Let me start by saying I'm not loving the new layout I picked... so I'll go back to the drawing board on that one!  Needs more colour definitely, and I think I want a 3 column thingy... but not sure.

Now.. for the stuff.  I'm talking specifically about our household stuff.  Since we have decided to wait out our time to buy a house in a new rental (where all small people can have their own bedroom YAY) we are commencing THE PACKING.   We're going to hire boxes for this from these guys , for several reasons.  One, they get reused and I'm all about recycling & reusing stuff. Two, it will cost less! and Three, I can arrange for them to pick them up anytime within 3months and *I* don't have to have them hanging out in the shed/garage.  Win win situation really.    

Anyway, I was looking at the presets on their 'how many boxes will you need calculator' and was astounded to see that for 2adults and 2 children their hire history shows you will need 25large boxes, and 50 smaller ones.  Now we have 3 children so I'd guess they would suggest like 28large and maybe 60smaller ones for us.   OMG that is a lot of boxes!   We have actually looked around our house and decided we will order 15large, and 20small plus 2 'wardrobe hanger' boxes (so we can be lazy and just move our hanging stuff without unhangering it :)   Hubby is actually thinking that may be slightly too many even, but I think better to have too many than not enough! 

I was just in my bedroom (air conditioning ftw) relaxing and looking around at what needs to be packed in there.. There's my jewelry & perfumy stuff, which will go in a reuseable shopping bag and go over in the car; the contents of the night stand drawers and the altar bits on my dresser.. those can go into a small box; the top of my closet has my massive collection of craft mags & supplies... LARGE box there, except the giant bag of polyfill stuffing, which will be it's own packaging :P, hanging clothes = wardrobe boxes; folded clothes not in drawers = large box; clothes folded in drawers = will ride in the drawers.  I'm not 'packing' anything that doesn't really require it I guess.   So that's maybe... 4 boxes (2lg, 1 wardrobe, 1small)  I suspect most of the rooms in our house will be 3-5 boxes (even the kitchen) ..not counting the bathroom that's 6 rooms or at most 30boxes, WAY below the box hire guys estimates!

We live a pretty simple life but I guess it never ocurred to me HOW different my mindset is compared to the average Aussie.  I have NO need to fill my space with 'crap' just for the sake of having it filled.  Hell, it's a million times easier to clean WITHOUT all that stuff!  Granted there ARE a few things I'd really love... an expedit bookcase from Ikea (for our homeschool stuff) and a few items to use for storage in the kids bedrooms.   But I have no interest in the very latest household gadget that does one thing only.. even if it DOES do it very well ;)     I can't imagine how much money people spend on that kind of stuff!   

And know what?  I'm going to declutter more stuff before we go even, so HA! take that consumerist society! ;)