Great video and a really cool box. You have just described how my brain works. I see and understand. Even better, I have found my people, I'm not alone. Thank you.
I never had a name for it, but Really Cool Box Syndrome has been with me my whole life. So much potential! Those brown craft boxes scream for adornment that clever crafty me can do. Buttons? Paint? Beads? I try so hard to hold onto them. I may need to watch this dozens of times.
Me too... they make amazing penny banks... trinket boxes and the ones now are so pretty and sturdy, it's hard to let them go. Drawers have never looked cuter... as an artist, it's a constant struggle, because as you said, I see almost everything as useful. The struggle is real!
So nice to be in a community who appreciates a “good box” 😊 junk drawers are also great places that need a “good box” for coins, keys, wallets, receipts, rubber bands and clips for chip bags, air freshener replacements, stuff that otherwise would be rolling around the drawer!
YOU ARE KIDDING!!!!! NEVER did I think others had this Crazy mindset about boxes!!!! Come on Team!!!! Let's TACKLE this!!!Sooo GREAT Not to feel alone!!!
I like that principle that the limits of the designated space determines whether you get to keep that item. Where people come unstuck especially in the example of clothes, is that they then start shoving more stuff into the space in an untidy fashion, because you can't fit as much stuff into a tidy organised space. When I decluttered the junk drawer in our hallway cabinet, there was much more space so then my husband shoved a bunch of junk in there. So I got rid of the hallway cabinet and replaced it with a table with no drawers.
Great reminder!! I struggle every day with cute boxes, cutes paper/gift bags, cute plastic containers, cute glass containers, cute metal containers... Basically any type of container! Ugh!!!! 🙉🤦♀️🙄
I struggle with throwing away a good glass jar (coconut oil jar that was empty) 🤣🤣🤣 had to remind myself I already have plenty! Your voice in my head helps me soo much!
As if you were not already at super hero status for me you make a video about a really cool box. ☺ The struggle is real! Fellow "really cool box" lovers unite!
One of my friends who has heard me talk about decluttering is now seeing how everything can’t be kept and is purging things that she is not attached to!
I can’t go past a good box, but I particularly love iPhone boxes. I use them in the junk drawer or in our caravan to store bits and pieces. My husband knows me too well…. If he buys some new gadget that comes in a small solid box, he says “You’ll want this!” So like a cat or a toddler, I do get more enjoyment out of playing with the box! 😂
YES! IPhone boxes are THE best! I use them to separate my pens and markers and... I have a container issue...boxes, bins, baskets, Amazon boxes... My husband does the same! 😂 "I know you'll want this box..." At one time he started throwing them away before I could look at them. 😂
Kon Mari said that electronic items come in boxes of the size that are useful to organise ckntents of drawers. I keep 'useful boxes' for a week or a fortnight, no longer. If I haven't thought of where I could use that box by then, I'll ask my husband if he needs it, then it has to go to trash. G Ire
When I was little we lived across a hospital because my bro. had asthma and every once in a while he needed a shot of adrenaline to be able to breathe...hang on, there's a box story here...the nuns that ran the hospital knew us well. They usually had a couple of clear plastic boxes to give us. Little ones, (the kind with hinges that actually open and close with your thumbs) different ones but no bigger than 3 inches. My bro. and I kept our "treasures" in them and displayed them in our "secret" drawers which had our own tiny lock that our dad had installed on them just for fun. Every once in a while we could convince the other one to open the drawer and allow each other to gaze at the other person's "treasures". Some were sea shells, colorful peaces of glass, cool bottle caps, a couple of marbles, etc. Was that a little peace of heaven, you ask me? I say YES!
My husband does the same. I het first right of refusal with every box or mailing envelope. If I don't use it myself I collect until I have a reasonable amount then I list them for free on Facebook Marketplace. EBay sellers love me.
I dunno... I still recall my then 18 month old niece chucking a brand new pair of shoes she had just received so she could play with the *awesome* box they came in. It would seem recognizing cool boxes is a sign that our inner child is still alive and well 😂
Yes! I was so afraid to watch this video. I have stopped hoarding boxes, but I could def. find a place for that one, haha! She did a great job of putting it in a proper context. Doable. I'm so impressed (and relieved). Don't think I've ever held my breathe for one of her videos before this "thriller" !!
AND though they take up less space, the Amazon gift bags! I reuse for gifts and they are so pretty! I feel like I need to use them to sew a skirt! I am accumulating quite a few!
I had to go through my father's closet from time to time, because he had 'mailing' boxes stacked up to the ceiling. Couldn't get to some things that were actually used. We mailed maybe, 4 things a year, and usually, the boxes weren't what were needed even then.
Even if I'm just driving and I see a box at the side of the road, something in me lights up and delightfully declares, "Box!" Even if I'm not moving or having any need for a box. I have high box awareness. I'm calling it Box Affinity Syndrome. (maybe I was a cat in a former life??) And Reid, the thumbnails at the end ARE funny. I hope you know how funny you are (and how cute your mom is).
