As many of you have already heard, I plan to be living in a much smaller place in a few weeks, and putting my big house on the market.
Do you remember the email/tale/tear-jerker story that went around a few years ago, and crops up now and then that goes something like this . . .
" . . . woman dies young, leaves small kids and family behind. While cleaning out her stuff, they find a drawer of really nice linens and lovely clothing, labeled "for good"."
You know, the things we tend to squirrel away, to keep them nice, and use them only on the best occassions, or maybe just holidays. Linens, crystal, china, silver, our best dresses and shoes.
And sometimes, we never pull them out, and our families have that sad task later, and too frequently sooner than expected.
So, as I sort through cabinets jammed with dinnerware, stoneware, lunchware, serveware . . . I've been thinking . . .
. . . we're going to use the china for everyday, even with small kids. It might not survive until they leave the nest, but they'll sure be learning how to set a nice table, take care of the dinnerware and so on. And we have enough to host buffet-style dinners, even without a formal dining space, without having to haul stuff in and out of storage, without having duplicate dishes that serve the same purpose. And the china takes up WAY less space, even with so many place settings, than any stoneware would.
Even as toddlers they never had plastic plates, so this won't be a big change for them. They know the "don't drop the plate" look from Mom! Even MY mom knows that look when she sees it on my face! :-)
So, when you downsized, if you have recently, did you go super-casual, or keep your upscale pieces and lean towards a more refined lifestyle, albeit one with less actual STUFF?
Are you happy with your decisions? If you had to do it again, what would you do?
Do tell.
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