Hubby and I are retired and have been married over 20 years. He has always wanted a “Library”. We moved 6 years ago and took the smallest bedroom and lined one side with bookshelves for his books. He has a matching oak desk on an adjacent wall. We purchased 2 leather recliners to which I added 1 throw pillow and 1 lap blanket to each one for a cozy feel. I have a small side table and reading lamp beside each leather recliner. Hubby picked out the curtains for the one window and chose his favorite paintings for the walls. It is masculine, cozy, and comfortable. His eyesight is past the point of being able to read the books but we like to sit there and enjoy a beverage while he listens to audiobooks. Glad you are setting up a Library sooner than we did. You can add comfy seating and everyone can enjoy reading there.
Sometimes I wonder if the reason so few adult children want heirloom items (from dishes to photos to paper or newspaper articles to books) is because the items were always packed away in a box so they have no childhood memories to go with them and therefore the items mean nothing to them. After you are finished you could do a fun genealogy project with the kids of the family tree with pictures of ancestors and which objects you kept that belonged to that ancestor and why you made the decision to keep it. You don’t need to have an item for each ancestor but if you happened to keep one you could discuss it.
What an “AHA” moment !!!!!!!! I think you hit the nail on the head. The items that I cherish from my grandmother were things that I actually touched.For example,the candy dish that had the lemon drops 😋,the music box from Germany that she would take off of a high shelf so that I could watch the little Hummel children go around,my grandfather’s trunk that we would play with,etc. Now,they all have a place of honor in my home. YES!
my boyfriend had a huge set of fancy china that belonged to his grandmother that was just in a box in his kitchen when i moved in. i took a bunch of photos and tried selling the set and no one was interested (he was fully ok with selling them). so they stayed in a box for another 3 years of us being together. we just moved again and yet again i took a ton of photos and tried selling them for months, no interested buyers. finally i realized... why don't we just use these instead of our crappy ikea/amazon ones? and now every time i plate a meal it looks nice and fancy haha. i kept 2 old dishes and bowls for microwave purposes only. but the rest is nice now :)
in the same boat . I was blessed with my great grandmother's Harker ware from pre 1939. It is 12 of everything except tea or coffee cups. They are beautiful but I love my corelle dishes.
I used my step grandma’s fine China in college. They were the dishes I had! I display them now because they are beautiful and delicate (no microwave or dishwasher for them), but I loved using them!
I recently started using a tablecloth and cloth napkins that my great grandmother made in the 1940s. They sat in a box in my laundry room for YEARS because I was afraid to “ruin” them. I finally decided to use them on our table and make memories with them. Later I can perhaps preserve one of the napkins….after I spend years making memories with these linens.
Growing up we had a little side table that was a glass showcase that had all sorts of family items displayed in it. We were fascinated by it as kids. It kept the dust off of as well.
I have an antique trunk that holds all of our sentimental items/heirlooms that we don’t want to necessarily display in our home but want to keep. It sits in my living room and serves as an entrance table as well. It’s a great conversation piece and often leads to being opened and sharing the contents with others, so the items are being “used” in a way.
Long comment but...been there, done that. We are all about compromise with my retired husband and I and we have found ways to work around things like the bins of books. If I were you I would bring one bin of books up and put them on a shelf and read at your leisure. Set aside another shelf to put any for long term keeping and donate any you wouldn't read twice. As your shelf empties out bring up some more. Trust me, if you bring them all up it will feel too cluttered and you will feel pressured to read them. I no longer have stored books except my bookcase and I found that all my Henry James and Edith Wharton are keepers for my collection, but 95% of current novels go after one reading. Build a curated library slowly, incorporate family books. I remember my high school aged daughters teachers being so impressed with some of their unique book report choices and the fact that they came from their home library. Years later I was reminded why I loved my husband so much when we were retiring to a smaller house and I said I really should get rid of a bunch of books but now that I am retiring I could have time to read them. He said you don't need to get rid of your books Glor. And guess what, over time I have been reading them and purging and it was a joy to fill my curated bookcase. And I still buy books, I just keep them to one large case.
I have slowly worked my way through my 15 bookcases library. As I worked my way through them I made sure I'd read them recently and decided if they were worth replacing with an ebook. Then I boxed them up and donated them to the library. When it came down to it most of the books weren't worth another read it was just hard to get rid of them because I feel books are precious. I started this project over 5 years ago and still have 3 bookcases to go.
When my parents passed, I was very minimal in what I kept. Since I had 4 siblings and there were lots of grandchildren we all picked what meant the most to us. I didn’t want things that I would keep in a storage bin… I have what my mom kept on her bedside table Padre Pio and a small Angel, her reading glasses, and I kept all the cards maybe 30 of them that I had sent her which she kept, my Dad after he passed I kept his watch and his eyeglasses, and his Frank Sinatra albums. I am so thankful I didn’t bring everything home… after they passed that’s what made me get deeply into minimalism, I Swedish death cleaned, so my daughter would not have the job my siblings and I did…
Whoa! The excitement those forgotten ticket stubs brought is so awesome, and they definitely deserve a special place to continue to bring that smile & joy!
So..I've had shelves. Then I had the Ikea shelves the Billy glass doors. Affordable. For things that need display but also need care, good idea to put behind glass. Books are a chore and a half to keep dusted. Antique books more so.
Maybe you could do some kind of "Family Day" once a year where you take out a box of family heirlooms and go through some of them with your kids and read some of the autographs, talk about family stories and memories and who some of those people were in the photos.
I fully agree that sentimental items should be out on display to be enjoyed, used, and a way to remember the loved ones from our past. I have a lot of really interesting beautiful unique items from my parents and grandparents and we have bookshelves built in on either side of our fireplace and a lot of the things that are displayed on those shelves are these sentimental items. My daughter is so interested in them and the history of them she wants me to make notes on each item. How old it is, who it belonged to, where it came from etc. So I think this is great that you are going to do this with some of these items. And then you have less boxes sitting in storage which is a win-win.
How interesting!! Our Dads could have known each other! My dad was in the Army… stationed at Baumholder, Germany… my Mom was there for a while, too… flew back before him (July, I believe) because she was pregnant with me…! he was out before I was born in Dec. 1968 😊
Erica, I really like the piano bag! I would use it after a wash. Anyhow, you have so much energy in this video! Is it the diet/exercise? Being with Andy? Your long camping trip away? Whatever it is--it's awesome. You clearly look thinner too! So wonderful. I say put all the family heirlooms in the antique chest by your dining table.
I love the thought process of “If it is special, it should be used or displayed and not put into a storage bin!”. I am working through my own storage boxes and will use that thought process as I unpack the boxes. Like you, I am saving photos for the very last. I will put them in chronological order, get rid of dark or bad photos, etc. Then I can sit down with my adult children and we can go through them together. Decisions can be made to keep or toss at that time. I am also looking into digitizing those we decide to keep.
Digitizing photos is a good idea. It is easier to share digital photos with wide ranging family members. And with disaster preparedness, you can store digital photos on the cloud as backup that way if there was a fire not all the copies would be destroyed.