Definitely a cat! XD I forgot that is another hindrance of getting rid of boxes. If I don't do so with the speed of light, then it will live on the floor for at least a month, until the cats get bored with it... (sometimes it takes longer than that... we've had a huge box just as a cat house in the living room for about a year during the pandemic ... )
I also have discovered a new box related problem - I've been decluttering so much, 3 memory boxes became 1, 4 picture boxes became 1, (you see where I'm going) I now have boxes that are empty and available for organizing and "storage" in my mind, but I have (with great effort) put them straight into the recycling/donation pile, because keeping empty storage containers will only lead to being surrounded by full storage containers a year from now! 😁
My name is Cheryl and I have a "cute" container" addition. This spoke to me and after reading through the comments I am sure that this is truly my tribe.
Oh yes. This is what I do with little boxes. I use them to organize socks, underwear, pill bottles, etc. Ever since, I became a minimalist, I’ve become more creative with things that people would normally throw away.
This started for me real young when I grew up in a large family with little money. My younger sister and I would make houses out of cardboard boxes and cereal boxes. I love a good box.
Oho, I finally get it! This method puts evolutionary pressure on the box collection. Every time you ask, is there one I like less than this, the box collection evolves from “cute” to “really cute” to “super cute” to “superlatively cute”! Can’t wait to have a collection of superlatively cute boxes 😂
I had literally tore apart a big very cute subscription box a couple days ago. I kept it, even though it was crashed from shipping. But it was adorable. Finally I decided to let it go so this time I tore it into many pieces so it would for better in the trash and no going back. If I had not, I would still have that big adorable crushed box trying to save it for something. I also canceled the subscription. I need to be more intentional about my purchases rather than paying a bunch of money for random monthly surprises to figure out something to do with. SERIOUSLY!
Go girl, I like the way you think. My drawers etc, are full of cute boxes. Saves money, not spent on organizational containers. And a plus, they are all unique. Thanks for sharing!
And not just cute boxes, I have problems throwing away just a good sturdy cardboard box. I had this conversation with a friend that has the same problem. It's a struggle.
I discarded a larger box this morning, while saying out loud...what a shame- it's a good box...lol. I do keep cute little boxes and containers. They come in handy for office supplies, junk drawer organizers, gift boxes, etc. I know now to keep only my favorites, but it's journey.
A butter box cut up into cards can be great to-do list paper! So many boxes are plain white on the inside and clean. I might have a problem. But thanks to these ladies videos that i just started watching, I've thrown out a drawer of random "cards" and envelopes.
Ok - cutting them up for a use is a good idea- DO IT NOW! Then take them to the place where you keep those things and put them there - NOW! I’m starting to train myself to stop hanging onto stuff to burden my future-self with a never ending ‘still haven’t gotten THAT done, but surely I won’t always be a hopeless mess and I WILL get to it’ pile. Acknowledging the reality of limits - space - also time & energy. And focusing on the joy of what I actually can/do get done in a less cluttered space 😊
I love really cute boxes! Sometimes too much… it’s so cute I must keep it but I can’t use it for *that or *this because I don’t want to ruin in. So, let’s put this really cute box with the other really cute boxes in the “too cute to actually use” really cute boxes section over there. Lol
Omg! I have found my people! I have a collection of cute, empty boxes, some in a box, bc I don't want to ruin them! Ill just wait for the perfect reason to use it....
Whew, I thought I needed therapy for my box problem.. This has been such a relief! I cannot resist any well-constructed box. They are so useful, and they always get used. Thank you, brothers and sisters! (Not my biological ones-- they hate my box collection.) 😊
I really suffered from this in my first few years of teaching. Not only was there the "I can do something with this!" but it was coupled with "But first I need to collect 20..." Luckily I conquered it.
Oh yeah. Those iPhone boxes are Uh.Maze.Ing. I’ve got one in a drawer with my old, backup, iPhone in it. Though at this point that thing probably just needs to go, because I’m somewhat dubious that an iPhone4 will function as anything other than a doorstop, or MAYBE a really large iPod! I do have a place for gift boxes, and it would likely go there. I agree that when I had an attic, those tended to start falling all over the place because I kept too many of them. Also, life is easier now that I’ve been empty nested and don’t have to anticipate sudden wrapping emergencies on a weekly if not daily basis. LOL (LOL about the pic of you adoring your box, Dana!! It totally IS a REALLY cool box!!)
There's something about the clean sturdiness of Apple's boxes, isn't there? Same with other thick, square-cornered, not overly decorated boxes. They just don't seem like single-use items.
You had me when you first held up that really cute, potentially useful box. I suffer with this exact issue, but of course, you have also given us the solution. You are so ultimately practical in your decluttering help! Thank you! And I love Reid also. You make a great team!
My 21 year old son simply cannot purge any kind of good box. He has a massive collection that is preventing him keep his room uncluttered. This video is perfect and I have sent it to him.
As a person who moved a lot as a child, I have a hard time passing up a “good” box. I spend too much time telling my husband why we need to keep a really good box. It’s a weird a hobby.
Love the video! I also love to reuse cute boxes or containers for unlimited possibilities. I have had to stop myself from keeping ALL the cute containers and do as Dana said, Use it now or I do not keep it. That has helped tremendously in drastically reducing the stash. 😁 Thanks Dana for sharing. Thanks Reid for the great comments. Blessings! ❤️
OMG! I thought it was just me! None of my friends are crafty or creative, or (*ahem*) ingenious like me, so I thought it was a 'clever gene' unique to me. I'm so glad to read the comments and see that so many of us are this creative and have wonderfully inventive imaginations. YAY! Just the other day I was at the sink, admiring a box that something-or-other had come in: "This is a REALLY good box!"
