Where does all the stuff come from?

This is a frustrated entry. I only have little pockets of free time to get things done around the house. I feel as if I'm constantly going through things, throwing out, reorganizing and trying to make less of clutter. However, I do not feel I am making progress. One problem is that I'm given a lot as gifts. I'm very lucky because of this, but I am essentially someone who does not like things, so I find it ironic that I receive a lot of gifts. Many are for my children.

My children decided to remove everything from my built in bench. Instead of becoming angry, I took this as an opportunity and threw most of it away. It was old magazines, paper, etc. Why was I keeping it?

After I purged, this is what my bench looked like

 Here is a longer shot of the bench.

Here is one view of my dining room.

  
And here is the other side.

It just felt great to get rid of all that junk, and my dining room felt more serene.