HOW TO PURGE: Sentimental Clutter

[@WNCBabyLady]

This video landed on my screen at just the perfect time!! My mother recently passed away and my husband can't understand why I don't want her furniture. But things like her christmas tree ornaments going back to the 40s, some of her jewelry, and the Pyrex and FireKing pieces she had that I remember growing up with (I'm almost 65!) are very very important to me. When I use/wear these things myself, I feel close to her again. She had this great purse from the 1960s that I thought was so fashionable and fabulous back in the day--black patent leather, clasp closure, with a working watch on the front. I carried it to her wake and burial and my intention is to carry it on special family occasions, my anniversary, etc. I have old pictures of her with me and she's got that purse on her arm. THAT'S special to me. Another example is my youngest took a bottle of my mother's perfume so she could "smell grandma anytime I want." My oldest who was taught to knit by my mother took an afghan that my mother had started and my daughter will finish it. So very very special!! My husband thinks I should put all this stuff up and save it, but for what? Our daughters can use and wear these items after I'm gone. It sounds cold and harsh when I write this but that's not my intention: We all have an expiration date. "No matter how I struggle and strive, I'll never get out of this world alive." (Hank Williams song) I don't want to leave a bunch of stuff for my kids to have to go through and feel guilt over. I've recently gone through things I kept from my kids' school years. I kept what I thought was important/sentimental to me, displayed some (especially the sweet writing with misspellings from their early elementary school days), and the rest I divided between them for them to decide to keep or purge. There's just so much one house can hold and considering that we live in a 900 sq ft cabin ... there ain't much holdin' room!

[@skellymom]

Dog collar issue: Keep the tag and donate the collar to a vet office, shelter, dog foster. You can put the tag on your keychain, make a bracelet or necklace pendant (Etsy has oodles of artists that can help you with that if you are unable to DIY), or attach a split ring to it an make it a purse zipper pull.

[@melissamartin173]

ZombieMommy i was thinking a little Christmas ornament. aweee =]

[@cr123-cn]

My brother put our childhood dogs tags on his keychain... However he was devastated when he lost his keys in the river :(

[@jeepgirlscozycrafts]

I also keep our dog tags in with old pictures. I make each dog that has passed his own scrapbook.

[@ourminiagproject6822]

Thanks for saying that. I hate just putting things like that in the trash. Great idea.

[@FC-eh7ll]

Jeepgirl So sweet :(((

[@samanthagore8498]

I photograph sentimental items before chucking them, so I still have a record but it doesn't take up so much space, and then setup a screensaver so the image pops up periodically and you are reminded of it

[@sandrawessman883]

An absolutely brilliant idea!

[@tamiz8895]

I like the idea of scanning or photographing items ❤️ I have an Aura digital photo frame that I can load photos of sentimental items on if I want to display them.

[@sharisp2]

Great tips Kathryn! :) As a former professional organizer, this is a huge issue I saw many people have. My strategy is we would go through each sentimental item and I would allow them 3 minutes to stroll down memory lane and re-live or re-enjoy the story behind it and share it with me, and if it brought them obvious joy, I would ask them where they want to display it or store it (limited space had already been set aside for such things). If they were only hanging on to it because it was a gift or inherited object, but they never used it, or if it was an expensive item, but again, never used, I would ask them to 'pay it forward' by donating, thus allowing someone else to appreciate/enjoy it. This didn't work in 100% of all cases, but it did help eliminate a lot of the guilt people felt, if they knew the item would be put to good use somewhere else.

[@DoItOnaDime]

Busy Mama love!!!!!

[@lkblayney]

Thank you! That's very helpful advise. I do see myself someday show some of these things to my grandchildren and sharing the stories behind them. But If they give me so much joy I need to see them out and enjoy the memories now. If I am keeping out of guilt then it's physical and emotional excess baggage and needs to go.

[@lovedog49507]

My problem is that I have been in school more than 10 years and I have all my school papers and books. What can I do ? It takes up so much space. I just feel like I am going to lose something if I trash these papers, and books.

[@Beth1300]

I don't have kids and there is no one to pass things down to, so I'm trying to keep that in mind when I'm downsizing the sentimental stuff. I used to know someone who worked in a care home and an elderly resident died; she had no family so things like photo albums were thrown in the bin (then rescued by my friend, who was an artist). It's difficult to think of the things that matter so much to me being discarded when I die, but it does also give a different perspective on keeping everything.

[@africansnow]

My parents passed away when I was 6 and I guess because of that I'm always such a sentimental hoarder especially when it comes to my childhood lol. At 25, I've seen how clutter is detrimental to my well being and though I'm honestly not a hoarder, I admit it's very hard for me to throw away sentimental things. I find it takes about 3 or 4 "purges" for me to actually get rid of things. But after watching your video I'm okay with that. If that's what it takes at least I'm giving it a moment to actually process and understand that I don't really need these things to have those memories. I needed a little motivation today and you my lady, have given me just that. So thank you!! All the best :) cheers!

[@mchobbit2951]

Please don't let the minimalist movement affect you too much. If there is a legitimate sentimental attachment and something is telling you that you DON'T want to get rid of it the first time, why try to convince yourself that you must. My mother just recently told me how much she regrets doing all of this "decluttering" in the 90s and early 00s. Twenty years ago she just wanted "more room" and "less clutter" but now she wishes that she could get some of these irreplaceable things back, especially clothing her mother so lovingly made for her. If there is any hesitation/strong sentimental attachment, then I don't get rid of it if it's not easily replaceable. I myself chose to simply buy less and keep the things with sentimental value.

