Downsizing "Ideas"

For more years than I care to admit, I have collected subscription magazines on my two favorite ideas: Cross Stitching and Scrapbooking. Last year, after cleaning out my pantry and library, I realized that 1) - I could really use the shelf space that 20 years of magazines take up, and 2) - Getting rid of some things that I thought I would, and even should, keep together, is quite liberating.

This I discovered, when I was given a large bag of needlepoint magazines that had already been taken apart to some degree, and that I had no emotional attachment to.

As I happily tore out page after page of patterns...but only the patterns that I wanted, It occurred to me that I could do the same with my magazines. The sky would not fall...

And so, for the past few months, I have been dismantling. So. Many. Magazines. I gave a lot of the cross stitch magazines to my sister, who tore out her own selection of patterns. And I gave all the partial scrap-book magazines to Goodwill. Someone else can find their own favorite ideas.

Then, I organized my ideas into categories, put them into transparent sleeves, and filed them in lovely, heavy duty binders that I covered with pretty papers with added titles for easy reference. Now, I have two feet of shelf space taken up by reference binders, instead of twelve or fifteen feet of magazines! And my house is at least 75 pounds lighter!