Simplifying

As I've said before...we are a blended family. When we married 2 1/2 years ago, we tried to rid ourselves of many of our unnecessary belongings so that we could live in one house. We DID get rid of a lot of things but we really need to get rid of more!

We also need to stop BRINGING in so much stuff! Yesterday I went to the Goodwill Store...my favorite place to shop! (We have three stores within a fairly short distance of us!) Terrible temptations await me there! I just love to buy people things and I think it's wonderful to be able to get things at such a bargain! However, yesterday for US I bought Pfaltzgraff cups and saucers that will coordinate with the Phaltzgraff dishes I already have. They are not the SAME pattern but they will look just beautiful with them. The dishes I bought previously...from Goodwill of course...are the Tea Rose pattern and the cups that I bought yesterday are the white/ivory "Filigree" pattern. I think I prefer them to not match exactly because they look so pretty together. They were all such incredible bargains. The cups were .49 cents each and so were the saucers. I think the plates were .99 cents each and the little bread plates were. 49 cents each! They also look LOVELY with the solid ivory/white teapot set my hubby bought me for my birthday a year and 1/2 ago. (This is the ivory teapot on my header picture...)

So...I asked my husband if he minded if I put some little cup hooks under our cabinets for the cups. Oh...and then I had to explain that I BOUGHT new cups.

FIRST I had to TEASE him and ask him "What if I bought new Christmas dishes...what would you think about that?" HEHEHEHE... I am so mean! (Realize, now, that we will soon have 17 members of JUST OUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY....so buying new Christmas dishes means....well...ALOT of new dishes!!!!)
Jennie piped in and said, "MOM! How many sets of dishes do you have to HAVE??"
He got this really "forced" smile on his face and he said, "Does that mean you bought new Christmas dishes??"
I said, "No...I was just wondering what you would think!"
So then I felt like I could tell him I bought new cups and saucers. I even agreed that we could get rid of the old ones...as long as he didn't get rid of my "Thomas Kincaid" mugs or my "Biltmore Mansion" mug from vacation....
I am perfectly ok with him getting rid of HIS mugs, though....hehehehe!!!!
THEN, he said, "I don't mind you buying something new from Goodwill as long as if you bring ONE thing IN....You have to get rid of ONE thing!!!"

I thought for a minute....and then MISCHIEVIOUSLY said..."But HONEY...where will you LIVE??"

Hehehehehehe.......

He knows I was just teasing. I love him soooo much but we really DO need to cut back on our bringing in!

I made a suggestion night before last. I suggested that he and I try to get rid of 5 things a day for a while. At first I said, "Ten items a day"...and then decided that it would be hard for him to have time to go through things each evening so we changed it to 5.)
Last night I went through our downstairs closet and I got rid of five things...of his.
hehehehehehehe......
(Really, today I plan to make up for it and get rid of alot of my things!!!) I'm really not this mean...I was teasing him MOST of the time....except when I suggested he get rid of some of his "Columbo" overcoats....YUCK. YUCK YUCK YUCK YUCK..........