[@kentuckyghostinspecters]

Your comment hits so close to home. I am all about the memories and people tell me to take pictures... But.. My sister in law tried stealing my phone once and deleted everything i had.. My daughters baby pictures included, I was 💔 heartbroken.. It is so hard to do because like she said. I do feel guilty and it is not easy to not feel that way. I hope these things gets easier for and well everyone here to throw things away that may make us struggle with things like keeping our homes in shape enough because I know it overwhelms me when I have to much clutter. Just wanted to comment. And to the creator of the video I thank you and I really hope I can do 10x better in tbe next year with this just from this video. ❤

[@mmmbad]

My Mom took pictures of items I had made in elementary school before throwing them away. I did the same thing with things I wanted to have a memory of, but were taking up space and could no longer use. It's a great way to purge sentimental items.

[@petmomful2260]

+mmmbad I did this, too, especially when my kids made something big. It would sit in the garage and deteriorate. So I would take a picture, and put it in their file. I recently gave one of my grown sons his file, and he was surprised. Favorite papers, report cards, awards, stories he wrote, autographs, etc. Now he and his wife get to deal with it. LOL

[@EruzaSky]

Good idea, I think this is what I need to do to be able to whittle down my sentimental items

[@franpipkin7860]

I am purging my entire house!! The house used to belong to my parents and my husband and I bought it from my mom. My husband passed away about three years ago and I want to sell it and move to Florida. Alot of memories and stuff in it. You are right about the battle of purging it can be difficult. But once purged it is very liberating. Your tips are on grateful ears. Thank you!!

[@BrittMFH]

Fran, did you do it? I'm in the same position, in fact I already have the Florida house to go to but my home is brimming with family stuff! 😮

[@lucillevee1786]

Same here. My house is overcome with late hubby and late daughter stuff. Most is worth money, but I’m overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Most everything is down in the basement. It’s time I purge.

[@kab4292]

I would totally keep the collar. My husband has a special place in his workshop where he hangs the collar of a special pet he had. We currently have 2 older dogs, a 14 year old and a 10 year old who's collars will certainly be kept when that time comes. They take up literally no space on a workshop peg board.

[@shellytjohnson]

I was so so so appreciative of this video because I’ve been getting overwhelmed by the sentimental clutter and it was starting to affect my mood and ability to focus. I’m going through old graduate papers and tossing, scanning anything that looks important or taking a photo, going through old clothes and other older personal items from other people or of mine. I wish you could come out with another video on this topic. No one is mentioning sentimental stuff exclusively!! Thanks!!🙏

[@paperkawaii]

I loved this video it makes so much sense. I have decluttered so much I don't have much left to get rid of, which is nice. But, my mum is a hoarder, I always have in the back of my mind, that one day, I'm going to have to sort through all her stuff. Which includes all those school things.. its a burden for her, and a very expensive (I live overseas) burden for me one day... I will not be doing this to my daughter!

[@earlenawells9052]

Absolutely great video! I was holding on to my grandmother's china. Although this has great sentimental value, this has been sitting in my cabinet for four years. Not to mention, I have two from my grandmother and one from my mother. So I finally decided to let go of one and give it to a family who may not be able to afford. It took a long time to rid myself of the guilt of giving this away but now my grandmother's memory is not closed up in a cabinet. She can live on through another family and I have great satisfaction from giving.

[@fishingpinky3165]

Thank you 4 years later...I feel I can now let go of some things!

[@AllieD711]

The question I’ve been asking is - “if I lost everything, what would I truly miss?” Maybe it’ll help someone else.

[@aubrey6073]

That actually does lol

[@ldymoonsyn]

You know what I do is take a picture of the emotional item before I throw it away so that this way in a sense I still have it. I put it in an album on my fb page so that I can stroll down memory lane whenever I want. No guilt associated with. B4 camera phones I used my digital camera and took it to Wolf camera and printed them out and put it in my memory album.

[@ShugaAnnSpyce]

That's a good idea

[@ZulfisMom]

I love that idea.

[@darbirhian]

That is a GREAT way to modify and still preserve the memory/significance of the item. How thoughtful!

[@tatianaharvey5028]

I love this. I feel this is the thing that everyone needs to make the step from wanting to purge to actually cleaning. Ive been mentally preparing as well as started purging but then other things get in the way and its the same reasons stopping the urge. You need to want to do it and with pictures as reminders its easier to delete the items from the psychical world😸 i will have to try this! Im going from hoarder mentality, passed down from my mother and being a collector to becoming a minimalist "collector". Items that may hold value or are actually used daily.

[@julietannOsfan1972]

ldymoonsyn Great tip but make sure the pix aren’t blurred before you throw the items away, otherwise they won’t be clear.

[@msmandy00]

I find you to be so motivational for me! I love the way you speak, you get right to the point, no droning on and on, you're very clear, and the stuff you say makes good sense. I'm a happy new subscriber. Thank you.

[@HowToGrowAGarden]

I am a practicing minimalist. at least I thought I was - this past week I took a close look around my home and said "where'd all this stuff come from?" I moved everything I don't want, need or use into the spare room. There I sorted, cleaned organised and finally photographing all of it. Now I am very happy to say most of the stuff is sold or at least on eBay ready and waiting to be sold. And best of all I can once again walk calmly through my home knowing I am truly a practicing minimalist. (My garden and plants not included) Thanks for sharing, Scarlett

[@jessd.294]

Thank you very much for making this video. It was just what I needed to hear before tackling my daunting crawl space. A lot of people on here are saying why she shouldn't throw these things away, or how she could re-purpose them, but guys, that's not the point of this. If you get in the habit of picking things up and saying "I'm going to make this into something else", your single task has turned into two, burdening you with another thing on your to-do list. Take a picture, toss it. Make a folder in your google drive and label it "Memories", put the photo there, and move on.