You are both so respectful of one another & one another’s stuff... I appreciate that Andy participates with u on the video & WE LOVE HIM & YOU!!! Thank y’all! 💕🙏
Remember, many things you store now end up ruined if not stored right, and many things we think our kids would want to end up tossing them after your death. Many things I asked my son about keeping he said he was not interested in. Ask your kids when they are older how they feel about your stuff. Our memories are not their memories.
I agree that our memories may not be their memories. But when I look at these items that belonged to my grandparents it brings me joy to think about them and remember them. If my children want to get rid of them when I'm gone that's fine. I'm not going to have tubs and tubs of stuff for them to go through. Everything I have is going to be out on display which will make it easier for them to pick and choose what they want to keep.
@@lauragreen4899 It's funny, I have been de-cluttering for over a year now, and the things I have saved are from when we were first married and didn't have much, but they mean more to me now than they did then. I have ridden myself of stuff that I thought I liked and have found I am just a simple woman who doesn't need much. Now gardening is my joy in life. I want a simple home, easy to take care of, and more time doing what I love. It is so freeing.
as an archivist I'd consider putting those old bibles etc. in a closed shelve or as you say a heirloom and put it somewhere without direct sunlight - generally little daylight. You can see it, but it's still protected from moisture, light, pests and dust.
@@joeseatat but Erica doesn't 😊 She said in the video she didn't want to see all that upstairs. I agree though. I have some lovely old books from my grandmother that I enjoy seeing on my bookcases.
That baby book is cool! I wonder what treasures my parents have from their parents. I love the fact that you're finding a place of honor for these things instead of just being in a bin you'll be able to create new memories and new bond plus it'll be fun to for the kids to see some of the family history and read how things were the same or different in the past for your relatives.
Erica I just have to say you have become one of my favorite youtubers. Thank you for sharing this journey. When I stumble in my decluttering, I go back and watch your playlist to help me get motivated.
All the really old stuff, the ones from Andys grandmother aso... You could put it all together in a nice box/crate and have that in one of the bookshelfs upstair in the front room. That way it will be easy axess and you can take it out and look at it, talk about and in the same time it would be protected from kids and sunshine.
I can see you paring dow even more after you have gone through everything. Your 'second pass' might actually be easier (letting go of decor, wall art, sentimental and unused or duplicate stuff because the end result is so much better. Keeping the most precious and meaningful items and deciding how to store them or display them is tricky. Would they add something worthwhile to your life? Would you want to look at those in your main living areas? Have you considered placing the bookshelves in the basement?
I bought glass fronted bookcases (used) to display my special books and use eye level shelf to display special books on stand with couple of special items from grandmother (bowl and one Hummel) and mother (doll).
I think that is a much better idea for Andy's books than those pretty but limited shelves they bought. Andy's could have more of his books without stressing his wife and the sentimental items could be seen but be protected 🙂
Really enjoyed this video. So many "family heirlooms" can turn into quite a burden. Our family has one member who is deeply involved in getting old photos on line where all members can see them. Also, adding some items to Ancestry. I have a few items I've decided to place in a shadow box as a memory tribute to a grandparent. Your attitude to use or place items where they can be enjoyed, excellent.
One bookshelf only. Andy brings up as many books as will fill the one bookcase. When he has read those, he decides whether to keep, recycle or donate. The keeps get to stay on the bookshelf. The recycle goes back into a plastic box in the basement, to be brought back up again later. And the donate go out the door! This way he gets to bring up a new selection to the bookshelf whenever he has finished reading the current set. After a couple of years, I would expect that only his favourites would remain. The others would have all been donated.
The more I decluttered, the more I let go of home decor and began to incorporate sentimental pieces of mine and my husband's. Even though our home isn't necessarily "in style" or up with the trends; it's ours! And we both love each home we've lived in (with the exception of one exceptionally tiny place, haha). If you haven't already, look up French bookshelves! Not the bookshelves themselves, but the way they display books. It is so inspiring and made me appreciate all the books my husband kept! Also, YES to waiting to declutter photos! That is the hardest sentimental category and should definitely be saved for the very end--maybe even after a second go-through!
My husband has so many books. Before we married nope 45 yrs later we have ALOT OF BOOKS. But my husband reads all the time & really enjoys them Good luck Andy💐🇮🇪
I would have bought a cupboard with shelves and a glass door. Then you can have your heirlooms on display without dust getting in. And the same with Andys books. It looks better and you don't have to dust them all the time.
Recently I displayed an old typewriter that was my mother in laws, old vintage books, old vintage photos of my relatives, all together on a shelf in my entryway. So glad I did! Also no need to keep more, what I have displayed is enough. 💜
Love following your channel, please thank Andy for his service, was thinking that maybe his event tickets would make a cool collage for his beer making area or gaming area. From the last video I watched, new sundress is super cute, you’re looking great! You have inspired me to not wait till things are “perfect” to work on myself and my health, there will always be distractions in life. Have been decluttering for about a year and your videos keep me going. I’m sentimental, so the keep sakes and heirlooms are a category I’ve tried to be thoughtful about without making my home a mausoleum, thanks for your content!
I think I'd put all the photo albums together in the same bookcase with the family heirlooms. Maybe even something with doors to protect them from sunlight and dust (Are tinted glass doors a thing maybe?). That way all sentimental items are in one place in case of emergency, but can still be accessed and enjoyed. For me, books, especially fragile ones, are not "decor." But, I'm not a decor person. Loving the process and the progress you share!
Andy has let go of tons of stuff. Some people just genuinely enjoy being surrounded by a library of books. They may not read all of the books, but as long as they're organized and have a designated "home", there's nothing wrong with keeping the books. Just because Erica is interested in furthering her minimalist surroundings doesn't mean Andy wants to or has to do so. If Andy doesn't mind moving them around and is willing to do the lifting, that's his choice, as well.
I'd recommend an acid-free archival box that's attractive & can store your fragile family heirlooms but also look pretty on a shelf (stored flat, not upright)
I was also thinking to suggest archival paper and an archival box. It could sit on the bookshelf with plenty of space. You could allow the kids to look in the box while it sits on your lap periodically to make sure they get a chance to experience the heirlooms, but they would also be climate stable and less vulnerable to dust and sunlight deterioration. www.dickblick.com/categories/studio/archival/storage-boxes/
I love history and family history. I have a bookcase in the basement with one shelf full of photo archive boxes with all of my pics and artifacts. Boxes are labeled. I am so excited about your front room. You are a family of readers, so a library just makes sense. Hopefully the kids will love it and respect the space enough to keep it nice
We use my great aunt's china daily, it sat in boxes for years and we decided it made more sense to use and enjoy them. They are very 1960s with peacocks all over them and they make me smile!
This was my thought too. I also wouldn't want to dust or maintain them. Maybe one vertical shelving unit in the master bedroom with a comfy chair would work. Andy could then swap out from his stash in the basement.
Started my 100 walks in 100 days this morning. Thanks for the motivation. It was HOT and I did not enjoy it, but once around a long block got done. Had to bring my umbrella but what the hey, rain or shine is better than staying home!
