What I Kept When We Downsized

 and I what I let go of!

When we decided to downsize, I thought the hardest part would be the logistics—packing, moving, figuring out where everything would go.

But what I didn’t expect was how emotional it would feel to decide what to keep… and what to let go.

There were so many things I had collected over the years. Things I used, things I loved, and a lot of things I simply held onto “just in case.”

And even when I hadn’t reached for something in years, it could still feel hard to let it go.

Not because I needed it…but because of what it represented.

A different time, a fuller house, and a version of life that no longer quite fit.

As I worked through it all, what I chose to keep became surprisingly simple.

I wanted to keep things I reach for every day and things that bring comfort and that fit easily into our life now. It wasn’t about having less just to have less…it was about keeping what actually mattered.

And then there was everything else...the “just in case” items...the duplicates...the things I thought I might use someday. Letting those go felt uncomfortable at first… but also freeing in a way I didn’t expect.

One thing that really surprised me through all of this…even after we downsized and I thought I had simplified, I still found myself thinking I needed more.

I added things back in—especially with paper crafting—thinking it would bring back a feeling I remembered. I thought I really missed the paper crafting and that was where my community was.

But instead, it just felt heavy.

And that’s when it really clicked for me…

It wasn’t about needing more. Stuff isn't community, people and friends are. I am still working on what brings me joy these days and sometimes it is hard.

This is about learning to be content with what I already had—and maybe even less than that.

I’m learning that living with less isn’t about sacrifice. It’s about clarity.

It becomes easier to see what you truly need…and what you don’t.

I am still settling in, still learning and still adjusting.

But little by little, this simpler life is starting to feel more natural…and more like home.

I’ll be sharing more about our simple life here—what we’re learning, what’s working, and what still feels like a work in progress.