Before Pinterest....

Before pinterest started, I would keep a big accordian file for my project ideas.   I spent a lot of time cutting out ideas or printing them up, collecting them, organizing them, looking through them every so often to see if something catches my fancy (rarely does that happen).  Everything from magazine tearouts, to those free store idea pamphlets, to print-ups from the internet.  I kept everything I thought would be inspiration for the future.  Well, I hadn't looked at it for quite awhile and decided to go through it - man, oh, man.  Why?   I think about all the paper and ink I wasted... (and time!)
These were some of the categories in my inspiration folder:  Collecting, Holiday, Crosstitch, Sewing, Kid's Crafts, Birthday Party Ideas, Wreaths and it goes on......  14 categories. 

I've been able to get rid of many of the "ideas" pretty easily.  There were print-ups for ABC 'flashcards' for my kids - which would be nice, except I haven't used them for the first 2 kids, so why would I use it for the next (plus, I already have some ABC flashcards). 
And all of the sewing patterns - when I've already decided that I will not be a sewer. 
And others, I ponder and think about doing the craft. 

I've stated before that I like to read the Minimalist Mom.  She has a great post about pinterest and uses a quote:  comparison is the thief of joy.

Ain't that the truth?
I have pages of Valentine ideas, yet, I prefer to go to a big box store the day after Valentine's and buy the kid's Valentines at clearance prices for the next year.  I am just as good as a mom for handing out pre-packaged valentine's as the mom who makes them all by hand. 
I think it needs to go.... all of it. 
To allow freedom to do things, instead of just reading about more ideas.

And this led me to my Family Fun magazines from my 2012 subscription. I've saved them all.
Luckily, this coincided with my daughter needing some magazines for a Girl Scout project to make a collage. I gave up 2 of them yesterday and since then, I started thinking. Really, why do I need all these others? Most of the ideas are on their website and I'd probably look online for kid's ideas anyhow. So, out with the Family Fun magazines...

  
 I feel like my mother! I keep teasing her because she used to keep all of her Better Homes & Garden magazines from years past and has only recently been going through them all and getting rid of them. (She was reading magazines from the '80s and '90s in 2010!) I know she enjoys doing that but I vowed that's not for me.  It feels like a chore, going through old magazinges - and who needs to look at outdated magazines from years ago when there are plenty to look at from today?

And when there's more to do today!

It is very freeing to get rid of excessive inspiration, almost as freeing as getting rid of stuff.