Moving is one of the most stressful things you can do. Once you’ve packed and all your stuff is safely at your new home the unpacking, and trying to find a space for each of your treasured items begins. And it can be exhausting! There are all sorts of methods and approaches that you can use to get things in order in your home. The Netflix series “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” is all the rage right now. In case you haven’t seen it, it’s a show about a tiny Japanese woman who revolutionizes people’s homes by teaching them how to tidy up. Many of these families have recently moved or have brought two households together and there is plenty of “stuff” around that is making their lives uncomfortable. In the final episode of Season 1, a recently married couple- Angela and Alishia- have just moved in together and they are struggling to find space for all their combined belongings. Marie comes in and slowly helps them to find a home for each item that they own. At one point the couple is sorting through their kitchen items and Alishia discovers a gem of an item amongst Angela’s things: A packet of powdered Turkey Gravy.
That expired.
Three Years ago.
Food items like powdered gravy usually keep for years in your cupboard, but this one was already three years past it’s expiry date so it’s plausible it had been in a pantry cupboard for 10 years. A decade!
When you move into your new home it’s unlikely you will want to have to find a spot for 10year old turkey gravy powder, so we have created a list of questions to ask yourself BEFORE you pack an item into a box.
Marie also suggests thanking each item that you plan to throw out or donate. Thank the throw away items for the lessons they have taught you (thank you paper straws for teaching me to decline these at the burger joint).
This process may take a little longer than just shoving items into boxes, but having only the items in your life that Spark Joy when you unpack them at your new home will make the unpacking that much more bearable. Hopefully these questions will help you and your family to whittle down your belongings before you move so that you don’t have invite a tiny Japanese woman into your new home to tidy up your life.
And remember… Chuck out the old turkey gravy.