[@janetninatanta9240]

I know the "guilty" feeling you get. TRUST ME!!! The sentimental boxes have been so hard to go through as I lost most of my "memories" when a pipe burst in my storage unit. So I go through my stuff and purge according to some of my and your "rules" for keeping them or letting them go. It's working out phenomenally!!! Thanks for all you do!!!

[@SweetAndSimpleHome]

That was such great, practical advice. You were encouraging and corrective-- just like a great teacher! I really loved all you had to say!

[@stephaniemorrissey5114]

Kathryn, Thank you for this video. My younger sister passed away from cancer when she was 25. I have held on to soooooo many things because of guilt, but I did not realize it until I watched this video. I had to realize that THINGS are not able to fix an ache in our heart. I would definitely say to keep photographs. After that, ask yourself whether the item you're keeping will bring you/your loved ones joy. I know my sister would not want me, my parents, etc. to save things of hers that would make us cry or ache. Your video inspired me to keep things that would bring us happy memories. I am sorry to be so personal on KZbin; normally I wouldn't share so much, but this video hit me hard. Inspired by your DIY videos, I made several keepsake boxes, and reduced the amount of "stuff" I was saving by two-thirds. When reducing clutter involves our hearts, it can be very difficult. Thank you for your wise words.

[@sandicullers1044]

Kathryn, I love your show. My down fall was paper clutter. Thanks to you I've gotten rid of 3 bags of shredded papers and junk catalogues from 2016. Thank you for all you do. Prayers.

[@CottageontheCorner]

I so needed this video...in fact, I will probably watch it several times to reinforce those ideas. When my dad passed, he left the largest camera collection of any private collector and I struggled with selling it because it all meant so much to him. I just had to remind myself that those items were "his" life and not "mine" and they were holding me back and actually weighed heavily on me emotionally. I rent his home out and there are still items in it and it all weighs on me. The guilt we feel is something that we need to let go of. I don't want my kids to keep my "stuff" because they feel guilty getting rid of it so I'm trying to practice that for myself.

[@OldWorldHome]

Fantastic tips. I am such a purger and my husband is the sentimental hoarder and getting him to part with a Tshirt from 5th grade is like pulling teeth! It's definitely an ongoing process and as the years go by you start to realize what's important, what can be "saved" through a photograph, and what can go because the memory is more important than the thing. What's hard I find is friends & family who inherit furniture that they feel soo much guilt in getting rid of yet they don't use it and it creates large scale clutter! That's a tough one.

[@CountryLissa]

My husband and I inherited a bedroom set from family members, and we kept all of it but the bed. The bed was a full size, a bit small for us, and had a foot board. My husband is 6'3" and wasn't able to sleep comfortably with the foot board (it was a sleigh bed) so we ended up buying a queen size bed (no footboard, lol.) I had a t-shirt from my 8th grade graduation, but I didn't save it. The yearbook I kept, but not the shirt. I wasn't crafty enough to think of something to do with it, lol. It won't fit me anymore! I don't even know if I have the shirt from my HS graduation with all of the students' names on it. I probably tossed that out as well, but again, kept the yearbook.

[@DoItOnaDime]

My So-Called Home That's funny! I don't think Charlie would notice if I got rid of anything, lol. It's a fine balance to walk as you say. Looking forward to your upcoming GW challenge. Woot!

[@harpin569]

CountryLissa I can sympathize completely with you. I have sacrificed my dream bed for my 6'5 hubby. I actually want a king size bed. LOL

[@harpin569]

DoItOnaDime You're right about that! at the beginning of the year I went through my husband's closet and got rid of 1/3 of his clothing (hadn't been worn in the 17 years we've been together). He didn't notice. Now, in the next couple of weeks, I plan to go thru it again and knock his jean collection down from 30 to 5, maybe 3. We live in Florida and even in the winter time he wears shorts. :)

[@jaspreetmatharu2573]

my so-called home .l watch your organisation videos love them

[@SweetlyHome]

This is so appropriate for my life right now. Two weeks ago I had to pick up seven large buns of everything from my childhood. To make a long story short, there is one bin and a large garbage bag full of baby books, my parents wedding album, certificates, childhood artwork and school papers. It's overwhelming to say the least. I truly will be taking your tips to heart as I sort through a lifetime of memories.

[@anaepete]

Kathryn you are the most inspiring home organizer to me! My husband who normally uses the word "ok" to comment things ie praise, said that now are bedroom is exquisite! I know I'm not commenting on the video per se, but there you go.

[@elainefranzetti6459]

The timing of this video is great! I am ready to get rid of my parents couch and living room chair that I inherited. I actually have pictures of myself as a baby on this couch. It has taken me months to get the courage to do this but the couch and chair are worn out and not serving any purpose except to look bad in my living room. I have another couch that is in much better shape.

[@samn9585]

Thank you for making this video! It was short, sweet and straight to the point unlike most videos about this topic that are 25+ min long! And you also gave relevant and valuable questions to ask oneself when purging these often difficult-to-toss-out items. Thank you!

[@Flids84]

You have NO idea how much I needed this video right now!!!! :)

[@graytchel26]

This so timely.I'm a huge emotional hoarder.I keep everything that is so meaningful to me:from my daughter's card w/c she gives me every year for my bday and from my hubby's notes and dried petals from the flowers he gave me.Through the years I have this boxes of knick-knacks.Christmas is coming and I've wanted to rid of some of my stuff.This vid gives me an inspiration to do so.Thanks for posting:)

[@janemycock1885]

Such a fantastic video! Everybody should watch this! I am a very organised person yet I've carried around boxes and files of crap for years from house to house without even looking at it or getting any happiness from it. I live in a tiny cottage so why should this rubbish take up my precious space?! Thanks to your videos I now have all that crap I've collected over the years (jewellery, school stuff, tickets, photos, ornaments) down to a single perfume box of mementos. All this stuff only makes me smile. Thanks Kathryn! X

[@WifeMommyFamilyJourney]

The hubby and I have been purging little by little since the beginning of the year and we feel like it has been so freeing and we are loving it!! Love this video!! Thanks for sharing :)

[@recabitejehonadab2654]

Great advice! Very clear headed. Do not be a slave or burdened by your possessions. Be a minimalist keep a limited amount of sentimental items and then be ruthless and throw the rest away or donate!! I could never live with a hoarder. Ugh!!