I had hundreds of books move with me dozens of times from the time I was a teen and through out my Husband's military career. I displayed them, packed them up, unpacked them, bought more shelves for them...and I still did not read them, I actually acquired MORE. Until something clicked between round two of "Kondoing" them and a Minimalist podcast where Joshua said he felt his hoard of neatly organized and curated books gave him a sort of implied status. "Look everyone I read, I'm educated, I'm an intellectual, Just look at my collection!" It hit me like a ton of books, lol. Who was I pretending to be? Who was I keeping all those books for?! Over the last four years I have passed on about 80% of them I can honestly say I remember/regret maybe one which I'm sure I can find on Ebay or a Goodwill run if I ever really have a want to actually read it. It's painful and kind of an ego hit to think within like that, but maybe something Andy should ask himself.
I can totally relate to this. I, and my mom who lived with me, had amassed a very large collection. A few of them we would reread as they were very loved but most lived on the shelf to collect dust. Over time I got rid of mine because I was so tired of dusting them and came to the conclusion that I just wanted to be seen as a reader. Who did I need to prove to that I was a reader? No one because I know I am a reader. When my mom passed I had to get rid of her books. It was such a chore and I am so glad to be finished with that task. I will never burden my daughter with that task. Now they come in, I read them and they leave the house so someone else can enjoy.
Mine was I wanted to be seen at the bookstore or I want people to know I went to a bookstore. Why? I never read half the books I bought and they just sat on the shelf as a reminder that I spent all that money on that useless thing. It was useless to me as I was not reading it... So I gave them to the library so it can be useful to someone at least.
It hit me like a ton of books...that cracked me up. For me setting parameters helps, One large bookcase, all my holiday decor fits in my guest room closet shelves.
That autograph book is so special! My grandma has one. She recently went through it with me and told me who each person was. I wish I was video taping it because I can't remember who the people were now! Very special, though.
If your extended family lives nearby, it might be nice to get together and bring the photos to get the older generation to talk while you record/film was is being said about what.
I recommend storing newsprint separately, as newspaper is very acidic and will damage neighboring paper. You could put a photocopy where the original newsprint clipping was located. Just a suggestion for preservation of long term archival materials.
You can buy acid free envelopes made just for storing things like that. They make clear plastic ones so you can see what it is and it protects it as well as the things around it.
Shadow boxes, on walls or as coffee tables, are a nice way to group and display items. Tickets are great as a collage and adhered to canvas or a board, framed and hung. Letters can go in albums.
It is good that you are curating your items now. That will makes things easier when you are older. It is a good idea to down size before you retire. You have more energy when you are young. The kids might want a few of your items, (as well as other family members). And you don't end up waiting until pairing down has to be down quickly because of an emergency, or done by your children upon a death or hospitalization from which there is no return to the house.
I have the same thought process when it comes to sentimental. If it means that much to me I want it displayed in my house to see and make me smile, not hidden away! With old books and even ticket stubs and such having a small area in an office or library that’s dedicated to sentimental might be nice! And maybe having a really pretty decorative box to old old letters and paper keepsakes so it looks pretty but still holds value to the family! That way it’s all in one spot (or most of it) so things don’t get lost or ruined by mistake, but they are still up and out to see!
I would say get a nice cedar box to put things like the letters in. Cedar is the best to use to keep things safe, that’s why hope chest use to be mainly made out of cedar. Thank you for sharing these real life decluttering videos. I also love that you addressed the reality that sometimes one person may be ready for the minimalist journey while the other is not. My husband and I are the same way, I am ready to get rid of almost everything but he is the type who wants to save everything.
Im very impressed that y'all have SO many heirlooms from both sides of the family. My parents and in-laws have kept everything and I hope they pass it along before they pass. As far as photos, why not scan them and put them in files on computer or on CDs. They will take up much less room.
Andy deserves a place for his books. The front room isn’t all that big so you may need to consider how many bookshelves you want and how to position them. I’d do a mud map with a birds eye view BEFORE you buy the bookshelves so that you know they are the rights ones. Any of the older/sentimental books need to be stored carefully so they don’t get damaged
Thank you! Someone else here who realizes Andy is a person and has a right to enjoy his things. Esp in Andy's case, he is an avid reader - i am sure at least some of them will be read, and what he doesn't read he may leaf through or just enjoy. I am sure he will also pare down the collection at some point but there is no need to rush - that's when mistakes happen and he may wind up repurchasing books down the road if pressured to get rid of them now. I am a book lover and have been collecting books since I was about 15 (I'm 33 now). I have HUNDREDS of books and I have read a lot of them, but some I haven't gotten round to - but I just enjoy having them in my home. They are organized and displayed nicely and they have "a home". When I moved, I DID significantly pare down my collection and gave away over 100 books to the library and friends. Most I don't regret giving away but there have been 2 or 3 I've had to repurchase that I thought I wouldn't read again and did wind up re-reading upon repurchase. I bought them all second-hand and they're hardcover in great condition, so for me it's absolutely worth it. I get that Erica wants to minimize clutter, but for some of us, books are NOT clutter - they are pieces of our soul. Again, I'm sure Andy will donate some of them as time goes on, but you're absolutely right - he deserves to have a designated home for the books that are special to him. I think people get so caught up in minimalist frenzy sometimes that they forget how good it can feel to have a curated library at home.
Perhaps the correspondence between your father and his parents could be put in plastic sleeves and placed in a binder. But I do like another's post about donating those windows/capsules of history to a museum which would cherish their existence once you were done with them. Good going, Erica, on your minimalism journey!
Put your letters in a small (or whatever size) decorative box. I have seen some tied with a bow. Find it to match your decor and then set them with your other sentimental books/journals you are going to display. So your not framing the letters but they are just there, in their envelopes (or not if you prefer) and you can look at them when you want to.
All those boxes of photos is a huge project. Most of my photos are digital and I have a few photo books I have had printed. I also have a few photo books with actual prints in them. I like to use the 3 ring binder photo books and you can add pages for different size photos. I also have my kids put the photos in the books for me.
Pat yourself on the back you've gotten rid of so much stuff. I want to share with you what I did with my heirloom items. Things like old books, antique glasses, pocket watches, really old photos, perfume bottles etc. I got a book case that part of it was shelves and part of it had glass doors and was lighted inside. Like a curio cabinet. It kept me from having so many items to dust and it also set the items in the glass section as special, handle with care. It also was an allotted amount of space that put a number on what we could keep. Just a thought, keep up the good work.
My mom made a shadow box for the wall, it’s a good size. It has stuff my grandparents made and used including their marriage certificate and photos of them. It’s a big shadow box and it’s on display at her house!
In this video you sort of define your own minimalism as having a mindset that lets you get rid of things more easily and I know you've worked so hard on limiting purchases and pare down your whole household inventory. From the outside looking in, and knowing what my home is like, it seems like you've moved from a "save/buy everything" status to a "normal" household status and have achieved minimalism in your personal property such as your own clothing, jewelry, makeup etc. I'd love to see a video of how your views on being a minimalist or minimalism in general have changed since you started your journey and where you think you are in the process. What will things look like to you when you have achieved what you want. I know this is an ongoing, ever changing journey. I wonder if this, in the end comes down to a very personal thing for each person in the household having what they consider to be the correct amount of stuff.
