When my Grandma was passing away and we (myself and my parents) were staying with her older sister Louise who would fix dinner for us. She would use the dishes she used every single day. My father said to her that they were antiques and should be put up so they wouldn't get broke. Her answer made me rethink about things in my house that we now use every day. My great Aunt Louise said: "I've used these dishes every day of my life. Why would I want to put them up on the shelf where they will just collect dust and not be worth anything. If I put them up on the shelf I might as well put myself up on the shelf and if I did that we (her and the dishes) would be no good to anybody."
I have on my desk a story of a lady who was helping her brother in law go thru his wifes, her sisters, stuff after the wife passed away...he was talking about all the stuff she hadn't used because she was keeping it for " one day" special...he told her to use the good stuff every day because every day is special...it is so true...
I'm 73 years old. I'm the keeper of family items that are 120 years old and older. I'm aware that none of our three children will want to continue to keep these items (all small and fit on a china cabinet shelf). My solution has been to photograph each item and write a narrative of who it belonged to and their relationship to the rest of the family. I'm in that process now and when done I'll sent the file to a self-publishing book company and order one for each of our children and grandchildren. I have a photograph of the fife an ancestor carried during the American Revolutionary War. I've learned that I don't need the actual item to appreciate the importance and family connection.
I have been married for 47 years and three grown sons. You have been such an inspiration to help simplify our lives. I have donated at least 60 percent of our things and thrown away 10 percent. We can breath now. Thanks.
@@staceyw2599 Two words, Pawn Shop. They will buy the jewelry, you will have some extra fun money, and you won't even miss what you aren't wearing anyway.
@@staceyw2599 oooooorrrr...if it has sentimental value and you have some money you can put into it, you can have the piece converted into customized jewelry. And you would always remember your great aunt because the gold and diamonds in your earrings came from that monstrosity of a ring she gave you.
Natalie, I found you thru this awesome January collab. You've got a new subscriber here--yay!! 👏😁 What a great way to see so many viewponts and ways to simplify our lives all in one place! Catch ya on your next video. 👋😊
I loved that the lady I cleaned for made me a delicious lunch and served it on her Haviland China, she said why not make everyday fancy. I love antiques and reusing is my heart.
We’ve been using the same set of bowls every day that my grandparents used every day. They are now considered expensive collectibles, but I preferred to use them so my family has that memory attachment as well. Each time a grown child leaves home, I give them one of the bowls. They have loved having something they used in their childhood that was also used by their great grandparents
"If no one ever sees it, it will cause us to never tell the story of it." I like that. That's the mindset we're trying to have as we decorate our new house with souvenirs from our travels overseas. I was tempted to put all of our paintings in the office because the color of the frame didn't match the color scheme of the décor I was planning for our main living spaces, but I let my husband take the reigns and he came up with a very pleasing arrangement on our dining room wall.
I agree 100% on the ‘use it or lose it’. I kept a china set my dad gave me at graduation in storage. Never used it, so when I needed new dinnerware I pulled it out and use it for every day use now. He has been gone for 27 years now and I think of him every time I use a dish. A much better use.
Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this collaboration, Dawn. It has been transformative! There is something powerful about all of our communities coming together to collectively improve our lives. Thank you for hosting this. Love, Jennifer xx
I have loved this collaboration series because: 1. It gives me something to look forward to each week. 2. I’m meeting new creators. 3. Motivation! What a fantastic idea! Great Job!
I love that you use the word 'inventory' for the items in your home. I usually think of my things as 'belongings' and maybe that's why I struggle to declutter so many of them. So........ from here on in I'll use 'inventory' and start decluttering it today! Thank you Dawn yet again for your great ideas and inspiration.
I especially love that you all have teamed up to support each other and their channels. It's so nice to see good people doing good things when sometimes it's hard to see the good that's going on in the world right now. ♥️♥️
This collection of TH-camrs all working together to help everyone has been a huge help to me! I'm grateful for all of the people who have contributed their time and energy to be a part of this for those of us that need all the help we can get!! 😊
Yes, Yes, Yes! I have been loving this series and have found a few new creators that I have subscribed to. Future topic: decluttering tools and making a good, basic toolbox for home use whether you are single or married.
I love that too! It really helped my husband too. I just talked to him today about the cost of managing it in that we get a dumpster every year. Managing too much inventory is expensive!
@@Chicken_Mama_85 You are so right. I have a friend who's had a storage unit I believe for 10 or 15 years. She doesn't even know what's in there. But she pays for it month after month after month.
I loved this series. Sometimes hearing it a different way definitely helps. Thank you for this. Your program and this series have made all the difference to me.
The use it or lose it portion really hit home with me. I’ve kept too many sentimental or inherited things tucked away in storage to keep special/safe. My children don’t have the same warm fuzzies because they haven’t attached the same memories. Thanks for the reality check Dawn!! Going to unbox some things this week and enjoy them
My mother made quilts and they are large to store. When she passed this year we had cousins on my mom's side that did not get one of her quilts. My sister and I went thru those quilts and was able to pass along a quilt to each of our cousins. I was inspired by your idea to honor these items and how many of her quilts can I have on my bed? Knowing I was able to pass along one of her quilts to her nieces made us both happy and we are not storing them but they are being honored and used. I am learning so much about why we hang on to things and that they are of no value if we do not use them. Thanks for sharing.
I've been going through, just reading comments and stuff, and had to stop and say how much I loved yours. Such a great way to share memories of your mom!
Hi Dawn, I didn’t delve into the collaboration for 2 reasons, I don’t feel the need for help to declutter (at present) I feel like I’m at a good place. The other reason is I’m Decluttering my time on ‘media,’ having said that I think it is a great idea for all you you tubers to help promote each other and introduce, extra ideas, views and circumstances. I kept memory boxes for my children, when they moved into their forever homes, I gave them to them. 😄 My mum gave me a hand embroidered tea cosy that my granauntie made for my Grandmother. As it covered the whole teapot, the handle got hot so I wasn’t using it. Then I decided to take it apart and I framed it, one for me and one for my mum. We see it everyday, it is beautiful, a work of art. It takes up little space and is a reminder of a wonderful lady who died at 92, the last of her generation as she was 17 years younger than her oldest sibling. ❤️ I’m continuing to follow you for upkeep, entertainment and your DIY’s. 😁
I think I relate to you so well...i, too, use whatever I have around the house, to include boxes, for my organizing, and I didn't realize their was a thing called "shop your house"... that's basically what I do every time I need something.