[@Kindercrafty]

Great topic...it's so hard to purge sentimental stuff. I remember the day I had to decide whether or not to throw out my box of extra wedding invitations...it brought tears to my eyes...but then I thought to myself, who wants to see this in the future? So I kept one for myself, one for my husband and one for my son and threw the rest of those gorgeous invitations in the trash!

[@karenberry5977]

I am purging at home and at my school room, the library. I am going through photos and memorabilia from elementary school through my life before I got married. I am also going through things in my files at school. I really am enjoying your videos. It is helping a lot.

[@ouvickie]

This is exactly what my daughter has been saying to me, so this past year I am working to declutter and get rid of stuff like this. I've donated a lot of useful items and it makes me feel better knowing they have a home and a new purpose!!

[@chloe_3787]

I am 15 years old, and was watching this video on repeat this past Friday becuase I was at home alone with a snow day. Usually, when I'm bored I end up just throwing everything from my room away. But. There have been a set of three plastic drawers (the big ones, not the little ones)looking in my closet that were all packed to the brim with sentimental things that I refuse to touch while on my cleaning rampages. I don't think you guys understand, I keep *everything*. Here are some examples; I have all of the wrapping paper (torn and all) and deflated helium balloons from my 5th birthday, every card I have ever received in my entire life, pretty much all of the artwork (even just scribbles) from my early years of life, every t shirt that is from a vacation, summer bible schol, or recreational soccer, all of the American girl magazines and catalogs I used to receive, every wrist band from amusement parks, science centers, and even the public pool, all of the labels dm candy grams I received over band seasons, every. single. tag from my Webkinz (there are like 75 of them and I'm not kidding at all), and then there are things like, bouncy balls, jelly creatures, plastic jewelry, play makeup, and yes, even instruction books from toys I used to have. My mom is a purger. You let anything of little function in her sight for a few seconds, and it will be in the trash. I keep artwork and little toys and things that remind me of anything at all for her, assuming that someday she will thank me for it. I file all my tests and quizzes and school work at the end of each year, again, assuming she will be grateful. She never will becuase, guess what, we don't need every single vocabulary practice from my seventh grade year. So, anyway, I decided to tackle those drawers. As I was going through them, my attached feelings didn't change much. I would find something as simple as a bouncy ball, but as soon as it would remind me of a specific moment I could pinpoint exactly in my mind, I had to keep it. I did get rid of a lot. My "crap" is down to one drawer and I filed art work in folders and stacked them in a bin at the top of my closet. There was so much that I could not bring myself to get rid of becuase I'm still having a hard time parting with things that I remember a specific moment in life about. I think it's me holding onto my childhood and thinking that only as long as I keep those material things is my younger version of myself still a part of me. I know they serve no purpose. I know they aren't making me happy. I ask myself the questions over and over again and still there is some stuff that I would love to get rid of but just can't. If anyone could give me new tips, I'd really appreciate it!

[@VCcoffee68]

When my older boys were about in the middle of their school years my hubby and I decided to buy 3 big binders and in each we divided the binder from K-12 we also set aside space for some medical info or in our case we have a son who was developmentally delayed so we kept progress reports etc. we put what we thought was funny important and things like that. We also put a picture on each boy on the binder. So when sweet sentimental or educational things came up we would add to the binder or go to it for reference. As adults now, they love looking through pictures they drew, their first handwriting and for one in particular the trouble he got into. 😄 That one joined the Marines so he straightened out real quick. One of my sons has children and they love seeing Daddy's stuff.

[@MusickLB]

One thing that helps me to let go of sentimental items it to take a picture or scan into a computer file. Then "Bless and Release" it. I just emptied a storage shed in order to save the $80 month. More than half of it was given away or trashed. The rest of the boxes are cluttering up my living room... Which is why I am checking out videos such as yours. I need to get inspired to move forward on this project. Right now I feel overwhelmed and paralyzed (like a deer in headlights). I appreciate your ideas and videos. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@96suri69]

I really like your video!! After my mom and grandma passed away four years ago I held on to all their stuff like clothes, pillows, blankets, perfumes etc. About a few months ago I finally let go of their stuff by giving them away to the needy and only kept one bin with the most important things. I also threw much of my old clutter and it felt good. Sometimes we just need to let go of the old and past so newer things can come to us. I will now give my kids a small bin to save only what is most important to them, using your idea. Thank you!!

[@chelliea42]

I have the exact feelings when I go through things, especially passed down items from loved ones who have passed. Thank you for this video.

[@AnnAmbler]

With the dog collar, you could also consider another use. Donate the collar and use the actual name tag as a key chain or even better might be as a Christmas ornament. Have to agree with some of the comments on report cards. Maybe not all of them, but it might be a great way for kids to relate to your school experience in years to come and historically getting to know you in decades to come, genealogically speaking. BTW, the sound was awful and completely distracting. But you probably won't have your mic so low in future - likely already lesson learned!

[@DoItOnaDime]

Ann Ambler an ornament is an awesome idea!!

[@darbirhian]

I had the same idea with the key chain. The ornament is an AWESOME idea too!