I feel comfortable calling myself a minimalist and I would have donated/trashed almost all of that, too. I use to collect movie stubs but recently tossed, very easily, all them in the trash. My husband isn't as sentimental as Andy but there are things he likes to hold on to and that's okay. Marriage comes with compromises.
You could organise the books in rainbow colours. This can even be a task for your children, that way it looks nice and also for the smaller heirlooms that you don't want to see so that it is not too cluttered just put them in a nice memory box. Then sometimes you can do theme and research days and get the kids to research these things or talk about them.
For some of the items, I’d create a shadow box that has the items “mounted” in a way that doesn’t damage them and has a door that opens so you can look at the booklets and pamphlets, maybe leave them open and flip a page occasionally. That allows both to see and handle them.
What about getting a nice antique wooden box to store those extra special items, which would also look good among your furniture within your home? This could be accessible to you both to go through from time to time with your children, and reminisce about your ancestors and your own childhoods, and bring them into your 'everyday' life, while keeping them alive for your children and future generations. I have done something similar. I have handmade albums which hold treasures from my own and my son's childhoods, which are on a shelf in our home. Anything too big for the albums is in a 'treasure' box within our home. I know you are not onto your photos yet.... I also have photos of treasured ancestors in beautiful frames and on display. I love mixing old with new. xx
I inherited my mum’s photos when she died. I went through them and if their were holiday photos of complete strangers or scenery I just threw them out. With books that I was collecting that I had read I just got rid of them. You rarely read them again I only kept the ones I haven’t got round to reading. I took them to a book seller who gives credits towards other books.
Before you purchase bookshelves make sure they will actually allow the weight of the books. Lol. I bought cute shelves that had a very low weight allowance. Fortunately I was using them mostly for decor so it worked out.
Do you really want all those photos? You might want to keep a sampling of pictures of each of your family members. Might be more enjoyable to look through dozens than hundreds.
Those letters are historical artifacts. They tell the daily history or life apart during war time. Perhaps an Air Force museum would want them. I donated my father's Army uniform and event programs as well as photos to the Army museum in Waikiki. He was stationed at Diamond Head as Coast Artillery in 1942.
My husband and I are at the same place as you and your husband are. I have 1 bin of sentimental and another 1 of my mom's things (as she's passed away). My husband currently has 6 bins. I bought 6 teal bins, wanted all matching, and everyone is my family now has ONE sentimental bin. I still need to pair down mine into the bin but my children are good with just their one. My husband has yet to pair down his into one. And if he doesn't that's fine bc those bins will have to be stored in his office side of the basement. 😁
They do make acid free boxes for storing paper memories. We use them in our archives room at church. I love the relationship you two have. Going through all this stuff is hard work. Can’t wait to see the library 🤓 #booknerd Also looking foretold see how you handle all the pictures. That’s what I have a whole closet full of 🙄
I know you said you pair old with new BUT consider using the cedar chest 15:00 to store all of the family heirlooms you have (documents, books, jewelry, etc.). 👍
Bringing all the books up and displaying wont be the magic fix to reading them. Ive done about 6 times and never read any of them. I finally sat down and picked 1 to read, 9 to donate. Then i put the 10 or so books i kept to read on a shelf. I picked one and put it right next to my chair or bed and dedicated a time to read and made myself choose reading over phone use, tv use, gardening, etc and made it happen! The other books i set aside to donate i kept in the garage for 3 months. At the end of the 3 months, i had only read 1of the 10 books i kept in the house. I knew then that it was a "fantasy self" thing to actually read more than those 20 books i kept. The ones in the garage went to goodwill at the end of the 3 month time limit. ;)
It might be simpler for you, since you have so much sentimental, to electronically archive some of it. Photos and letters are a perfect example. I did this with rare photos of ancestors in case the originals were lost or damaged.
I've been using our glass desert bowls from my mums Christmas set for ages now and now I do t feel like a crazy lady because I know someone else does it too.
I'm taking sentimental items and putting them in scrapbooks for our family members. For exampld: I'm taking pages from my mother's bridal shower book and putting a page or 2 in each scrapbook.thay way, I may not have the book in tact or to store, but everyone in the family gets some of the memories. Also. Remember to date items when you can. And write up something about the item/event/photo.
I agree heirlooms or sentimental items don’t belong in a box! I’m trying to display them more or get rid of them. I took a handkerchief I had in my jewelry box that was my great grandmother’s and framed it and put a picture of my great grandmother in it too! Trying to do more of that kind of thing around my home but yet not too much to add clutter. 💜
I totally agree about featuring your family heirlooms in your home. I have one of my brothers camouflage uniforms from operation Desert Storm. (US Army First Cav) My brother passed in 2005 and it was something he gave to my son the year before. …..and I can’t bear to unpack it. I know I need to have it displayed in a large shadow box. Memories are sometimes hard to unpack. I’m afraid it will make me miss him even more. 😔
Thank you for giving your husband the freedom to walk his own path!
I'm just starting to learn that.
Hubby and I are retired and have been married over 20 years. He has always wanted a “Library”. We moved 6 years ago and took the smallest bedroom and lined one side with bookshelves for his books. He has a matching oak desk on an adjacent wall. We purchased 2 leather recliners to which I added 1 throw pillow and 1 lap blanket to each one for a cozy feel. I have a small side table and reading lamp beside each leather recliner. Hubby picked out the curtains for the one window and chose his favorite paintings for the walls. It is masculine, cozy, and comfortable. His eyesight is past the point of being able to read the books but we like to sit there and enjoy a beverage while he listens to audiobooks. Glad you are setting up a Library sooner than we did. You can add comfy seating and everyone can enjoy reading there.
It truly sounds lovely, and i am so glad you can enjoy it at last.
Sometimes I wonder if the reason so few adult children want heirloom items (from dishes to photos to paper or newspaper articles to books) is because the items were always packed away in a box so they have no childhood memories to go with them and therefore the items mean nothing to them. After you are finished you could do a fun genealogy project with the kids of the family tree with pictures of ancestors and which objects you kept that belonged to that ancestor and why you made the decision to keep it. You don’t need to have an item for each ancestor but if you happened to keep one you could discuss it.
What an “AHA” moment !!!!!!!! I think you hit the nail on the head. The items that I cherish from my grandmother were things that I actually touched.For example,the candy dish that had the lemon drops 😋,the music box from Germany that she would take off of a high shelf so that I could watch the little Hummel children go around,my grandfather’s trunk that we would play with,etc. Now,they all have a place of honor in my home. YES!
@@lauramitchell6725 Those are beautiful memories. Stuff stored in boxes don’t bring back memories like that.
@@elizabethlangheim7214 🥰
Yep
Maybe put all of the ticket stubs into one frame, so Andy could hang it above his gaming desk to enjoy that way
Great idea 👍
That was my thought too 🙂
Beat me to it
Yes! Ticket Stubbs in frames would look great in the gaming area.
