5 Sentimental Items Everyone Should Keep
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2024
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Today we're talking about how sort, simplify and declutter sentimental items. We're using the method called "the Legacy List" created by Matt Paxton and outlined in his book "Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff."
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🖤 TIME STAMPS
00:00 The Legacy List Game Plan for Sentimental Items
02:00 What is a Legacy List?
04:00 What should I do with childhood artwork?
05:50 How do I sort keepsake items?
09:38 Did this help me become who I am today?
11:33 What do I do with collections of things?
13:22 What should I do with old or unfinished scrapbooks?
17:54 What do you do with old year books?
20:03 How do I handle other people's special items?
26:51 What about old instruments?
29:15 Record the stories of special things
30:43 What to do when you feel overwhelmed with sentimental things
34:00 Letter jackets, prom dresses & graduation gowns - oh my!
35:32 What should I do with my old wedding dress?
36:31 How do I sort & declutter old photos?
39:14 You've got this!
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Thank YOU for watching and thank you Helix Sleep for sponsoring! Click here helixsleep.com/minimalmom to get 30% off an Elite or Luxe mattress (plus two FREE pillows!) - or take 25% off sitewide - during their Fourth of July Sale. If you miss this limited time offer, you can still get 20% off using my link! Offers subject to change. Have a great day!!! - Dawn
Speaking of hearing their voices again after they're gone, my grandpa died 7 years ago, and a couple years ago I had almost forgotten what his voice sounded like, when I came across an hour long youtube video that a good portion of it was my grandpa speaking at an event (actually an event I had wanted to be at but wasn't able to) - needless to say, I downloaded that video so that I wouldn't have to worry about the channel that posted it taking it down.
Dawn, I think you and Diana are AMAZING! I have gotten rid of 80% of my stuff and grown spiritually over the past year. My life has changed for the better in so many ways! However, you and Diana need to get ALL your stuff out of your Mom's house. No more excuses. I'm sure your Mom doesn't mind, but it's like you're using your old room as a storage unit. Even if you and Diana simply put your stuff in boxes and take it to your own houses to go through at a later date. All of our old bedrooms at our parents' houses could become spaces where our parents can experience the benefits of a decluttered and peaceful room in their homes without having to do any work. Truly a wonderful gift to our parents who have sacrificed so much for us. I love you and hope you have a really great day.
My mom died when I was 13, 34 years ago. I moved boxes of her memories all throughout my 20’s and 30’s. I changed my perspective to - what might my daughter want from my mom? I narrowed it down to one memory box of clearly cool items that represented her, since my kids would never meet her. That my mom and her mom died young of a genetic disease that I may have, I’ve always kept the perspective toward making things easier for my kids in terms of “stuff”.
Sorry to hear about your mum. I feel like t8me changes what you think is important too. After my mum died I wanted her clothes straight away, but was happy to part with them a few yrs later. Since my dad died mum’s jewellery has had more meaning for me. So don’t be too hasty too
When I was decluttering 'big time' I took digital pictures of unused sentimental items. I also prayed over all items...that the next 'steward of my stuff' will be blessed & have a happy life. Doing these 2 things made & still makes letting go a breeze! ♡
This is a beautiful way of sending sentimental items to another recipient.❤
I’m 63…my wedding dress had its stages. Haha. It first hung in mom’s closet. When the kids were about 5, I cut part of the skirt off and altered it some myself so they could play dress up in it. About 5 years later I took it apart and the skirt became a Christmas tree skirt. Then that transformed into 2 pillows. Finally…the trash! It had a fun run!
I've been debating on making my dress a Christmas tree skirt too! I don't have daughters and I doubt anyone will ever wear it. I dont think i can fit into it anymore either. It's still hard to actually cut it.
Dawn, I think a huge part of your legacy too is how you have helped so many of us declutter and be able to curate homes full of things we truly treasure. I think your channel is part of your legacy list! ❤️ Your advice and calming presence are treasured by so many. ☺️
Agreed! I have a hard time listening to others about decluterring because it's just not Dawn. It's her personal character that gives me perspective and keeps me engaged better than others. She definitely shines ✨️
I always remember a story that Peter Walsh shared about a shirt he had from his grandfather. He had so many memories of his grandfather wearing the shirt. He even had a picture of them fishing and his grandfather was wearing the shirt. Peter decided to take only a small piece of the shirt and make a mat for a photo the fishing photo. He displayed the photo in a nice frame with the shirt as the mat. He still has a small piece of the shirt but now it has context. I guess the point is this; if it's significant enough, find a way to honor it. Don't just put an old shirt in the back of your closet.
I did keep my wedding dress for years and through about 10 moves - in the huge keepsake box! For me it actually paid off as my oldest daughter wore it for her wedding. It doesn't always work out this way, but for me it ended up being a special memory we were able to share. My husband tells people he walked the dress both up the isle and down.