[@RyujinZero]

+DoItOnaDime Yeah, that is what we have done with all of our family pets' tags, they now hang on our Christmas tree every year. :)

[@Laura-hi5le]

omg I though thee exact same thing.

[@dlignell]

Wow, from reading responses we can definitely see what an emotional topic this is! I so struggle with the sentimental items. I would definitely keep the report cards, or at a very minimum scan them. I created a family memory journal and my son so loved seeing the ways he was like his grandpa (both my parents had their report cards). I realize this might not be important to some and to each his own- gotta do what works for your life! I struggle with parting with my son's art work over the years- not all of it, but a lot of it! I love to collect family history things like journals, photo's and letters. I would have kept the metal tags from the doggie collar.... see how bad I am????! :)

[@lilmissmonsterrr]

I've been an adult aka married for 6.5 years and we have accumulated things like that. We are building our first house - a 576 sq ft cottage. I NEED TO PURGE. I'm pretty good at getting rid of stuff I don't NEED, but purging stuff that I want is uncharted territory. I really needed to see this video, thank you so much for your advice, I'm all about logic and your logical way of thinking met me halfway. Good luck on your one box goal!

[@julz63]

Hey Kathryn , I'm now 51 and I would never get rid of my school reports. My parents saved them and gave them to me when I left home . They hold so many memories for me that I treasure them to this day. I am planning to cull the pile of school stuff I've saved from my daughter's school years though. I've definitely gone overboard with hoarding her stuff !! I have a treasured diary from my great grandfather who served in World War 1 and this would have been thrown out as trash if someone in the family hadn't decided to " hoard" it. My office is the one place that needs a serious look at...it's so full of clutter.

[@DoItOnaDime]

Julie Spratt I kept a few (we got one every quarter so keeping them all was a bit overkill for me), but reading your teachers remarks that were meaningful is really nice. Love the diary!!

[@sophias7074]

GREAT video!!! And don't let other peoples opinions make you feel bad about throwing away the report cards and dog collar. It's what you want to do and how it fits your life, not theirs. Everyone is different and should know what's sentimental to keep or not in their own personal way. Keep up the awesome work, Kathryn!

[@nsansoni22]

Love this video. I absolutely LOVE organizing and de-cluttering. It is absolutely "freeing" and wonderful. My focus this fall is on my wardrobe. I'm not just cleaning out my closet, but really working on creating a "capsule wardrobe" for both work and casual. You would not believe how many clothes I have taken to charity! I have a simple wardrobe that is full of items that work together so getting ready in the morning has become a no-brainer. Just love this concept and had to share. Thank you for your wonderful videos! Your enthusiasm and positive personality is contagious!!

[@heidilaureannull]

LOVE this video! Something I like to do is take a picture of the sentimental objects and put them in photo albums. It doesn't take up as much space, and I can still show the photos to my children. I have a friend that uses a binder for every year of her child's life where she takes photos of artwork, school projects, and report cards so she has a little book for her child to look at when she's older.

[@bradfordcook7443]

I'm actually Jen Cook, signed in under my Dad. THANKS for sharing this video. Hubby argues with me, and threatens to leave me. Now, I can purge. KEEPING my yearbooks and family photos. Clutter is as good as gone!

[@ichigopop2436]

I just wanted to say that this video could not have come at a more perfect time. i came across it after getting in a rut organizing my costume room. thank you

[@doodledo2do777]

Enjoy your vids, Kathryn. You are cute as a button! Tells you my age-63 yrs old. Mom went thru the Depression so I inherited her "saving" trait. Recently downsized & had to let go 2/3 of our possesions.Next move is on a stretcher feet first out the door. It was hard to part with my childrens' drawings & stories. I decided to keep some of these items, copy them & incorporate these into a quilt for remembrance.

[@lvnphish]

This is so great....I am in the process of doing Spring cleaning with the goal of having less stuff, and this is exactly what I needed to hear. I also have my dogs' old collars too! Thanks! So helpful!

[@imfreetobeme8]

Great video...I just purged my whole apt....took me about 3 months and after I move I am going to do it once again for the "I'm not sure items that I held on to". It was a unique journey in so many ways and yes it is absolutely freeing.

[@kellymerta2855]

I must have been channeling you today because I went through six boxes of clutter/memories my mom saved for me. I've been purging like crazy and doing dollar tree organizing. So I went through my boxes and got it down from six boxes to three. One box is my baby book and some childhood pictures in frames, so I really feel that I cut it down to two with actual clutter. I kept my metals and band programs from high school and middle school as well as the dried corsage my husband gave me at a banquet we went attended the year we met 😊. I threw out some old picture frames and albums, but first removing the pictures of course. I also got rid of some jewelry that isn't appropriate for my age, as well as some gifts that I got that don't hold a lot of meaning. I kept journals, a stuff animal from a relative that passed away and the commemorative cup from my prom. It felt SO good to purge it especially since it is just sitting on a shelf in my spare closet. Now the items that are useful can go to someone else, so I feel good about that and about the fact that we have more room to breathe. Great video as always, Kathyn 😊. It's kismet that you did this video on a day where my whole goal was to purge.

[@debrtx]

Great questions to ask ourselves. Decluttering is an ongoing process especially if we have children. We try to do it several times of year such as a few weeks before school, before Christmas, Spring time, etc. Its harder to get rid of sentimental items, but your Qs will help me better when deciding what to keep. Thanks.

[@RiverGem]

This is so inspirational for me right now! I have downsized from 1250 square feet to 480, and boy do I need motivation for getting rid of stuff! Thanks for sharing such a helpful philosophy. :-)

[@Valenwindmama]

Writing these questions down and posting them to my bedroom door! Oh my goodness, I now know what to actually ask myself when I go through things. I have a LOT of items that I feel guilted into keeping. Thank you so much for this video!♥

[@mylifeasjen8732]

This is so timely for me. I have been purging my closets and one thing I have taken away is if I am not using something and I keep holding onto it then I am becoming wasteful. Someone else may really benefit from that item. For instance, bless someone else with grandmas' dishes. I'm sure she would love the thought of someone having them that needs them and would use them everyday.

