Decluttering Momentum is KEY for Sentimental Clutter
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2021
- If you need to declutter sentimental stuff, momentum will take you far. It's hard to make decluttering decisions on things you don't need but that are full of memories. Just know that momentum makes these decisions easier. Not easy, but easier. There's power in decluttering momentum.
My books: www.aslobcomesclean.com/book
My podcast: www.aslobcomesclean.com/podcasts
I linked to a similar ironing board here: www.amazon.com/shop/aslobcome... 
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My two LOL moments were "If you see this in a later video, then I changed my mind" and "I don't type here. I don't know why I did that..." Thanks for the giggles!
I think it's so interesting that when we go through a feeling of change in our lives, that's when we're finally ready to let some things go, and so many of those feelings of change aren't really something we notice at first!
It took Dana 12 years to let go of the music box! "Go declutter something easy! SKIP things that are sentimental if they are too hard! Get some momentum going !" Love this! Thank you for your honesty and wise words, Dana! So, so helpful !
Dana, your the Best!
I can NEVER again say to myself " I don't know WHERE to start"
Begin with the EASY stuff, garbage. Give the decluttering muscle, exercise. The container
decides, Where would I go first to look for it? Take it there, Now! Will it fit there? Make room, take sometime away,
You are remarkably smart. Thank you for teaching me by sharing
your wisdom & experience. Grateful in Seattle.
I love you Dana. “I don’t want to talk about it”. Lol. We have soooo many unfinished projects in our house. Thank you Lord, I’m not alone.
I have kept a wedding vase (which was a wedding gift) for almost 30 years, mainly because it's also in my favorite color. However I had a falling out with the person who gave it to me....20 years ago!!! Everytime I look at the vase I am reminded of how she betrayed me! Lately, I've finally felt ready to get rid of it despite the fact that its pretty. Its ugly inside. 🙃
i feel that way about my school year books. none are freinds, and i was verabally bullied. and what few who were friends have passed away. and i have other pictures of them.
Removing the toxicity in your life! Yes, I agree.
@@lisaann6267 I tossed my yearbooks 22 years ago. I only looked at them once to show someone to a coworker (she met him in a bar).
Trust your gut. If the vase hurts you, let it go.
Yes! I recently decluttered a LeCreuset Dutch oven that caused a huge fight with my ex husband when I got it. As much as I loved that pot I also thought about that fight every time I used it. So glad it’s gone.
Oh my gosh - we have a photo of me at five years old and ironing with a big smile on my face! Still love ironing - probably because it smooths out wrinkles - when life seems very “wrinkled!”
Reid's comments at the end are literally one of my favorite parts of your videos lol
Yes, he’s a treasure
As I declutter, new things surface, float to the top, in my brain. Almost like there hadn't been room before for them to be considered.
Great video! I was going to say, you could take a picture of your ironing board and hang it in your laundry room in an artsy way (for example, a black and white photo) that matches your decor, or keep it with your other photos as a memory.
I look forward to all of your videos! I love how you discuss the thoughts behind your decluttering process! That is so incredibly helpful for me. Decluttering has always been stressful for me, but you have simplified it for me to where it is so fun now! And…you always make me “laugh out loud” and I love that. Thank you for all you do!
I feel just the same. I hope you're doing great. I'm just trying to climb out of the hole... but I'm starting & feeling the mind shift, because of her guidance. I listened to a lot of The Minimal Mom too, and found her perspective helpful and healing but Dana really gets me, and I see her method now working. I listened to her awhile back & was like take it there Now? No way. Well here I am to give it another listen & try. Yes, take it there now.
I'm finally over the sentimental stuff hangup. I'm so tired of all the clutter, I am letting go of most of my sentimental stuff. I like the idea of taking pics to keep instead of the actual sentimental clutter.
And I love correcting yourself from "I thought of" to "No, my brain thought of..." Gosh yes my mind has a mind of its own! I lost momentum and really needed help. Thanks!!
Just one more thing, a good repurpose for those old ironing boards is they are great for setting up a buffet table, it is space savingly slim, put a disposable (or not) table skirt around it, & you can put hot serving dishes on it & it folds away & stores easily.
