This is a great video topic, the older I get the more I see the value of getting rid of things. What will happen is all the stuff I thought was so important to keep my kids will throw out when I’m gone. So I might as well get rid of it now and live with less clutter. Jackie from Indiana
Jackie, your kids might not be as ruthless as you think. In the last few months I've had to clear out my mum's things (fortunately she lived with my aunt, so no great time pressure). There are definitely things of hers I want to keep, although I have a small home so I have to draw the line. As Allison suggested I already had a box hand made for the things that were most precious to her. It is good to live with less clutter though, and I feel the same way as you, that no-one will want my stuff when I'm gone. All I want to leave behind are things that are useful, beautiful or could be sold for a reasonable amount. My ex kept all of his parents' belongings and his house was a disaster, full of worthless 'treasures' that bogged him down.
I finally bit the bullet and donated my prom dress from 2008 to Goodwill. It’s a pretty classic dress, and I figure with prom season around the corner, someone could get better use out of it than it sitting in a garment bag in the back of my closet.
I finally got rid of suits I'd worn to school dances and such (in the 1970s!) - and gave them to my old high school's drama department. I benefitted from someone else's 1940s cast-offs when acting in school plays, so now it's my turn to replenish the well.
Tabatha Shaulis i do too! it’s way more sentimental that way! Sometimes my phone crashes or it won’t load & it’s such a hassle! I love being able to have memories right in my hands!
very valuable advice! the sentimental things are the hardest. as a historian I would hang on to old good photos (get rid of duplicate mistake photos etc). if you choose to digitize all photos and get rid of the physical photos, first find out if you have a historian or "keeper of photos" in your family and ask if they would like to have them.
Another good use for old photos that you have digitized is to see if your local library has a local history room or similar to donate them to. Our library has albums full of photos of how our town looked over the years. They also include old school pictures, employee groups at various companies, etc. I made copies of several photos of a gentleman in France's granduncle at the library to email to him.
I have a guilty free box since I was 11 (I guess I was a minimalist before the “trend” 😂) and it is the best thing! All the memory stuff that you don’t use daily won’t be around bothering you and you have a limited space to prevent becoming an “accumulator”.
I used to have so many theater, ballet, and Orchestra tickets in a random box I never looked at, including letters from friends who moved far away, and other sentimental paper items. A friend of mine got me a set of moleskin journals and I ended up just gluing everything into one of the journals and writing captions for some of them. It’s definitely made all of that stuff more desirable to go through and look at, and has definitely worked out better storage wise!
Really great tips! I’ve been struggling with this. I have over ten boxes of sentimental/childhood stuff I’ve dragged with me for the last fourteen years. I am starting today- box number one, I’m coming for you!
Such a great video allison! I think this had always been the hardest part of minimalism for me! I am a very nostalgic person and never want to get rid of anything that has a story behind it!
I really want to digitize old photos and artwork from elementary school. I find it so hard with all the old baby photos because I won't want to throw it away! (I was born in 1989 so this is before digital cameras etc so it kinda feels nice holding an old photograph)
Erin S. I like to keep photos and things. I am always afraid that my hard drive will die or something will happen and I will lose all of my digital files.
What I did with my artwork was take pictures of each piece I wanted to preserve (digitizing them) and then made a Shutterfly book for them. I got 6-7 notebooks tailored down to a 65 page book (keep in mind I had hundreds of sketches, some of which I eliminated in the process). Plus, it's something I'll actually pick up from time to time instead of hoarding more papers than I need to.
Don't get me wrong here because I really do like decluttering and I've been doing a lot more of it in the last year BUT I feel like there is a fine line to the point of not having a style or personality to your space. Yes, you want it to feel like your home, in whatever that means to you, but if you take all the character out of it, do you have a style anymore? I like my place to feel lived in and cozy. I want anyone that comes here to be able to relax and be at peace. Yes, it will always be a little messy but I think that's life and it suits me. I don't know, just sounding off, I suppose, since this has become such a big thing in the last couple of years.
kaitieskates I think this particular video was more about decluttering those items that are not on display and don't fit with your style. If you are using the stuff or displaying the photos, and it's actively bringing you joy, then it's not really clutter (there is such a thing as too much, but that's totally relative). Still, a lot of us are carrying the weight of sentimental items that are just tucked into forgotten closets, stacked in plastic totes, or piling up in our attics. Things that we get no use out of, but still hang on to. That's the kind of stuff you may want to address.