Regarding your husband and walking the dress up and down, that’s wonderful!! A bazillion memories with two weddings! 🎉🎉
My husband and I moved a heavy box of our high school and college yearbooks around from apartment to apartment, house to house. Now in our 50s we came to the realization that they mean very little to us and we decided not to keep any of them. They're the kind of thing you feel obligated to keep but when we finally asked ourselves whether we wanted them the answer was No and it felt so good to be free of that heavy box!
I finally tore out the few pages that were meaningful and don’t miss the rest.
I didn't realize they were all online. I might just take out some of the pages people wrote on and toss the rest
I kept a spoon from my dad when he passed. That´s it ,that really captured him. He ate oat meal every morning my whole life with that spoon. Everything else either went to the trash or if we could use it in our home for practical use- we would keep it. But that spoon. That was "him"💖
That’s so sweet 🥲
❤
Frame the spoon with a photo of your dad!
Wedding dress! I had my dress all boxed up professionally after my 1973 wedding. It has moved with me and always kept inside a closet. I have 3 sons and now 4 grandsons-so on our 50th anniversary we gathered, I got out all our wedding albums, a box of other trinkets, and THE DRESS for an unboxing and story telling. We had so much fun, lots of laughter-then, I donated the dress to my favorite local thrift store in our small town.
Mine has been boxed up since my 1996 wedding. Love that you had an unboxing on your 50th - great idea!
On yearbooks: My husband and I each had yearbooks from 7th grade through college. I also had my parents' yearbooks for the same period, plus a few from family members. We also had a yearbook for every year of Hub's lengthy teaching career. We had LOTS of yearbooks. They lived in the bottom two shelves of our bookcase. One day we had a surprise Kitten Diarrhea Incident where tiny, poopy feet climbed all over our yearbook collection. It was a nightmare. Every yearbook went in the trash. This was 3-4 years ago and we haven't missed a single one. It's a relief to have them gone. They aren't as valuable as you might think.
I read several years ago about a company in the Midwest that collects yearbooks because there are some people actually looking for them. I’m 67 and still have mine and treasure them and still go through them. I have a cabinet in my craft room that my husband built a few years ago. It holds my favorite books from my childhood as well as some of my dolls and other sentimental stuff. It’s all contained in one place, only 27” wide and 7’ tall. My mom died when I was 16 and my father moved our family from Connecticut to Arizona and everything changed abruptly. My stepmom threw out most of my possessions including my swimming ribbons and trophies, Barbies, stuffed animals, books and all of our Christmas ornaments and decor. My husband calls that time in my life “the end of my innocence “ so I am pretty attached to the few things I have from that time. But it does stay contained and I’ve given our children permission to toss it all when I’m gone. These are my memories. I just need to mark the few that have some monetary value for them. A woman I know just lost everything, including several animals, on July 4 because of some idiots with fireworks in a residential area. So I know to not hang on to stuff with too tight of a fist. I just enjoy what I have every day.
I'm so sorry that that happened to you. My mom got rid of my childhood things and I had so many memories that I wasn't sure were true! A few years ago after my mom passed away, I inherited her photos. That's where I realized that my memories were real! I truly did have those items and it explained, for me, why I had weird aspirations of things that I wanted to buy for my children!
Anyway, I think some people don't realize that it's better for us to part with our own things when we're ready. Maybe they think they're doing it as a favor and don't realize the effect that might have. People are different!
I hold on to things much more lightly now at the age of 60. And with a lot more understanding. I love my yearbooks also! 😊
That's so sad about the woman who lost her things and her animals. I have started hating fireworks. They just are not safe. I like the big displays with the fire depts present. Otherwise I'm over fireworks.
Sorry for what happened to you and your neighbor. Here in Hungary, we're not allowed to do fireworks in residential areas. We have to do it in huge wide open space like football field. One fine new years eve, my husband and I and our 2yo little boy went to this field and lit out fireworks, we saw many people from the apartments nearby looked outside from their windows to see us with our fireworks. But maybe not so much with animals... But again we live in Hungary where pets are not common in apartments... I hope we didn't scare the animals during that 5 minutes fun... 😔
@@HappyLife-nf7wb I wish they were banned in residential areas in the US. My neighborhood sets fireworks off every night until around midnight for about 3 weeks around July 4th and Jan 1st every year. My cat spends those weeks in a closet. For some reason it's his safe space.
I always feel so bad for the squirrels, rabbits, birds, and pets that are treated like back-yard ornaments.
Not to mention babies, ex-military people with PTSD, and folks like me who have to get up early in the morning to work.
Then there's always the risk of fire. That poor woman in the original commenter's post. I can't imagine what she went through.
Another danger they create is covering up gunfire. A few years ago there was a home invasion in my neighborhood, but no one recognized it as gunfire because of all the fireworks.
Having lost my son a few years ago & having a daughter that is a minimalist has helped me declutter tremendously. Along the way of purging and doing "Swedish death cleaning" I have no issues putting most everything in a burn pile. Yearbooks, photos that no one will recognize, memories...all burned. It's so freeing. Anything that someone could use or benefit from, I have donated or given away.