I like it.
Wow...just imagine where you were at the beginning of your decluttering and minimalist journey. You have come so far. Congratulations!
my boyfriend had a huge set of fancy china that belonged to his grandmother that was just in a box in his kitchen when i moved in. i took a bunch of photos and tried selling the set and no one was interested (he was fully ok with selling them). so they stayed in a box for another 3 years of us being together. we just moved again and yet again i took a ton of photos and tried selling them for months, no interested buyers. finally i realized... why don't we just use these instead of our crappy ikea/amazon ones? and now every time i plate a meal it looks nice and fancy haha. i kept 2 old dishes and bowls for microwave purposes only. but the rest is nice now :)
I love this!! 😃
in the same boat . I was blessed with my great grandmother's Harker ware from pre 1939. It is 12 of everything except tea or coffee cups. They are beautiful but I love my corelle dishes.
I used my step grandma’s fine China in college. They were the dishes I had! I display them now because they are beautiful and delicate (no microwave or dishwasher for them), but I loved using them!
I recently started using a tablecloth and cloth napkins that my great grandmother made in the 1940s. They sat in a box in my laundry room for YEARS because I was afraid to “ruin” them. I finally decided to use them on our table and make memories with them. Later I can perhaps preserve one of the napkins….after I spend years making memories with these linens.
Ohhh my genealogist heart.
Growing up we had a little side table that was a glass showcase that had all sorts of family items displayed in it. We were fascinated by it as kids. It kept the dust off of as well.
I have an antique trunk that holds all of our sentimental items/heirlooms that we don’t want to necessarily display in our home but want to keep. It sits in my living room and serves as an entrance table as well. It’s a great conversation piece and often leads to being opened and sharing the contents with others, so the items are being “used” in a way.
Long comment but...been there, done that. We are all about compromise with my retired husband and I and we have found ways to work around things like the bins of books. If I were you I would bring one bin of books up and put them on a shelf and read at your leisure. Set aside another shelf to put any for long term keeping and donate any you wouldn't read twice. As your shelf empties out bring up some more. Trust me, if you bring them all up it will feel too cluttered and you will feel pressured to read them. I no longer have stored books except my bookcase and I found that all my Henry James and Edith Wharton are keepers for my collection, but 95% of current novels go after one reading. Build a curated library slowly, incorporate family books. I remember my high school aged daughters teachers being so impressed with some of their unique book report choices and the fact that they came from their home library. Years later I was reminded why I loved my husband so much when we were retiring to a smaller house and I said I really should get rid of a bunch of books but now that I am retiring I could have time to read them. He said you don't need to get rid of your books Glor. And guess what, over time I have been reading them and purging and it was a joy to fill my curated bookcase. And I still buy books, I just keep them to one large case.
I love this.
I have slowly worked my way through my 15 bookcases library. As I worked my way through them I made sure I'd read them recently and decided if they were worth replacing with an ebook. Then I boxed them up and donated them to the library. When it came down to it most of the books weren't worth another read it was just hard to get rid of them because I feel books are precious. I started this project over 5 years ago and still have 3 bookcases to go.
Seriously LOL! “Ah my old piano bag; oh, my stuff is mixed in here; Oh no.”
😂🤣😂
Erica just thought she was finished with her stuff!
When my parents passed, I was very minimal in what I kept. Since I had 4 siblings and there were lots of grandchildren we all picked what meant the most to us. I didn’t want things that I would keep in a storage bin… I have what my mom kept on her bedside table Padre Pio and a small Angel, her reading glasses, and I kept all the cards maybe 30 of them that I had sent her which she kept, my Dad after he passed I kept his watch and his eyeglasses, and his Frank Sinatra albums. I am so thankful I didn’t bring everything home… after they passed that’s what made me get deeply into minimalism, I Swedish death cleaned, so my daughter would not have the job my siblings and I did…
Whoa! The excitement those forgotten ticket stubs brought is so awesome, and they definitely deserve a special place to continue to bring that smile & joy!
So..I've had shelves. Then I had the Ikea shelves the Billy glass doors. Affordable. For things that need display but also need care, good idea to put behind glass. Books are a chore and a half to keep dusted. Antique books more so.
Maybe you could do some kind of "Family Day" once a year where you take out a box of family heirlooms and go through some of them with your kids and read some of the autographs, talk about family stories and memories and who some of those people were in the photos.
Frame the tickets and hang with Andy's books since Andy's face glowed when he saw the pictures.
I fully agree that sentimental items should be out on display to be enjoyed, used, and a way to remember the loved ones from our past. I have a lot of really interesting beautiful unique items from my parents and grandparents and we have bookshelves built in on either side of our fireplace and a lot of the things that are displayed on those shelves are these sentimental items. My daughter is so interested in them and the history of them she wants me to make notes on each item. How old it is, who it belonged to, where it came from etc. So I think this is great that you are going to do this with some of these items. And then you have less boxes sitting in storage which is a win-win.
My mom learned shorthand in highschool and she said that she really liked it And she would use it to take notes. I thought that was really neat.
How interesting!! Our Dads could have known each other! My dad was in the Army… stationed at Baumholder, Germany… my Mom was there for a while, too… flew back before him (July, I believe) because she was pregnant with me…! he was out before I was born in Dec. 1968 😊
Wow!!! You have gone through so many boxes over the years! What an accomplishment!
Erica, I really like the piano bag! I would use it after a wash. Anyhow, you have so much energy in this video! Is it the diet/exercise? Being with Andy? Your long camping trip away? Whatever it is--it's awesome. You clearly look thinner too! So wonderful. I say put all the family heirlooms in the antique chest by your dining table.
I love the thought process of “If it is special, it should be used or displayed and not put into a storage bin!”. I am working through my own storage boxes and will use that thought process as I unpack the boxes. Like you, I am saving photos for the very last. I will put them in chronological order, get rid of dark or bad photos, etc. Then I can sit down with my adult children and we can go through them together. Decisions can be made to keep or toss at that time. I am also looking into digitizing those we decide to keep.
Digitizing photos is a good idea. It is easier to share digital photos with wide ranging family members. And with disaster preparedness, you can store digital photos on the cloud as backup that way if there was a fire not all the copies would be destroyed.
You are both so respectful of one another & one another’s stuff... I appreciate that Andy participates with u on the video & WE LOVE HIM & YOU!!! Thank y’all! 💕🙏
Great points!
Display sentimental items.
Respect other family members.
Use items you're keeping.
Remember, many things you store now end up ruined if not stored right, and many things we think our kids would want to end up tossing them after your death. Many things I asked my son about keeping he said he was not interested in. Ask your kids when they are older how they feel about your stuff. Our memories are not their memories.
Shirley, I totally agree. :)
I agree that our memories may not be their memories. But when I look at these items that belonged to my grandparents it brings me joy to think about them and remember them. If my children want to get rid of them when I'm gone that's fine. I'm not going to have tubs and tubs of stuff for them to go through. Everything I have is going to be out on display which will make it easier for them to pick and choose what they want to keep.
