Too much stuff?

It's been a while since I last wrote in my blog. Holidays and everyday life are two reasons for my absence. Another very good reason is that I have too much stuff. And by stuff, I mean, assorted materials and books that I consult in order to plan my lessons. My stuff is in almost every room of the house. It's in my bathroom,

There's plenty on my nightstand,

and here's my pile on the kitchen table. We won't even go into the living room or the office. 

       Part of the reason for these piles)some more neatly put away) is that in the fifteen years that I have been teaching, I have made plenty of purchases because I'm always looking for new ideas to keeps teaching fresh and exciting (sometimes more exciting for me than my students but these days, it takes a lot to impress them). I'll admit I have a little bit of a problem- and no it's not hoarding- I just need to be in the know. I need to be current. I need to find ways to reinvent the wheel. I need to be a better teacher. And how can I do all this?Stuff. Books. DVDs. Study guides. Stickers. Games. You know-- stuff.

    Recently, I was fortunate enough to receive a grant from IACE (The Italian 

American Committee on Education).i filled out the necessary information and placed an order with a favorite vendor of mine and voilà! Three large boxes filled with books, DVDs, games, etc. arrived at school. $5000 worth of stuff. I opened the boxes like I'd just won the lottery. 

   And then I brought some stuff home because now I have to review, read, and plan. My piles have grown like Big Anthony's magic pasta pot in Strega Nona. I'm finding myself overwhelmed. Is it possible to have too much stuff? When should I stop amassing materials? I still have at least another fifteen years to go. 

  I'm curious to know what my fellow teachers do. How do you regulate your stuff? When is enough enough? How do you find time to evaluate all your materials? I do a lot in the summer but I also do a little here and there (as you can tell from my photos) but I'm still overwhelmed. Ideas? Strategies? Aiuto! Help!