Lol! I've been doing that with my ironing board for years. I've also used it for a "TV tray", craft table, extra seating for family dinners, etc. My mom used to joke around I should write a book about 101 Uses for an ironing board! Lol! Nice to hear someone else "thinks outside the box" with these items! 😂😂😂
Wow they must be really sturdy! :-)
Ya'll are scaring me. I mean it's OK for you, but I have an itty bitty ironing board and I really like that little guy and he sure couldn't hold a lot of serving dishes 'cept maybe for the dog down there on the floor (since it sits on top of a table top/or washer/dryer top). I don't want to know how to not get rid of something, really.
Second video of yours tonight that has really hit home with me. My mom died 9 years ago, and I still have pretty hardcore grief going on, but once I started decluttering better in my house and getting big chunks done (hello, closets!), I decided I would finally go through her stuff. I made myself a promise that if it got too upsetting for me, I'd stop and try again some other time. It wasn't as bad as I thought. I went from 2 huge boxes down to 1/2 a box. But there's still a lot of pictures left because I went through it so fast. I'm holding on to that stuff to declutter again later so I can gain more ideas about what the use the things are. Some I'll keep forever that nobody could ever understand, like 3 of my mom's shirts, but a lot more pics need to go and there are probably some other things I can get rid of because I can get a second look at it all. The momentum was the biggest helper! I'm one of those people who are like "this needs to be done right now or I will never get it done." I didn't stop and ruminate or get distracted, I just kept going. She taught me to clean and loved it, so I think about her every time I clean. Decluttering is different, though, because she was the personification of minimalism and I'm not. So I had a little to get rid of the last time we moved, but it wasn't much at all. Sorry for the long post, I just did that 2 days ago and l don't think anyone else gets it.
@trilliance Sorry for your loss and thank you for sharing. I lost my own Mom and she was also a minimalist to my pack rat. I’m glad to hear you are making progress because it gives me hope. Thank you and please take care.
"there's never an end to decluttering" true. I'm focusing on progress or my life will stop until perfection is reached... But I rarely finish projects though 🤔
You're absolutely right. I've been doing a little bit of decluttering every day for a few weeks now. Just a few items every day that I put into the spare room and then I package up and donate once I have a little pile. It's working so well! And I haven't even touched sentimental items yet.
That's how I can declutter as well as I cannot do anything for long periods of time due to health issues.
I make a memory foot locker for my sentimental items.
Omg! I always get frustrated because for me everything is sentimental but, not everything really is, so I try to put that in my mind when cleaning but I just can't and I'm tired of that.
Thank you for mentioning that you’ve had regrets. I’ve heard others say they’ve never regretted anything, but I have, so thank you. And also thank you for saying that you got through it. Because I’m getting through it too! ❤️
FYI - I love the “end credits” but they’re hard to read/altogether buried by the thumbnails suggesting other videos! Maybe paste them into the info/drop down space as well 🤔🤷♀️😎
Ditto this idea!
Another ditto and thanks so much for this excellent video, Dana!
Same here, love how your brain thinks…guess that’s because mine goes down the same paths, and we all love feeling validated, which is one of your great gifts…and we then feel like…I’m not alone in this struggle…and, and…. 😳oops went down a rabbit hole there😁…so yeah, a drop down or something would be great…I’m pausing the vid just to read them! 😂
You’re a blessing!
Just pause the screen and tap on it to read properly.
I always pause the screen so I can read the comments. They're a bonus giggle...bo-giggles
You’re so refreshing! I’m glad to hear that it has taken you so long. I get frustrated because it’s taking me so long to get it ALL decluttered. I have to remember it’s a process, a journey to get it all done!
And then it's never really done, because stuff is always going to find its way in, so gotta keep taking it out. Like the dishes, it'll never be done, but it can be a lot better and more manageable!
So many items tie you back to happy memories. It is a strong mental and heart bond to break.
I used to love ironing, too, as a very young person. My grandmother let me iron my grandfather's handkerchieves and boxers undershorts. My mom hated ironing so I did my father's dress shirts.
The majority of my sentimental items are paper - ticket stubs, cards, photos and post cards (so many post cards). I have limited myself to two large plastic bins to house these items. Every couple years I go through them and get rid of things. Yesterday I started going through my filing cabinet (I wanted to clear out the bottom drawer to store my scrapbook paper) and I came across a whole bunch of sentimental paper. I got rid of the duh items (old car insurance paperwork, old vet bills) but I think I may need more time to go through the other stuff. I figure as long as it fits in the top drawer (organized in different files) I can revisit it another time when things aren't so stressful in my household.
Remember that sentimental paper can be scanned.