I feel the same! While I know I still have too much stuff I always felt like some people overdo it with minimalism perhaps out of fear to actually have a (visual) personality (?) - because that makes one vulnerable. And then so many homes look and feel exactly the same
This was so helpful!! I’m a sucker for my sentimental items but I’m working on getting rid of them. I’ve had a lot of success from creating a small photo album that sits on my book shelf rather than having boxes of old items. But I also love the idea of repurposing old clothes into a quilt!! Thank you!!
Letting go of sentimental items is challenging, especially when it comes to things that remind me of my deceased parents. It was hard to get through each item without having a breakdown. I’ve learned that it’s ok to take my time and tackle things when I’m ready. I think taking off the pressure to do everything “right now” and being kind to myself has helped me immensely. Over the years, slowly but surely the dauntingly huge pile of stuff is now shrinking to a few objects that truly bring me joy and make me smile. Thank you for all your videos on minimalism and making environmentally conscious choices. Loving all your content x
Akemi Kurokawa yes I am in the same position and a lot of these items I am keeping I do not physically remember holding or having as a child yet I know they were from my mam so I can’t let go of them. But there is a lot of stuff and I remember none of it but can’t let go of any of it !
I understand how you feel Akemi. I am going through the same thing with my mum's stuff. I have decluttered most of it. I am having a hard time with the rest of it. Also some of my family members assume that I should keep some items because some of the items were expensive. I feel guilty for wanting to part with them.
sweetdream44 I’m so sorry for your loss. That’s frustrating that everyone around you is pressuring you to feel a certain way. I hope you can sort through your mind and heart and keep what you truly want to hold onto to remember your mother x
Talk to the people you love about how they feel if you aren't big on gifts they have given you. I asked my mum a year before she got ill with cancer and died (in February 2018) if she'd mind me donating a cat statue she'd given me and she said "If you don't want something put it in the charity shop". She thrift shopped and recycled her own things regularly, and knowing this makes it easier for me to not hold onto items for sentimental reasons, for she wasn't sentimental about most things. I know that the important things about my mum are held in my mind and heart. Some bits of jewellery and clothing will always be precious, but none of us can sensibly keep everything that amount to another person's life, no matter how much we loved them.
Completely agree with not keeping things that make you feel guilty. I now get rid of any item that brings up any negative feelings. I want my memory box to be fun to go through not something that makes me feel like crap.
I love these tips! I keep a box in my garage that has the stuff that is sentimental but won't ever be displayed. I go through it about once a year, just to make sure that I still want to hang on to the stuff in there. I also have some sentimental stuff on display around my house, things that have meaning for me and also speak of my personality. I think the best tip you gave was to really examine the emotions associated with the stuff. Self-reflection is really the key to getting comfortable living with less in general.
I like the guilt-free box idea. I have two old German cookie tins that are fairly big, the two combined hold slightly more than a small (book/heavy item) moving box. But they each have a nice hinge lit and stack on top of each other and look really pretty on the floor next to my book cases. I just throw little sentimental trinkets and stuff in there. Little items that instantly trigger memories and make me smile. And whenever I want to relive those memories or cheer myself up, I just open the lid of one of the boxes and start going through the items. :)
Thanks so much for this. I lost both parents within months of each other. I now live in their home, with their furniture, some of it they inherited from my maternal grandmother. So hard to let things like that go, even when they aren’t to your taste. I think my mother would want me to keep those things so it’s tough.
I am so sorry about what happened. It will take some time but the sun will shine again. I'm here for you. Maybe it could be a good idea to remove one item by one. Maybe you could donate some furniture to some institutions or people who really need it. Your parents would perhaps be happy if the furniture is now being put in good use to someone. :))
I ended up Chalk painting a cedar chest from a great aunt I was left and now it is more my taste and is a piece of her in my bedroom. If you can adjust it to be more you I think it is a win win situation.
I really like your guilt free box idea. I actually have 2 of them in storage. One is full of things from my childhood. I had a ton of it and I condensed it to one Rubbermaid bin. The other bin is all things from college which includes all of my records, transcripts, sheet music, scores, and other things that I might need to reference if I ever need to know what I was involved in when I was in college. I could digitize it but quit frankly I like to have it in its original form and I find the box fun to go through from time to time. Thanks for the video.
