Just to comment on the overconsumption part of the conversation: If you have too much stuff and don’t want to/can’t donate the excess, try Craigslist or eBay to sell it, or just alter it into something you like.  I bought a TON of themed stuff when I first started scrapbooking and even though I’ve done a purge, I still have way more than I need. Also, I have a hard time saying “no” when others generously pass on their supplies (and crafty guilt!) to me.

Ink and paint are my friends. 

Sarah D-G

I’ve never had a scrap room full of supplies, but I’ve still found it easy to collect supplies.  I am more careful with my spending now that I *try* to stick to a monthly budget.  I track my spending and share it on my blog.  I guess these are “haul” photos.  It is good to review my purchases at the end of the month and make sure that I am using the items.  Even if you don’t want to make it public, tracking anything (spending, calories, exercise, etc) can be very effective if you are honest.    To be honest, I went over my budget for March, but I have been using what I purchased.  
Purging became a necessity for me as we prepared to move to a smaller place.  I have found satisfaction from selling or giving away stuff when I know it will be used.  I sold some stamps at a garage sale before we moved.  The gentleman purchasing them told me that he planned to give them to his granddaughter for Christmas.  She is twelve and loves to stamp :)  I have donated supplies to groups that make Life Books for foster youth, to the YWCA and to other crafters who have lost their supplies in a tornado or fire.  I know that I will continue to want to buy some new products and need to move on older products.  It keeps my creativity flowing.  

Fast forward 10 years and I am remarried and she is counting down the days until she gets her licencse. And I am counting down the days when one of the things I enjoyed so much, taking her to school and picking her up, will only be a memory. Soon she will be driving herself to school. And that daily routine of driving through the drop off line and watching her enter the school doors, will no longer be a priviledge but only a faded memory.

So I have 5 weeks to take that picture. The picture of her in the passenger seat and touching up her makeup. The picture of her walking into the school doors with her backpack and the picture of her coming out at the end of they day. The last one is the most special. It is on the way home that we go class by class through her whole day. I am going to miss those days…..5 weeks left. (sigh)

I guess it’s the same concept as putting a camera in their hands- put a journal or scrapbook in their hands! I don’t think it matters if you get to see it right then. You are teaching them that their lives and experiences are important and I think they will start telling their story or at least letting you in on it a bit more.

Now off to hug my little babies- I kind of dread the day they hide from the camera!

And my sister has things shipped to different locations. Her husband use to travel alot and she worked at a university so she had her packages sent to the University and would bring them home when he was travelling. They both retired about two years ago and she had to find a new strategy. So she has things shipped to friends and family and picks them up when he is out.

I also agree with whomever mentioned in the podcast that I feel like I’m making smarter purchases because there is so much info about products broadcasted all over the internet.  No more am I buying things wondering how it works or the quality or if its actually what I’m looking for.  Obviously it is all geared towards advertising, and it sometimes steers me away from product, but I’m making more informed choices. 

I’ve heard a lot of people mentioning that they are purging their product.  While I have considered it, I ultimately decided to instead use the things that aren’t my favorite anymore and either make cards for Operation Write Home or other organizations, put them in my “kid” box (the box of goodies I let the kids in my life use when they come over and want to work on their scrapbooks instead of buying new-they think its great!), and I try to “shop” at home before shopping elsewhere for product I want. 

Lastly, although I’m not a digital scrapper, I definitely feel like I consume less in regards to paper photographs.  Sure, I take many more photos than I did when I used film, but I can also pick and choose which images are best.  I only print the exact photos that I intend to scrap and/or hang on the wall or gift to someone.  Long gone are the days of taking 25-27 photos on the roll and crossing your fingers when you open the package of exposures, hoping for a few that “turned out” the way you wanted.  In fact, the people that I know that don’t scrapbook don’t even print any photos anymore due to the popularity of sharing photos via social media. 

I know this hobby will never be “green” but these are just a few of the ways I’m trying to become more aware.  (Trust me, I still have a lot of “Ana” in me and I’m a very happy enjoying my “stuff”, but I would love some more tips on the subject!)

Totes excited about this weeks roundtable now. You guys definitely make my 2 hour daily commute to and from law school a lot more enjoyable! 

Added bonus? I don’t fall asleep at the wheel anymore. Look at you guys educating scrapbookers and saving lives all at the same time!

But as to the topic of hiding things, I would never do that, nor would he hide a purchase from me. I have never gotten that practice either.