Sentimental items. Should they stay or should they go now? Today on the blog, I’m sharing with you a bit about my process of dealing with sentimental items and 3 (practical) ways to declutter and deal with sentimental items.
At the very beginning of my decluttering journey, I went through the konmari process and the sentimental category was the last I tackled. I had so much stuff. Most of it was sentimental papers and pictures and random school awards. I kept things like report cards and junior high letters and diaries over the years. They came with me through two homes since I moved out of my childhood home.
Sitting with all of this stuff in my laundry room all around me on the floor, I thought deep and long about what to do. I decided to do what worked for me at the time: Declutter what obviously needed to go. Make a pile of stuff I wasn’t ready to let go of yet. And then I did the huge task of taking pictures of everything left.. Just in case…
And guess what? I haven’t looked at those pictures once since I took them. I spent hours talking pictures! Maybe my kids will look at them eventually, maybe not. But at least they are there just in case. I wasn’t completely ready to let go at the time. Minimalism and decluttering is a journey after all and it’s going to look different for everyone. One day, one step at a time.
3 Ways to Declutter and Deal with Sentimental Items?
- Pass onto someone who’d appreciate it. Have a cousin or sibling who’d love those old saucers and tea cups? Pass them on. They’ll be loved if it is something they’d love!
- Display it somewhere special. Can’t let go of something because it sparks joy (link) for you? Find somewhere to display it that makes you happy.
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Take pictures of it and then declutter the physical item. You can do what I did if you’re not ready to fully let go. Take time to take pictures and then revisit them in the future. You may be like me, too, and not look at them again (well, for me it’s “yet”…but maybe never? Time will tell).
Further reading?
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Decluttering at the Speed of Life
And if you’d like a simple, low key place to start, I have a 30 day declutter challenge that you may like. I’ve had folk message me and tell me they have bags of donations after a few days of it! Send me an email at simplehomemom@gmail.com if you’d like that.
Hi, I’m Kelly! I’m a mother of four children - three boys, one toddler girl - and our family lives on the beautiful east coast of Canada. I’m a past elementary teacher, turned stay at home, work at home mom eight years ago after I had my second child. I’ve found that the busier I’ve become and as my children age, that it’s become even more important to figure out what is most important to me and us as a family. Living a simpler lifestyle has helped us in so many ways in our home life - from better routines to faster tidying up times. It has been through my children that I have been inspired to learn how to effectively manage my time and to simplify in all areas of my home and life. I enjoy helping busy moms simplify home life by teaching flexible planning methods and skills. Enjoyed this blog and think it would be helpful to others? I'd love if you shared it. Thank you!