I really enjoy the videos you do on decluttering and simple living. I get so many useful tips and just things that trigger my mind and get me thinking about my behaviour. And hopefully I will at least try to implement them into my life and reevaluate. Thank you, Allison! :)
Is it weird that I totally knew you’d be posting soon? 👀 just had a feeling, and glad you did! People think I’m super insensitive or that I don’t care because of how unsentimental I am; but it sure does help me not have to worry about decluttering sentimental crap (hopefully I don’t offend anyone but that’s how I view sentimental things 99% of the time. It’s just old crap!) you don’t love anyone any less just because you gave something away that someone gave you. In fact it’ll have a better life especially if you never use it! I also really love the box idea though!
Things she said I feel like I’ve thought of but never actually followed through with, but I think I might actually try these tips. I just needed someone to tell me what to do haha, thank u girly!!!
1. Get rid of any sentimental items you have negative feelings associated with. i.e. sweaters you don't like a relative gave you also feel guilty for throwing out so you continue to keep them 2. Repurpose items. Make old souvenir or event participant tee-shirts into a quilt. 3. Scan and digitize physical photos and videos. Organize them by year or event for easy finding. 4. Allow yourself a guilt-free box just for sentimental items
I should've seen this video three days ago. I went through my emotional attachments pile, and it was hard. I did get rid of a lot, though. 🤗 Lovely video.
Great video as always! I am very much the person to hold onto very few things. My husband on the other hand, holds onto everything. He’s learning! I think this video will be helpful for him!
I did a huge purge when I recently sold my house and definitely did the guilt free box. It was the biggest tote I could find but it holds birth-college graduation. While I was paring down to that point, I asked myself if my future children would find something interesting and if the answer was no, it was gone. I still have a lot of “just because” but I’m getting there. I should also note that it’s being stored at my mom’s because I don’t want to haul it every time I move and she’s not moving anytime soon 😅
This was really helpful Allison ❤️. I recently lost my dad and have not been able to part with his possessions, or anything he has given me. Photographs of items is a really good idea!
I love the idea of a "guilt-free zone" box. I have high school trophies that are weird to display a decade later, but I'm still proud enough of them that I can't let them go.
I have band tees from high school that mean a lot to me because of the music those bands made, and the memories I had with my no longer best friend. I never wear them but have a hard time parting with them.
As a fellow lover of Everlane, I'd love to see which pieces from their line have been your favorite. My absolute favorite is their navy pleated skirt. I wear it all the time!
One thing that I am not sure I'm every going to part with is my collection of old journals. It seems cumbersome, because I've been keeping one off and on since I was 9 (so almost fifteen years), and so I have a ton of them. They don't all fit in one box at this point. I don't like to read them often, because they can be quite triggering for my anxiety, but on the flipside I occasionally kind of unlock something I didn't know I was still holding on to or remember an event that gives context to something that still causes me pain when I read them. And to think about parting with them really just doesn't sit right with me even if I digitized them! That's my irrational, "useless" item that I don't think I can get rid of!
Also, I have a vast collection of concert tees that are currently in a box. Cutting them up to make a quilt has definitely crossed my mind, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it! lol
I got rid of some, not all, if my old journals and don't regret it a bit. It was actually cringe inducing to read the ups and downs. I kept the ones that were huge years, travel journals.. a selection basically, not every one. And I write less, filling one journal every 4 yrs or so
Great tips! Need to show this vid to my hubby he has a whole bunch of stuff that he's holding onto just because his parents gave it to him. And he's waiting till they pass away to get rid of the items.
Mary Brewer I suggest he parts with the ones he doesn’t want now as if they did pass away the items may become suddenly nostalgic to him and then impossible to part with
What about when you move cities and you feel like you have a different identity? I left nyc a couple years ago for DC and a lot of the things I was doing or interested in back then don't resonate with me anymore. I am moving again soon, and I almost want to get rid of almost everything because I feel like I shed those old identities. Also, I don't want to be reminded of previous life stages. It makes me feel stuck somehow.
My grandma recently bought me a bunch of clothes that don’t fit. All she said was “grow into it”. It would hurt her feelings if I have them away, but they are simply cluttering my closet. Any advice?
I have a old pink razor phone I can’t seem to part ways with 😂 I have a smallish cute storage box from the craft store that I keep sentimental stuff in that only allows me to only keep a certain amount of stuff in
I actually only have a few jewelry pieces that are sentimental and some stuffed animals. And some dvd’s. I have to say... there really isn’t much. And it’s actually still too much cause I don’t use any of it.
