2012 The Year of the Re-Gift

So much stuff. Beautiful, wonderful stuff. 

Having just moved I find that I have been made aware yet again of how much stuff we have. Anyone who helped us move could probably attest to that. Each time we have moved (from CMU to apartment in Winnipeg, from apartment in Winnipeg to AMBS, and from AMBS back to Winnipeg) people have marveled at how we managed to fit so much stuff into such small apartments! And even though we live in a very spacious apartment right now it is still obvious how much stuff we have. And by stuff I don't mean junk or crap. We actually have surprisingly little of that. We made one trip to Goodwill before we left Indiana and that pretty much took care of any things that we really felt we didn't need/want, or that we hoped someone else could fix or make better use of. Yet stuff abounds.

And why you might ask do we have so much stuff? Have we embraced the consumer trend of obsessive shopping or are we hoarders that can't let go of anything? 

No. I'm fairly certain the answer is no. We actually don't like shopping. And I think I can speak for Alicia here. When we do go shopping we usually have a pretty clear idea of what we are looking for and if we don't find it in under an hour or two we give up and go home. I can't tell you how many shopping trips we've made where we look at each other after an hour and a half with that half-glazed "I've had it" look in our eyes and decide to do something better with our time. We're also pretty committed to holding each other accountable to wise spending, since the majority of the last ten years we've been students on pretty tight budgets and we believe in being good stewards. So we don't make a lot of wild and wacky purchases and there are certainly no shoe obsessions in our house. If it's not comfortable and can't be worn around the house, to the grocery store, to work/school and church, it's probably not worth the money. I know, shocking. We totally blow the "women are shoe obsessed" stereotype out of the water. Some people might argue that we do have a book obsession, but I disagree. Books are necessities like food and water, especially for students!

And do we hoard? I'd say not. We've moved too many times in the last 9 years to really become pack rats. Though with Alicia's expertise and love of organizing closets it is possible to put a surprisingly large amount of stuff into some pretty small spaces. But organizing usually also leads to some culling and in the last move even some books ended up at the thrift store.

So why do we have all this stuff? Because we have been surrounded by a lot of very loving and generous people for most of our lives. That's why the stuff isn't junk. It's great stuff, loved stuff, but alas...not used stuff. There are books that have been read once, puzzles that have been done once, cookbooks that no longer fit with a grain-free diet, extra fabric, extra bike helmets, piles of fleece blankets (carefully crafted by skating club moms across the province!), figurines, stuffed animals, clothes, serving dishes and the list goes on and on. So what do we do with all this lovely stuff? 

The answer that I usually see on HGTV is buy more storage bins, or invite Karl Champley from Wasted Spaces into your home to help you make the best use of ever last nook and cranny in your house so you can continue to fill it all up.

But thank goodness I have a more creative and thoughtful roommate who can think outside of the storage bin. This evening as we sat surrounded by stuff and contemplated what we would give our respective family members for birthday gifts this year (they have birthdays in ever month except December!), Alicia suggested that maybe we should re-gift. For a few moments I was a bit hesitant (just a little though since I love the idea of re-gifting). I love to give gifts. I love to give meaningful, beautiful gifts that make people smile and make them feel loved and understood. And I wondered at first if it would be possible to find such gifts within the confines of our stuff-filled apartment. But any concerns that I had were quickly put to rest as we began our glorious shopping trip through our own home! A shopping trip that had no lines, no sore feet, no smelly washrooms, no headaches, no worries about supporting consumerism or unethical business practices or about our own shoe string budgets. The more we looked the more we found. And remember, I'm not talking junk. I'm talking nice stuff. Stuff that I would like to receive. Stuff I have received and enjoyed (gently of course), and now I am ready to invite others to enjoy these things as well.

So...for the entire 2012 year, Alicia and I will be "buying" ALL of our gifts (birthday, anniversary, baby shower etc.) at the Buhler and Martens Marketplace (which also includes the boxes we still have in storage at my parents place). And not only the gifts, but all cards (time to use up all that gorgeous scrapbooking paper before it's dated), and all the wrapping as well.

So let this post serve as notice to all our family and friends, get ready to be re-gifted! And Jen, you're up first! :)  Sorry Aimee, your birthday has come and gone, so I guess you're out of luck this year. You'll just have to make do with the album I made you. :(