I have 5 children all grown and on their own. One Christmas I made memory boxes for each of them. It took me 4 months to go through all my photos. In the end, each of them had a box with every photo every taken of them that I had. Some were with family/friends we had lost. I added a coffee/hot cocoa mug along with their favorite snacks. All 5 opened their gift at the same time. They spent the next day going through them together. The laughter and tears from the dining room table was amazing.
Was wondering if your Mum wanted you to clean out the room when you left home or gave you both a time limit? Did you feel like it was too much to do years ago and put it off? Was it only left there because your parents had room to house it? Are you going to ask your kids to pack up when they’re about to permanently leave home? Sorry if these questions are too personal so feel free to ignore them. I was wondering if your years of minimalism has given you any ideas as to how to tackle this issue. I’ve said before my kids refused and in the end I had to pack it up for them and send it to them against their will as I lived with a hoarder in a smaller home.
I’ve got my sentimental stuff down to a small box as I didn’t like my childhood or marriage and I was just keeping the stuff because it’s old. I like the idea of a legacy list but think that’ll start with this new chapter in my life as it’s the first time I’m starting to be me.
I had a cedar chest given to me by my grandparents when I was in grade school. It was stuffed full of memories and when my husband passed and I moved to another state I gave the chest to my neice. Everything inside was not anything my family would want so I took photos and tossed all of the stuff😢 The only thing I kept was a small hand crocheted lamb made by my great grandmother which I now display I have all the memories of my chest when I look at my lamb 🐑 Realize how few things can invoke many memories without having the physical items❤Thanks for sharing your room of memories
Funny to me that Dawn still has stuff at her mom’s even though she’s been a minimalist for many years. 😉 I’m glad she shared this process with Matt’s tips.
My Mom would never have tolerated it so I am glad for you Dawn that you have such sweet parents.
Agree! Was surprised to see - almost as surprising as the storage trailer of items from several years ago. But a great way to share a helpful resource with everyone. 👍
I donated my wedding dress to be used for Angel dresses. My niece was born with an extremely rare disease and she took her last breath in my arms at 18 months. The hospital gave her a beautiful dress, so I was happy to give mine for other families. 🙏
I love that!!!
This is a wonderful idea! I just signed up to be on the wait list to donate my gown 🥰
@@hollybetts5838 that is so cool.... I thank you for the families you will help comfort in such an unbelievably difficult time ❣️🙏
This just moved me to tears ❤ Thank you for sharing
Oh my gracious goodness! ! ! ! This is THE video I needed. I am 72 years young and have literally thousands of family photos going back over 100 years! A couple of years ago I decided to scan them and do many of the things you've discussed here, BUT, after purchasing the scanner, doing research on the process, pulling out all the stuff, I just got completely overwhelmed. And yes, I do feel the weight of it all and guilt - "I'm just being lazy" (that is true) - but you have helped me see the legitimate additional factors that continue to keep me from making progress.
Just last week it finally hit me that I am doing this all backwards . . . I should have sorted and decluttered everything else, then come back and dealt with all the pictures and really special items. I can definitely say a big Amen to that concept. It is also exciting to hear you have much more information in you groups to help me actually complete this here-to-for unending project. Having watched the Legacy List and other programs, one thing really stood out as important is the retelling of the stories of these item. I have had the collection of vintage Salt & Pepper shakers that belonged to my favorite Aunt Ophelia for decades; and always thought it would be fun to use them at holiday meals. So recently when we were all together I broke out box and it was amazing how much we all enjoyed going through the collection. Turns out there were about 80 sets! Our 5 Grands are ages 11 to 19 and it was illuminating to watch them each pick their favorites! It was a great memorable day and now at Thanksgiving each one of us will have our very own special set of Aunt Ophelia's S/P shakers at our place setting.
Bless you, sweet Dawn, for all you do through the Minimal Mom and all the other things you do for the Lord, your family and friends, and all of us out here in TH-camLand. For HIS glory, Juliaann [yep that's the correct spelling :)]
Hey, when you start doin your photos: I picked the number of photos I was going to keep from each "group, generation, or event" from the boxes we were saddled with when 4 relatives died and added to our pesky boxes of prints We had, and had never gone through. I figure you should be able to see a generation or a memorable event on 1-2 pages. it guided the process and I tossed over 12 pounds of duplicates, or multi pics of the same aunts, uncles...ie, got page of 5 pics of my aunt's n uncles from the age range I REMEMBER THEM best.
5 pics of my hubbies aunts n uncles.
10 pics of our parents weddings..
Start by sorting into piles of the generation or the person. Then an event might jump out so make it it's own pile.
Then just keep going through the piles weeding them down to the 5-10 photos that really capture that group. (This can take weeks). Or whatever number works for you. Key is less is more and stick to your numbers. Good luck!!!!!