Your memory bin idea has been one of my favourite TH-cam finds. I am a mom of 6 and having that limited space for each child is a game changer. I have a file folder box with a hanging folder for each year of their lives for paper stuff for each child and a memory tote like yours for their non paper things. It is so fun to pull that tote off the shelf on their birthdays and relive those memories!!
Your message came at a great time for me. I have my paternal grandfather's degree (1925). I never met the man, it's sat in a box on top of my wardrobe for 20+ years. Yesterday I posted it to a paternal cousin, who carries the surname, who has sons as well.
I've had my memory bin for four years and I love it! I went through it several times to get rid of more and that is also fun because it's cleared my mind and made me realize what I really want to keep and take into my future with me. Thanks for your great work, Dawn!
I love your advice to honor the memory of our loved ones by actually using their belongings. I used to feel the need to preserve them and store them safely away as well. So basically, storing away memories of them altogether. Let's not 'SAVE' the fancy things for 'SPECIAL OCCASIONS'! Today can be that day. Let's create memories NOW instead of just reminiscing! Dawn, I have loved this series! You have introduced me to so many amazing new TH-cam channels and I am so grateful to you. I really appreciate all the coordination and collaboration this has entailed and I would absolutely love it if you would do this again in the future. I am currently loving "Take Your House Back". I adore seeing you with Cas and Dana. You are my three favorites!! I have learned SO, SO much from each of you. You are so wise, so honest, and have such a great sense of humor. Thank you for creating the course. It's been invaluable.
Both of my grandmothers had small glass dessert dishes. I was lucky enough to get them from both. I had them stored away and realized I should be using them. We use them every day now, and every time I pull one out of the cupboard I am reminded of them. I broke one a couple of weeks ago and my heart broke a little ( I am a super sentimental "saver"), but I resisted the urge to put them back in storage and just promised myself to be more careful. I love the "use it or lose it" philosophy. With baby steps, I am working towards a less cluttered life and your videos and the message you share are so inspirational. Thank you. ❤️
I also try to use things that are meaningful to decorate my bookshelves instead of buying random things from Homegoods. I have a baseball displayed from the last time my sons played catch in the backyard before my oldest moved out for college. I also collect a few rocks from vacations and put them in small glass containers with labels about the trip instead of buying souvenirs. We also use my grandmothers everyday dishes daily. Those little touches tell the story of your family. I’ve loved this series because you always have great information and I’ve found some new TH-cam accounts to follow!!
Love the sentiment in this. I have a quilt that was passed on, my grandma had stored it from a previous generation, so it has been boxed up for so long. I would like to display it even if it means it gets more exposure.
I so agree with you. We need to use our special things. Every day is special. I love using things that belonged to family and friends who are no longer here rather than just keeping them in a box or cupboard. I risk things getting broken or worn out but I remember and think about the person and enjoy the memories.
Yes to more of these decluttering collaborations, maybe 2 times a year or quarterly. I would love that, I’m not going to have anything left but that’s okay with me.
My grandma gave me a beautiful Bavarian plate and bowl that I’d always admired but she made me promise to use them! I do and I’m glad she made me promise!
I love this series and would love more! I’m just getting started purging and find your ideas EXTREMELY helpful in letting go. I’m 55, single again and resetting my life for myself ♥️
Sentimental brings me to a dead stop. Not anymore! I have learn so much from you Dawn. My mom and dad passed away last year and it makes you think differently about everything. I now have an antique framed pic. on my wall my dad gave me many years ago. I have comforters I wouldn't use. I now use and think about my precious mom every time. Love your channel and you and your entire family. You all are a big blessing in my life. Thank you.
I have really loved this series! I love all the different perspectives the ladies have provided and would really appreciate another series at some point. Thank you, Dawn!!
I agree! Use it or lose it. I had a teacup collection for many years on the condition that we actually used them. I have a quilt from the 1970s that was made from my childhood clothing. Not only do we use it - we use it outside on the deck when we are chilly! Now when I see that quilt, it makes me think of fresh air and sunshine. :)
Yes Dawn, please keep this type of collaboration going as this January has been so productive! I love all the different personalities, views, tips, and tricks!
I think this collaboration was a super idea. There are so many ways do do this decluttering journey and no one path suits every person. It was such a good idea for all you kind ladies to show us all your different ways so that we are sure to find a way that suits us.
Dawn....I am a fairly new subscriber. I think you are just the sweetest person. Sometimes if I'm having a down day....I just watch your videos and immediately feel better.😊
I love this series!!! and yes definitely do again ❤️ especially when the seasons change , things in our homes are different! I am excited for spring to come and Easter 😊
Completely agree! I’ve found my ability to manage inventory was a huge part of my household management stress. And after I decluttered last year we had some basement flooding. Boy am I glad I’d paired everything down to a more manageable amount because as we we were moving everything out of the way of the water, it was able to fit in other spaces reasonably well. Thanks for all your great advice! I’ve found it so helpful!!
I loved this series so much! It not only inspired and motivated me to declutter and organize, but I also found some really great TH-camrs in the meantime!
You are right! When you said you feel like a loser when you have a ton of clutter- true! I have felt my self esteem improve the more I have decluttered. I've been in a bit of a holding pattern with my decluttering, but I'm ready for the next layer!
I'm from the Philippines and I love this series so much! This series is a great motivation and an eye opening for me to be much better and to manage my time for my family.
I'm with you on using things. When things have broken or fallen apart it is not life changing, and will not cause you to forget somebody. Sometimes I've had something hanging around that just makes me feel sad when I look at it, or use it. I finally figured it was better to pass that item on. Great video 😊.
This helps me thinking about items I need to go thru again and see what I can declutter! Thanks Dawn! I have enjoyed this declutter January with the other TH-cam ladies!