One cool project could be to decopage the postcards and tickets etc onto a table. Then they're functional, visible and a nice talking piece! :)
I want to b able to scan thru things & just store them on a memory card or something. Just havent organized those like things yet.
This is the answer to my biggest problem! Thank you, Deborah Grover!
I had the exact same ironing boards and came to the opposite solution. I had my mom's ironing board that was very heavy-duty and tired-looking, I thought that the on-the-door ironing board would be so handy. Well, I hated it . My doors are old and are solid wood but also thinner than the modern doors, so the ironing board had some wiggle to it plus if I was doing a big clothes ironing it was on the closet door so it was unhandy to be opening and closing the door to put ironed clothes in and out. I repainted my mom's old board and got a new matching cover and it is useful and a bit sentimental too.
Makes complete sense....and. I have to agree...that decluttering momentum really does work!😃
I'm not a sentimental person at all....most of my family came to U.S. from Cuba with just a small suitcase, no valuables were allowed, or in some cases just the clothes on their back. So with that heritage, some might want to cling to things more, but for me it's the "I could lose it and I don't want anything material to have a hold on me." But I do enjoy when other people have their "aha" moments.
Dana, you are so right … I have decluttered a third time in 2 years several weeks ago. And I was surprised by my thought „why didn‘t I declutter THIS (sentimental) item the last time?“. As I was in this thought/momentum/domino situation I decluttered a lot of sentimental items almost w/o guilt. And I still am happy that I did it. It freed my mind so much - and of course my space 😉😂. Love your videos. They helped me so much - and I can see myself so many times in your speeches. xoxo from Germany
HaHa - During second and third declutter sessions I've been surprised to find some items I had not decluttered in a previous session. Why in the world did I hang on to that dress? What is this (fill in the blank) still doing in my home?
@@kateyare4708 exactly 👌😉🤣👍🏻
Funny you started with ironing board! My “non negotiable” is the ironing board i bought in 1980 when i went off to college. It has a sticker underneath it from the manufacterer in Indiana. No junk from China. I use it constantly as i sew. The quality is amazing compared to what is available now.
Devoted watcher who rewound video to see cowboy saloon door- And missing light switch cover!!- Michelle Williams 😍
Oh my goodness! You just sparked my memory... I retired from teaching this month! 16 years of accumulated STUFF in my classroom. I was a home ec. etc, etc, teacher. One thing I was reminded of was the ironing board I grew up with is still in my classroom. There are bite marks on the rubber leg protectors from our poodle who came to be in our family when I was in kindergarten. So, I guess by default I have decluttered that sentimental inherited item. Wow, I am so glad I did not realize this while packing up my room. I can guarantee it would be in my way here in the house because I would have felt bad to donate or throw away. Thank you for your help... :-)
Thank you for saying to skip the paralysing things until you are ready. So many advisors tell you to start with the hard stuff or even shame you if you don't. They don't know about kinds of executive dysfunction because of mental health issues, the reason so many people fail at getting their home in order.
I'm in the process of moving. I have let go of a lot of stuff. But I still have quite a bit that I am taking along. Boxes of photos, cards, the little things that don't take up a lot of room is where I have the most trouble. I feel anxiety whenever I think about dealing with sorting through them. We have lived in our home over 35 years. I have donated, sold, and trashed so much in the past 6 months with still a long way to go.. I am a work in progress. Thank you for your encouragement.
Loved the ironing story. I have two ironing boards. The traditional shaped- folding style, and a rectangular one that is s shelving unit with a DIY topper. I have five irons. I love to iron and I have a sewing business. I use both boards and all five irons, depending on the project. It's not clutter if I am using them all, I tell myself.
If you have a sewing business, you need two boards and five irons. No question about it.
THANK YOU!!!!! Just last night I was telling my husband that I should get rid of this and that, I know I should but I just can't, the fact that I know it should make this easier, everyone says I won't regret it and I will feel relief but I just can't do it yet. He was telling me how I've made so much progress already (which I have: thank you for your help!!!) and that one day I'll be ready and pass them on then, but I don't have to let it go now if I'm not ready. I left the items where they were and you validated my decision with this video: Keep decluttering what you CAN NOW and later that stuff you know you SHOULD will be easy enough that you CAN do that too! :D
I love your videos and appreciate the mix of firm advice and gentle humor. Smiles...
If you still have the old ironing board that your mom gave you it could be fun to use the cover that was on that board and fit it to the one on your door for the best of both worlds 🥰 Just a thought. Thanks for the video!