Was just evac'd here in rural small town ca for fire. If we'd lost our house, I realized in the end there were rly only a handful of sentimental items i would truly miss, like the quilt my aunt made, and some photos. It puts things in perspective. But since it didnt burn up, now i have to sort thru it, lol. Feel blessed tho we're all ok. Thx for the video. 😊
Asking myself what I'd deeply miss or have to immediately replace if all my things burned in a fire is one of my most helpful decluttering questions! So glad your home survived and you're all safe! ❤
@@bellaluce7088 thank you, and God bless
@@juliec3437 : - ) ❤
Put the quilt in a bag for easy transport if there is a next time! Scan the photos so you have a digital back-up in a cloud etc.
My mom's friend was paying $$$ for a storage unit. My mom convinced her to empty it out and they took photos of all of the family heirlooms before getting rid if them. My mom put a photobook together and her girlfriend was thrilled. That was enough for her -- after years of saving items she never touched.
Yeah I'm too cheap to pay for a storage unit. My MIL was paying for one for years and years. It was literally filled with junk my hubby had to throw away. She could have bought a nice used car for what she paid all those years.😢
I was literally just hoping you’d do a video on this! Praise God!!! You are a treasure, and the content you’ve shared have transformed my life and now my children’s lives!!! Stay encouraged and keep going!!!
THANK YOU! That means more than you know!!!
Me too!!!!! Perfect timing. Yesterday I put ‘Organizing memorabilia’ in my TH-cam search bar.
Same here!!! I even messaged her IG reel!! I have the decluttering muscle built... this is the final piece for me!!
Same!!! God's timing is the best!!
Lol😂😂😂😂😂
I used the toe curl test: if I looked at it and my toes curled in embarrassment, it needed to be gone! Old letters, academic things that had made me miserable, and yes, middle school yearbooks for sure! Now I’m at the point of purging career type things, which is really hard in terms of identity…but it’s time.
I just did this in my childhood house and it was days and days of effort. We donated prom dresses to the high school (they were SO happy to have them) and my mom huge sewing room of endless sewing and craft supplies to our middle schools sewing class. These schools are thrilled to get these items and will truly be loved and used
I threw out almost everything from K-12 school items, I hated school every moment. College wasn't so bad but still threw out almost everything, from all the years, even the year books. The grad robes, prom dresses or anything related was either thrown out or donated.
I don't know why we save that stuff for so many years, when it's a reminder of bad times in our life. When it's gone, your home literally feels lighter and more peaceful. :)
Yes to not keeping the bad memories
I donated my High School yearbooks to our town's historical society. They were very appreciative to receive them.
I threw all our photos away except what fit in a shoe box. I was overwhelmed and anxious. I don’t regret it though. My kids are 28 and 30. They don’t care. Pictures take a lot of time. I enjoy your videos. You have helped me be able to let clutter go all over my house. Thank you.
I hated middle school and high school, so a few years ago I read through them then threw them away! I saved my Senior yearbook but felt lighter after launching the others! 😅
I kept the sash off my wedding dress to offer to my daughter to wrap around her wedding bouquet . The rest of it went to an angel gown program for stillborn babies. Such a helpful video!
Photos are emotionally and physically taxing (taking them out of albums and recycling the pages and binders) so I break it down in small chunks of time. Usually your videos are 30-45 minutes and you keep me entertained while I decide which photos to keep and which to toss. I can’t handle more than that amount of time. Most of my family has passed so instead of feeling guilty about tossing them, I ask myself who besides me will ever want to look at them. We have one adopted son who wants his childhood photos archived but has no interest in older ones. So realistically they will be tossed when I die so I only keep ones that have meaning to me and I write the history on the back (which is also why it takes so long).
Within a few years of graduation, I donated my graduation robes to the school for others to use. I also donated my prim dresses to a local program that let's young ladies borrow dresses for events instead of purchasing them.
Hey Dawn such beautiful art!!!!! I bet so many people watching your programme would have been happy to bid on it for money towards your charity in Mexico!!! I realise this would have been a lot slower, but a win win outcome for so many people!!!
I actually cut up my wedding gown to make a christening gown for my grandkids! I found it a very ‘full circle’ moment and no regrets!
I had 38 photo albums and deconstructed them, divided them among family, mailing the photos to people who could appreciate them. I then acquired two large plastic storage containers of my mother's photos when she passed away, as well as those given to my husband by his family. It took almost a year but they were disbursed, leaving me with 8 albums😊
I would totally buy a print of the painting in your hall/office. I think it might be fun if you offered prints of some of your art work. You have such a cool vibe. ❤
That was nice of your mom to let you keep stuff there so long! As my kids are moving out I’m making them take everything of theirs! But we don’t have room to keep anything extra
It boggles my mind how adult children leave their stuff at their parent’s house. It seems you are now cleaning it out, but aren’t you girls 40? When I finished college and moved out, my parents made me take ALL of my stuff. Your parents are extremely generous to let you keep your memory clutter at their house.
Totally agree
Generous, yes, but it may also be a way for parents to hold on to part of their kid’s’ childhood. Kids grow up so fast; it eases the transition to allow some items linger.
I was thinking the same; when I moved out I had to take *everything* with me! I'm sure if I left anything my mom threw it out LOL! That's why at 50 my thirty years of moving from house to house has forced me to consolidate my keepsakes down to two boxes- out of pure necessity. :) I do realize now that my mom is a natural borderline minimalist.
