Spring Cleaning Isn't What it Used to Be

No one loves spring cleaning more than me.  For years like since I was five it was crystal clear to me the items I did and did not need.  

Consign.  Donate.  Trash.  Organize the rest.  It's simple.

Well at least it used to be simple.  That was all before I had children.  Recently we moved our kids rooms around, and I had to go through yet another round of baby clothes and gear.  And shockingly - more and more things are landing in the keep pile.

Do I need 15 swaddle blankets?  No.  Do I need 8 gingham crib sheets?  Double No.  My kids don't even sleep in cribs anymore, yet here I am contemplating keeping crib sheets, sigh.

The years when my kids were infants were such a blur.  I didn't really believe they would ever sleep through the night or become independent so quickly.   If only I would have listened to my mother and the little old ladies in the grocery store that told me babies grow up in the blink of an eye.      

I miss the days of opening my son's closet to find soft blue smocked outfits and knit sweaters with hoodies.  Baskets of tiny socks and sun hats instead of shin guards and soccer socks.  

So what does this all mean?  It means this year's spring cleaning is going to require a new pile - the not quite ready to let go of pile. 

How about you...

What do you know you don't need but can't seem to let go of?