I know this video is years old, but I'm really glad you made it, because I needed this today. I have followed you since you were Nony and only had the blog, and my house is now decluttered and *gasp* welcoming to others, which I NEVER thought would happen. But I have 3 sewing machines from my Granny, who passed away in 2015 and was my favorite person on the planet...3 sewing machines...and I don't sew. And my husband reminds me of this on occasion. But they still make me emotional when I think of getting rid of any of them. And now I know that is OK! Our house is so much better than it has ever been; I have clean horizontal surfaces and empty drawers!
And your experience gives me hope that someday I will look at them differently. Thank you for what you do every day!
I actually had to get mad at myself for things that are "useful" and not sentimental and "cast" them away from me ... when I did that initial chuck, it liberated me and I was able to build on that . Thanks for what you do !
OMG! I have an ironing board too! I bought mine in 1965 for $1.00 at a Goodwill Store in Brunswick, Ohio. It was one of the very first household purchases I made after I got married. Now we are moving to our retirement home and this all-wood ironing board needs to go. Your video was a blessing. Thanks
Dana I have both of your books and they saved my home so much more than I could explain ! I've been needing this exact video. My dad was my best friend we even talked about your books together. He would come visit me alot because he lived down the street. I'm 44 years old and at 40 I found your books. He mentioned how my house looked so much better so I told him alllllllllll about your books and the concepts and how they have saved me lol I literally grew up messy and he knew that . My adult years were pretty much the same.... overwhelmed in my messy apartments and homes. We talked about how your books helped me he was always there to listen. He was always meticulously clean and he had a high clutter threshold. After we talked about your books he decluttered alot too lol !! Unfortunately he passed away 1 year ago July 9th 2020.. I literally was the 1 of 8 kids that ended up with all his stuff !! Its ironic and knowing my dad he is probably laughing from above. This is where my progress has suddenly just paused in a major way ! I literally haven't thrown even 1 thing of his away since he passed a year ago. I'm stuck. My house is still clean though because of how much I decluttered over the last 4 years with the help of your books and videos. So ironically there was room for all his stuff at my house. Oh man the emotional decluttering paralysis is real right now ! I have not even threw away a chapstick or a water bottle of his . I'm still that "same slob at heart " and I cant bring myself to throw away even 1 thing !
Thanks for this video. I'm gonna try really hard to figure out how to sort through 1000 old records old tools and etc etc ...I just wanted to say a Big Thank you from Missouri !!
Do you think you could define your dad with just a few of the things he left to you? Like, a capsule of him over the decades with a picture here or there, with the accompanying stuff he cared most about? He left you and 7 other kids, obviously his most important contribution to this world in his life here. Oooorrrr... Here's a thought - a scrapbook with pictures of you with the things plus other pictures of him with them? I'm sure it can't be easy going through his things, and the grieving does take time. ❤️ Maybe archiving his things is what will help you?
@@Racheythemagnificent It's only a year ago, and the grief is still fresh enough. Eventually you will probably identify the things you love most from the things that are "not as much", and can let go to someone or somewhere else. You already know he would not want his things to be a burden to you. It takes time to find that balance.
Oops. This was meant for Kim L.
@@Racheythemagnificent This is really helpful . If I look through it all and try to encapsulate the whole vibe in some pieces then I could enjoy it more in reality. I think once I can just throw away 1 first thing it will start the process of being able to get rid of more. My dad used to joke he spent a lifetime accumulating random things that arent worth a darn lol. That was because we didnt have alot of money . People inherit stuff from their parents of monetary value so He would jokingly apologize for not being able to leave more behind for us. So I would joke back to make him feel better that " if you ever die I wouldn't throw out even 1 thing cause its valuable too me dad !" Our family is rich in Love !" Funny thing is how much I realize now the old cliche is true. Money doesn't matter as much as love. No amount of money even comes close to the life I got to spend with such great parents. Not everyone is so fortunate. I think he wants me to save a few things like you mentioned and he wouldn't want my progress paused. Thank you for taking the time to reply such a thoughtful reply. I think I will find that first thing to get rid of this week and RIP off the bandaid so to speak. Have a wonderful day !
@@nancydickerson7920 I thought maybe I was odd or something it makes me feel better to know a year is still fresh . I've never dealt with loss before of someone close. I guess I'm lucky but I never had . I thought maybe I was nuts for not being able to throw anything away after a year lol When I was younger I started a lawn care business . My dad gave me a mower and it's broken down now. I still couldn't get rid of it when some guy knocked on my door trying to see if I would sell it for scrap. I thought to myself how I must look really weird not wanting to sell a broken mower lol Thank you for the reminder that it is actually still fresh too me . Have a good day !!
