The Art of Redding Up

I have a problem in that I hate clutter. I guess I don't know anyone who actually likes it, but every so often, my blood pressure rises and I develop a crazed look in my eyes and decide that EVERYTHING in my house has to go. Clothes, shoes, blankets, kitchen items, books, nothing is safe. So during my most recent winter free time, I decided to redd up. And oh, redd up I did.

Timeout. For readers who think I'm speaking Slovak, the proper definition of redd up according to the Pittsburghese Glossary is: to tidy up.

Right after Christmas, Redd Up Part I had about five shopping bags of various sizes that ended up at one of my local Goodwill centers. I have absolutely nothing against Goodwill, as they are a great organization and an excellent place to find ugly Christmas sweaters or a retro-looking Halloween costume. But, my first choice to donate my used items is the local SPCA Rummage Sale. We adopted our precious, little black cat from the SPCA and I try to give back to them as much as possible. Thankfully, their storefront has provided me an excellent way to give back and hope that someone (along with the animals) can benefit.

Redd Up Part II is a little larger, with seven more shopping bags of various sizes (tiny bags from Eddie Bauer to much larger Pottery Barn bags) plus a Crate & Barrel box, because I think I've finally run out of shopping bags. What are some of the things that I cannot wait to get out of my house?

• My copies of the Twilight series. I'm embarrassed beyond belief and I apologize to every English professor I've ever had for letting these touch my hands.
• Three winter coats. God bless my mother, who always wanted me to have a good coat. Unfortunately, one is my original ski jacket from my freshman year in high school and two never quite fit right.
• Sweaters. Nothings says comfy like a warm sweater, but I also have a habit of buying a lot of them. Naturally, some of the older ones had to go.
• Mismatched bath towels. In another nod to my mother, who only wanted matching sets of towels in her bathrooms, I feel it is my daughterly duty to do what she was never able to achieve. Out go the pinks and greens and yellows that do not match my navy color scheme.
• Frames, travel mugs, kitchen utensils, mismatched Christmas decorations, etc. In other words, things that I will never miss.

Usually when it comes to clothes, if I haven't worn it in a year, it's out. I almost never give away books unless they are similar to the title mentioned above. And only once I start to see an unnecessary accumulation of household items do I attack the cabinets. So while 12 bags and a box total seems like a lot of stuff to give away, it doesn't really feel like that much to me. But maybe this round of redding up will mean that I don't have ones in the future that are nearly as drastic and I can get a better handle on all the stuff that enters our lives. I don't think I could ever live like a minimalist, but at least I can aspire to live as a not-as-muchist.