BEST video on the Internet!!! Our family is battling cluttered storage space due to hanging on to too much sentimental stuff...your videos help me keep chipping away at it...please pray my MR gets on board with a more minimal way of life, too. ❤️
Dawn, I love your channel. Someone once said if something breaks that is instead of harm coming to a loved one. Keep using things and enjoy your everyday life.
You have inspired me! I went through my kitchen and got rid of a box full of stuff, filled my bathroom trash with old cosmetics I never used, went through my closet and got rid of all the clothes I didn't feel good in (and then replaced some with some from my local thrift store 🙌 I feel GOOD in my clothes now!) And yesterday I went through my attic and emptied several totes and boxes! Thank you for your encouragement, I love watching your videos!!
Yes, loved it!!! It was super Inspirational to have a weekly focus and so many targeted videos to motivate me! Please do this again! And I found some awesome new ladies to follow too 🥰
I watch one of your videos every morning to keep myself motivated toward my goal, managing less stuff. I just want to say this is my favorite video! I struggled immensely with sentimental items and my husband struggles with, but I could use it some day. The way you phrased what you would rather do with your time and how much you want to manage in this video really resinated with me. Thank you so much!
Thank you clutter free January was a fab idea💡 Decluttering has become a kind of hobby for me, so I thoroughly enjoyed it and found lots of new You Tubers to watch & inspire me. I didn't even realise how much paper clutter I had hidden away, even in the attic. 3 bags of shredding later I now have 1 small box of exactly what I need. 3 years of decluttering & my house still feels full to me but would probably be empty to others. It also gives me a feeling of control in a uncontrollable world, when were in lock down 2.0 here 🇬🇧🏴. Thank you
I have these school books that were my great-grandpas from the late 1800s and I keep them in a storage bin on the top shelf in a closet. This video has inspired me to figure out a way to display them so I can see them and enjoy them! I would have never thought to do anything but protect them away in a bin... until I die I guess was my plan! Thanks for opening my eyes to a new idea for sentimental things!
I have found the series to be sooo helpful in addition to the course! What a great idea this was. I like that I can have the videos continue to play while I keep at it, since usually it takes more than 10 or 15 minutes to get through a space :)
i really love the use it or lose it method! my parents had a mug they brought back from their honeymoon in 1998, and until about two months ago it had sat in the back of our cupboard, never being used. we got rid of a couple other mugs, and finally started using the mug, its actually my favourite now! i also have finally displayed sentimental trinkets on my bookshelf instead of keeping them in a box in a cupboard, so thats great as well!
I love these playlists. I look for them each week now. I like your timing in January... It's a new year, so time to reset and organize/declutter. Also, it January and up north where we are it's a stay indoor time, so a really good time to look inside at all the stuff and declutter. This has been so good! Thank You
I have never had & held on to a lot of stuff even when I was younger and I have found that the older I get, the better I have become at limiting and maintaining “stuff”. I attribute much of this attitude to my mama who always kept our home minimal before it was cool! 😁 She just never allowed stuff to take over & kept our home clean, organized & clutter free. I love to decorate & craft now but I’ve had to be very mindful of the “stuff” I allow myself to buy & keep. It’s nice when I can tell myself “you won’t use that often enough to justify buying it & then you’ll be cleaning it out and giving it to the thrift store”. We moved a year & a half ago after being in our home & raising 2 children there for 21 years so it has been nice to go through & clean out as we settled in in the new home. Life is just better when it’s not drowning in “stuff”.
I have enjoyed the motivation from this series so much. I love getting different perspectives because it helps me find mine. I would love more and I can see myself revisiting them in the future.
I've been a packrat for so many years I never wanted to get rid of any thing sentimental or useful or something that someone could use etc. Thanks to you I'm learning to let go of stuff or if I really want it I should use it. I'm working on it little by little I love that your suggestions are not too extreme and anyone can learn or want to learn how to live free of clutter. Thank you so much 💓
Thank you, Dawn! I’m really loving your course and the clutter-free January ❤️! I enjoy watching your playlists too and have one suggestion- have a few more people that are in different seasons of life or family situations. I’d like to see how empty nesters are dealing with decades of stuff. That’s me!
I get it. The inventory analogy was perfect. Being someone that worked retail for 25 years, I sure to understand inventory! 😊. Thanks for that because sentimental stuff is my nemesis.
So good Dawn. So good. My mom made a baby box for each of her kids the same size as your memory box there. It’s the perfect amount of memory (maybe a little too much in some cases.lol). I’m doing the same for my husband and my kids. Right now their things are scattered around being lost or endangered by weather/bugs/visiting kids/etc. I’m also creating a family tree wall for the main pictures of all the relatives. I’m hoping that will honor those in our heritage and help my be ok with throwing out all the other random pictures that nobody know any info about. We’re in a new house and the walls are bare, which is fine. I’m being intentional with what pictures I put up. Wanting to be minimal but create a warm, homey space as well. You’ve encouraged me to go forward in this. Thank you! PS. I’m wrapped up with the same Aldi blanket that’s lying on your chair behind you. :) So comfortable but neutral.
I have loved this series! I found some new youtubers to watch but also loved the tips from you and others that Ive been watching. This was a fantastic idea 😊👍
When I first saw playlist I thought how nice of you to include music...quickly learned nope, videos! I have watched all of them and looked forward to each week. Not all pertained to my time in life (empty nester) but I learned something from each. The best, #1 thing has been how much it has motivated me to declutter! Thank You Dawn and all the other contributors!
If I have something that has been passed down to me and I know I'm not going to use it , I sell it and then donate the money to a charity that was dear to that person's heart.
Thank you so much for creating these playlists and getting all of the other you tubers together. This has motivated me so much. I have gone through room to room decluttering. I started months ago by only having one place setting per person, I just became tired of trying to keep up with dishes all day! That made such a difference, I wanted to do more. Then somehow I found you and the first playlist decluttering kitchens, I got rid of so much in my kitchen. All my small appliances are now stored in the cabinet, I have a free clear counters! So happy. Thank you 😊 Be blessed!