[@angiewillsonarte]

I love this - I am one of those people who naturally purges and loves organization - but I can actually do more - and this is very motivating. I LOVE the feeling of letting go of clutter and sentimental stuff - it's stuff - take a picture of it. let it go and live in the present. That's just me.

[@clmierau]

I did this in the beginning of the month. I finally got rid of my wedding cake topper ! Why did I hang on to it ? I don't know...I didn't pick it out, it came with the cake...and I HATED that cake !!! lol But I held onto the cake topper...duh ! I purged a lot. I gave stuff away to people that I thought would appreciate certain things more than me. It was hard at first because there must be some sort of an unwritten rule that you have to hang on to stuff or you didn't appreciate who gave it to you, or the accomplishment that it represents, etc. But once purged it felt soooooooo good ! I'm glad I did it.

[@CoffeeLovingCatholic]

I saved a LOT of things for my children, and now that they are adults - they could care less! We are in the process of preparing to move house (again) and I'm in the process of purging! We do have a 'rule' - We have a 'Goodwill pile' in our gargage and everything to be donated goes there. It sits there (sometimes for waaaay too long!) so that folks have the opportunity to change their minds about getting rid of something. (I've pulled a couple of things back in just yesterday myself) No worries tho! I still have enough to get rid of that my son will bring his pick-up truck over so that we can make one trip ;-)

[@jenniferannfox2316]

I can so relate to the first sentence. Kids today are not thankful for anything in general, they live by thinking they are entitled to everything new and bigger and better. It's sad. One day when they are old they will wish they had a better attitude.

[@CoffeeLovingCatholic]

I hear you Jennifer! However, my kids have all turned out to be 'minimalists'. My youngest daughter literally lives out of 2 suitcases & and a back pack! Which makes Christmas both easy & frustrating at the same time [[[ grin! ]]] The only thing I am rather sad about is all of the baby pictures ( X 4 children!) I wish we had instragram etc so we could store all of these photos and not have them take up so much space in the closet. It took HOURS just sorting the pictures into piles for each child (y'know...the first child gets the nice, organized 'baby book' , and then there simply isn't any time for the next ones - and #'s 3 & 4 for me were twins!!!) I am honestly thinking of dumping the pictures. Noone cares any more!!

[@jenniferannfox2316]

oh please don't dump your pictures....I know I could scan put on them digitally but I haven't because I always fear that something would go wrong with the computer or hard drive or something. I have all my kids pictures. I even have 2 16 x20's of each when they graduated. I have taken one of the frame and reused the frame. It's just disheartening to see them and realize they chose to act like I'm not even alive anymore. But I will always love my children no matter what and hope one day they will understand when they get their own to love.

[@nagaempress]

Give them about 20 years down the line and they will be praying they had some of those things you are tossing right now. If I would have done that 20 years ago i would be kicking myself right now.

[@DoItOnaDime]

Dana Lynne Well put Dana! I don't want to burden Carson with clutter down the line that he doesn't want. I love the idea of letting those sentimental items sit for a while before letting them go. It helps ease the process!!

[@fedoranahmens7096]

You had help me a lot with my organizing and decluttering. And now I'm gonna use this for my own sentimental clutter. Baby steps. Thank you

[@ElleIsForLiving]

I absolutely LOVED this. When you started the video I thought "Oh, this isn't me as I am not sentimental" but then when you brought out the dog collar I was like "That is me!!!" So smart that if it isn't adding value, we don't need it to have our memories. Thank you so much for this great insight Kathryn. ♥ Elle

[@tnekkc]

This video is what I need now. I have inherited my father's college textbooks from WWII.

[@marytresame1758]

I love your videos and they are so down to earth! I have been decluttering and I want to do more. I had scads of photos from very old to recent. Albums and pictures galore! I recently scanned all of them, this took some time but worth it! Scanned them all and named files in the pc for each year etc. then I had my adult children come over one day and I let them go through all of the pictures and take whatever they wanted. I also had a box for whatever was not wanted to be thrown away. They each took pictures and so many of them they had never seen. It was fun but did take up an entire afternoon. I was able to then move all of the files with pictures in folders from my pc and copy them to a USB drive. I was so happy to be able to give my kids pictures and also keep all that I wanted. I eliminated a huge container full of albums!

[@vanessammacd]

One of the things I do keep are all my report cards and class photos! It doesn't take up a lot of space. Look, you had it all in one envelope! Those are so neat to look back on. My husband and I had a great time reading them all one night.

[@nvaranavage]

Thank you so much for this - because this is a big problem for me and my DH. We are keeping things that don't serve a purpose but only because it has sentimental value. So kudos to you for giving me the right kind of inspiration to take care of these things that aren't just physical clutter, but stress clutter as well.

[@savinginnyc4765]

I just want to thank you for taking the time to share these tips with us. I am really learning a lot from you. I really have a lot to get rid off but it's difficult for me. I'm taking baby steps and hope to soon be clutter free. Thanks again. : )

[@angelacluff9697]

Thanks for this video! This is the type of clutter I have the hardest time with. I love your ideas for purging sentimental things and not feeling guilty about it! Also, setting up a limited amount of space for them really helps narrow down what's most important. Great ideas!

[@xXsunnysunwallXx]

Why is everyone commenting these negative comment making me want to keep everything? Just back off from the video if you don't wanna let go of some of your possessions. This video is for people that want to get rid of sentimental clutter, so let them.

