I admit it I used to love IKEA. Today I discovered that the love affair had ended. I loved IKEA partly because I was an exchange student in Sweden my Junior year of high school. Going to IKEA brought back fond memories of words, tastes, smells and stuff. Stuff like cute little straw Christmas decorations and the hjãrtas (hearts) that are everywhere in Sweden and IKEA.

Then I was enamored with all the inexpensive cool stuff. $1.99 candles and 100 big fluffy paper napkins for $1.99 and the list goes on.

As I ran through two acres of products today to pick up one bag of $2.99 door knobs for my father, I became increasingly sad. I kept on picking up paper products made in China with nothing denoting whether it had recycled content or not. Candles that are petroleum based. Plastic that I kept on thinking are we really better off to have plastic buckets to organize our overwhelming amount of stuff we don't need, instead of passing along, recycling or repurposing that stuff?

I will admit. I am a pack rat! So do I really need anything? The answer is obvious. I don't need anything else. Well, maybe some new unmentionables and Swedish meatballs but otherwise, I don't need plastic organizers, cute kitchen things, something that will help my desk, or anything like that what I need is more discipline in sorting stuff and getting rid of it. Did I miss the discipline aisle?

I think one of the evolutions that has happened to me as I walk my own personal green journey is I constantly ask when I purchase "do I need this"? Most of the time it's no. Sometimes I do need a little shopping therapy which is a huge confession since I really do hate to shop and have so my entire life. So maybe, I was further along than I thought but still there is some discipline in shopping that should now transfer into getting rid of stuff. If I am now disciplined to ask myself if I need it then I should be able to look at stuff at home and say do I want it? And if the answer is no, then I should donate it somewhere. There are plenty of people hurting right now and would love something gently used or yes, maybe never even used. There are plenty of good places to donate it.

So if you are like me and have nightmares of ending up on reality TV show because of the overwhelming amount of stuff you have, then I encourage you to walk beside me with these two new tools for consumption. Do I need it? Do I want it? I am feeling better already and I didn't buy a single thing! But I still will enjoy going to IKEA to just look.

PS - If IKEA is not your shopping addiction, insert your favorite big box word in place of IKEA.