Ohh I know that feeling of guilt! I have a few books that are gifts from friends but I never read them (because they are not really my style of books)... I feel so guilty to part with them though!!
One of the things that has been difficult for me is having items that were my Grandma's. Some of these things don't fit into my life and yet it is hard to let them go because once they are gone they are gone. I keep things pretty cleaned out, but every time i would clean things out i would see the items that don't work well. I would feel this twinge of guilt and sadness. I decided that realistically i was not going to keep these things, eventually one day i would have to part with them for one reason or another. The longer i held on to the items more pain i was causing myself by just not letting the item go.
Chole'_Love with this I pick for example 5 items that are my favourite. Then you do not have a wad of things but still a bunch of the memories. And also each item then becomes more important to you when there aren’t so many of them :)
Struggling to get rid of some stuff that cost me a lot of money now worth nothing cant even sell it.. just find it hard to let go just because it cost so much.. What the mindset needed to let it go? Cheers struggling to let things go..
Sometimes the least painful thing to do is just donate it to a local thrift store or church rummage sale. Then it's for a good cause and you're freed from it mentally. If it brings only bad feels, there really no upside to keeping it 🤔
Allison Anderson. Can you help me when you see this post please? I am a big child at heart. I don't want to leave my childhood and feel like giving away my things from my childhood is leaving my childhood. I'm an adult and I still have my middle school clothes. My issue is that I don't get rid of my stuff because I have OCD and my OCD gives objects voices. please don't call me weird because I already feel weird about it but how do I get rid of them but also still keep my childhood?
I understand about the photos but I did put all my photos on our computer then the computer crashed and I lost all those memories. Do you have any other ideas for photos that won't take up space.x And I find details it realy hard to throw stuff out even though I know I don't really need itx
Jacqui Luff back the files up, possibly store in fireproof container so they don't get damaged. Also you can use the Cloud or Google Drive etc. for keeping the data even if a computer crashes
Anoosha Ahmad my thought, not that you asked, would be keep the items if you like the literal item If you can detach how you feel about the ex, keep items you like/use, get rid of ones you don’t like/use ALSO, there have been times where I have kept things from an ex I was still in love with I don’t think there’s anything wrong with holding on to those items until you feel ready to get rid of them on your own terms I didn’t get rid of those things until I knew I wouldn’t regret it and it was nice to kind of free myself from those feelings once I was ready With my current boyfriend, if we broke up, I’m still keeping the things he’s gotten me because I really like those items and use them Maybe i wont use them right away, but i know i like the actual item, I dont like it JUST because it’s from my boyfriend
This is a great video topic, the older I get the more I see the value of getting rid of things. What will happen is all the stuff I thought was so important to keep my kids will throw out when I’m gone. So I might as well get rid of it now and live with less clutter. Jackie from Indiana
Jackie, your kids might not be as ruthless as you think. In the last few months I've had to clear out my mum's things (fortunately she lived with my aunt, so no great time pressure). There are definitely things of hers I want to keep, although I have a small home so I have to draw the line. As Allison suggested I already had a box hand made for the things that were most precious to her. It is good to live with less clutter though, and I feel the same way as you, that no-one will want my stuff when I'm gone. All I want to leave behind are things that are useful, beautiful or could be sold for a reasonable amount. My ex kept all of his parents' belongings and his house was a disaster, full of worthless 'treasures' that bogged him down.
I finally bit the bullet and donated my prom dress from 2008 to Goodwill. It’s a pretty classic dress, and I figure with prom season around the corner, someone could get better use out of it than it sitting in a garment bag in the back of my closet.
Christena Sines ugh, I still have mine from 2000 - I think I need to get rid of it and pass it along to someone else who will use it
I finally got rid of suits I'd worn to school dances and such (in the 1970s!) - and gave them to my old high school's drama department. I benefitted from someone else's 1940s cast-offs when acting in school plays, so now it's my turn to replenish the well.
I have to say I look through my actual photo albums more than my digital photos.
Tabatha Shaulis i do too! it’s way more sentimental that way! Sometimes my phone crashes or it won’t load & it’s such a hassle! I love being able to have memories right in my hands!
I have spent months studying techniques to tidy up and found an awesome resource at Nilah Declutter Tips (check it out on google)
New new thanks! I signed up for her email of tips
very valuable advice! the sentimental things are the hardest. as a historian I would hang on to old good photos (get rid of duplicate mistake photos etc). if you choose to digitize all photos and get rid of the physical photos, first find out if you have a historian or "keeper of photos" in your family and ask if they would like to have them.