Oh man, sentimental items were the MOST critical for me. ❤️ (Is there any way I can get in the next round of decluttering collaborations??? Minimalist mom for 5+ years now! ✨🙌✨)
Each time I listen I get more ideas of how to declutter. My home already is already starting to look promising. Thanks Dana for your encouragement. Blessings from California. 💕❤️💕🙋♀️
My Dad passed at the end of 2020 and my Mom passed a few years prior. My sister (my identical twin!!) and I are tasked with cleaning out my parents house. For us that is 59 years of memories and so many sentimental items, and crystal and dishes and so much stuff that my Mom treasured! I just found you last month and am now focused on decluttering my own house! I can't be bringing everything over, just no room. Right now we got a storage space despite the fact our brother wants to throw everything out. This is so hard. I will try to focus on some of these tips.
Sometimes this is your first sweep of the items. Then you go through it again and then again. Maybe the thing you love is something that someone else doesn't like. I was worried my brother would want the same secretary with the eagle feet. Nope he wanted the coffee table I didn't like. Turns out his coffee table is Danish modern. LOL Good luck to you....it is hard.
I kept about 6 small items from my mom when she passed. (no furniture). There was just no time or energy for anything else. She lived in another state. It's been some years now. I still love what I have. They are easily displayed and used, and I honestly don't remember the things I chose not to keep. Don't feel like you have to preserve everything. If your mom was anything like mine, SHE'D be the first to give something away if someone asked for or needed it. Be kind to yourself.
I think your idea of a TH-cam series was great Dawn. I have in no way watched all the videos, but that wasn't the point. I am glad I discovered a few new channels along the way that were really good. Thanks for all the energy & encouragement you give, you are by far the most professional and comprehensive minimalist coach I've seen. 👍🤗
This series has been wonderful for me. I am moving across country the end of February and also down sizing my home. All the ladies tips have really made me look at all my "stuff" with a critical eye. I am now more excited to move into my new home with so much less items to find a place to land. I have packed and moved excess items for nearly 40 years. I am ready for a minimal lifestyle. I have a feeling that when I get there more items will go bye bye.
Nice intro with the basement! So true about the lighting! And the "use it or lose it" is so worth doing! I have 2 sets of china: one from my great aunt when she passed, and one from my husband's great uncle when he passed. I know it sounds excessive, but they are sentimental and beautiful, and I love pretty things. One set is displayed in a china cabinet from my mom's parents, the other is stored in a vintage buffet I found on Marketplace in the same style. They are in our formal dining room (doubling as the virtual school room), and I enjoy using them for holiday meals, and when guests stay with us. My mom told me her mom would always use her china for one special meal during a houseguest's stay, and I thought that was such a good idea, I've adopted it, myself. And I don't know why, but my two boys (10 and 6) have much nicer table manners when we use the china. Maybe they can see how special it is, or something. I also have some white bowls that are the exact same as those ones you have, that look like feathers! So pretty. My grandma gave them to me. If you look closely, they are just white glass, not true milk glass. Milk glass has a kind of translucent quality, like the little dish you showed on your end table. Those feather bowls are totally opaque.
I've spent the past 3 weekends working on our storage room and we have gotten rid of so much stuff. I feel like we still have another weekend worth of stuff to go through but it's so much better and we are car loads lighter!
I really like this series with several blogs discussing the same issue. Lot of different voices really motivates me to accomplish the same topic in my own home. Different women highlighting slightly different approaches and strategies is something I hope you continue to do. It seems like a brilliant way for women to support each other as well. Well done.
I have just recently found your vlog and I enjoy it. I like your level of minimalism. I was always cleaning stuff out of our home that we didn't use or didn't need. I do not enjoy clutter. We lost our home to a fire 2 months ago and lost most of everything. So while I don't have stuff to get rid of, I can be thoughtful about what comes back into our new home. I'm thankful to have found your vlog.
When my Grandma was passing away and we (myself and my parents) were staying with her older sister Louise who would fix dinner for us. She would use the dishes she used every single day. My father said to her that they were antiques and should be put up so they wouldn't get broke. Her answer made me rethink about things in my house that we now use every day. My great Aunt Louise said: "I've used these dishes every day of my life. Why would I want to put them up on the shelf where they will just collect dust and not be worth anything. If I put them up on the shelf I might as well put myself up on the shelf and if I did that we (her and the dishes) would be no good to anybody."
Love her response!
I wish I could like this comment 100 times! 💯
LOVE this!!!
I have on my desk a story of a lady who was helping her brother in law go thru his wifes, her sisters, stuff after the wife passed away...he was talking about all the stuff she hadn't used because she was keeping it for " one day" special...he told her to use the good stuff every day because every day is special...it is so true...
My grandma was the same! I use fancy dishes my friend gave me, silver edging and tea cups with saucers, every day.
I'm 73 years old. I'm the keeper of family items that are 120 years old and older. I'm aware that none of our three children will want to continue to keep these items (all small and fit on a china cabinet shelf). My solution has been to photograph each item and write a narrative of who it belonged to and their relationship to the rest of the family. I'm in that process now and when done I'll sent the file to a self-publishing book company and order one for each of our children and grandchildren. I have a photograph of the fife an ancestor carried during the American Revolutionary War. I've learned that I don't need the actual item to appreciate the importance and family connection.
That is so beautiful. Your children should feel very lucky to have such a thoughtful person to pass on their history.
I love this idea. How creative.
Awesome answer!
Fantastic idea! 🧡
What a wonderful treasure to pass on to your children! Such a great idea!!❤
I have been married for 47 years and three grown sons. You have been such an inspiration to help simplify our lives. I have donated at least 60 percent of our things and thrown away 10 percent. We can breath now. Thanks.
I really like the ‘use it or lose it’ method. It makes sense.
But what if I don’t use it because it’s gaudy ugly (but expensive) jewelry? 🤷🏽♀️. PS. I’m loving this series!! 🤗
@@staceyw2599 Two words, Pawn Shop. They will buy the jewelry, you will have some extra fun money, and you won't even miss what you aren't wearing anyway.
@@staceyw2599 oooooorrrr...if it has sentimental value and you have some money you can put into it, you can have the piece converted into customized jewelry. And you would always remember your great aunt because the gold and diamonds in your earrings came from that monstrosity of a ring she gave you.