Wow! This makes me feel normal. I have collected these cute and colourful tins that my dog's collars come packaged in. I haven't found a use for them yet. Going to tidy the junk drawer right now. Thank you.
Use it to organize or store something you want to keep. I have a "really cool box" that I keep to put under the tree after Christmas gift are open. It keeps the dog from messing up tree skirt. Then I put decor in that box for storgae .
During the konmari whirlwind, the one thing I did take away was her suggestion to use whatever items you already had on hand to organize. Since I suffer from chronic cute box syndrome, I had Many a cute box onhand to organize my dresser drawers. That was as far as I got, but I have kept it up and do enjoy folding my clothes to make them look neat which I still can't believe I do. I wish I could capture that motivation and apply it to other areas but no. Years later I still have the messy pile on TOP of the dresser etc and spend my life trying to get motivated to do anything about it. Anyway, I had No idea there were other cute box savers out there, feels nice not to be suffering alone at least.
It is such a comfort to see that I am not alone in my love for boxes!!! Thank you so much! And, by the way, I am “selling” your container strategy to whoever agrees to listen! It is the best way to keep things under control!
This 100% me. Hello fresh boxes are the best for decluttering so I’ve kept them all 🤦🏼♀️. I kept nearly 6 year’s worth of Birchbox boxes cuz they’re so cute! Oui yogurt jars - I can’t bring myself to simply recycle them because they can be repurposed so many ways! My name is Andrea and I think I have a problem…
I had loads of birchbox boxes as well because like you said they are pretty. Eventually I managed to get rid of a few I like less, a few I have stacked and keep stationary in and the rest may be gathering dust in a big bag of boxes (oops). Motivated by this video to sort out the bag of boxes. I've not used any of them in months, I obviously don't need them! 😟😂
@@kellysaderholm6741 I use the jars for lots of things but my kid goes through 1/2 dozen per week. They’re piling up and I’m getting stink eye from the hubs 🤣
i friggin love this decluttering guidance. Im a magpie for boxes, present bags, stationery etc etc. I have been slowly decluttering my house using your theories and its been life changing for me!!!! I really identify with the do one thing at a time rule, as i often found myself making more mess in the process of cleaning and getting super fatigued and bored in the process. Now im getting further than i ever did even if its not all done at once. Love you and your vids Dana K
Idea for segment: hi, Dana, Could you address the problem of “Clutter Blindness”? I find that I get so used to that pile sitting next to … wherever and not dealing with it. Any suggestions about making sure that I see the clutter? Asked by someone who has embraced clutter for over 70 years.
Hey B B, About clutter blindness... I totally know what you mean. Walking through the visible spaces in my home, it doesn't look that bad to me (at least considering where I started from) but I have security cameras, and when I peek into the room from the angle of the cameras, OMG, it looks like a total mess! Also, in my garage, there are very cluttered, disorganized shelves with all sorts of unorganized things on them. Walking by, or going out to get something, I don't really notice. But when I pull in and see them thru the lense of my dash cam, oh geeez, it makes you think SLOBS must live here. So yes, good topic. I hope she covers it in one of her future videos.
Take a video of that pile and the room it is in. When your eye is viewing the camera lens panning your problem area, you see more detail than what just a photo can show you. I get shocked just how bad things really are and it prompts me to want to act to change it.
Those huge Ice cream buckets you buy for parties used to be a thing for me for storing stuff out in the garage...they slowly disintegrate or get awful looking, so I have recycled all of them. Yeah me!
I would never think this love of cool boxes, would be exposed and yet here it is. I totally relate and have my own little collection of neat boxes. I even love boxes in wood, metal and any medium. It's hard to just put any old thing in these favored boxes so often they remain empty. I am trying to change my approach. Thanks for talking about this Dana
Finding a really good box has forever messed with my brain. On top of the rest of the reasons to keep them, I was in a profession hat meant I moved every few years! I even kept bubble wrap and padded envelopes ( great for packing framed photos) I had a whole wardrobe box full of the stuff! The great news is that I was able to sell all that packing stuff at my yard sale after I retired and moved into my "forever" house. Wish I could say I no longer agonize over keeping "really good: boxes: but I have improved a lot!
You are so funny! Omg I have SO many really good boxes and I keep saving for what I think will be needed later! I have an ENTIRE large movers box in the basement with really cool boxes, thinking I will use them for Christmas wrapping! NOT!
I use them as drawer dividers or gift boxes. I have 1 guilty pleasure…. Gift bags. I love them so much! They bring me joy! I don’t know why. But if there’s a cute gift bag I have to have it, especially if I don’t have to buy. Ppl thag know me know I have this love, so they’ll bring me cute bags they got as gift wrapping they think I’ll love. And for some presents people put a lot of thought into the gift bag they get me because they know the bag I’ll get most excited about the bag haha😅. Some buy me some pricey ones too. BUT I abide by 1 rule to ensure I don’t go crazy is “the container concept” rule. I never knew i was using that rule for my gift bags/box until I saw 1 of These videos a week go. It’s a 3 plastic 3 drawer organize from Walmart (which I’m replacing soon). If it doesn’t fit, then I have to get rid of something or not keep it.