Another good use for old photos that you have digitized is to see if your local library has a local history room or similar to donate them to. Our library has albums full of photos of how our town looked over the years. They also include old school pictures, employee groups at various companies, etc. I made copies of several photos of a gentleman in France's granduncle at the library to email to him.
I have a guilty free box since I was 11 (I guess I was a minimalist before the “trend” 😂) and it is the best thing! All the memory stuff that you don’t use daily won’t be around bothering you and you have a limited space to prevent becoming an “accumulator”.
I used to have so many theater, ballet, and Orchestra tickets in a random box I never looked at, including letters from friends who moved far away, and other sentimental paper items. A friend of mine got me a set of moleskin journals and I ended up just gluing everything into one of the journals and writing captions for some of them. It’s definitely made all of that stuff more desirable to go through and look at, and has definitely worked out better storage wise!
Really great tips! I’ve been struggling with this. I have over ten boxes of sentimental/childhood stuff I’ve dragged with me for the last fourteen years. I am starting today- box number one, I’m coming for you!
This is one of the best sentimental decluttering videos I have ever watched. Really valuable and PRACTICAL advice!
Such a great video allison! I think this had always been the hardest part of minimalism for me! I am a very nostalgic person and never want to get rid of anything that has a story behind it!
This is definitely the hardest category, especially things that represent my children growing up. I'm working on it. Love the quilt idea!
Does anyone know where we can get a quilt made?
I saw the title and was like “YASSS”, as I did this last week. And it was tough. You go girl.
I really want to digitize old photos and artwork from elementary school. I find it so hard with all the old baby photos because I won't want to throw it away! (I was born in 1989 so this is before digital cameras etc so it kinda feels nice holding an old photograph)
Erin S. I like to keep photos and things. I am always afraid that my hard drive will die or something will happen and I will lose all of my digital files.
What I did with my artwork was take pictures of each piece I wanted to preserve (digitizing them) and then made a Shutterfly book for them. I got 6-7 notebooks tailored down to a 65 page book (keep in mind I had hundreds of sketches, some of which I eliminated in the process). Plus, it's something I'll actually pick up from time to time instead of hoarding more papers than I need to.
Don't get me wrong here because I really do like decluttering and I've been doing a lot more of it in the last year BUT I feel like there is a fine line to the point of not having a style or personality to your space. Yes, you want it to feel like your home, in whatever that means to you, but if you take all the character out of it, do you have a style anymore? I like my place to feel lived in and cozy. I want anyone that comes here to be able to relax and be at peace. Yes, it will always be a little messy but I think that's life and it suits me. I don't know, just sounding off, I suppose, since this has become such a big thing in the last couple of years.
kaitieskates i totally agree❤️
kaitieskates I agree. I hate clutter but I want my home to be cozy, I love having photos of my family up to look at when I am in my home.
kaitieskates I think this particular video was more about decluttering those items that are not on display and don't fit with your style. If you are using the stuff or displaying the photos, and it's actively bringing you joy, then it's not really clutter (there is such a thing as too much, but that's totally relative). Still, a lot of us are carrying the weight of sentimental items that are just tucked into forgotten closets, stacked in plastic totes, or piling up in our attics. Things that we get no use out of, but still hang on to. That's the kind of stuff you may want to address.
I’m all for the uncluttered, simple & clean lifestyle, but I think I’m gonna draw the line at the cold-operating-theatre look.
I feel the same! While I know I still have too much stuff I always felt like some people overdo it with minimalism perhaps out of fear to actually have a (visual) personality (?) - because that makes one vulnerable. And then so many homes look and feel exactly the same
This was so helpful!! I’m a sucker for my sentimental items but I’m working on getting rid of them. I’ve had a lot of success from creating a small photo album that sits on my book shelf rather than having boxes of old items. But I also love the idea of repurposing old clothes into a quilt!! Thank you!!
Letting go of sentimental items is challenging, especially when it comes to things that remind me of my deceased parents. It was hard to get through each item without having a breakdown. I’ve learned that it’s ok to take my time and tackle things when I’m ready. I think taking off the pressure to do everything “right now” and being kind to myself has helped me immensely. Over the years, slowly but surely the dauntingly huge pile of stuff is now shrinking to a few objects that truly bring me joy and make me smile. Thank you for all your videos on minimalism and making environmentally conscious choices. Loving all your content x
Akemi Kurokawa yes I am in the same position and a lot of these items I am keeping I do not physically remember holding or having as a child yet I know they were from my mam so I can’t let go of them. But there is a lot of stuff and I remember none of it but can’t let go of any of it !