Agreed. I think we need to make “ leaving home means taking your stuff “ normal again. 😂
The day I moved out I was responsible for my own belongings. Same with my grown children. If they didn’t want something I was able to keep it for a few years in case they changed their minds.
Some public libraries and genealogical societies will collect the yearbooks. Our county does. We have yearbooks over one hundred years old! We have a few missing years. As people pass away relatives will donate those type of items. They are fun to look at.
You’ve impacted my family’s life so beautifully, I had a dream about meeting you and giving you a huge heart felt, “THANK YOU”!!! 💜
Thank you and I hope we get to meet in person someday! I would love that!!!!
I threw my yearbooks away and felt so free. I didn't want those insecure thoughts to continue to follow me. Some high-school girlfriends thought I was crazy😂Love your videos and all you teach us.
Welp, now I want spray peanut butter! 😆🥜
Edited to add: Watching you declutter your middle school yearbooks was actually healing for me, Dawn! I lost my 7th grade yearbook many years ago due to circumstances outside my control, and whenever I thought about it I'd feel a pang of loss. But hearing you talk about your middle school experience made me think, "Oh yeah, I didn't actually love that time in my life and I'm not even close with any of those people anymore!" For the first time ever I felt relief that I don't have my 7th grade yearbook anymore! Thank you! ❤️
I love the canvas you saved, and I can see that hanging in your home on the wall by your kitchen table.
Photos....oh my! I've always taken loads, and in the days of film processing, I kept every single photo that was halfway decent in an album. I had over 50 'magnetised' (self stick) albums, A4 size and each one between two and three inches thick. Then I realised that those were not the best albums to use - photos were either falling out of the old albums or in some cases, turning yellow through contact with the adhesive. Plus they were taking up so much space! And I'm the last in my generation, so no one is going to be interested in any of these photos once I've gone.
I've started slowly working my way through each album, keeping only the pictures that trigger really strong and good memories. I attach these photos to sheets of card using photo corners, and I'm putting the card pages into plastic document books (the kind that have a rigid over and clear plastic pockets inside). That way, if I need to thin my photos down further in future, I just have to get rid of individual pages. So far, I've got rid of 20 albums and the document books that have replaced them are only taking up the space of one album! Doing it a little bit at a time makes it fun, because it gives me the chance to relive old memories.
I'm also working on reducing the number of pictures I print in future. I copy any particularly special photos into a '[year] Photos for Printing' folder on my computer. Once that folder has sat there for a year, I go through it again and delete any that no longer seem important - it's amazing how many 'must print' photos no longer feel print-worthy after a year!
I need this video today as we are in the process of cleaning/ selling our parents' home after the passing of mom on Christmas Day (and Dad is in nursing home).
I have been doing so much better then I thought I would with not taking to much in to my home. I attribute that to the teaching of you Dawn and Matt. THANK YOU. I know I talked to you about this when I met you in person In Fairbult in February. Your kinds words both then and now have been playing in my head. "Say thank you for the memory when you see something but the item does not alway have to come home with you."
Last summer, my sister and one of my brothers finished going through our parents' 60+ year-old house to get it ready to sell. Mom was already in assisted living, and Dad had passed in 2014. We had many video chats and photo texts with the remaining 3 siblings to sort out what to keep, what to donate, what to sell, what to throw out (many roll-off dumpsters!), and who wanted their personal items back. We ended up contracting several different auctioneers (specializing in different categories like, collectable toys, model trains sets, home goods, appliances, etc, all taking a percentage of the sales as their fee) because we wanted to get the best price for these items. Once we boxed up the items, the auction companies came and loaded the boxes into their trucks. The funds went to keep Mom in a beautiful assisted living home. I say, don't wait to help your loved ones de-clutter their lives!
I love this. My mom cleared my room, called me to come get what I wanted. The rest she discarded for me
I guess I’m confused as to why people dont clean out their childhood bedrooms when they move out for good. We shouldn’t be leaving all these things in a space that takes up room in your parents home whether they need that bedroom or not. I guess because I moved out at 18 and never moved back in with my parents I find it very weird that people still hold on to anything after moving out for good good.
I never took all my stuff, my mom gave me some of my things she had saved for me one box at a time and that sat in my junk room not getting dealt with for years, I finally threw most of it away. Anyway I understand why her stuff is still there.
I have nieces who totally resent their mother for wanting her kids to take their stuff with them when they go, giving them a deadline after 5 years. "I have kids! I live in a small house! You have a big empty house! WHY???!! This is My Stuff!" It's an interesting power struggle (to watch).
@@phylliscrowe9891 yes I totally agree! I didn’t take it all with me right away. I’m 38 now and prob a few years ago my mom gave me two boxes she thought I’d want and I really have no desire to keep anything in there. I’m trying to be super mindful of things I hold on to now for my kids because I don’t want to unload a while room on them later on in life either and feel pressure to keep things.
