It’s almost been two weeks since the sale on the townhouse closed. The increased freedom is starting to sink in after enjoying a couple of weekends free from tying up loose ends there. As with most big life changes, I learned a lot.
Day I moved in. 
Day we moved out.
Furnish for functionality rather than to fill a space.
While we utilized most of the furniture we owned, there were a few pieces we surely could have done without. After truly feeling the physical and mental burden of owning things that became valueless to us, we will be very intentional about what furniture and decor we bring in to a future house.
Memories do not exist in things.
It was easy for me to part with furniture with the exception of one piece – a bookcase my parents gifted me when I was 5 years old. My dad finished it, making it extra special. I initially decided to save it for Ellie and thought it would fit in our under-bed storage; however, it was too deep by 1 measly inch. George engaged in a heartfelt conversation with me; not steering me toward any decision. He offered solutions for other places to store it. He also reminded me that memories do not exist in things. He proposed that when Ellie does need a bookcase, we could pass along my parents sentiment by making and/or finishing one for her. I loved this idea and opted to donate my bookcase to Goodwill for someone else to enjoy now.
Social media is a great means of advertising, but can be very cumbersome to manage.
Within minutes of posting furniture for sale on Facebook, I quickly realized selling each piece online was more time-consuming and complicated than I was willing to take on. Between wading through endless messages and wasting time for missed pick-ups, I decided an old fashioned garage sale was the best way to unload our stuff. I went ahead and posted a different Facebook advertisement for a garage sale. I included pictures of items that would be available and again was inundated with inquiries. I tried to keep up with all the messages out of courtesy, but ultimately gave up as I felt badly about allowing virtual life distract me from real life to the extent it was – especially given all the necessary details were in the ad. In the end, everything sold or better yet was gifted to friends/neighbors
Paring down is a continual process.
I knew this going in and started making weekly trips to Goodwill back in January. I thought these trips would stop after we moved. Turns out we still make a trip to Goodwill every few weeks to donate something that made the move but we have since decided we don’t need. Thanks to the limited space, it is now seemingly ingrained in me to get rid of anything that doesn’t serve a purpose in our lives sooner rather than later.
Moving takes longer with a little one.
This one may seem obvious, but I found it took much, much longer than I anticipated. We could have plowed through in a day or two with help, but because we had the luxury of mostly being on our own timeframe, we chipped away at it over several weeks. This allowed us to feel like we were still getting some quality family time on the weekends. The need to nurse and feed a little one helped keep us on track with taking care of ourselves, too. We stopped to enjoy lunch and regroup to most effectively use the rest of our time for that day. The slower pace also probably made it easier on me emotionally. It afforded me the opportunity to really soak in some of the sweet memories made with George, Ellie and dear friends at what one of my best friends named The Brownstone. By closing, I was so ready to be done with the weekly and sometimes twice-weekly trips.
Ellie’s first room. 
How we started and ended each day…my little window blind assistant 🙂
The Brownstone will always hold a special place in my heart. So many incredible memories were made there from evenings in with friends, to running accomplishments, then on to meeting my soulmate and having our first baby. Those memories are mine forever, no matter where we live. While I likely will never have so many incredible friends nearby as I did while living in The Brownstone, those friendships have forever impacted my life and are so very special.