*This has been such a fun series to do with you, Dawn! I'm so honored to be in this group of amazing people week after week!*
Natalie your videos are a joy and so inspiring. Thank you 🙏🏻
Natalie, you are a blessing! Thank you for your sweet spirit!
Natalie, I found you thru this awesome January collab. You've got a new subscriber here--yay!! 👏😁 What a great way to see so many viewponts and ways to simplify our lives all in one place! Catch ya on your next video. 👋😊
Natalie, I found you through this series and am so glad that I did.
Same here, so glad I found your channel ;)
I loved that the lady I cleaned for made me a delicious lunch and served it on her Haviland China, she said why not make everyday fancy. I love antiques and reusing is my heart.
We’ve been using the same set of bowls every day that my grandparents used every day. They are now considered expensive collectibles, but I preferred to use them so my family has that memory attachment as well. Each time a grown child leaves home, I give them one of the bowls. They have loved having something they used in their childhood that was also used by their great grandparents
"If no one ever sees it, it will cause us to never tell the story of it." I like that. That's the mindset we're trying to have as we decorate our new house with souvenirs from our travels overseas. I was tempted to put all of our paintings in the office because the color of the frame didn't match the color scheme of the décor I was planning for our main living spaces, but I let my husband take the reigns and he came up with a very pleasing arrangement on our dining room wall.
I agree 100% on the ‘use it or lose it’. I kept a china set my dad gave me at graduation in storage. Never used it, so when I needed new dinnerware I pulled it out and use it for every day use now. He has been gone for 27 years now and I think of him every time I use a dish. A much better use.
Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this collaboration, Dawn. It has been transformative! There is something powerful about all of our communities coming together to collectively improve our lives. Thank you for hosting this. Love, Jennifer xx
I have loved this collaboration series because:
1. It gives me something to look forward to each week.
2. I’m meeting new creators.
3. Motivation!
What a fantastic idea! Great Job!
Yes! Agree! The only comment Dawn is there was so much I couldn’t keep up with all of them (like watching this in Feb.).
I love that you use the word 'inventory' for the items in your home. I usually think of my things as 'belongings' and maybe that's why I struggle to declutter so many of them. So........ from here on in I'll use 'inventory' and start decluttering it today! Thank you Dawn yet again for your great ideas and inspiration.
I’ve really enjoyed this series. I like seeing a variety of decluttering styles in the same playlist.
So true! It's really nice as I'm starting decluttering! There is more than one way to declutter each space. So nice to remember
Yes, same! Especially being a little new to the concept and applying it.
I especially love that you all have teamed up to support each other and their channels. It's so nice to see good people doing good things when sometimes it's hard to see the good that's going on in the world right now. ♥️♥️
This collection of TH-camrs all working together to help everyone has been a huge help to me! I'm grateful for all of the people who have contributed their time and energy to be a part of this for those of us that need all the help we can get!! 😊
Yes, Yes, Yes! I have been loving this series and have found a few new creators that I have subscribed to. Future topic: decluttering tools and making a good, basic toolbox for home use whether you are single or married.
that is such a good idea! My husband will fight me on it tho lol
I loved this series!! Would love one for every month.
Yes, please!
I agree!
Totally!
Y E S
"Inventory that I have to manage" is my daily "Dawn Montra" Whether I'm decluttering, shopping, cleaning, storage, etc. So helpful!
I love that too! It really helped my husband too. I just talked to him today about the cost of managing it in that we get a dumpster every year. Managing too much inventory is expensive!
Ditto, really gave me a completely different but truer perspective of “things”.
@@Chicken_Mama_85 You are so right. I have a friend who's had a storage unit I believe for 10 or 15 years. She doesn't even know what's in there. But she pays for it month after month after month.
Yes! That phrase alone had been a catalyst for me!
I loved this series. Sometimes hearing it a different way definitely helps. Thank you for this. Your program and this series have made all the difference to me.
The use it or lose it portion really hit home with me. I’ve kept too many sentimental or inherited things tucked away in storage to keep special/safe. My children don’t have the same warm fuzzies because they haven’t attached the same memories. Thanks for the reality check Dawn!! Going to unbox some things this week and enjoy them
I don’t have kids but that concept still resonated. 💡
LOVE the series! Do one for Back to School, another for The Holidays, another for Spring Cleaning, another for Moving.
Finances and health workout habits
Yes! Such great ideas. Maybe one on gardening in the spring.
My mother made quilts and they are large to store. When she passed this year we had cousins on my mom's side that did not get one of her quilts. My sister and I went thru those quilts and was able to pass along a quilt to each of our cousins. I was inspired by your idea to honor these items and how many of her quilts can I have on my bed? Knowing I was able to pass along one of her quilts to her nieces made us both happy and we are not storing them but they are being honored and used. I am learning so much about why we hang on to things and that they are of no value if we do not use them. Thanks for sharing.
I've been going through, just reading comments and stuff, and had to stop and say how much I loved yours. Such a great way to share memories of your mom!
Yes! This is great, I struggle with sentimental items. I have boxes and boxes FULL of school paperwork... why do I keep it?? Going to purge NOW...
Hi Dawn,
I didn’t delve into the collaboration for 2 reasons, I don’t feel the need for help to declutter (at present) I feel like I’m at a good place. The other reason is I’m Decluttering my time on ‘media,’ having said that I think it is a great idea for all you you tubers to help promote each other and introduce, extra ideas, views and circumstances.
I kept memory boxes for my children, when they moved into their forever homes, I gave them to them. 😄
My mum gave me a hand embroidered tea cosy that my granauntie made for my Grandmother. As it covered the whole teapot, the handle got hot so I wasn’t using it. Then I decided to take it apart and I framed it, one for me and one for my mum. We see it everyday, it is beautiful, a work of art. It takes up little space and is a reminder of a wonderful lady who died at 92, the last of her generation as she was 17 years younger than her oldest sibling. ❤️
I’m continuing to follow you for upkeep, entertainment and your DIY’s. 😁
Thanks so much inviting me to join in, Dawn! It's been a fantastic month and I've made many new friends! 👋😃💖 Oh, and ditto on your ideas today 🎉😁
I think I relate to you so well...i, too, use whatever I have around the house, to include boxes, for my organizing, and I didn't realize their was a thing called "shop your house"... that's basically what I do every time I need something.