Oh my Dana! This is so me!!!! I hold on to Amazon boxes, shoe boxes, etc. Some I put stuff in immediately while others haunt me in my closet! Thanks for letting me know I am not crazy, just frugal or artistic! ❤
Dana, yes! Really good boxes! We keep them for wrapping Christmas gifts because boxes are easier to wrap...and harder for the recipient to guess what the gift is. So hard to pitch 'em! And Reid, those thumbnail pics WERE funny! Thanks for the laugh!
Oh my goodness, I’m sooo happy I’m not the only one that thinks that way & squirrels cute boxes away!!! Worked up the nerve to let some go to Salv Army recently and… they refused them!! Vehemently!! LOL!! But did I toss them, no! I was relieved that others have tried that too, laughed about that w/the donation guy & took them right home, ugh!! Thanks TONS for addressing this very real thing!! ❤❤❤
I too have a cute box fetish! I can't throw one out. I attribute it to moving often growing up...always packing...may need that box. I just love your wit Dana...you're so real!!
My nemesis is empty jars. Especially jam jars with cool covers and square jars... 🙃I always use them - to send a salad with dressing to a friend who had a baby, to store the last bit of sugar in a smaller container...but still, I have way to many!
If I don't have a place for a really cool box in my home I put it in my donate box and use it when I'm donating little things like jewelry, hair clips, and small kitchen items.
Yup... Pretty boxes definitely do that for me. I've been using three of the pretty aqua Starbucks mug boxes on my kitchen counter. Perfect size to hold sweetener packets and sleeves of water flavoring in my "beverage area". Thanks again, Dana! 💞🙏🏻
I LOVE a cute box! Especially a well-made one. Recently while decluttering, I found a cute box I wanted to keep. Motivated to find it a home with purpose, I peeked in a few drawers around my house until I found the perfect spot. I'm glad I did because I had forgotten that I wanted something better to hold my phone charger. It is now stored in a pretty box instead of an ugly old plastic container, which I did not like and was more than happy to finally declutter. The box fits perfectly in the space and the charger fits perfectly in the box. BONUS: I smile every time I open the drawer to pull out my charger. And yes, I did keep the lid. It takes no extra space and will come in handy if I ever need to take my charger somewhere with me. Thanks, Dana! Great as always! Reid too!
I had a bunch of those for years, along with baby shower gift bags (that baby shower for me was literally 17 years ago y'all) and finally I put them all in a box for charity so someone else can freak out with the gorgeous boxes and bags. I'm down to one plastic container for ALL THINGS Gifts. It feels amazing.
I’d love to be able to give double thumbs up for Reid’s thumbnail options at the end… too cute!!! Thank you for this one, Dana. I love how it honors “us” who love to keep beautiful things. I just need to have a place for them! Blessings 🤗
That IS a REALLY COOL BOX! I have that problem with my tea tins. They are so cute and useful and I worry that if I put them in the recycling then I will come up with a need for it. I now have a photo box that I no longer needed for photos where I put all of my cool containers that I might need someday and if I need to put something in the recycling because there isn't enough room, I remind myself that no one has ever had a near-death experience because I recycled some packaging. (yet anyway ;) )
Great video and a really cool box. You have just described how my brain works. I see and understand. Even better, I have found my people, I'm not alone. Thank you.
I thought I was nuts appreciating a good box🤣🤣
Same here!
The box that came with the box 😂 This episode is for me!
hehe my 2 year old daughter loves this video.. she also appreciates a REALLY COOL BOX!!
There’s also something about a good plain cardboard box! It begs to be kept! There’s even a Seinfeld episode about it! Lol!
I never had a name for it, but Really Cool Box Syndrome has been with me my whole life. So much potential! Those brown craft boxes scream for adornment that clever crafty me can do. Buttons? Paint? Beads? I try so hard to hold onto them. I may need to watch this dozens of times.
Me too. Love a pretty box. 😀
I’m there with y’all 😂
Me too... they make amazing penny banks... trinket boxes and the ones now are so pretty and sturdy, it's hard to let them go. Drawers have never looked cuter... as an artist, it's a constant struggle, because as you said, I see almost everything as useful. The struggle is real!
So glad I’m not alone!
@@nicolefoinette8429 Me too❤🌻
😂 thank goodness! I’m not the only obsessive “that’s a good / cute box” person. Good advice thanks for the video 😬🙏💪
I hear ya. I always felt a little guilty for wanting to keep a really cool box. Not anymore, hahaha. 😅
So nice to be in a community who appreciates a “good box” 😊 junk drawers are also great places that need a “good box” for coins, keys, wallets, receipts, rubber bands and clips for chip bags, air freshener replacements, stuff that otherwise would be rolling around the drawer!
I love boxes too, ever since I could remember I've collected them.
Keeping life corralled, ❤😅
I hadn't realized that 'box addiction' was a thing others suffered from too. Thanks for sharing.
I don't suffer from box syndrome, I enjoy it. 😊😊
I don't know which I liked better.. the content of the video, or the way Reid put the thumbnail photo possibilities at the end 😄😄
YOU ARE KIDDING!!!!!
NEVER did I think others had this Crazy mindset about boxes!!!!
