental value?

For example, I have a wall tapestry of an antique Venetian landscape that we bought on our 20th wedding anniversary in Venice.  It hangs over our bed and every time I look at it, I'm reminded of a wonderful time in our lives.  As much as I love it, though, it's simply too big to hang up in the RV.  I could fold it up and take it with us, but that defeats its purpose.

Enter my family.  My sister, who loves Venice almost as much as I do, has asked to hang it on her wall.  What a win-win situation!  It's going to a home where it will be appreciated, but best of all, every time I go visit, I'll be able to see it.  

To me, that means more than if I'd sold it to an anonymous buyer.

​And on to the next....