[@VALERYESC]

Perfectly said.

[@Adele5554]

I KNOW! its making me want to keep things ughh

[@robertmendez9045]

I enjoyed reading all the comments both positive and negative. The ones I read at least had some good/interesting thoughts.

[@jo-annel.wright2975]

As she said decluttering and letting go 'looks' differently for each of us. I felt resistance when she said she'd get rid of her report cards but accepted that she would get rid of the dog collar...

[@saraelliott8402]

THANK YOU! I appreciate the SPECIFIC questions I can ask myself while I sort, and see if it had a purpose. I’ve taken notes and I’ll be referring to them!! ❤️

[@IthliaH]

Great video. You made some very valid points. I have a lot of items that my mother in law felt I needed to properly set up a home...tea service, dessert sets, etc. Most of it I have never used but I keep hanging on to all of it. 30+ years later I'm still shuffling this stuff around from kitchen cupboards to the storage room. I keep it because it was important to her however it is not important to me. Your video made me think about that.

[@carolineourso7936]

I donated all of my sons baby clothes today! I had no use for them and there were 5 boxes of them. I kept his baptism outfit. Other than that everything is in photos! It was really really emotional but I feel better now that I have done it!

[@chelseydavis3408]

Headed to purge the storage unit but first stop.. this video!!! Thanks for all your advice! Wish me luck! God bless you and your family!!!

[@southerncouponista]

Good advice, but I struggle with releasing sentimental items! So many things I have forgotten about over the years, but when I look in old photo albums and scrapbooks, they come back to memory. If I part with those things, I fear the memories will be lost and forgotten forever :(

[@tanjadermody3785]

I would transform the piano bag into a decorative throwpillow

[@monicacochran3931]

How about framing it.

[@laineygann7713]

She said she doesn't need it and isn't sentimentally attached. No need to keep anything just because it has your name on it or you once used it. I hope I can purge as well as she has.

[@jo-annel.wright2975]

I would turn it into a library bag...or reusable shopping bag...or hold all for some thing...maybe.

[@wandanowicki2267]

Except it's not that decorative.

[@Profile.4]

How about throw it in the damn trash and stop being a hoarder

[@shansopink]

I inherited my Grammys house and this video is very helpful because there is a ton of clutter to get rid of. But all of the emotion of everything is so fresh, it's good to be reminded that the value of my memories with her are in my heart not in materials

[@secoxyy]

You should make a shadow box with a picture of your dog and her collar! It's displayed and sentimental!

[@yvettrae]

My MIL has been purging getting ready for a big move and found old camp letters that my FIL wrote to his parents as a child. We read them aloud at family dinner and laughed hysterically. Good times!

[@blakekehr2593]

oh, i could never trash my dog's collar. i'd throw every report card and childhood drawing before i could even try to do that.

[@mollyjane98]

Right?!? She kept a story she wrote about a caterpillar, but she didn’t keep her old dog’s collar?!?!? Can’t understand that logic/sentiment at all!

[@BenTacoCatBen]

@@mollyjane98 I know Im late but this is just an example of keeping something because you would feel guilty otherwise. Personally I hate the sentimental feeling. Getting rid of objects that carry emotional weight is very liberating and you never have to worry about losing them if there is a fire or you lost them somewhere. I never regret throwing stuff away because I always know why I did it and that Im better for not having it

[@GretchenStrutzenberg]

Great points. I have been trying to figure out what to do with my items and these tips will help me simplify as I have been wanting to without feeling guilty.

[@darbirhian]

This is a great video with some great insight and questions. I really like the idea about also modifying some of those sentimental belongings that you really don't want to part with in a way that minimizes clutter but also doesn't completely remove the item. For example, the tag on your dog's collar could be removed and placed on your key chain. Certain things can be modified like this, but not all.

[@lkblayney]

Thank you so much for this video! This is just what I needed. My father was a sentimental border and died leaving so much for my mother to go through. Then her father passed leaving her with all of her parents belongings. Her mother had passed many years before. She wasn't in good health when she ended up with all of this so much of it went u sorted. When she passes I inherited all of it because my brothers had no space or deside to go through it. I took it all out of guilt and an unwillingness to let go of them. I am now the oldest person in my family and I'm only 50! I have gotten rid of a lot, but there is still way too much and I felt for a while it was time to get rid of most of it. I just didn't know how to approach the sentimental things. I don't want to feel like I'm letting go of too much of their memory, but at the same time I don't want to burden my son with all of this stuff some day. So THANK YOU SO MUCH for this. This method of sorting will likely change my life. No pressure there. Now if i can just part with the ugly lamp my mother begged me on her death bed to take care of because it was her favorite thing of her mother's. Ug. It really is hideous and I think it has become a fire hazard.

[@deadmanswife1]

have the same rewired and use it proudly. if its that hideous it's obviously a great conversation piece.

[@petmomful2260]

+lkblayney Have you ever seen the books by Don Aslett, on clutter? One is called, "Clutter's Last Stand." This book changed my life and helped me learn to declutter. He tells you what to do with sentimental stuff, too. Many libraries carry it, and book stores. My copy is worn out, from lending it out and rereading it. My daughter also went out and bought her own copies!! Well worth checking out, and funny, and fun to read.

[@Mineralspringskat]

I am still gut laughing !! I have 4 children that are all grown, and I have a box of drawings, report cards, that go from k-12 !! I am an organizers nightmare.... Thanks to you, I have started organizing some different areas of the house... I didd'nt get all this overnight and I wont get it all done in one day... As long as I tackle something each day ... Well, let's just say ... I am a work in progress... Thanks for sharing with us Kathryn !

[@ozazure]

This is very timely for me as I am going through a box of stuff like that this weekend myself!