Come on Team!!!! Let's TACKLE this!!!Sooo GREAT Not to feel alone!!!
I LOVE YOU! You’re my clutter soul mate! Gonna watch every video!
Erma Bombeck did a whole article on saving boxes. It was amusing.
I like that principle that the limits of the designated space determines whether you get to keep that item. Where people come unstuck especially in the example of clothes, is that they then start shoving more stuff into the space in an untidy fashion, because you can't fit as much stuff into a tidy organised space. When I decluttered the junk drawer in our hallway cabinet, there was much more space so then my husband shoved a bunch of junk in there. So I got rid of the hallway cabinet and replaced it with a table with no drawers.
Wonderful information!!!!!!
I succumb to the siren song of great used bottles and jars too. Arg. 🙄
This speaks directly to my heart and my poor box loving brain 🤣. So happy that she didn't just say "throw it away!".
Great reminder!! I struggle every day with cute boxes, cutes paper/gift bags, cute plastic containers, cute glass containers, cute metal containers... Basically any type of container! Ugh!!!! 🙉🤦♀️🙄
Lol
Must keep them all 🤪🤪🤪😭😭😭me too
I struggle with throwing away a good glass jar (coconut oil jar that was empty) 🤣🤣🤣 had to remind myself I already have plenty! Your voice in my head helps me soo much!
Really Good Box = adult kryptonite. Thanks for the end Reid 😄
Just the title and thumbnail cracked me up! 😂
As if you were not already at super hero status for me you make a video about a really cool box. ☺ The struggle is real! Fellow "really cool box" lovers unite!
One of my friends who has heard me talk about decluttering is now seeing how everything can’t be kept and is purging things that she is not attached to!
I can’t go past a good box, but I particularly love iPhone boxes. I use them in the junk drawer or in our caravan to store bits and pieces.
My husband knows me too well…. If he buys some new gadget that comes in a small solid box, he says “You’ll want this!” So like a cat or a toddler, I do get more enjoyment out of playing with the box! 😂
YES! IPhone boxes are THE best!
I use them to separate my pens and markers and...
I have a container issue...boxes, bins, baskets, Amazon boxes...
My husband does the same! 😂 "I know you'll want this box..." At one time he started throwing them away before I could look at them. 😂
Kon Mari said that electronic items come in boxes of the size that are useful to organise ckntents of drawers. I keep 'useful boxes' for a week or a fortnight, no longer. If I haven't thought of where I could use that box by then, I'll ask my husband if he needs it, then it has to go to trash. G Ire
Yes!!! I phone boxes, so sturdy and clean looking, LOL, sister!!!
When I was little we lived across a hospital because my bro. had asthma and every once in a while he needed a shot of adrenaline to be able to breathe...hang on, there's a box story here...the nuns that ran the hospital knew us well. They usually had a couple of clear plastic boxes to give us. Little ones, (the kind with hinges that actually open and close with your thumbs) different ones but no bigger than 3 inches. My bro. and I kept our "treasures" in them and displayed them in our "secret" drawers which had our own tiny lock that our dad had installed on them just for fun. Every once in a while we could convince the other one to open the drawer and allow each other to gaze at the other person's "treasures". Some were sea shells, colorful peaces of glass, cool bottle caps, a couple of marbles, etc. Was that a little peace of heaven, you ask me? I say YES!
My husband does the same. I het first right of refusal with every box or mailing envelope. If I don't use it myself I collect until I have a reasonable amount then I list them for free on Facebook Marketplace. EBay sellers love me.
I think it's a sign of adulthood when we look at a box and think, "that's a really good box " 😂 And I love the photos!
🤣🤣🤣 So true!
I’ve done that since I was a kid though. 😆
I dunno... I still recall my then 18 month old niece chucking a brand new pair of shoes she had just received so she could play with the *awesome* box they came in. It would seem recognizing cool boxes is a sign that our inner child is still alive and well 😂
Or possibly being a cat in disguise.
I love your son's humor..... I always stay to see what he has to say.
Sturdy boxes! My favorite…
Brilliant. All the suspense of a thriller (will the box get to stay?), plot twists (gasp! a second box?), and a surprise ending (thanks, Reid). Brava!
Lol!
😂😂😂 Truly, it was a good one.
Yes! I was so afraid to watch this video. I have stopped hoarding boxes, but I could def. find a place for that one, haha! She did a great job of putting it in a proper context. Doable. I'm so impressed (and relieved). Don't think I've ever held my breathe for one of her videos before this "thriller" !!
If the “cool box” is pretty I put it with my gift wrap and actually use it on the next holiday.
AND though they take up less space, the Amazon gift bags! I reuse for gifts and they are so pretty! I feel like I need to use them to sew a skirt! I am accumulating quite a few!
I'm a total sucker for a really cute box!
The boxes, and the jars! It’s a never ending struggle.
I am a sucker for buying anything that comes in really cool packaging...
I had to go through my father's closet from time to time, because he had 'mailing' boxes stacked up to the ceiling. Couldn't get to some things that were actually used. We mailed maybe, 4 things a year, and usually, the boxes weren't what were needed even then.
Even if I'm just driving and I see a box at the side of the road, something in me lights up and delightfully declares, "Box!" Even if I'm not moving or having any need for a box. I have high box awareness. I'm calling it Box Affinity Syndrome. (maybe I was a cat in a former life??)
