A bear in the bathroom...

Have you ever had an item in your life which has gone from the 1) I love this! So cute! to the 2) hmm is this getting dated stages but you still want to keep it? I have that from time to time. I start to question, is this clutter? but like the thing and want to keep it, but...but...

Here's my item in question:

Bear was sent to me as a get well card in September 2010 after a very nasty fall down some stairs (Note: avoid checking email on iPhone when walking through dark lobby with dark granite steps albeit in lovely green.) My fall was traumatizing (ok so stunningly painful I thought "it can't be broken because then I'd feel something and this hurts so much I can't feel my leg!!") with almost broken bones and more than almost knee injuries, halting my marathon running in mid-stride (darn! bummer! just 3 days after a hilly 10k on Bowen Island to celebrate my 51st!)

The bear card was a warm and fuzzy reminder of my real teddy bear that helped me get through trauma at age 30 (a blog post for another day.) So I loved that card. It caught my breath when I opened it and I felt like I'd just taken a visual hit of Rescue Remedy, immediately feeling soothed. Thank you Janice at www.sendacardeverytime.com for your timely, perfect card.

But then it was January... February, and my clutter radar was beeping.

Now, clutter isn't clutter anymore if we can re-purpose it. On a trip to my medicine cabinet to get a bandaid, my organizer light bulb went off and I knew Bear was staying. His place was going to be with my few first aid items, as my personal Dr. Bear. Voila! From clutter to happy moments. He now gives me a hit whenever I open the cabinet, and as needed, my booboo's are pleasantly eased with his cute presence.

Here's his home now with before and afters. Fitting him in gave me the opportunity for a quick de-cluttering session in another corner. So he stays but actually there were a few items in the cabinet that had to go.

How about you? Do you have any items you think might be clutter but you'd like to re-pupose? Maybe I can help. That's what I do at Goodbye Clutter: I make room for what matters.