[@LRH143]

Thanks for the tips. I have dog collars, cat collars, rodeo ribbons, etc. And it's such a struggle to throw these things away. But after watching this I will. But I won't lie , I'll probably take a picture of them. I have been trying to put my sentimental letters and other paper source items on digital file and disposing 95% of paper items.

[@fletchersmommy1]

I needed this. My mother sold her home and gave me my box of childhood toys (junk). I need to let it move on. It's just taking up space that I could use for something I need / enjoy. Thanks for the motivation.

[@lizzabbott]

Very practical, helpful tips! I have boxes of sentimental /paper clutter. It's so hard to get rid of this stuff! But I must! I will be downsizing in a few years, so I won't have room for it. That said, I have purged a lot in the past during moves, and in between. But it's time to go at it again! Thank you! This was certainly helpful.

[@CWsMama7]

I recently went through our box of high school memories (my husband and I went to high school together) and I had been hoarding all of our leftover graduation invitations and little name card inserts for the invitations and all sorts of other random junk! I also had this gigantic scrap book of photos from my days in Color Guard and I wasn't able to fit it in the box. But only about 1/5 of the scrapbook was filled and it was the type of scrap book where you glue directly on to the paper (rather than inserting nice pages into sheet protectors) and I really didn't like it, so I unscrewed the book and took out my pages so I could fold them and tuck them in the box and then I was able to gift the book to someone else who didn't mind that kind of scrap book. :) Now we just have one shared box of childhood memories and stuffed animals and one shared box of high school yearbooks and whatnot.

[@laura85elizabeth]

Thankyou for this video!! My mum and I are both terrible hoarders that are trying to change our ways, this is a big help! :)

[@dc4cgrl]

This is an excellent video and really timely for me as we're decluttering our basement before school starts. Everything we have seems to have a memory attached to it and you're right, it can make you guilty. Thank you very much for the inspiration!

[@mhodges9897]

Love watching your videos. You had me dying when you started reading your report cards. I was crying. I learn so much from your vids. Take care.

[@bcgrote]

Thank you for this one. This really brings it home, how to let things go. There ARE a few things we are NEVER letting go, like my husband's half brother's Purple Heart and the telegrams from when he was injured in Viet Nam. His half brother died when hubby was young, and these things tell a story about someone we want to remember with love and pride. We also struggle with collecting t shirts. Concerts, places we've been, funny memes and tv shows, I could go for several months and not wear the same shirt twice! We've tried to purge a few times, it can be hard. But this video will help me to do better!

[@JanetteBuhler]

Good lord I needed this!! I feel soo guilty for not having a use for things given to, or passed down to me! I feel awful. I'm glad I'm not the only one, lol. This gives me that "permission"🆗 I needed to let these items -- though not the valued memories -- go! (at least for a lot of it!!!) Thank you!!! Ok *deep breath* 👋bye stuff👉📠👜📖 💨👉

[@Viv8ldi]

when my dog died (she was the closest being in my life back than), I was devestated and I still have her dog-pullover (she was a short haired dog and needed that for our hard winters here). I could never throw that away.

[@MustardSeedish]

I started with some major purging a few years ago and it was very freeing. My problem now is my husband and boys. I'll show them this video. Thank you!

[@MegaGreentea1]

Paper I'm getting rid of paper it's taking over my life.

[@GS-st9ns]

MegaGreentea1 I just shredded three large boxes of mail that built up over the 20-year period of time., all that did was make my house look worse. I destroyed the place looking for it, but it is cathartic to know that it's gone

[@body9639]

Dear Kathryn, can you please make more video's about this subject? And about decluttering my babyclothes, the babyclothes of our kids, the babystuff of our kids and ourselves, the artwork of our kids now, and so forth. Thank you very much!!

[@lilithka1986]

Some things just shouldn't be tossed away... I wouldn't throw away the collar if I were you. Some things should be kept just because they are valuable to yourself! Like grandpa's glasses or a candlestick from my granny. I don't use or display them, but I want to have them and touch them every now and then. Purging is only for people with hoarding problem or those who stick to dozens of emotional attachments. If you have 10 or so it is completely fine.

[@TheVeggieNut]

I agree, I wouldn't throw away the collar. I would keep that forever. It takes up very little room, but is very sentimental.

[@mythriftyandorganizedlife2]

I have my Mom's wedding dress. I will keep it.

[@DoItOnaDime]

Lilith ka I donated the collar to Goodwill (I actually really love the idea of another dog using it) and I kept the tag. It is small and an easy momento.

[@lilithka1986]

It is absolutely fine if you love the idea of another dog using it. I would keep it anyway :)

[@darbirhian]

Exactly this, so true. I don't believe that because you keep sentimental items you are automatically a hoarder. Numbers aren't really relative either, though. Your number may be different than mine or someone else's. True hoarding is either on a large scale, or it is something that is causing a burden in some way (as in, say you live in a small space, but you still have enough items--though not necessarily tons--that are taking up valuable space, causing clutter, anxiety, etc.).

[@DeeLightfulCo]

Glad you can delutter that way. I absolutely disagree. Your children will want to see your artwork, your report cards. My parents are both deceased and I would give anything to have pieces of their childhood. I guess it all depends on the value we each place on our individual stuff. TFS dee

[@robinnieto2703]

When our dog passed away our teenage son kept the tag only and we got rid of the collar. Our daughter kept the tag from our cat. They have these still as adults and keep them on their key chains. I love this video!

[@KISSmartie]

Great topic. I know all to well the challenges of purging sentimental clutter. Over the years I've managed to part with some things. It's often difficult figuring out what to do with them however. Trashing things doesn't always feel right and donating other stuff often seems out of place at times. Ugh, the struggle continues (smile).