Extra things annoy me.  And I am just as guilty of extras as the next person.  I have, let me go count…….30 coffee cups.  THIRTY.  That is almost a cup for every year of my life.  There are 4 people in my house, 3 drink coffee.  If we all used a different cup each day of the week that would still only be 21 coffee cups.  Seriously.  I am in love with 6 out of the 30.  Yet there are the extras, taking up room, clogging up shelf space.  I know there has got to be some poor soul out there with only one or two coffee cups, or, heaven forbid, NO coffee cups!  They need my extras.

Same thing goes for oven mitts.  My bottom kitchen drawer is so full of oven mitts I can barely close it.  How many oven mitts can I possibly need?  6-8 tops, not…..let me count…..16.  Not counting the 3 I threw away yesterday, because they let my hand get burned. I have 2 hands, my husband has 2 hands, both the children have, thankfully, 2 hands.  If we all decide to dance around the kitchen and take things out of the oven simultaneously, we would still only need 8 oven mitts.

There comes a point when the ‘oh, that is so cute’, in the store, turns into ‘where did all this crap come from’ at home.  I have reached point B.  I guess, because it is Thanksgiving, because tomorrow is ‘Black Friday’, I have to think about how much we take for granted.  And I see, now more than ever, how little we need to be happy in life, and how the extras, the bonuses, the ‘OMG, its on sale!’ items, actually decrease our overall satisfaction and happiness.  There are things I have that contribute to my happiness, those 6 coffee cups I mentioned, make me smile every day.  My colorful, fun plates, ditto.  The 129.5 pickle, mason and jelly jars in my laundry room……not so much.

Somewhere, right now, someone wishes they had what you have, what I have.  And instead of us wishing for more this holiday season (and I know I’m probably being redundant, bear with me), look around and see what all you really do have.  See what you love, what makes you smile, what brings back a good memory.  And get rid of the rest.

I’m going to start with my coffee cups.

Yes, it is pretty, but not my style.  And it is too large, I like small cups I can wrap my hands around and my fingers easily touch.  I am not picky, I just know what I like.  Yes, my grandmother gave it to me, she also gave me a LOT of others.  PLEASE don’t tell her I’m getting rid of it by the way.  I’d never be forgiven.  That is another problem, just keeping stuff you don’t really like because so-and-so gave it to you.  Pass it on, people, pass it on!  Someone else will be really happy, and thankful, you did.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving y’all!

🙂