Hello 😊 I'm a fairly new subscriber and really enjoy your very helpful and inspirational videos. I so relate with your ironing story. I loved ironing when I was little and even had my own ironing board that looked like my mother's and was fully functional . I also had a child's iron that actually had an electric cord and heated up to a warm temperature. As a teen, I loved ironing my clothes as well as anyone else's in the family. I loved using spray starch and even had a soda bottle with a cork and metal sprinkler stopper to dampen the laundry, put them in a pillow case, chill them in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, making it easier to iron out wrinkles which I preferred over a steam iron. I still find ironing very relaxing and since I wear a lot of cotton, there's that lovely scent of clean cotton steaming under the iron. I no longer have those ironing items. My mom was a minimimist homemaker which was probably because we had to move so often as well as she just thought the house looked much more relaxing and easier to clean.
Your thoughts and experiences concerning decluttering sentimental items are very true in my life, too.
I want to add that even though I have nothing from my childhood because of my mom's determination not to hang on to things except our baby books full of all the baby memories as well as photos, I still have wonderful memories of my toys, dolls, books, clothes and much more as well as seeing a lot of these things in photos and making me smile or stirring up conversations with family just reminiscing. My point being, it really is okay to let items go. There are a few things I do hold on to like old letters that document my husband's parents'' time on a 10 month mission trip to Africa, love letters, my journals and other items that really do have significance in keeping them.
Linda (Texas)
I have been trying to declutter and simplify for years...it's always been my new years resolution. I finally am actually doing it now (2 weeks and counting) after so much of what you say resonates with me. I've challenged myself to get rid of 5 items every day...and it always turns into many more than 5. I know this process will take years, but i already feel so much better and happy that I'm finally doing it. I am saving the sentimental stuff until last but i will get there. Thank you so much Dana.
Decluttering momentum is so true. Also, after decluttering one item, the next one you look at differently. Good stuff!
Thank you for being so real, open, and honest! Your videos are helping!! 🥰
Thank you, Dana! I feel like I finally met someone who has my same decluttering issues... I'm getting rid of the garbage & duh stuff & like already amazing! So simple & so effective. I used to know this but somewhere along the way, I forgot & got stuck. & even though I'm not really trying to face the stuff to get rid of yet, I am doing that a bit too, and can feel the mind shift. Thank you for sharing everything!!!! Thank you. 😊
I loved ironing as a kid, too. I still love it. I even iron my pillow cases. I iron when there is a tornado warning. I go to laundry room for safety. And wallah! Time to iron. And it reduces my stress. I listen to podcasts or RUclips and make so much progress. Thanks for all your great advice. You're awesome. 😺
It feels so freaking great !!! To declutter everything. So good! When you realize thede things keeps you in the past rather than focus on the now- with the loved ones in the heart, you reached the freedom! I really thought i didnt have any clutter at all, but decided to go in on a full roll once again, hopefully last one, and only in my bathroom /shower/ washingmachine room i had A FULL GIANT of the giant trashbag of just crap!!
I am now moving onto my sentimentals like pictures and have over 60.000. Its a process.
I made a plan tho for something to do with parts of my sentimentals, im making it into a delicate modern decore and scrap the rest. Its actually ok.
I dont need it. Nonone does. This proces also makes purchases so much easier to simply skip.
So helpful! Great tip! Take pics of sentimental items and put them in a scrapbook with a brief explanation. That way you can get just as much pleasure with the memories and can leave those memories behind for descendants when you pass away.
Objects mean nothing to descendants without the accompanying stories. I asked my mother to put notes in her teacup collection as to whose they were and where they came from.
I still have it but have no idea whether they were my greatgrandmother’s or she bought them at an estate sale.
I would really appreciate a future video on holiday decor that needs "decluttering." I need to go through mine and it's just not easy. Any suggestions, much appreciated.
That’s what I’ve been working on now and then because it’s difficult.
I threw all mine out.
Oh my!!! Speaking of ironing boards… my grandma was born in 1910. I have her wooden board from the 1930’s!!!! I don’t iron. But will keep it forever- my daughter will have no problem getting rid of it after I pass. Cannot bare the thought of parting with it! Too many memories of watching my Gram iron- she DID everything (underwear, sheets- yep!!).