Kind of worried Incase I sell it or trash it and then suddenly remember having it as a child and need it back!
Charlotte Hunter I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. It’s hard to decide what to keep and what to discard. x
I understand how you feel Akemi. I am going through the same thing with my mum's stuff. I have decluttered most of it. I am having a hard time with the rest of it. Also some of my family members assume that I should keep some items because some of the items were expensive. I feel guilty for wanting to part with them.
sweetdream44 I’m so sorry for your loss. That’s frustrating that everyone around you is pressuring you to feel a certain way. I hope you can sort through your mind and heart and keep what you truly want to hold onto to remember your mother x
Allison's grandma watching this video like "I knew she threw out that sweater..."
Dude stfu no one cares
Talk to the people you love about how they feel if you aren't big on gifts they have given you. I asked my mum a year before she got ill with cancer and died (in February 2018) if she'd mind me donating a cat statue she'd given me and she said "If you don't want something put it in the charity shop". She thrift shopped and recycled her own things regularly, and knowing this makes it easier for me to not hold onto items for sentimental reasons, for she wasn't sentimental about most things. I know that the important things about my mum are held in my mind and heart. Some bits of jewellery and clothing will always be precious, but none of us can sensibly keep everything that amount to another person's life, no matter how much we loved them.
The taking a picture of items is something I’ve done forever and I love it.
Completely agree with not keeping things that make you feel guilty. I now get rid of any item that brings up any negative feelings. I want my memory box to be fun to go through not something that makes me feel like crap.
Love this!! Been trying to get rid of old clothes I’m too attached to but never wear, the quilt is a fantastic idea I think I’m gonna get a start on 😁
I love these tips! I keep a box in my garage that has the stuff that is sentimental but won't ever be displayed. I go through it about once a year, just to make sure that I still want to hang on to the stuff in there. I also have some sentimental stuff on display around my house, things that have meaning for me and also speak of my personality. I think the best tip you gave was to really examine the emotions associated with the stuff. Self-reflection is really the key to getting comfortable living with less in general.
I like the guilt-free box idea. I have two old German cookie tins that are fairly big, the two combined hold slightly more than a small (book/heavy item) moving box. But they each have a nice hinge lit and stack on top of each other and look really pretty on the floor next to my book cases. I just throw little sentimental trinkets and stuff in there. Little items that instantly trigger memories and make me smile. And whenever I want to relive those memories or cheer myself up, I just open the lid of one of the boxes and start going through the items. :)
I've done a lot of digitizing recently. The bright, orange hoodie with holes finally made the trash can yesterday after I got a good photo.
I agree with you to revisit your items. You may feel differently about something down the road.
Thanks so much for this. I lost both parents within months of each other. I now live in their home, with their furniture, some of it they inherited from my maternal grandmother. So hard to let things like that go, even when they aren’t to your taste. I think my mother would want me to keep those things so it’s tough.
I am so sorry about what happened. It will take some time but the sun will shine again. I'm here for you.
Maybe it could be a good idea to remove one item by one. Maybe you could donate some furniture to some institutions or people who really need it. Your parents would perhaps be happy if the furniture is now being put in good use to someone. :))
I ended up Chalk painting a cedar chest from a great aunt I was left and now it is more my taste and is a piece of her in my bedroom. If you can adjust it to be more you I think it is a win win situation.
I really like your guilt free box idea. I actually have 2 of them in storage. One is full of things from my childhood. I had a ton of it and I condensed it to one Rubbermaid bin. The other bin is all things from college which includes all of my records, transcripts, sheet music, scores, and other things that I might need to reference if I ever need to know what I was involved in when I was in college. I could digitize it but quit frankly I like to have it in its original form and I find the box fun to go through from time to time. Thanks for the video.
I really enjoy the videos you do on decluttering and simple living. I get so many useful tips and just things that trigger my mind and get me thinking about my behaviour. And hopefully I will at least try to implement them into my life and reevaluate. Thank you, Allison! :)
Is it weird that I totally knew you’d be posting soon? 👀 just had a feeling, and glad you did! People think I’m super insensitive or that I don’t care because of how unsentimental I am; but it sure does help me not have to worry about decluttering sentimental crap (hopefully I don’t offend anyone but that’s how I view sentimental things 99% of the time. It’s just old crap!) you don’t love anyone any less just because you gave something away that someone gave you. In fact it’ll have a better life especially if you never use it! I also really love the box idea though!