@@lauragreen4899 It's funny, I have been de-cluttering for over a year now, and the things I have saved are from when we were first married and didn't have much, but they mean more to me now than they did then. I have ridden myself of stuff that I thought I liked and have found I am just a simple woman who doesn't need much. Now gardening is my joy in life. I want a simple home, easy to take care of, and more time doing what I love. It is so freeing.
Hi Shirley, I'm with you on that my motto is "gardening forever, housework whenever." 💖
Ladies I am a gardener too. It brings such joy to out working in the flowers rather than dusting stuff. 😆
as an archivist I'd consider putting those old bibles etc. in a closed shelve or as you say a heirloom and put it somewhere without direct sunlight - generally little daylight. You can see it, but it's still protected from moisture, light, pests and dust.
I love that you use your dishes for everyday!
I love the way you’re explaining both of your decluttering phases/ stages in life!
Consider bookshelves with doors. This way Andy has his books, but you don't have to see them. Closed storage is a wonderful thing 😊
And way less dusty, too.
Some people find books beautiful to look at.
@@joeseatat but Erica doesn't 😊 She said in the video she didn't want to see all that upstairs. I agree though. I have some lovely old books from my grandmother that I enjoy seeing on my bookcases.
That baby book is cool! I wonder what treasures my parents have from their parents. I love the fact that you're finding a place of honor for these things instead of just being in a bin you'll be able to create new memories and new bond plus it'll be fun to for the kids to see some of the family history and read how things were the same or different in the past for your relatives.
Erica I just have to say you have become one of my favorite youtubers. Thank you for sharing this journey. When I stumble in my decluttering, I go back and watch your playlist to help me get motivated.
Reading letters from someone who is gone is a good way to get to know them, if you didn’t when they were alive
All the really old stuff, the ones from Andys grandmother aso... You could put it all together in a nice box/crate and have that in one of the bookshelfs upstair in the front room. That way it will be easy axess and you can take it out and look at it, talk about and in the same time it would be protected from kids and sunshine.
Oh my when you showed us where you started from I realized how much you have actually done. Oh my gosh even with a move in between. Way to go.
I can see you paring dow even more after you have gone through everything. Your 'second pass' might actually be easier (letting go of decor, wall art, sentimental and unused or duplicate stuff because the end result is so much better. Keeping the most precious and meaningful items and deciding how to store them or display them is tricky. Would they add something worthwhile to your life? Would you want to look at those in your main living areas? Have you considered placing the bookshelves in the basement?
He wants to see the books so he remembers to read them.
I bought glass fronted bookcases (used) to display my special books and use eye level shelf to display special books on stand with couple of special items from grandmother (bowl and one Hummel) and mother (doll).
I think that is a much better idea for Andy's books than those pretty but limited shelves they bought. Andy's could have more of his books without stressing his wife and the sentimental items could be seen but be protected 🙂
I love how respectful you guys are to each other. Very cool.
Really enjoyed this video. So many "family heirlooms" can turn into quite a burden. Our family has one member who is deeply involved in getting old photos on line where all members can see them. Also, adding some items to Ancestry. I have a few items I've decided to place in a shadow box as a memory tribute to a grandparent. Your attitude to use or place items where they can be enjoyed, excellent.
One bookshelf only. Andy brings up as many books as will fill the one bookcase. When he has read those, he decides whether to keep, recycle or donate. The keeps get to stay on the bookshelf. The recycle goes back into a plastic box in the basement, to be brought back up again later. And the donate go out the door! This way he gets to bring up a new selection to the bookshelf whenever he has finished reading the current set. After a couple of years, I would expect that only his favourites would remain. The others would have all been donated.
The more I decluttered, the more I let go of home decor and began to incorporate sentimental pieces of mine and my husband's. Even though our home isn't necessarily "in style" or up with the trends; it's ours! And we both love each home we've lived in (with the exception of one exceptionally tiny place, haha).
If you haven't already, look up French bookshelves! Not the bookshelves themselves, but the way they display books. It is so inspiring and made me appreciate all the books my husband kept!
Also, YES to waiting to declutter photos! That is the hardest sentimental category and should definitely be saved for the very end--maybe even after a second go-through!
Oo, thanks for the tip on the French bookshelf styling--lovely!
My husband has so many books. Before we married nope 45 yrs later we have ALOT OF BOOKS. But my husband reads all the time & really enjoys them
Good luck Andy💐🇮🇪
I would have bought a cupboard with shelves and a glass door. Then you can have your heirlooms on display without dust getting in. And the same with Andys books. It looks better and you don't have to dust them all the time.
I think it’s very smart to separate your photos from the rest of the sentimental items to declutter!
Yep. Putting off both those jobs. I would actually rather start decluttering literally everything else than do either of those. I'm not sure why.
Recently I displayed an old typewriter that was my mother in laws, old vintage books, old vintage photos of my relatives, all together on a shelf in my entryway. So glad I did! Also no need to keep more, what I have displayed is enough. 💜
Love following your channel, please thank Andy for his service, was thinking that maybe his event tickets would make a cool collage for his beer making area or gaming area. From the last video I watched, new sundress is super cute, you’re looking great! You have inspired me to not wait till things are “perfect” to work on myself and my health, there will always be distractions in life. Have been decluttering for about a year and your videos keep me going. I’m sentimental, so the keep sakes and heirlooms are a category I’ve tried to be thoughtful about without making my home a mausoleum, thanks for your content!
I think I'd put all the photo albums together in the same bookcase with the family heirlooms. Maybe even something with doors to protect them from sunlight and dust (Are tinted glass doors a thing maybe?). That way all sentimental items are in one place in case of emergency, but can still be accessed and enjoyed. For me, books, especially fragile ones, are not "decor." But, I'm not a decor person. Loving the process and the progress you share!
Erica you've done so well and letting everything go. I'm going to pray that Andy will have a breakthrough.
Andy has let go of tons of stuff. Some people just genuinely enjoy being surrounded by a library of books. They may not read all of the books, but as long as they're organized and have a designated "home", there's nothing wrong with keeping the books. Just because Erica is interested in furthering her minimalist surroundings doesn't mean Andy wants to or has to do so. If Andy doesn't mind moving them around and is willing to do the lifting, that's his choice, as well.
I'd recommend an acid-free archival box that's attractive & can store your fragile family heirlooms but also look pretty on a shelf (stored flat, not upright)
I was also thinking to suggest archival paper and an archival box. It could sit on the bookshelf with plenty of space. You could allow the kids to look in the box while it sits on your lap periodically to make sure they get a chance to experience the heirlooms, but they would also be climate stable and less vulnerable to dust and sunlight deterioration.
www.dickblick.com/categories/studio/archival/storage-boxes/
I love history and family history. I have a bookcase in the basement with one shelf full of photo archive boxes with all of my pics and artifacts. Boxes are labeled. I am so excited about your front room. You are a family of readers, so a library just makes sense. Hopefully the kids will love it and respect the space enough to keep it nice
We use my great aunt's china daily, it sat in boxes for years and we decided it made more sense to use and enjoy them. They are very 1960s with peacocks all over them and they make me smile!
