Necessary Objects?

I have finally decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon. I know I am about half a decade behind everyone else, but that seems to be nothing new for me. I had been toying with the idea for some time but finally after watching the movie "Julie and Julia" I was spurred to action. The character in the movie was turning thirty and felt she had not put her voice out there. I am almost seven years older than that, I thought. So what am I waiting for?

I decided to start looking at the other blogs out there and stumbled upon one about global warming that completely horrified and scared the dickens out of me. This is not the first time this has happened to me. I hear the description of a news story and I know it will create all kinds of anxiety over something I have very little control over. Yet, like a gawker at the scene of a car accident I have to click the link and read the bad news. Needless to say I did not get much sleep last night.

"But what can I do?" I thought to myself, as I tossed and turned and buried my nose in my four year old's mess of hair, listening to his peaceful breathing and wishing I could hold him in my arms and protect him from the world forever. I am just a suburban working mom.

My thoughts returned to the idea of blogging and I decided I would try to make small changes and blog about it. One realization that came to me was that despite the fact that many physical objects can now be encapsulated in a digital format (i.e. photos, books, journals, music, movies) that fits into a 12 inch laptop, our lives still seem to be more and more cluttered, or at least mine does.

My pantry is overflowing with condiments, spices, and other ingredients that are probably well past expiration. I am constantly tripping over toys that my kids seldom if ever play with. The bathroom cabinet is also jammed with beauty treatments long forgotten. I can't be the only one who suffers from this affliction. I know from watching that show "Hoarders" that my case is very mild. The clutter is generally contained to the inside of cabinets (okay and the top of my coffee table), but I can't be the only one who watches the spectacle and recognizes that the individuals in these shows are just extreme examples of something many of us suffer from. Our acquisitiveness has become an addiction.

So I start this blog with the question...are all these things necessary? For today's challenge I am making a commitment to not bring home any more soaps, shampoos, or conditioners until all of the ones in my house are used up. That includes the little ones you get at the hotel. Why do I feel the need to take every sample left for me in a hotel room? I have so many of them. I have come to realize that these free samples are not really free. They are taking up room in my cabinets, space in the landfills, not to mention some of them are so darn hard to open. Yet, open them I will. I will use every little bottle up, and when it's empty drop it in the recycling bin and get it out of my house once and for all.