Things she said I feel like I’ve thought of but never actually followed through with, but I think I might actually try these tips. I just needed someone to tell me what to do haha, thank u girly!!!
1. Get rid of any sentimental items you have negative feelings associated with. i.e. sweaters you don't like a relative gave you also feel guilty for throwing out so you continue to keep them
2. Repurpose items. Make old souvenir or event participant tee-shirts into a quilt.
3. Scan and digitize physical photos and videos. Organize them by year or event for easy finding.
4. Allow yourself a guilt-free box just for sentimental items
I should've seen this video three days ago. I went through my emotional attachments pile, and it was hard. I did get rid of a lot, though. 🤗 Lovely video.
Thank you so very much for sharing... this is a tough one for me right now and this helps a bunch
Yess! Project repat makes amazing soft blanket quilts. Highly recommended!
I love this video and I absolutely love that you don't assume your audience is only peers. ^_^ I thought that was really thoughtful.
Great video as always! I am very much the person to hold onto very few things. My husband on the other hand, holds onto everything. He’s learning! I think this video will be helpful for him!
Great points Allison! I have a box dedicated to sentimental items, but I would like to pair it down a bit. Time to revisit it!
Thank you this was really helpful!! Especially the sentimental items and the photographs!!! Its given me a new way of looking at it
I did a huge purge when I recently sold my house and definitely did the guilt free box. It was the biggest tote I could find but it holds birth-college graduation. While I was paring down to that point, I asked myself if my future children would find something interesting and if the answer was no, it was gone. I still have a lot of “just because” but I’m getting there. I should also note that it’s being stored at my mom’s because I don’t want to haul it every time I move and she’s not moving anytime soon 😅
This was really helpful Allison ❤️. I recently lost my dad and have not been able to part with his possessions, or anything he has given me. Photographs of items is a really good idea!
Have you thought of getting a digital frame to have just special photos of your dad in it? I loved the idea for my grandma for my mom.
I love the idea of a "guilt-free zone" box. I have high school trophies that are weird to display a decade later, but I'm still proud enough of them that I can't let them go.
I’m actually working on this very thing today! I’m not as ruthless as I’d like to be but I’m way stronger than I used to be!
This is a really great video. Smart, thoughtful, well-said. Thanks, and Well done!
I have band tees from high school that mean a lot to me because of the music those bands made, and the memories I had with my no longer best friend. I never wear them but have a hard time parting with them.
I love your videos! You need to upload more frequently!!
As a fellow lover of Everlane, I'd love to see which pieces from their line have been your favorite. My absolute favorite is their navy pleated skirt. I wear it all the time!
Great tips, Allison! Can I ask where your sweater is from? Loving the uploads on minimalism!
Your hair looks flawless!!! Great video also.
If you have family heirlooms, be sure and ask other family members if they want items before getting rid of them.
One thing that I am not sure I'm every going to part with is my collection of old journals. It seems cumbersome, because I've been keeping one off and on since I was 9 (so almost fifteen years), and so I have a ton of them. They don't all fit in one box at this point. I don't like to read them often, because they can be quite triggering for my anxiety, but on the flipside I occasionally kind of unlock something I didn't know I was still holding on to or remember an event that gives context to something that still causes me pain when I read them. And to think about parting with them really just doesn't sit right with me even if I digitized them! That's my irrational, "useless" item that I don't think I can get rid of!
Also, I have a vast collection of concert tees that are currently in a box. Cutting them up to make a quilt has definitely crossed my mind, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it! lol
I got rid of some, not all, if my old journals and don't regret it a bit. It was actually cringe inducing to read the ups and downs. I kept the ones that were huge years, travel journals.. a selection basically, not every one. And I write less, filling one journal every 4 yrs or so
Really enjoyed this video, thank you it’s inspiring
Great tips! Need to show this vid to my hubby he has a whole bunch of stuff that he's holding onto just because his parents gave it to him. And he's waiting till they pass away to get rid of the items.