I would get an antique box to store those precious items!
I think bookcases in the basement would be better. Less visual clutter in the house. Not for everyone I understand, but thought I would weigh in 🙃
This was my thought too. I also wouldn't want to dust or maintain them. Maybe one vertical shelving unit in the master bedroom with a comfy chair would work. Andy could then swap out from his stash in the basement.
Started my 100 walks in 100 days this morning. Thanks for the motivation. It was HOT and I did not enjoy it, but once around a long block got done. Had to bring my umbrella but what the hey, rain or shine is better than staying home!
I had hundreds of books move with me dozens of times from the time I was a teen and through out my Husband's military career. I displayed them, packed them up, unpacked them, bought more shelves for them...and I still did not read them, I actually acquired MORE. Until something clicked between round two of "Kondoing" them and a Minimalist podcast where Joshua said he felt his hoard of neatly organized and curated books gave him a sort of implied status. "Look everyone I read, I'm educated, I'm an intellectual, Just look at my collection!" It hit me like a ton of books, lol. Who was I pretending to be? Who was I keeping all those books for?! Over the last four years I have passed on about 80% of them I can honestly say I remember/regret maybe one which I'm sure I can find on Ebay or a Goodwill run if I ever really have a want to actually read it. It's painful and kind of an ego hit to think within like that, but maybe something Andy should ask himself.
I can totally relate to this. I, and my mom who lived with me, had amassed a very large collection. A few of them we would reread as they were very loved but most lived on the shelf to collect dust. Over time I got rid of mine because I was so tired of dusting them and came to the conclusion that I just wanted to be seen as a reader. Who did I need to prove to that I was a reader? No one because I know I am a reader. When my mom passed I had to get rid of her books. It was such a chore and I am so glad to be finished with that task. I will never burden my daughter with that task. Now they come in, I read them and they leave the house so someone else can enjoy.
Mine was I wanted to be seen at the bookstore or I want people to know I went to a bookstore. Why? I never read half the books I bought and they just sat on the shelf as a reminder that I spent all that money on that useless thing. It was useless to me as I was not reading it... So I gave them to the library so it can be useful to someone at least.
It hit me like a ton of books...that cracked me up. For me setting parameters helps, One large bookcase, all my holiday decor fits in my guest room closet shelves.
I have that same old keepsake notebook. It was my Grandmothers. I love it. It lives in my bookcase and often reminds me of her.
That autograph book is so special! My grandma has one. She recently went through it with me and told me who each person was. I wish I was video taping it because I can't remember who the people were now! Very special, though.
If your extended family lives nearby, it might be nice to get together and bring the photos to get the older generation to talk while you record/film was is being said about what.
Family member shadow boxes, nice way to display and protect
I recommend storing newsprint separately, as newspaper is very acidic and will damage neighboring paper. You could put a photocopy where the original newsprint clipping was located. Just a suggestion for preservation of long term archival materials.
Or take a photo and store on your computer in your Sentimental Papers file, as I suggested in my comment. :D
You can buy acid free envelopes made just for storing things like that. They make clear plastic ones so you can see what it is and it protects it as well as the things around it.
They make shadow boxes with an open slot at the top of the picture frame for ticket stubs. We have one and it hangs on our wall. Great Dad gift!
Shadow boxes, on walls or as coffee tables, are a nice way to group and display items. Tickets are great as a collage and adhered to canvas or a board, framed and hung. Letters can go in albums.
It is good that you are curating your items now. That will makes things easier when you are older.
It is a good idea to down size before you retire. You have more energy when you are young. The kids might want a few of your items, (as well as other family members). And you don't end up waiting until pairing down has to be down quickly because of an emergency, or done by your children upon a death or hospitalization from which there is no return to the house.
I have the same thought process when it comes to sentimental. If it means that much to me I want it displayed in my house to see and make me smile, not hidden away! With old books and even ticket stubs and such having a small area in an office or library that’s dedicated to sentimental might be nice! And maybe having a really pretty decorative box to old old letters and paper keepsakes so it looks pretty but still holds value to the family! That way it’s all in one spot (or most of it) so things don’t get lost or ruined by mistake, but they are still up and out to see!
I would say get a nice cedar box to put things like the letters in. Cedar is the best to use to keep things safe, that’s why hope chest use to be mainly made out of cedar. Thank you for sharing these real life decluttering videos. I also love that you addressed the reality that sometimes one person may be ready for the minimalist journey while the other is not. My husband and I are the same way, I am ready to get rid of almost everything but he is the type who wants to save everything.
Im very impressed that y'all have SO many heirlooms from both sides of the family. My parents and in-laws have kept everything and I hope they pass it along before they pass.
As far as photos, why not scan them and put them in files on computer or on CDs. They will take up much less room.
I am working on our geology right now and saw this blog. You are so lucky to have them, and I love the ideas of displaying your family heirlooms
Andy deserves a place for his books. The front room isn’t all that big so you may need to consider how many bookshelves you want and how to position them. I’d do a mud map with a birds eye view BEFORE you buy the bookshelves so that you know they are the rights ones.
Any of the older/sentimental books need to be stored carefully so they don’t get damaged
Thank you! Someone else here who realizes Andy is a person and has a right to enjoy his things. Esp in Andy's case, he is an avid reader - i am sure at least some of them will be read, and what he doesn't read he may leaf through or just enjoy. I am sure he will also pare down the collection at some point but there is no need to rush - that's when mistakes happen and he may wind up repurchasing books down the road if pressured to get rid of them now. I am a book lover and have been collecting books since I was about 15 (I'm 33 now). I have HUNDREDS of books and I have read a lot of them, but some I haven't gotten round to - but I just enjoy having them in my home. They are organized and displayed nicely and they have "a home". When I moved, I DID significantly pare down my collection and gave away over 100 books to the library and friends. Most I don't regret giving away but there have been 2 or 3 I've had to repurchase that I thought I wouldn't read again and did wind up re-reading upon repurchase. I bought them all second-hand and they're hardcover in great condition, so for me it's absolutely worth it. I get that Erica wants to minimize clutter, but for some of us, books are NOT clutter - they are pieces of our soul. Again, I'm sure Andy will donate some of them as time goes on, but you're absolutely right - he deserves to have a designated home for the books that are special to him. I think people get so caught up in minimalist frenzy sometimes that they forget how good it can feel to have a curated library at home.
Perhaps the correspondence between your father and his parents could be put in plastic sleeves and placed in a binder. But I do like another's post about donating those windows/capsules of history to a museum which would cherish their existence once you were done with them. Good going, Erica, on your minimalism journey!
Put your letters in a small (or whatever size) decorative box. I have seen some tied with a bow. Find it to match your decor and then set them with your other sentimental books/journals you are going to display. So your not framing the letters but they are just there, in their envelopes (or not if you prefer) and you can look at them when you want to.
Laminate the ticket stubs, turn them into bookmarks
All those boxes of photos is a huge project. Most of my photos are digital and I have a few photo books I have had printed. I also have a few photo books with actual prints in them. I like to use the 3 ring binder photo books and you can add pages for different size photos. I also have my kids put the photos in the books for me.
