The Gold Project yes, if you can’t remember who an item belonged to, why do you keep it? If you can’t remember, chances are it’s probably not worth it, right?
I just went through this last month after a 75 gallon hot water heater and pipe burst above my apartment and flooded my entire apartment. It was by far the most upsetting, emotional and freeing thing I’ve ever done. I had to go through everything from clothes, papers, memorabilia, makeup and other trinkets from age 18-37. I turned 37 two days after the flood! A month later, I come home every night and my apartment is organized and clutter free. Sending everyone hugs as this kind of de clutter takes so much out of you. Be kind to yourselves and reach out if you need a virtual hug! xo
What a worthwhile project! Love your reasoning behind each decision! Doing it while you are your age so your kids don’t have to is such a valuable decision 💕
My Sister and I cleaned out our Parents/Family home 50 years worth. That was soo hard because there was our stuff that they kept for us, their stuff, both sets of Grandparents stuff. Marine, Nursing Books, reports they had typed or written while in college, old contractor tools (some antique tools), tons of crafts kits, love letters, furniture, photos, file boxes from each year for taxes including receipts, utilities, etc. , library of books, music cds, vcr tapes, some furniture , collectibles etc etc. We divided much of this stuff and donated a small portion., I'm still having a hard time letting this stuff go. It's all sentimental because they all are passed away.
Give your self time to process all the sentimental things, and to put something together for your children and their children. It can take years to get there.
OMG! we have tubs from each of our childhoods, my husband's grandparents, husband's parent's, AND 4 kids. We have needed a video like this for a long time!
Just found this video today and noticed that I had the exact same polar bear growing up that you had. I hadn’t thought of him in ages, but I recognized him at once!
Thank you for doing this; we are about to get our memory tubs from the basement. I have memory tubs from the 60s, 70s, 80s and High school. We are moving in the Spring and I don't want to move this stuff again. I think I'll take photos of my oldest stuff and let it go; it's really in yucky condition by now.
Kristin, thank you for sharing your process from start to finish! I love those gorgeous cheer outfits. They just don’t make them that gorgeous anymore!
Breakdown the Willow Tree boxes, neatly and band them together. I did that with my collection boxes. Makes a HUGE difference in space. They will still look like new, when you sell the collection. Thanks for tips!
Hi! I just stumbled across this video which I found to be extremely helpful, as I am a VERY sentimental person and have saved just about everything I had access to! I sometimes thought that perhaps I needed a therapist to confirm that I hoarded items from my children's lives because I missed out on that with my parents when I was growing up. same with photos- grew up in the 60's, I was the youngest and I believe a blessing and "ooops" baby combined! Other than a few baby photos of myself and a baby book (which unfortunately was stolen by a mean kid) my parents just didn't save momentos from my very early years, i.e., first piece of artwork, first handwriting, handprint molds, etc. So when my daughter was born (now 20 years old), I SAVED EVERYTHING! And I'm sure this stems from really missing the feelings of what it's like to see this momentos from my own childhood- almost as if it were "proof" of my identity. Very deep subject, I know..... but is very telling as to why I hoard my children's belongings. What really stuck out for me in your video was when you pointed out that ribbons and awards didn't really mean anything to you! For me, being of a different generation, awards were not given as freely as I believe they are today. When I asked my daughter if she wanted to keep the numerous awards from her Equestrian days, Volleyball career, academic awards, etc., she said, "eh, no". So I KNOW that I'm basically living vicariously through her good fortune of having these awarded opportunities. They mean more to me than they do to her.... not sure how to process that. Anyway, thank you so much for sharing this video- it helps put things into better perspective.
Ive been going through my sentimental clutter as well. I will say if it's special, like the clown for example, do the item justice and leave it out somewhere in your home instead of in a tote or let the next generation love it too because you cannot take it with you after you are gone. I also started taking photos of items i love such as letters, stuffed animals, yearbook photos etc because if it gets damaged in a fire, tornado, flood then you at least have a photo to look back on. And sometimes a photo is all you need and you can part with some special items
I did keep a few clothes when my son was a baby and his children have actually worn some of them. Even a few of the shirts when he was 4 or 5. I'm so sentimental!!