Your memory bin idea has been one of my favourite TH-cam finds. I am a mom of 6 and having that limited space for each child is a game changer. I have a file folder box with a hanging folder for each year of their lives for paper stuff for each child and a memory tote like yours for their non paper things. It is so fun to pull that tote off the shelf on their birthdays and relive those memories!!
This series has been wonderful and I’ve been so excited for the new videos every week! Please do more! 😍
Your message came at a great time for me. I have my paternal grandfather's degree (1925). I never met the man, it's sat in a box on top of my wardrobe for 20+ years. Yesterday I posted it to a paternal cousin, who carries the surname, who has sons as well.
I've had my memory bin for four years and I love it! I went through it several times to get rid of more and that is also fun because it's cleared my mind and made me realize what I really want to keep and take into my future with me.
Thanks for your great work, Dawn!
We love you too, Dawn ! Thank you for spreading positivity!
I love your advice to honor the memory of our loved ones by actually using their belongings. I used to feel the need to preserve them and store them safely away as well. So basically, storing away memories of them altogether. Let's not 'SAVE' the fancy things for 'SPECIAL OCCASIONS'! Today can be that day. Let's create memories NOW instead of just reminiscing!
Dawn, I have loved this series! You have introduced me to so many amazing new TH-cam channels and I am so grateful to you. I really appreciate all the coordination and collaboration this has entailed and I would absolutely love it if you would do this again in the future. I am currently loving "Take Your House Back". I adore seeing you with Cas and Dana. You are my three favorites!! I have learned SO, SO much from each of you. You are so wise, so honest, and have such a great sense of humor. Thank you for creating the course. It's been invaluable.
Both of my grandmothers had small glass dessert dishes. I was lucky enough to get them from both. I had them stored away and realized I should be using them. We use them every day now, and every time I pull one out of the cupboard I am reminded of them. I broke one a couple of weeks ago and my heart broke a little ( I am a super sentimental "saver"), but I resisted the urge to put them back in storage and just promised myself to be more careful. I love the "use it or lose it" philosophy. With baby steps, I am working towards a less cluttered life and your videos and the message you share are so inspirational. Thank you. ❤️
I loved the whole series and it has inspired me to keep de cluttering items that we don’t need! I would love to see you guys do another series soon!!
I also try to use things that are meaningful to decorate my bookshelves instead of buying random things from Homegoods. I have a baseball displayed from the last time my sons played catch in the backyard before my oldest moved out for college. I also collect a few rocks from vacations and put them in small glass containers with labels about the trip instead of buying souvenirs. We also use my grandmothers everyday dishes daily. Those little touches tell the story of your family.
I’ve loved this series because you always have great information and I’ve found some new TH-cam accounts to follow!!
Love the sentiment in this. I have a quilt that was passed on, my grandma had stored it from a previous generation, so it has been boxed up for so long. I would like to display it even if it means it gets more exposure.
I so agree with you. We need to use our special things. Every day is special. I love using things that belonged to family and friends who are no longer here rather than just keeping them in a box or cupboard. I risk things getting broken or worn out but I remember and think about the person and enjoy the memories.
Yes to more of these decluttering collaborations, maybe 2 times a year or quarterly. I would love that, I’m not going to have anything left but that’s okay with me.
My grandma gave me a beautiful Bavarian plate and bowl that I’d always admired but she made me promise to use them! I do and I’m glad she made me promise!
I love this series and would love more! I’m just getting started purging and find your ideas EXTREMELY helpful in letting go. I’m 55, single again and resetting my life for myself ♥️
Sentimental brings me to a dead stop. Not anymore! I have learn so much from you Dawn. My mom and dad passed away last year and it makes you think differently about everything. I now have an antique framed pic. on my wall my dad gave me many years ago. I have comforters I wouldn't use. I now use and think about my precious mom every time. Love your channel and you and your entire family. You all are a big blessing in my life. Thank you.
I have really loved this series! I love all the different perspectives the ladies have provided and would really appreciate another series at some point. Thank you, Dawn!!
I agree! Use it or lose it. I had a teacup collection for many years on the condition that we actually used them. I have a quilt from the 1970s that was made from my childhood clothing. Not only do we use it - we use it outside on the deck when we are chilly! Now when I see that quilt, it makes me think of fresh air and sunshine. :)
Yes Dawn, please keep this type of collaboration going as this January has been so productive! I love all the different personalities, views, tips, and tricks!
I think this collaboration was a super idea. There are so many ways do do this decluttering journey and no one path suits every person. It was such a good idea for all you kind ladies to show us all your different ways so that we are sure to find a way that suits us.
As a person whit knits/crochets, I’d rather my gifts get used and worn out than stored.
Dawn....I am a fairly new subscriber. I think you are just the sweetest person. Sometimes if I'm having a down day....I just watch your videos and immediately feel better.😊
Thank you for speaking the truth and giving us food for thought.
I love your rule of “use it or lose it” and the memory box is a fantastic idea💕
I love this series!!! and yes definitely do again ❤️ especially when the seasons change , things in our homes are different! I am excited for spring to come and Easter 😊
Completely agree! I’ve found my ability to manage inventory was a huge part of my household management stress. And after I decluttered last year we had some basement flooding. Boy am I glad I’d paired everything down to a more manageable amount because as we we were moving everything out of the way of the water, it was able to fit in other spaces reasonably well. Thanks for all your great advice! I’ve found it so helpful!!
I loved this series so much! It not only inspired and motivated me to declutter and organize, but I also found some really great TH-camrs in the meantime!
You're fun too Kimberly Whisk! ☺️
You are right! When you said you feel like a loser when you have a ton of clutter- true! I have felt my self esteem improve the more I have decluttered. I've been in a bit of a holding pattern with my decluttering, but I'm ready for the next layer!
I'm from the Philippines and I love this series so much! This series is a great motivation and an eye opening for me to be much better and to manage my time for my family.