A couple years ago, I was telling my then therapist about some artwork from 9th grade that I still had (from 1986-87). She suggested I frame my favorites. With new eyes, I looked through them to see what was frame worthy. Nothing. I was finally able to let go. One had gone to a show at a mall. And another was really cool. But lack of air circulation in our house caused damage to a lot of other things too.
This was so timely. My widowed dad is starting to go through his things to declutter. Just an idea for prom dresses, organizations will take them for underprivileged girls to pick out for their proms. As always, thank you for your video.
My sister, on her wedding day took pictures in our great grandmother's wedding dress before she put on her dress. It was such a special moment for our whole family, and we were so thankful we still had the dress.
The only reason to keep stuff like graduation robes is if you are faculty or administration at a college or university. They wear their most advanced hood and cap or tam at every graduation ceremony. It's way cool, and that stuff for a Master's or PhD is expensive! My son teaches at a small community college where there are only 5 PhDs, counting admin, so when he wears his stuff it's cool and people say stuff about it. Like I took pics of his back!
I've kept my yearbooks from high school. When a friend died of cancer just over a year ago I took screenshots to add to my Facebook post about it. That was a good thing. His widow didn't want his yearbooks, so I took them to our 50th reunion and they were snapped up by someone whose friend had lost hers in a fire. I also kept just 1 of my brother's; the brother who died. It may not be my legacy, but it was part of his.
Matt Paxton is such a nice guy! I met him in Alexandria, VA while he was working on his show. The family he was helping was having a yard sale.
Cool story about my wedding dress (from 50+ years ago). My kids or grandkids didn’t want it. My friend’s daughter is the costume manager of a non-profit theater group. They were putting on The Sound of Music and needed a vintage-y dress for Maria. My dress fit the bill and they happily accepted it. I got to see the production and Maria wearing my dress-SOOO fun. And The Sound of Music is my favorite musical-so icing on the cake. The dress is now part of their costume department and may be used for different productions in the future. It makes me so happy!
Oh, my goodness. After watching you talk about your scrapbooks, I expected you to say that you were keeping your yearbooks. What a kick to hear you say you weren't and why you weren't. I have none of my yearbooks, I don't miss any of them and I did not keep them for the very same reasons you didn't keep yours. That is just fun to know.
I'm so glad to hear that I'm not alone!! Sometimes I think I'm the only one who has no sentimental attachment to year books!
I had a lot of sentimental attachment to mine. I was never popular (far from it), but I did have good memories from high school. I kept the pictures of me and any inspirational words friends and teachers had wrote me. 18 years later though, I'm not the same person I was and I now have the good memories to look back on. memories
Ditto. They only brought up bad memories. And other than my class picture each year, i wasnt even represented. Good riddance.
You’re not the only person to feel like that. Mine gave me that yucky feeling too and they are gone now after watching this video. Thanks for permission to let them go! I love you too!
I was not one of the cool kids and the yearbooks I keep out of guilt. I have been thinking of dismantling them to keep the very few photos of me or something real meaningful to make a high school scrap book for my self.
I love the bookshelf. I was happy to hear your grandfather made it and you'll be keeping it. As a grandmother I have several 'kid' and Norwegian 'kid level' cultural books for my grandchildren and I to read together. A small shelf is a perfect storage area for us to store their books and other fun stuff. I truly appreciate the idea of doing FaceTime with the family members who will need to help with the sorting. By scheduling this job with that person, the job just got smaller and more manageable. No deciding what to lug to someone's house to go through and sort, or to the beach for a memorabilia sorting retreat. Those ideas sound fun as a group job, they just never happened.
I think you've done a great job sharing and educating about what to do with sentimental items. Not lacking at all. And the "maybe" pile is your time-will-tell bin!
CAREFUL with other people's books! They were my storage for important documents (birth certificate, ss card, diploma, money, pictures, savings bonds) until my unknowing mother sold them while I was around college. I've mostly broken this habit since then, but still...
Just be glad that there are people who keep things for museums and such.
We found games in the attic from the 60s and 70s. Really bringing back memories.
I have digitized basically everything: photos, pictures of items that I once treasured, yearbook pages, school art & religious programs / announcements. Packed up my daughter's stuff and mailed it off to her to go through. My goal is to rid my home of at least 365 items this year.
An item a day. Awesome idea!
The thing that has been the biggest game changer for me with my photos was this: as I decluttered the house I freed up a metal shelf unit (5 ft tall x 3ft wide, on wheels) I almost got rid of the shelves but decided to measure them to see if they’d fit in a closet- they did but I had to move out totes full of photos…. That have me an idea. I filled the shelves with small photo boxes and labeled each box for people in my family & extended family. Now I sort photos directly to these boxes as I have time. I try to do it for 15 min/ day. I am half way through those totes of photos…. Next I’ll be sorting a cabinet of photos into the same boxes and then I’ll be done- the boxes will be delivered to the family and i will have only one small box to keep! Photos are my nemesis- this method has helped because it stays organized, I can close it up in the closet between sorting sessions, it hasn’t created more mess as I do it. Oh, I forgot to mention the trash bin beside the shelves😉!