You know your so correct when you said you have to be ready to get rid of things. I kept so many things just cause. My husband asked me why and I said cause but since then I have been able to move forward and keep or get rid of. Now I feel I’m ready again to go through this stuff it’s more of my daughters things, I went throw terrible thing with here and keeping these items seemed like a good idea at the time. But now 20 yrs on not so much . It’s time and thank you for bringing this to the forefront of my mind and telling me it’s ok to go through things and get rid of emotional clutter. I thank you . Maybe you can scan your paper items so they don’t fade and you don’t get silverfish in your house. I’m really interested in your upcoming declutter videos
I did this a few years ago and I took pictures of a few things I tossed for remembrance. It is a lot easier to store the photo on a hard drive than keeping the item itself. I have to say, Some of those things wasn't easy to toss but I haven't missed them at all. For the paper...some insects like to dine on paper. Best to place them in protective plastic bags then into the containers. Those large ziploc's will be good for the yearbooks. Place a net bag with bay leaves and cedar blocks in the containers with clothes, stuffies to keep any insects from invading. You did a great job and I know how hard it can be. Some things I will never get rid of and our son will just have to pull them from my cold dead hands. haha!
I always love rewatching your past videos as I’m doing the same tasks. I’ve saved a ton of clothes for my kids clothes quilt. I really liked the part where you said you were going to let them pick what they wanted to put in their blanket! I feel like my kids are at the age now where if I let them do that it would get paired down even more as well as making it more special and specific to stuff that they want rather than mine and my husbands memories for them.
I have that Oscar the Grouch trash can at my mom's house. It still barely works. I don't remember playing with it as a kid but I do remember my kids playing with it. I love this video and will probably need to watch it again when I am ready to dive in to my emotional clutter.
I always have problems when I come to those things that have sentimental attachments. I found that the important things have more meaning if they don't have to share the same space with things that aren't as meaningful.
I struggle with keeping too many memory items as well, even those bad ones... Than you for the video. This has been on my to-do list for a very long time. I may not get to it until the 1st of the year, but I am going to bookmark your video and rewatch when needed. I have a cedar chest full along with a HUGE crate (larger than my cedar chest) and many, many plastic tubs! It is ridiculous!
Thank you so much. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of my attic decluttering. I need to share all of the extra storage containers I have. It is ridiculous.
Such a great video...thank you so much for sharing, I have memory buckets for my kiddos too, you’ve inspired me to make one for me and my husband, our items are all over the place 😊💕
For the clothes and stuff animals you keep get the bags that shrink the ones you use your vacuum with to get out all the air and make them little and you dont need a big tub cause they are dirt and water proof
I moved a lot during my childhood up until high school (on average I moved once every 2.5 years). So I was never really given time to become attached to most items as almost everything I had during that time was sold or donated in between moves. But I still kept a handful of mementos from that time.
We have to remember that the items are not the people we associate with them. The beautiful memory of your loved one is forever in your heart and no one will take it. Be well! 💙🌈💙
Okay, so I'm WAY behind and I'm going playing "catch-up" even though I'm STILL, but probably never will be "emotionally ready".... I've been a hoarder of paper my ENTIRE life.. my dad was... he left my twin boys a massive scrapbook of his life growing up in the 50s and he died when my twins were 5 so no brainer.. on the shelf, check/check... but I have kept every note sent home from pre-school forward.. every piece of artwork.. my twins came in the top 15 in our state their sophomore year of high school so they have a LOT of awards... here's my question and I KNOW it's not even something that you even want to imagine.. but I SERIOUSLY need help!! At the beginning of their Jr. year of high school on their way to school an 18-wheeler hit them and killed one of my twins. Now we are 4 years in... his brother was passenger, but the emotional was his only real injury... he's continued to do amazing and came in 1st in our state by his Sr. Year of high school... what would you tell your future self if you had not decluttered ANYTHING and you were getting to the point of being a camera crew away from an episode of hoarders because of the paper clutter when you've got all of these things from your baby that is no longer here so whatever you have from that child is all you'll ever have? His twin brother is now a Jr. in college and as you said in this video men in general are not as sentimental, BUT he's now my only child!?! (I'm an only child too so there are not other family members to things about in this equation. (Saturday will be the 4th year anniversary 9/19/16 RIP Jordan Matthew Thompson
I had to get rid of a coffee table which I associated with memories from my childhood. It was a big, ugly thing with mirrors that looked like they were port holes on a boat. I took a bunch of pictures of it and found that the photos did a good job of bringing back memories.
Mom of adult kids that recently went through my my deceased mom's collections and clutter. We kept items that had special memories for my mother, meaning that she wrote a note telling the story of the item. If an item didn't have a note, then we tended to donate or pitch. Your family member is not their stuff; it's perhaps the lessons, stories and values they passed on to you. How would they like to be remembered? One item from great grandma may be more meaningful than a box of items you are asked to drag around forever.
What have you done with old school pics from your kids? It feels evil to toss them, but do we really need 60 wallets, 20 8x10, etc school pics for 12 years for each 4 kids?