Pat yourself on the back you've gotten rid of so much stuff. I want to share with you what I did with my heirloom items. Things like old books, antique glasses, pocket watches, really old photos, perfume bottles etc. I got a book case that part of it was shelves and part of it had glass doors and was lighted inside. Like a curio cabinet. It kept me from having so many items to dust and it also set the items in the glass section as special, handle with care. It also was an allotted amount of space that put a number on what we could keep. Just a thought, keep up the good work.
My mom made a shadow box for the wall, it’s a good size. It has stuff my grandparents made and used including their marriage certificate and photos of them. It’s a big shadow box and it’s on display at her house!
The piano bag is so cool!
I love that your husband reads books. I have been trying to get my husband to read. But I realize I also need to release that.
In this video you sort of define your own minimalism as having a mindset that lets you get rid of things more easily and I know you've worked so hard on limiting purchases and pare down your whole household inventory. From the outside looking in, and knowing what my home is like, it seems like you've moved from a "save/buy everything" status to a "normal" household status and have achieved minimalism in your personal property such as your own clothing, jewelry, makeup etc. I'd love to see a video of how your views on being a minimalist or minimalism in general have changed since you started your journey and where you think you are in the process. What will things look like to you when you have achieved what you want. I know this is an ongoing, ever changing journey. I wonder if this, in the end comes down to a very personal thing for each person in the household having what they consider to be the correct amount of stuff.
I'm so glad to see another basement like ours!!! I'm going to display our old books too! Great idea 💡
I feel comfortable calling myself a minimalist and I would have donated/trashed almost all of that, too. I use to collect movie stubs but recently tossed, very easily, all them in the trash. My husband isn't as sentimental as Andy but there are things he likes to hold on to and that's okay. Marriage comes with compromises.
You could organise the books in rainbow colours. This can even be a task for your children, that way it looks nice and also for the smaller heirlooms that you don't want to see so that it is not too cluttered just put them in a nice memory box. Then sometimes you can do theme and research days and get the kids to research these things or talk about them.
For some of the items, I’d create a shadow box that has the items “mounted” in a way that doesn’t damage them and has a door that opens so you can look at the booklets and pamphlets, maybe leave them open and flip a page occasionally. That allows both to see and handle them.
There are acid free supplies to cherish heirloom letters, etc.
What about getting a nice antique wooden box to store those extra special items, which would also look good among your furniture within your home? This could be accessible to you both to go through from time to time with your children, and reminisce about your ancestors and your own childhoods, and bring them into your 'everyday' life, while keeping them alive for your children and future generations.
I have done something similar. I have handmade albums which hold treasures from my own and my son's childhoods, which are on a shelf in our home. Anything too big for the albums is in a 'treasure' box within our home.
I know you are not onto your photos yet.... I also have photos of treasured ancestors in beautiful frames and on display. I love mixing old with new. xx
I inherited my mum’s photos when she died. I went through them and if their were holiday photos of complete strangers or scenery I just threw them out. With books that I was collecting that I had read I just got rid of them. You rarely read them again I only kept the ones I haven’t got round to reading. I took them to a book seller who gives credits towards other books.
Wow there are some of these things I would have a hard time parting with, and it’s not even my stuff. Great job!
Before you purchase bookshelves make sure they will actually allow the weight of the books. Lol. I bought cute shelves that had a very low weight allowance. Fortunately I was using them mostly for decor so it worked out.
You can do shutterfly photo books or put on usb stick or dvds, so many options to lessen the bulky photos
Do you really want all those photos? You might want to keep a sampling of pictures of each of your family members. Might be more enjoyable to look through dozens than hundreds.
Those letters are historical artifacts. They tell the daily history or life apart during war time. Perhaps an Air Force museum would want them. I donated my father's Army uniform and event programs as well as photos to the Army museum in Waikiki. He was stationed at Diamond Head as Coast Artillery in 1942.
My husband and I are at the same place as you and your husband are. I have 1 bin of sentimental and another 1 of my mom's things (as she's passed away). My husband currently has 6 bins.
I bought 6 teal bins, wanted all matching, and everyone is my family now has ONE sentimental bin. I still need to pair down mine into the bin but my children are good with just their one. My husband has yet to pair down his into one. And if he doesn't that's fine bc those bins will have to be stored in his office side of the basement. 😁
They do make acid free boxes for storing paper memories. We use them in our archives room at church.
I love the relationship you two have. Going through all this stuff is hard work. Can’t wait to see the library 🤓 #booknerd Also looking foretold see how you handle all the pictures. That’s what I have a whole closet full of 🙄
Those are some nifty family treasures! I love how you thought to donate to the school. I never would have thought to do that.
Omg I am so proud of you! Unpacking those mystery boxes and tubs is the worst!!
I know you said you pair old with new BUT consider using the cedar chest 15:00 to store all of the family heirlooms you have (documents, books, jewelry, etc.). 👍
Bringing all the books up and displaying wont be the magic fix to reading them. Ive done about 6 times and never read any of them. I finally sat down and picked 1 to read, 9 to donate. Then i put the 10 or so books i kept to read on a shelf. I picked one and put it right next to my chair or bed and dedicated a time to read and made myself choose reading over phone use, tv use, gardening, etc and made it happen! The other books i set aside to donate i kept in the garage for 3 months. At the end of the 3 months, i had only read 1of the 10 books i kept in the house. I knew then that it was a "fantasy self" thing to actually read more than those 20 books i kept. The ones in the garage went to goodwill at the end of the 3 month time limit. ;)
It might be simpler for you, since you have so much sentimental, to electronically archive some of it. Photos and letters are a perfect example. I did this with rare photos of ancestors in case the originals were lost or damaged.
You guys are amazing! Your perseverance is so inspiring!
I've been using our glass desert bowls from my mums Christmas set for ages now and now I do t feel like a crazy lady because I know someone else does it too.
I'm taking sentimental items and putting them in scrapbooks for our family members. For exampld: I'm taking pages from my mother's bridal shower book and putting a page or 2 in each scrapbook.thay way, I may not have the book in tact or to store, but everyone in the family gets some of the memories. Also. Remember to date items when you can. And write up something about the item/event/photo.
I agree heirlooms or sentimental items don’t belong in a box! I’m trying to display them more or get rid of them. I took a handkerchief I had in my jewelry box that was my great grandmother’s and framed it and put a picture of my great grandmother in it too! Trying to do more of that kind of thing around my home but yet not too much to add clutter. 💜
Love that!
I agree! If you don't display an item or use it, it's probably not worth keeping & storing.
@@bonnieinthespirit6373 Thank you Bonnie! 💜
I totally agree about featuring your family heirlooms in your home. I have one of my brothers camouflage uniforms from operation Desert Storm. (US Army First Cav) My brother passed in 2005 and it was something he gave to my son the year before. …..and I can’t bear to unpack it. I know I need to have it displayed in a large shadow box. Memories are sometimes hard to unpack. I’m afraid it will make me miss him even more. 😔