Something I’ve decided to do to help with momentum is to keep a tally sheet of what I declutter. I have general groups to make it simple and so I can feel good about accomplishing something… it’s easy to feel defeated if the closet is still to full etc. I needed something that documents I have made progress and is easy. I still have more to do, but I have done something… some clutter has left my house.
Thank you Dana! This was very helpful. I agree that now that I have done a lot of decluttering I feel ready to tackle some sentimental items. Thank you for showing that it is ok to keep sentimental things until you are ready to part with them. Your honesty with your own things helps me. Thank you
Oh a swiss chalet😂👍🇨🇭
I'm Swiss, but I never would keep this🙈
Hahahaha!!!!
@@DanaKWhite Thank you for the ❤. I learn a lot trough your videos. LOVE the container concept, it changed my life. I teach my children 4 and 7 your wisdom and it made my life soooo much easier! So Thank you very much!❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Very encouraging for a sentimental, overthinking, clutterbug!!
I just love you! I love your books! They have been immensely helpful! I feel like you’ve been in my head space because everything you say is so relatable! Thanks for all the encouragement and just incredibly practical and doable advice!!
My aunt gave me a very similar music box when I was little. If I find it in my decluttering, I may be tempted to keep it because it reminds me of Heidi and I like the ideal of the old mill house. BUT, I have decided that I will not. It probably was broken many years ago and discarded, but, if it wasn't, I will not keep it. I have not seen it in over 30+ years, I do not need to see it. And, if I want to, I can always watch your video again.
Dana!!! Aww you always make my day when you post a new video. Thank you so much for sharing 💗💖💕 you are amazing. Yeeesssss momentum is everything- you are so right! I’ve got lots of tiny baby clothes which I can’t handle yet, but after reading your books and listening to your podcasts you have helped me understand how to make progress and shift my perspective and those little changes have really helped me maintain things and accept that decluttering is continuous. I donated my wedding dress and felt such a weight lifted knowing it wasn’t just sat as procrasterclutter 😂 I now have space for my clothes in my wardrobe! Yay 👏 xx
Same exact music jewelry box from my childhood (my dad gave it to me). I finally cleaned it took picture for me to keep as a memory and then sold it on Ebay. Vintage sells on Ebay and now someone else can enjoy it! Yes and mine still worked, it played The Lonely Goathard from The Sound of Music.
It's so nice to watch your vids and feel validated. My tribe! 😉 Thanks for being so helpful for those of us who are perfectly imperfect and real. Also, you look terrific in that color!
dana you are so calming and motivating can you please make more podcasts!!!
i love listening to them while i clean
lots of love from 🇦🇺
🕊🕊🕊
There will be more podcasts soon, Dana takes summers off from podcasting. :)
Reid, could you make your funny bits at the end scroll more slowly please, I can’t read that quickly!
Plus, the thumbnails bury it. Maybe paste it in the description, or at the top of the notes.
Or let the funny bits scroll and then pop up the links
Currently sitting in my storage unit listening to your video, getting ready to release a bunch of sentimental things. Thank you. ❤
This is so true! There are some things I got rid of that I thought I would NEVER part with. After feeling that wonderful feeling of less clutter, but knowing there was still a lot morebdecluttering needing done, “important” took on a whole new meaning. Is having space and less to clean/keep up with more important than those rare moments I look at them and think “so pretty”? Do memories of an event/trip come to me more when I look at a souvenir or more out of the blue. Do I get as much joy out of totally decking out every single room in the house for the holidays as I do just putting up the tree (answer…NO…it takes SO long and by the time I am was done, I was already dreading the fact that in just a few weeks it was being packed back up and I would have to put the year round stuff back out. If decorating brings dread, it is time to simplify!
I so appreciated your ironing board story. I loved ironing when I was little too.
That feeling of zen/ahhhh when you realize that you don’t have to wonder any more if you should declutter that item or move it to a different spot… I think some people confuse sentimental items as being anything with any emotion or history rather than things you love that you want to keep to help you remember someone or something. I had an overseas experience and brought back tons of beautiful things but how much do I need to keep to remember something from 20 years ago that I’m never going to forget anyway? I like that you kept the jug that felt more “Thailand” to you and had a place in your decor.
Thank you for talking about the ironing board! My parents and most of my grandparents are gone, and I tried to keep practical items.... Sometimes I just don't use the same things they did! Even if I watched them my whole childhood and remember it!