Honestly, watching your videos really made me think about stuff I thought was precious to me, but wasn't exactly. I make dolls based off of characters from live-action TV shows for fun, and I have a whole bin of them. I used to take photos of them for Instagram, but all of the shows have since ended.
A few months ago, I was able to get in contact with the executive producer of one of the shows. I shipped the mini cast out to her, and now they live in her office. Originally my goal was to get the dolls to the cast members, and one technically did. At least, until his son stole it and refused to give it back.
When both girls were in their late teens / early 20’s I asked if they would ever wear my dress - the answer was no because it wasn’t their style. But I kept the tiara and the veil (100” long 😍) and ultimately one daughter wore the veil on her big day. ❤️ I was so happy to donate my dress and it was lovely that a small part of my day was shared. ❤
The year after I graduated from high school, my mother sold the house. Everybody took what they could and we pulled what remained into the driveway.
(Yard sales weren't much of a thing at the time.)
The neighbors came by later and took whatever they wanted.
There was plenty to choose from, as Mom, my younger brother, and I were moving from a 4-bedroom house into a 2-bedroom single floor apartment - with just enough storage for your fake Xmas tree and snow tires.
It worked out well, as everybody replaced what they missed with new and improved stuff.
This was awesome! I was able to work my way through one of my mom’s art portfolios while watching this and sort out the stuff that represents what really interested her vs class exercises that she did.
I really enjoyed this video and I know it will help me! I already ordered Matt’s book from your video the other day and can’t wait to get it. Yes, I watched every hoarder show hoping it would spur me on! As far as the wedding dress, when I started downsizing ( I have a real tiny house) I took a piece of lace and a couple of little flowers from my headpiece and put them in a little one inch bottle. I also have a tiny bottle with some rice from our wedding. That’s all I need and the dress was still wearable and donatable. I have used those little bottle for many other sentimental items. They don’t take up much room at all. Thank you for all your helpful videos!Susan Harter
I made my wedding dress in 1978. It was very simple; no lace and fussy dress for me. I kept it, and when my daughter was in 8th grade she was an angel ina Christmas play at her school. Instead of making her a costume, I got the dress out, and she tried it on. It fit well, and was appropriate for the part, so she actually wore it. I don’t even remember what happened to it after that, but I’m guessing I donated it or sold it in a consignment shop.
For each of my grandkids, I found an app for my iPad thru which I can select photos of them from my phone, and the company prints them into little soft bound books which I have sent to each of them every six month to a year. (My daughter is much better about sending me photos of her daughter than my son is of sending photos of his son.) Granddaughter gets a book every 6 months; grandson gets one once a year. I keep a copy of each of them for myself also.
THANK YOU for sharing this! When my parents moved to a new house 10 years ago, they gave me boxes and boxes from my old childhood bedroom / childhood. I’ve tried going through some of it but they literally saved everything and it gets so overwhelming. I am saving this video to go back to later!!
Extra helpful, super video today! I have reached this stage of my decluttering journey, SO happy to have all this information and insight!! Thank you, thank you!
This is the video I have been waiting for! I don't know why my brain was exploding over journals and picture. This helped me so much.
I had an art portfolio from school and college, but I hardly ever looked at it because it was so big and awkward. (At some point in the past I’d already weeded out the rubbish). I ended up putting all the smaller size artwork in 12x12 inch scrapbook albums and then for the ones that were too big, I put a photo of those in the albums. I decided I still wanted to keep the originals of the large art in the portfolio, but It’s tucked down the side of a desk out of the way. It’s amazing how much more the art gets looked at now it’s in manageable size albums.
Thank you so much for sharing, I found this video so helpful. I appreciate you and your channel.
Great video. I spent over 3 years going through hundreds and hundreds of photos. Back when I was first married, you made at least 2 copies of everything so you could share. I sorted for months on end. I then scrapbooked albums for each of my 4 grown and on their own children ( plus my own set ) and gifted them the albums a couple of years ago for Christmas. I picked the photos that best represented the story and along with the picture documented all I could about it. It was a TON of work, but so important to me to give them this history. They have all shared how special it is to have them. What is hard now is what to do with generational history items. I have been sorting and decluttering for many years now but the history things of people now gone can be very difficult. I have a history trunk for these items so they are contained but not sure what anyone else would want to keep. So again, I am so thankful for all the work put in the albums as they are what tell the family stories.
My mom was one who kept everything and it drove me nuts. I am obviously not a sentimental person. I have two things from my dad and one thing from my grandma. I didn't keep anything from my childhood. I have a few pictures of my kids when they were younger. That's it.
I threw away all old yearbooks except for mine and my husband's senior yearbook only because the notes we wrote to each other in them were cute. If it wasn't for that I could have easily tossed them all. 😂
Dawn, I can't thank you enough for your videos! I just started on my "journey to peace" a couple of weeks ago and am tickled pink that my 13 and 16 year old daughters have jumped on board. I can actually hear your voice saying, "Don't put it down, put it away". It's my mantra. Yesterday I was debating whether or not to keep an item, and from the other room, my daughter called out, "Remember the 20/20 rule mom!" The 3 of us are now working on my legacy list, and this has been such a relief for my kiddos. I didn't realize how distressed they were with the thought of dealing with all of my stuff one day. THANK YOU!