And Reid, the thumbnails at the end ARE funny. I hope you know how funny you are (and how cute your mom is).
😂 This comment really spoke to me!!
🤣😻
I thought Reid was her husband.....and yes funny!
Definitely a cat! XD I forgot that is another hindrance of getting rid of boxes. If I don't do so with the speed of light, then it will live on the floor for at least a month, until the cats get bored with it... (sometimes it takes longer than that... we've had a huge box just as a cat house in the living room for about a year during the pandemic ... )
“High box awareness” is hilarious and applies to me as well. And I have four cats who always need a new box.
I also have discovered a new box related problem - I've been decluttering so much, 3 memory boxes became 1, 4 picture boxes became 1, (you see where I'm going) I now have boxes that are empty and available for organizing and "storage" in my mind, but I have (with great effort) put them straight into the recycling/donation pile, because keeping empty storage containers will only lead to being surrounded by full storage containers a year from now! 😁
My name is Cheryl and I have a "cute" container" addition. This spoke to me and after reading through the comments I am sure that this is truly my tribe.
Oh yes. This is what I do with little boxes. I use them to organize socks, underwear, pill bottles, etc. Ever since, I became a minimalist, I’ve become more creative with things that people would normally throw away.
This started for me real young when I grew up in a large family with little money. My younger sister and I would make houses out of cardboard boxes and cereal boxes. I love a good box.
Oho, I finally get it! This method puts evolutionary pressure on the box collection. Every time you ask, is there one I like less than this, the box collection evolves from “cute” to “really cute” to “super cute” to “superlatively cute”! Can’t wait to have a collection of superlatively cute boxes 😂
I had literally tore apart a big very cute subscription box a couple days ago. I kept it, even though it was crashed from shipping. But it was adorable. Finally I decided to let it go so this time I tore it into many pieces so it would for better in the trash and no going back. If I had not, I would still have that big adorable crushed box trying to save it for something.
I also canceled the subscription. I need to be more intentional about my purchases rather than paying a bunch of money for random monthly surprises to figure out something to do with. SERIOUSLY!
The domino effect possible from keeping one extra box😂
Go girl, I like the way you think. My drawers etc, are full of cute boxes. Saves money, not spent on organizational containers. And a plus, they are all unique. Thanks for sharing!
I love that you acknowledge how hard it is to relinquish "good boxes"! 😆
And not just cute boxes, I have problems throwing away just a good sturdy cardboard box. I had this conversation with a friend that has the same problem. It's a struggle.
I discarded a larger box this morning, while saying out loud...what a shame- it's a good box...lol.
I do keep cute little boxes and containers. They come in handy for office supplies, junk drawer organizers, gift boxes, etc. I know now to keep only my favorites, but it's journey.
I feel seen.
A butter box cut up into cards can be great to-do list paper! So many boxes are plain white on the inside and clean. I might have a problem. But thanks to these ladies videos that i just started watching, I've thrown out a drawer of random "cards" and envelopes.
Ok - cutting them up for a use is a good idea- DO IT NOW! Then take them to the place where you keep those things and put them there - NOW!
I’m starting to train myself to stop hanging onto stuff to burden my future-self with a never ending ‘still haven’t gotten THAT done, but surely I won’t always be a hopeless mess and I WILL get to it’ pile. Acknowledging the reality of limits - space - also time & energy. And focusing on the joy of what I actually can/do get done in a less cluttered space 😊
Dana just called us out! Haha
I love that she's honest with how she feels about things like nice boxes. It seems silly but we all do this.
I find Dana so hilarious. Love her pure honesty. 💖
A cute sturdy box, I will find a use for it in a drawer or a closet! I have wipe boxes that Ive had for years they’re great to hold stuff too!
I love really cute boxes! Sometimes too much… it’s so cute I must keep it but I can’t use it for *that or *this because I don’t want to ruin in. So, let’s put this really cute box with the other really cute boxes in the “too cute to actually use” really cute boxes section over there. Lol
You nailed it!!! 🤪
Oh my god this is so me!! 🤦🏻♀️😂🤣
Omg! I have found my people!
I have a collection of cute, empty boxes, some in a box, bc I don't want to ruin them! Ill just wait for the perfect reason to use it....
THIS! Oh my gosh, this is the problem for me!
Yikes, you just described ME!
Whew, I thought I needed therapy for my box problem.. This has been such a relief! I cannot resist any well-constructed box. They are so useful, and they always get used. Thank you, brothers and sisters! (Not my biological ones-- they hate my box collection.) 😊
My declutter buddy and I were just laughing at ourselves about”but it’s a really good box!” syndrome. So much potential!
Ahhh. Yes! A good box. I have a collection.....and NOW a rule to follow. I will "take it there now". Thank you
I really suffered from this in my first few years of teaching. Not only was there the "I can do something with this!" but it was coupled with "But first I need to collect 20..." Luckily I conquered it.
Reid's thumbnails: priceless! Thank you, Funny Goddess, for making my life so much better. "Take it there now" is genius. Bless you!
My favorite boxes are the ones iPhones come in. I have slowly collected them for organizing drawers. It’s so hard to throw a good box away!