SO glad to hear this!!!
I'm with you on using things. When things have broken or fallen apart it is not life changing, and will not cause you to forget somebody. Sometimes I've had something hanging around that just makes me feel sad when I look at it, or use it. I finally figured it was better to pass that item on. Great video 😊.
This helps me thinking about items I need to go thru again and see what I can declutter! Thanks Dawn! I have enjoyed this declutter January with the other TH-cam ladies!
BEST video on the Internet!!! Our family is battling cluttered storage space due to hanging on to too much sentimental stuff...your videos help me keep chipping away at it...please pray my MR gets on board with a more minimal way of life, too. ❤️
I would love to see everyone who participated in these videos to do one on the hardest stuff for them to declutter.
Great idea!
Yes!!! "How much inventory do I want to manage?"!!! brilliant and thank you!
Loved this series, loved seeing a bunch of my favorite you tubers working together and finding new channels to follow
Dawn, I love your channel. Someone once said if something breaks that is instead of harm coming to a loved one. Keep using things and enjoy your everyday life.
I have my mom's leather jacket in my closet. I still go in every once in a while and smell it. After 12 years I can still smell her.
I have my precious Dad's watch with leather strap... I smell it often and remember him wearing it for so many years. xoxoxo
You have inspired me! I went through my kitchen and got rid of a box full of stuff, filled my bathroom trash with old cosmetics I never used, went through my closet and got rid of all the clothes I didn't feel good in (and then replaced some with some from my local thrift store 🙌 I feel GOOD in my clothes now!) And yesterday I went through my attic and emptied several totes and boxes! Thank you for your encouragement, I love watching your videos!!
Yes, loved it!!! It was super Inspirational to have a weekly focus and so many targeted videos to motivate me! Please do this again! And I found some awesome new ladies to follow too 🥰
I watch one of your videos every morning to keep myself motivated toward my goal, managing less stuff. I just want to say this is my favorite video! I struggled immensely with sentimental items and my husband struggles with, but I could use it some day. The way you phrased what you would rather do with your time and how much you want to manage in this video really resinated with me. Thank you so much!
I have loved this series! You even introduced me to other TH-cam channels that have also helped me a lot in my journey to live more simply. Thank you!
Thank you clutter free January was a fab idea💡 Decluttering has become a kind of hobby for me, so I thoroughly enjoyed it and found lots of new You Tubers to watch & inspire me. I didn't even realise how much paper clutter I had hidden away, even in the attic. 3 bags of shredding later I now have 1 small box of exactly what I need. 3 years of decluttering & my house still feels full to me but would probably be empty to others. It also gives me a feeling of control in a uncontrollable world, when were in lock down 2.0 here 🇬🇧🏴. Thank you
LOVED this series and have gotten SO much out of it! Thank you for organizing it, Dawn!🙏 Would love to see more in the future!
I have these school books that were my great-grandpas from the late 1800s and I keep them in a storage bin on the top shelf in a closet. This video has inspired me to figure out a way to display them so I can see them and enjoy them! I would have never thought to do anything but protect them away in a bin... until I die I guess was my plan! Thanks for opening my eyes to a new idea for sentimental things!
I have found the series to be sooo helpful in addition to the course! What a great idea this was. I like that I can have the videos continue to play while I keep at it, since usually it takes more than 10 or 15 minutes to get through a space :)
ABSOLUTELY love this series. It one hundred percent has been a God send
Addaline decided to... *Add a line*... To your family's history with her table cloth "art"!
I love that!!🥰
i really love the use it or lose it method! my parents had a mug they brought back from their honeymoon in 1998, and until about two months ago it had sat in the back of our cupboard, never being used. we got rid of a couple other mugs, and finally started using the mug, its actually my favourite now! i also have finally displayed sentimental trinkets on my bookshelf instead of keeping them in a box in a cupboard, so thats great as well!
I love these playlists. I look for them each week now. I like your timing in January... It's a new year, so time to reset and organize/declutter. Also, it January and up north where we are it's a stay indoor time, so a really good time to look inside at all the stuff and declutter. This has been so good! Thank You
Yes! Do more series like this. I had no idea about these other great minimalist women. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed!
I’ve enjoyed this series and liked getting to know a few more channels. I would love to see more of these series, maybe as the seasons change. 😉
I have never had & held on to a lot of stuff even when I was younger and I have found that the older I get, the better I have become at limiting and maintaining “stuff”. I attribute much of this attitude to my mama who always kept our home minimal before it was cool! 😁 She just never allowed stuff to take over & kept our home clean, organized & clutter free. I love to decorate & craft now but I’ve had to be very mindful of the “stuff” I allow myself to buy & keep. It’s nice when I can tell myself “you won’t use that often enough to justify buying it & then you’ll be cleaning it out and giving it to the thrift store”. We moved a year & a half ago after being in our home & raising 2 children there for 21 years so it has been nice to go through & clean out as we settled in in the new home. Life is just better when it’s not drowning in “stuff”.
I have enjoyed the motivation from this series so much. I love getting different perspectives because it helps me find mine. I would love more and I can see myself revisiting them in the future.
I've been a packrat for so many years I never wanted to get rid of any thing sentimental or useful or something that someone could use etc. Thanks to you I'm learning to let go of stuff or if I really want it I should use it.
I'm working on it little by little
I love that your suggestions are not too extreme and anyone can learn or want to learn how to live free of clutter. Thank you so much 💓
Thank you, Dawn! I’m really loving your course and the clutter-free January ❤️! I enjoy watching your playlists too and have one suggestion- have a few more people that are in different seasons of life or family situations. I’d like to see how empty nesters are dealing with decades of stuff. That’s me!
Excellent idea! I’m there too!
I get it. The inventory analogy was perfect. Being someone that worked retail for 25 years, I sure to understand inventory! 😊. Thanks for that because sentimental stuff is my nemesis.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series! I look forward to rewatching them and hopefully new ones!!