My husbands aunt took my wedding dress (that was ruined in a flood) and made 2 wedding dolls one for my mom and one for me my granddaughter received mine when she was 6 and my great granddaughter received my moms. It’s a beautiful memory hanging in their room.
Great way to approach this tricky job. Thankyou for sharing.
I'm actually remembering what you've said about artwork for your kids... it's about the experience not the product. We have to have that same mentality about our art, crafts, projects, etc. I pitched all my artwork like that and it felt great actually.
Perfect timing! God is good. I'm starting to clean my baseboards so I can paint them. I always work so much better when I work with YOU ❣️
About yearbooks, I have a fun story from when our second sons was born. One of the guys from my high school days became a doctor in the same hospital. We got the yearbook photo including his nickname “Hormone Hodes” and the nurses enlarged it and posted it in the doctor’s lounge. His response was priceless! I am so glad he has a great sense of humour. I may keep the photo but not the yearbook! Haha.
Very helpful topic! Thank you! I always look forward to your videos.
That's a really interesting concept. I have a cigar box that has two pocket knives, a comic strip, and a piece of knitting. They are everything important to me from my grandparents.
SOOO crazy that this has come up the exact evening (UK)I am sitting down to watch you and have my daughter's certificates I'm putting into a special binder for her birthday this week - compact and definitely her legacy so far.
My wedding dress wasn't that special to me, I sold it on fb to another gal who was thrilled to find her dress inexpensive. My hubby was a bit concerned that I would regret it, but it's been 10 years and I'm still glad it left to have someone else use and store it lol.
Love the idea of painting a legacy picture w relevant things. Over the years, I have stashed sentimental things or things I’ve done in a box. I’d like to go through it w a legacy in mind. My wedding gown was transformed into many outfits through Angel Gowns for miscarriages and stillborn. I also saved a few appliqués in case our daughters would want to use somehow on their dresses. The woman that did it also made a few ornaments and two little purses for wedding days for our girls.
Letter jacket: my husband gave his to his oldest nephew. The nephew loved wearing it throughout his high school years.
Hi Dawn, I just wanted to congratulate you in being among the top 10 of best minimalist influencers. I also want to include a tip for people with low energy if they have to wash and dry dishes on their own. I tried it and I love it. Dry each item as you wash it. This way there is no pile building up on the draining board. It is very encouraging.
I donated my prom dress to a place that make gowns for stillborn babies for hospitals so they have something nice to wear. Also I had all grandparents do a recordable book for my girls for their first birthdays so when they do pass they have a nice book that has their voice being read to them.
You both are so talented. Love the legacy list idea.
Thanks for sharing it.
I went through my parent’s photo albums recently. My mother passed away 26 years ago and my Dad passed away 4 years ago. It was a process. I even found myself somewhat depressed after going through them. I planned to do it in a weekend but it ended up taking almost a month. I had to work on it in pockets of time. It was mentally exhausting. I don’t regret doing it but I totally underestimated the time it would take and the emotional impact it would have.
Thank you for this video. This is a hard area of decluttering. I am a scrapbooker, so I have many of these from my adult years, except for one for my birth to marriage years. My wedding gown is a must keep. It was designed and made by my best friend, so it's one of a kind. Oh, the things we save. On my family bookcase is my childhood stuffed dog, minus its ear.
Hi Dawn! As always, a great video! thanks for the tips!! Definitely going to get Matt's book
I've hit pause on the "take a picture of it" solution for decluttering, because I now get stressed out about what I'm supposed to do with all those photos. I NEVER sit down with my laptop to look at photos. I have a harddrive full of photos - just because they're digital doesn't mean they're not clutter. I have to deal with that too, eventually. I don't want to add to that.
I was just praying yesterday about what I want to leave to my kids. (I ordered Matt Paxton's book. Thank you for sharing that book.) I tell my kids that I'm going to have a bin full of things they can throw away without looking at when I die. There are things that are meaningful to me that I want to keep. For now. I'm not dead yet. PS You have some super cool artwork there!
Love the way you are framing this. Our mindset is inextricably tied to our possessions. This is going to help me get thru my craft and memory closet. I have things from my childhood that are not as organized as I would like. But in about 2017 I started watching your channel and my kids have memory bins and art memory bins. When they leave my home they will be organized!
Absolutely fabulously helpful video!! Thanks as ever for talking us through, old art work was seriously helpful perspective!!!! Xx
Goodbye yearbooks! Maybe soon goodbye prom dresses and even the wedding dress that insults me by not fitting anymore. 🤭
I watch your ads, Dawn. ❤️ The only ones I don’t skip. It’s the least I can do for all of the life changing advice you share.
Even if you don’t plan to toss something out, it’s still a good idea to take a photo of it just in case of a catastrophe. At least you still have a photo.