#13 Evaluating Keepsake Items - What to Keep - Decluttering When You are Sentimental

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

Is memorabilia a tough one for you? What holds you back?

[@karenhaire5451]

I guess I'm an oddball. I loved going through my mom's things after she died. Every item, no matter how large or small, from car to gum wrapper, was a joy for me.

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@karenhaire5451 Oh, Karen, I am so happy for you. I can definitely understand that. There was so much of my grandma’s stuff that was so fun to go through but there were thousands of photos and momentous of golf and trips she took that didn’t mean anything to my family and it took a long time to go through all that. I do believe it can be a joy and truly an honor and I am so glad it was that for you. Thanks for sharing your story with us! 💛

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@karenhaire5451 Oh, and you are not an oddball!! 😂

[@karenhaire5451]

Yes, thousands of photos. Now they are sorted and weeded. I gave a photo family tree on my wall, which is beautiful and a real conversation piece. I grew up around much older people, so I naturally their photos were few compare to today and are real treasures to anyone.

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@karenhaire5451 I love family trees! My grandma had one (that I now have 😊) made a generation or two before in the most gorgeous handwriting!!

[@sherrybowers8329]

This is really hard for me but I find that pulling everything into one place is too overwhelming. I get so anxious that I can’t really do anything. For me, if I can take one box and reduce the amount I keep then I think it’s a win. Thanks for the encouragement! I know I will get there eventually

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@sherrybowers8329 Sherry, I certainly understand that! And filing a box is definitely a win!! You might want to check out video #9 in the series on ”no mess decluttering”. I think it would be perfect for you! Thanks for watching. 😊

[@gwenj5419]

Yes, I've heard of it and it makes a lot of sense as we get older.

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@gwenj5419 Right? It’s still hard for me to think of myself as getting older, but with eight grandchildren, I think I have to face it!! 😂 Thanks so much for watching, Gwen!

[@jennywoods9122]

I love the idea of Swedish death cleaning. My mil is clinging to every last thing instead of letting anyone have an item so they can enjoy it now. I can’t manage her but I am trying my hardest to send off unused items that my family or others could be using so it’s not all left behind for our kids one day.

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@jennywoods9122 Hi Jenny! This is the opposite side of what Karen just commented on. No two families are the same and we have to recognize that and do what is best for us. Above all, doing our best to make it a joy and not a burden for others. It sure can be tricky… Thanks for sharing. 😊

[@karenlonneville3843]

Jenny, Be a blessing to your children now as when you are gone is it a blessing to deal with lots of stuff. Know and share the stories of the most precious items. If everything is precious than nothing is. I just tossed the casts my oldest brother wore and our Mom saved for 68 years. He lives in China and no I don't think he wants. Why! Let it go! Check out Matt Paxton Legacy List.

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@karenlonneville3843 Thanks for sharing, Karen!

[@katherinec7698]

Sentimental is a very difficult category for me to declutter. Additionally, one son is married and they are not going to have children. The other son is not yet married so I’m not sure what his, hopefully 🙏🏻, future wife might like as far as family items. So, I’m keeping a few handed down family “heirlooms’ that aren’t really my style. Like you mentioned, my goal is to display and/or use and not just store items. On another note, one blessing in disguise was that 2 boxes of my school days items were ruined by water. No decision there 😂

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@katherinec7698 Oh no! That’s terrible, but I do see how it was a blessing in disguise. You didn’t have to contemplate or make any choices about that! You are so right about how difficult this is. It’s not like decluttering your kitchen - this is history and memories and legacy! Not so easy 🙁 Thanks for sharing, Katherine. 😊

[@juliestephens7740]

I loved that original video of Carol that you referred to. I think I watched it more than once. Always enjoy your videos! l ,too, only kept my senior yearbook. I took some pics of the other years’ pages. Swedish death cleaning is very effective. I have been putting this into practice over the last few years (I’m 55 right now) and I have gotten rid of so much! My mom did NOT do this before she died and it was such a burden on my siblings and myself. I’m not going to do that to my kids. We each have a small memory box and that’s enough. I still have more categories I’m always working on especially my parents’ stuff that I struggle to part with. But I’m strengthening my decluttering muscles all the time. I’ve also been through all my photos 😳. Huge job that has taken year. I had all scanned (probably 10,000) and am now organizing digitally). So worth it to know that they are preserved. I’ve also curated the physical ones. Through many away and organized what was left by year

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@juliestephens7740 Wow, Julie!! Can you come over and help me with my photos? We can have tea and chat. 😂🙏🏼 I love everything about your comment. You were doing really great work and it’s impressive! Thank you for sharing. 😊

[@juliestephens7740]

I wish! I think we could be fast friends. I could learn a lot from you. And we could go thrifting. How fun to do that with you!