So good Dawn. So good. My mom made a baby box for each of her kids the same size as your memory box there. It’s the perfect amount of memory (maybe a little too much in some cases.lol). I’m doing the same for my husband and my kids. Right now their things are scattered around being lost or endangered by weather/bugs/visiting kids/etc. I’m also creating a family tree wall for the main pictures of all the relatives. I’m hoping that will honor those in our heritage and help my be ok with throwing out all the other random pictures that nobody know any info about. We’re in a new house and the walls are bare, which is fine. I’m being intentional with what pictures I put up. Wanting to be minimal but create a warm, homey space as well. You’ve encouraged me to go forward in this. Thank you! PS. I’m wrapped up with the same Aldi blanket that’s lying on your chair behind you. :) So comfortable but neutral.
I have loved this series! I found some new youtubers to watch but also loved the tips from you and others that Ive been watching. This was a fantastic idea 😊👍
When I first saw playlist I thought how nice of you to include music...quickly learned nope, videos! I have watched all of them and looked forward to each week.
Not all pertained to my time in life (empty nester) but I learned something from each. The best, #1 thing has been how much it has motivated me to declutter! Thank You Dawn and all the other contributors!
If I have something that has been passed down to me and I know I'm not going to use it , I sell it and then donate the money to a charity that was dear to that person's heart.
Great idea
Thank you so much for creating these playlists and getting all of the other you tubers together. This has motivated me so much. I have gone through room to room decluttering. I started months ago by only having one place setting per person, I just became tired of trying to keep up with dishes all day! That made such a difference, I wanted to do more. Then somehow I found you and the first playlist decluttering kitchens, I got rid of so much in my kitchen. All my small appliances are now stored in the cabinet, I have a free clear counters! So happy. Thank you 😊 Be blessed!
Loved this series so much! And its introduced me to so many other great channels! Thank you!!
This series is a gift to those of us who are lost in de-cluttering! PLEASE please do a similar thing every year!
Oh man, sentimental items were the MOST critical for me. ❤️ (Is there any way I can get in the next round of decluttering collaborations??? Minimalist mom for 5+ years now! ✨🙌✨)
@@smallvoice3836 Thanks for looking out for me! 🤗
Each time I listen I get more ideas of how to declutter. My home already is already starting to look promising. Thanks Dana for your encouragement. Blessings from California. 💕❤️💕🙋♀️
My Dad passed at the end of 2020 and my Mom passed a few years prior. My sister (my identical twin!!) and I are tasked with cleaning out my parents house. For us that is 59 years of memories and so many sentimental items, and crystal and dishes and so much stuff that my Mom treasured! I just found you last month and am now focused on decluttering my own house! I can't be bringing everything over, just no room. Right now we got a storage space despite the fact our brother wants to throw everything out. This is so hard. I will try to focus on some of these tips.
Sometimes this is your first sweep of the items. Then you go through it again and then again. Maybe the thing you love is something that someone else doesn't like. I was worried my brother would want the same secretary with the eagle feet. Nope he wanted the coffee table I didn't like. Turns out his coffee table is Danish modern. LOL Good luck to you....it is hard.
I kept about 6 small items from my mom when she passed. (no furniture). There was just no time or energy for anything else. She lived in another state. It's been some years now. I still love what I have. They are easily displayed and used, and I honestly don't remember the things I chose not to keep. Don't feel like you have to preserve everything. If your mom was anything like mine, SHE'D be the first to give something away if someone asked for or needed it. Be kind to yourself.
@Linda Liffers - watching the Swedish Death Cleaning video by the Messy Minimalist helped me tremendously when my mom passed in 2018.
@@BarbaraThorndyke Thank you I will check that out.
I think your idea of a TH-cam series was great Dawn. I have in no way watched all the videos, but that wasn't the point. I am glad I discovered a few new channels along the way that were really good. Thanks for all the energy & encouragement you give, you are by far the most professional and comprehensive minimalist coach I've seen. 👍🤗
I've really enjoyed this series and have been able to discover new youtube accounts thanks to it!
This series has been wonderful for me. I am moving across country the end of February and also down sizing my home. All the ladies tips have really made me look at all my "stuff" with a critical eye. I am now more excited to move into my new home with so much less items to find a place to land. I have packed and moved excess items for nearly 40 years. I am ready for a minimal lifestyle. I have a feeling that when I get there more items will go bye bye.
I’ve had such a blast doing this collab! Excited to watch this when kids are sleeping! 💖
Nice intro with the basement! So true about the lighting!
And the "use it or lose it" is so worth doing! I have 2 sets of china: one from my great aunt when she passed, and one from my husband's great uncle when he passed. I know it sounds excessive, but they are sentimental and beautiful, and I love pretty things. One set is displayed in a china cabinet from my mom's parents, the other is stored in a vintage buffet I found on Marketplace in the same style. They are in our formal dining room (doubling as the virtual school room), and I enjoy using them for holiday meals, and when guests stay with us. My mom told me her mom would always use her china for one special meal during a houseguest's stay, and I thought that was such a good idea, I've adopted it, myself. And I don't know why, but my two boys (10 and 6) have much nicer table manners when we use the china. Maybe they can see how special it is, or something.
I also have some white bowls that are the exact same as those ones you have, that look like feathers! So pretty. My grandma gave them to me. If you look closely, they are just white glass, not true milk glass. Milk glass has a kind of translucent quality, like the little dish you showed on your end table. Those feather bowls are totally opaque.
I've spent the past 3 weekends working on our storage room and we have gotten rid of so much stuff. I feel like we still have another weekend worth of stuff to go through but it's so much better and we are car loads lighter!
I really like this series with several blogs discussing the same issue. Lot of different voices really motivates me to accomplish the same topic in my own home. Different women highlighting slightly different approaches and strategies is something I hope you continue to do. It seems like a brilliant way for women to support each other as well. Well done.
My take away from this: my memory boxes need to stop having babies! 🤣
Gah!!! SAME!!!! They're multiplying and getting bigger!!! 😅😂🤣
I have just recently found your vlog and I enjoy it. I like your level of minimalism. I was always cleaning stuff out of our home that we didn't use or didn't need. I do not enjoy clutter. We lost our home to a fire 2 months ago and lost most of everything. So while I don't have stuff to get rid of, I can be thoughtful about what comes back into our new home. I'm thankful to have found your vlog.