Mary Brewer I suggest he parts with the ones he doesn’t want now as if they did pass away the items may become suddenly nostalgic to him and then impossible to part with
Digitizing would help if a disaster happens, like a fire or flood that destroyed the actual item, so you still have it in that sense as well
What about when you move cities and you feel like you have a different identity? I left nyc a couple years ago for DC and a lot of the things I was doing or interested in back then don't resonate with me anymore. I am moving again soon, and I almost want to get rid of almost everything because I feel like I shed those old identities. Also, I don't want to be reminded of previous life stages. It makes me feel stuck somehow.
omg totally related to the grandma example LOL and thanks for all the tips!!! really helped :)
My grandma recently bought me a bunch of clothes that don’t fit. All she said was “grow into it”. It would hurt her feelings if I have them away, but they are simply cluttering my closet. Any advice?
this haircut looks incredible on you!
Great tips that I can use!
You’re so good for my soul ❤️
Thanks for sharing
I have a old pink razor phone I can’t seem to part ways with 😂 I have a smallish cute storage box from the craft store that I keep sentimental stuff in that only allows me to only keep a certain amount of stuff in
Whoops, that was a suggestion!
I loved your vídeo!!
I actually only have a few jewelry pieces that are sentimental and some stuffed animals. And some dvd’s. I have to say... there really isn’t much. And it’s actually still too much cause I don’t use any of it.
Ohh I know that feeling of guilt! I have a few books that are gifts from friends but I never read them (because they are not really my style of books)... I feel so guilty to part with them though!!
Great tips.
this was an amazing video thank you for this!
This waa extremely helpful
Really useful advice, thank you :)
One of the things that has been difficult for me is having items that were my Grandma's. Some of these things don't fit into my life and yet it is hard to let them go because once they are gone they are gone. I keep things pretty cleaned out, but every time i would clean things out i would see the items that don't work well. I would feel this twinge of guilt and sadness. I decided that realistically i was not going to keep these things, eventually one day i would have to part with them for one reason or another. The longer i held on to the items more pain i was causing myself by just not letting the item go.
Chole'_Love with this I pick for example 5 items that are my favourite. Then you do not have a wad of things but still a bunch of the memories. And also each item then becomes more important to you when there aren’t so many of them :)
That is very true!
Loved this!!! Thanks!!!
yay been waiting for this :D
Struggling to get rid of some stuff that cost me a lot of money now worth nothing cant even sell it.. just find it hard to let go just because it cost so much.. What the mindset needed to let it go? Cheers struggling to let things go..
Sometimes the least painful thing to do is just donate it to a local thrift store or church rummage sale. Then it's for a good cause and you're freed from it mentally. If it brings only bad feels, there really no upside to keeping it 🤔
I started vlogging as my form of digitizing memories. I don't feel the need to constantly keep printing photos, etc now!
what vlog platform do you use?
:)
may i ask
Allison Anderson. Can you help me when you see this post please? I am a big child at heart. I don't want to leave my childhood and feel like giving away my things from my childhood is leaving my childhood. I'm an adult and I still have my middle school clothes. My issue is that I don't get rid of my stuff because I have OCD and my OCD gives objects voices. please don't call me weird because I already feel weird about it but how do I get rid of them but also still keep my childhood?
thank you! :)
Excellent!
These are definitely the hardest things to remove from your home. Or they are for me.
I understand about the photos but I did put all my photos on our computer then the computer crashed and I lost all those memories.
Do you have any other ideas for photos that won't take up space.x
And I find details it realy hard to throw stuff out even though I know I don't really need itx
Jacqui Luff back the files up, possibly store in fireproof container so they don't get damaged. Also you can use the Cloud or Google Drive etc. for keeping the data even if a computer crashes
Ypu are f.;;;Img amazing!!!!!!! Best advice tips ever.
What do you do with things like gifts from exes? I keep going back and forth on whether or not I want them. Will I regret getting rid of them?
Anoosha Ahmad my thought, not that you asked, would be keep the items if you like the literal item
If you can detach how you feel about the ex, keep items you like/use, get rid of ones you don’t like/use
ALSO, there have been times where I have kept things from an ex I was still in love with
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with holding on to those items until you feel ready to get rid of them on your own terms
I didn’t get rid of those things until I knew I wouldn’t regret it and it was nice to kind of free myself from those feelings once I was ready
With my current boyfriend, if we broke up, I’m still keeping the things he’s gotten me because I really like those items and use them
Maybe i wont use them right away, but i know i like the actual item, I dont like it JUST because it’s from my boyfriend
Danielle Gootee great advice, thank you!