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@juliestephens7740 🤩

[@pippas5808]

I love the idea of Swedish Death Cleaning, but one thing I do find hard is the emphasis on passing things on to family. We don't have any children (or nephews or nieces) and my husband and I are both the youngest in our families, so it can be hard to know what to do with old family papers. I have found a couple of history societies that are interested in some of our family diaries and letters, so this is maybe something to consider for those who don't have family to give these things to. I've recently finished going through photos, and I've cut down five crates of pictures to one and a quarter crates. Now, I am going through my digital photos every few weeks and saving the favourites into a 'for printing' online folder. They sit in that folder for a year and at the end of the year, I go through them again and delete ruthlessly. I used to print maybe 400 photos a year that all went into albums, but now it's about 50 a year! (One other note regarding photos - please don't use the self-adhesive or 'magnetic' albums as the adhesive can damage the photos over time - I had to start with my earliest photos when I decluttered, as I found that some of them were starting to get yellow streaks on them as the adhesive in the album stained the backs of the photos. Either use albums with pockets or acid-free photo dots/corners and a paper album) P.S. the video you link was the one that brought me to this channel - I was so touched by your empathy, kindness and encouragement in that video that I didn't even notice any issue with the sound, so it can't have been that bad!

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@pippas5808 Pippa, thank you for such a kind and thoughtful comment! You brought up so many good points that I think will be helpful to other viewers. I love that you mentioned donating to a historical society. It didn’t even occur to me to mention that, even though I have done that myself. My grandfather was in World War II in the South Pacific and he had some really amazing mementos that we have been able to donatate. My family recently got to go on the aircraft carrier that he was on (now a floating museum where we donated his things) It was an amazing experience. I am really impressed with your process for photos. You have done a lot of hard work and it is very inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing! 😊

[@benpearson2254]

Janell here. Last year when I first heard of swedish death cleaning, I was thinking about memorabilia because I had 3 huge bins filled with manilla envelopes with each of the 40 years since we've been married! After talking to my only daughter about what she would like to see after I am gone, I took quite a while to go through each year, sometimes with my husband, and actually journal that year and keep only a few items in a clear bag with the journal page. It's all in 1 bin with room for more years. I have photo scrapbooks up to date since I have retired. My daughter doesn't do scrapbooking, she says I'm taking care of that for her and her family 😂.

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@benpearson2254 Wow! You are really on top of things! This is so inspiring, Janell! I have so much to catch up with and I hope to follow in your footsteps! 😁🤩

[@MyBlessedNest]

This video was packed with great tips and inspiration! Ty! 💓💓💓

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@MyBlessedNest Thanks, Carol!! 😁

[@christined2495]

I Swedish death cleaned 7 years ago, it’s very easy now for me to declutter, all I own is what I love and use, my husband isn’t as diligent as I am , but he also has decluttered, except I am ruthless I was never one to have a lot of clutter, but if I didn’t use it or love it it went to donation or I sold All photo albums I rid of doubles, photos I didn’t like ,also landscape, people I didn’t even remember and went from 15 albums down to 5 or 6 albums

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@christined2495 That is hard work - especially going through photos! I hope to be just like you when I grow up. 😆 (seriously!) Thanks for watching my videos!! 💛

[@laurie2715]

Yes I’ve been following Shannon Torrens channel and she promotes Swedish death cleaning ( I apologize if it’s tacky to mention another channel ) , she goes through a lot of rooms with her mom , it’s a lovely way to do it . Anyway , you inspire me ! I am tackling this area this weekend ! 😃👏🌿

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@laurie2715 Not tacky at all! I have never heard of her channel so I will definitely look her up. Thanks so much for watching and for commenting. 😁

[@cathyblackhall5237]

Not tacky but encouraging.I watch Shannon(I love her mum especially) and that’s why you’ve popped up on my feed I think?

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@cathyblackhall5237 Hi Cathy! I looked up Shannon after Laurie mentioned her. Great channel! Her mom seems very sweet. So glad you are here - thanks for watching and commenting!! 😁

[@cathyblackhall5237]

Many people save the pictures in outdated frames,they could be taken out and put in albums or fresh frames that suit your decor.😊

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@cathyblackhall5237 Definitely!! I’m looking forward to doing my photo wall after being in this house for seven years. I know most of the old frames will go. Thanks for sharing! 🤩

[@KellyGrahamLloyd]

❤❤❤

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@KellyGrahamLloyd So sweet of you to comment, Kelly!

[@mapinoita279]

I moved from Texas to Japan 36 years ago to marry my Japanese college sweetheart. There were very few long-term foreigners living here then. I raised 3 children here. I can’t decide what memorabilia will be interesting to future grandchildren and great grandchildren. My great great grandmother immigrated from Ireland to Texas. I’d LOVE to have some things…information, her story and memorabilia from her life, but it must have all been disposed of and dispersed through all these years. I’d love to see an old trunk, an old paper with her handwriting on it, a dress, her letters from her family in Ireland, etc. Which is a long way to say, I’m not sure what to keep and what to throw away. I feel like I’m in a similar place as she was in terms of family history.

[@teresaelling-peacefulhome]

@@mapinoita279 Thanks so much for sharing your story. It’s quite fascinating!! I understand the difficulty in deciding what to keep, and the fear of getting rid of something you should’ve kept. It is sad that you do not have anything from your great great grandmother. Even one small bin of keepsakes would be amazing. When I realize that I know that I don’t have to keep everything - just samplings of things that let me know what their life was like. Photos are amazing and they take such little space. I only need one or two photos of each relative, but the average person I talk to has bins and bins of photos - way to much to manage!! Also, every time you go through things, you will have a different perspective and probably get rid of a little more. It sounds like you know the things that you want to pass on. All the best to you!! 😊