I found that the box my iPad came in fits in my underwear drawer and I use it as a container. It’s the perfect size and it was free. Well, kinda.
@@lindamonahan1704 Apple box: $89
Oh yeah. Those iPhone boxes are Uh.Maze.Ing. I’ve got one in a drawer with my old, backup, iPhone in it. Though at this point that thing probably just needs to go, because I’m somewhat dubious that an iPhone4 will function as anything other than a doorstop, or MAYBE a really large iPod!
I do have a place for gift boxes, and it would likely go there. I agree that when I had an attic, those tended to start falling all over the place because I kept too many of them. Also, life is easier now that I’ve been empty nested and don’t have to anticipate sudden wrapping emergencies on a weekly if not daily basis. LOL
(LOL about the pic of you adoring your box, Dana!! It totally IS a REALLY cool box!!)
I just posted the same thing! 😂. Luckily I don’t get a new iPhone often so they all get used in drawers.
There's something about the clean sturdiness of Apple's boxes, isn't there? Same with other thick, square-cornered, not overly decorated boxes. They just don't seem like single-use items.
You had me when you first held up that really cute, potentially useful box. I suffer with this exact issue, but of course, you have also given us the solution. You are so ultimately practical in your decluttering help! Thank you! And I love Reid also. You make a great team!
My 21 year old son simply cannot purge any kind of good box. He has a massive collection that is preventing him keep his room uncluttered. This video is perfect and I have sent it to him.
As a person who moved a lot as a child, I have a hard time passing up a “good” box. I spend too much time telling my husband why we need to keep a really good box. It’s a weird a hobby.
This speaks to my 'good box' loving soul.
Love the video! I also love to reuse cute boxes or containers for unlimited possibilities. I have had to stop myself from keeping ALL the cute containers and do as Dana said, Use it now or I do not keep it. That has helped tremendously in drastically reducing the stash. 😁 Thanks Dana for sharing. Thanks Reid for the great comments. Blessings! ❤️
OMG! I thought it was just me!
None of my friends are crafty or creative, or (*ahem*) ingenious like me, so I thought it was a 'clever gene' unique to me.
I'm so glad to read the comments and see that so many of us are this creative and have wonderfully inventive imaginations. YAY!
Just the other day I was at the sink, admiring a box that something-or-other had come in:
"This is a REALLY good box!"
Wow! This makes me feel normal. I have collected these cute and colourful tins that my dog's collars come packaged in. I haven't found a use for them yet. Going to tidy the junk drawer right now. Thank you.
Use it to organize or store something you want to keep. I have a "really cool box" that I keep to put under the tree after Christmas gift are open. It keeps the dog from messing up tree skirt. Then I put decor in that box for storgae .
During the konmari whirlwind, the one thing I did take away was her suggestion to use whatever items you already had on hand to organize. Since I suffer from chronic cute box syndrome, I had Many a cute box onhand to organize my dresser drawers. That was as far as I got, but I have kept it up and do enjoy folding my clothes to make them look neat which I still can't believe I do. I wish I could capture that motivation and apply it to other areas but no. Years later I still have the messy pile on TOP of the dresser etc and spend my life trying to get motivated to do anything about it. Anyway, I had No idea there were other cute box savers out there, feels nice not to be suffering alone at least.
It is such a comfort to see that I am not alone in my love for boxes!!! Thank you so much! And, by the way, I am “selling” your container strategy to whoever agrees to listen! It is the best way to keep things under control!
This 100% me. Hello fresh boxes are the best for decluttering so I’ve kept them all 🤦🏼♀️. I kept nearly 6 year’s worth of Birchbox boxes cuz they’re so cute! Oui yogurt jars - I can’t bring myself to simply recycle them because they can be repurposed so many ways!
My name is Andrea and I think I have a problem…
I had loads of birchbox boxes as well because like you said they are pretty. Eventually I managed to get rid of a few I like less, a few I have stacked and keep stationary in and the rest may be gathering dust in a big bag of boxes (oops). Motivated by this video to sort out the bag of boxes. I've not used any of them in months, I obviously don't need them! 😟😂
Welcome! You are among your tribe. 🤣😂🤣
I wonder how many oui yogurt jars I have, and why oh why are they so hard to toss in recycling?
@@kellysaderholm6741 I use the jars for lots of things but my kid goes through 1/2 dozen per week. They’re piling up and I’m getting stink eye from the hubs 🤣
@@andrea.adhdhouse same!
i friggin love this decluttering guidance. Im a magpie for boxes, present bags, stationery etc etc. I have been slowly decluttering my house using your theories and its been life changing for me!!!! I really identify with the do one thing at a time rule, as i often found myself making more mess in the process of cleaning and getting super fatigued and bored in the process. Now im getting further than i ever did even if its not all done at once. Love you and your vids Dana K
Idea for segment: hi, Dana, Could you address the problem of “Clutter Blindness”? I find that I get so used to that pile sitting next to … wherever and not dealing with it. Any suggestions about making sure that I see the clutter?
Asked by someone who has embraced clutter for over 70 years.
one thing Dana suggested that helps me: take a photo of the area. it really works!
Hey B B, About clutter blindness... I totally know what you mean. Walking through the visible spaces in my home, it doesn't look that bad to me (at least considering where I started from) but I have security cameras, and when I peek into the room from the angle of the cameras, OMG, it looks like a total mess!