Great video! I clicked as soon as I saw the Swiss Chalet music box. My Grandpa brought one for me when he traveled to Switzerland. I kept it for several decades, but eventually was able to part with it.
I have four ironing boards, and I only iron when I sew. I would like to replace all of them with one of those wool ironing mats that is sold for quilting, but they are pretty pricey. It would probably be worth the cost. I have a wood ironing board that was my Grandma’s, a full-size one that was my Mom’s, and two small tabletop ones (one that I bought, and one that was Mom’s). Mom loved to iron, but I’m careful not to buy anything that needs ironing. I need to stop being sentimental about utilitarian items that take up a lot of space. Patti
I am in process of decluttering and I had a patchwork quilt my mom gave me when I was first married and it was worn out and as I am going thru my place at this time it is missing 😭 I finally realized it fell apart and my mom could not repair it and she got rid of it for me. Sometimes we have to just let go and it will be OK 👌🏻 and I remember that is a memory to hang on and item has moved on. 😍
I had an ironing board like this and attached it to the wall because I had no door in my basement laundry room. Worked great.
This was so needed. I'm trying to let go of my mother's things that she loved and I have memories of her using or displaying. I just don't have room for all of her things and mine. Family doesn't want much either. So I'm decluttering everything. It's a process. Your suggestions will help. I love Reid's comments at the end.😁
I let my inherited items go in smaller bits but vet time. I came to be at peace with it.
Thank you. Yes, definitely letting go in small chunks...I just need to do it a bit faster!😂
I’m excited to try this! Thanks for all your information and insights on how to make this easier for the sentimental people like me!
I also have ironing memories, my grandma taught me how to iron dress shirts, pleats, collars, cuffs, ironing the items inside out, learning about starch, linen, cotton, silk, blended fabrics, steam, no steam, low temp, high temp. Today I do not iron. Ever. Simply because I just don't care about mildly wrinkled clothes & my daily dress is casual.
I don’t know if you have a RUclips channel but those are all valuable instructional information to share. I would watch just to see how you are able to remove wrinkles. Thank you!
@@robertalopez1263 Thank you but no I do not have a channel. Im sure someone 'out there' has one on detailed ironing if really needed. Lol I don't even own an iron or a board. I fold or hang my clothes right out of the dryer as soon as they are done.
Fyi an excellent ironing demo by U-tuber Laurastar
I totally get how those items would be sentimental! Just hearing you describe them made me not want to see you let go of them 😅 I'm trying to ignore my own sentimental items like those until I get rid of the non-sentimental first, but there are so many things- I remember where each item came from, who gave it to me and when, and it's hard to let go. I guess I'm afraid I'll forget those memories/people if I don't have the items to remind me.
Maybe you could take pictures of the items, or even have someone take your picture holding it, and make an album/scrapbook where you could write down the memory that goes with the item/picture. That would take up way less space, and you could visit those memories anytime you wanted by looking at the album you made.
Take pics and put in scrapbooks with a notation of your memories so descendants share them too.
Omg! I have that jewelry box!! I still adore it. It always makes me happy! It's staying!
The sound quality has drastically improved! Glad you got a microphone, makes a huge difference!!
I have that music box my mom gave me when I was 12 and recently I found a smaller one shopping with my mom the other day. We are a lot older now. She is 82💝
Dana, thank you for making and posting these videos! It helps keep me going! I have struggled with childhood with everything being sentimental. 🤪 Thanks for pretending to type on the ironing board! 🤣If I did that, mine actually may get some use!
Dana I so relate to you! Thanks!
Also, that shirt is an amazing color for you and very slimming!😘
I was thinking the same thing! Dana looks great in that color!!!
I was thinking the same thing! Have you lost weight?
I know these comments about Dana’s weight aren’t meant to be hurtful, but they wouldn’t be welcome if they were directed at me. This isn’t a video about her weight journey. Come on, ladies, we’re better than this!
@@Julies-in-a-mood
You are right. Just to clarify my comment...I was only commenting on how becoming the color was on her. I should have been more careful to say that specifically, as it was unclear.
Another great video! I always get a laugh out of Reid's 2 cents at the end as well... he definitely got his momma's sarcastic sense of humour!
Oh Dana. I totally LOVED how at times you barely managed to ramble on and get yourself and us through this foggy swamp anyhow. "Anyway. Blblblbl..blahblahblah." Thank you for putting this real-life content out there, despite the embarrassment. This sort of being at loss for words to the point where you can't even...?!.. umm... what was it I was going to think?!... That was super-authentic and displayed quite accurately how sentimental overwhelm can override our frontal cortex and send speech, rational thought and executive function into a denial of service. You were grinding along the fringe of that state quite extensively. This experience may look funny or just feel annoying, but it is very real and a natural force to reckon with. It may as well turn out as serious as a full-blown panic attack, and it may even feature the cripplng dynamic of trauma bond. In that sense, some of our clutter can and will trigger all kinds of stress response (fight, flight, freeze, attach, submit) in a mixed spectrum and on an open scale of intensity. You are right: We better start small and shape up with constant practice way below the breakdown threshold. First deal with the common bugs and hunt down the dust bunnies, then eventually move on to the poor dogs and tackle the paper tigers before we can level up to facing the elephants in the room and/or accidentally waking sleeping dragons of old. Their time will come soon enough. But till then: no haste. Easy does it, steady.
You are so right, Dana! After each round of decluttering it is so much easier to let go of more things and it feels so good! Great video! Reid, I honestly never even noticed the door or the light switch. LOL
Lol Dana I have the two exact ironing boards!! 😂😂
My mother-in-law gave me the blue one and I bought the over the door one. 😁
Dana you are so AMAZING!!!!!!! You and your books and podcasts and videos are helping me change my whole house!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!! The ironing board thing from your Mom is so sweet, but that one on the wall- priceless!! 💛
Dana..I HAVE got to tell you I have watched all your videos and listened to the audio books of yours. LOVED them both! BTW just for saying I am 71 years young? and have decluttered off and on for 3 out of 4 years...your things that helped me the most are to declutter things right where they are and deal with it right then and there., take care of it....also your "making it better" is great too because too many of us thought to do a good job we had to stay at it and suffer...but thats not true either. As I came across things I didn't think I wanted to let go of YET..I just put it back in its place and in all cases in 2 or 3 days I had thought about it and it was fine to let it go. Love your sense of humor, love everything about you..ty soo much for helping all of us!
Oh Oh and I started out with "JUst doing the dishes " its become a wonderful habit and they are done almost every night.
I have the exact same music box given to me by my Grandmother. Amazing to see how many others had or have one too! For a minute, I thought Dana and I were the only ones who still had ours, until I read all the comments! 😊
Oh my goodness, I had that same music box! Actually, my older sister had one when we were young, and I always loved it. After I was married, I saw one in an antique store (I know!), and I mentioned it to my husband. So later he surprised me and bought it. While I loved the sentiment, I didn’t want the music box but I couldn’t get rid of it because it was so sweet of him! (I finally did though)
I really enjoy your videos! If you have a story about something that you are getting rid of you can always take a photo and write a story about the memory (can be on the back of the photo) or scrapbook in a photo album to record the memory so it's not forgotten as time goes on.
Love this! It's so true. Now that I've started and think of your video about "better" I'm making a lot of progress, and my mentality is really changing!
Your books are amazing. I refer back to them even now. READ THEM. It will make a huge difference.
I absolutely live your sad ironing board picture. 😂
Love, love, love this video. There is hope for me to get rid of my grandmother’s Havilland China that is over 100 years old.
I have both your books on audio and am listening to them again…. You’re so funny! I am compiling a list of your phrases: Visibility Rule, One in One Out, and of course, Do The Dishes! Please keep doing you!
THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO !!!!! I saw you on Mel Robbins - I'm so glad I found you! You are Awesome!!!
After my mom passed away, I lugged her old, ugly clunky ironing board 750 miles to our home in another state. I do not iron and never used it. It sat in the garage for a few years. I realized that I had memories of my mom ironing and it felt comforting. After I had this epiphany, I got rid of the ironing board.
12 yrs, and my cousins birthday and her daughters, and my cousin was 21 yrs old. and i love the saloon doors! 🤗
I had that exact same music box when I was a teenager!!! I loved it as a girl but I got rid of it when I went to college. 🥰🥰🥰
I find I'm very unsentimental when I M decluttering. I find it keeps me in the past when i would much rather focus on the present and future
Thank you so much, this has really helped I started decluttering some drawers. I am throwing out bits and pieces that should have gone ages ago! The sentimental items I do find difficult so I now know/feel this can be done later. Some of it is overwhelming but I will do the immediate non-sentimental stuff first which is a giant step! Thank you again.
I love the noise you made about the music box!