Also, in my garage, there are very cluttered, disorganized shelves with all sorts of unorganized things on them. Walking by, or going out to get something, I don't really notice. But when I pull in and see them thru the lense of my dash cam, oh geeez, it makes you think SLOBS must live here.
So yes, good topic. I hope she covers it in one of her future videos.
Take a video of that pile and the room it is in. When your eye is viewing the camera lens panning your problem area, you see more detail than what just a photo can show you. I get shocked just how bad things really are and it prompts me to want to act to change it.
We were obviously separated at birth! :)
Pretend you have a friend dropping by in 15 minutes- the blindness goes away! 🤣
OMG i never ever thought someone would address this...this is MY PROBLEM. They are so useful for SOMETHING someday 🤣
Those huge Ice cream buckets you buy for parties used to be a thing for me for storing stuff out in the garage...they slowly disintegrate or get awful looking, so I have recycled all of them. Yeah me!
I would never think this love of cool boxes, would be exposed and yet here it is. I totally relate and have my own little collection of neat boxes. I even love boxes in wood, metal and any medium. It's hard to just put any old thing in these favored boxes so often they remain empty. I am trying to change my approach. Thanks for talking about this Dana
😂Once again, Dana, you are speaking my language.
"That is a really nice box !"
Finding a really good box has forever messed with my brain. On top of the rest of the reasons to keep them, I was in a profession hat meant I moved every few years! I even kept bubble wrap and padded envelopes ( great for packing framed photos) I had a whole wardrobe box full of the stuff! The great news is that I was able to sell all that packing stuff at my yard sale after I retired and moved into my "forever" house. Wish I could say I no longer agonize over keeping "really good: boxes: but I have improved a lot!
Way to go Reid! Loved the end photos. My drawers are filled with "really good" boxes and still I have a stash of 'em.
Dana, you made that box look so fab that we're all going to have to go and buy the product just to get the box! 😂
Wow! I thought I was the only cute box/basket/container keeper! Now I just have to add the "take it there now," concept and life will be good.
I really needed today's video! Thanks! It's also nice to read comments from so many kindred spirits.
You are so funny! Omg I have SO many really good boxes and I keep saving for what I think will be needed later! I have an ENTIRE large movers box in the basement with really cool boxes, thinking I will use them for Christmas wrapping! NOT!
Reid, thank you for including the thumbnail possibilities! Lol
I use them as drawer dividers or gift boxes. I have 1 guilty pleasure…. Gift bags. I love them so much! They bring me joy! I don’t know why. But if there’s a cute gift bag I have to have it, especially if I don’t have to buy. Ppl thag know me know I have this love, so they’ll bring me cute bags they got as gift wrapping they think I’ll love. And for some presents people put a lot of thought into the gift bag they get me because they know the bag I’ll get most excited about the bag haha😅. Some buy me some pricey ones too. BUT I abide by 1 rule to ensure I don’t go crazy is “the container concept” rule. I never knew i was using that rule for my gift bags/box until I saw 1 of These videos a week go. It’s a 3 plastic 3 drawer organize from Walmart (which I’m replacing soon). If it doesn’t fit, then I have to get rid of something or not keep it.
OMG - I have Really Cool Box Syndrome. It is definitely hereditary. My Mother had this. One of my sister's has it too. Thank you for the diagnosis.
Oh my Dana! This is so me!!!! I hold on to Amazon boxes, shoe boxes, etc. Some I put stuff in immediately while others haunt me in my closet! Thanks for letting me know I am not crazy, just frugal or artistic! ❤
Dana, yes! Really good boxes! We keep them for wrapping Christmas gifts because boxes are easier to wrap...and harder for the recipient to guess what the gift is. So hard to pitch 'em!
And Reid, those thumbnail pics WERE funny! Thanks for the laugh!
This video is freaking hilarious, totally relatable and so helpful!
Loving seeing all the comments from fellow box lovers
Oh my goodness, I’m sooo happy I’m not the only one that thinks that way & squirrels cute boxes away!!! Worked up the nerve to let some go to Salv Army recently and… they refused them!! Vehemently!! LOL!! But did I toss them, no! I was relieved that others have tried that too, laughed about that w/the donation guy & took them right home, ugh!! Thanks TONS for addressing this very real thing!! ❤❤❤
I too have a cute box fetish! I can't throw one out. I attribute it to moving often growing up...always packing...may need that box. I just love your wit Dana...you're so real!!
I'm the same! Love cute boxes and containers in general. I buy containers then have to declutter them because I have too many. 🤣
Your son is the best!!! I almost never watch other people's videos to the very end but I watch yours to see what he wrote.
That adorable box would not fit in my space of cute boxes that I forget to use. Tomorrow I’m cleaning out those boxes- Ha! Thank you!
Yep. Box struggles all the time. : )
There's nothing better than a really good box! 😍💕🎶
My nemesis is empty jars. Especially jam jars with cool covers and square jars... 🙃I always use them - to send a salad with dressing to a friend who had a baby, to store the last bit of sugar in a smaller container...but still, I have way to many!
If I don't have a place for a really cool box in my home I put it in my donate box and use it when I'm donating little things like jewelry, hair clips, and small kitchen items.
That's a great idea!
I do love a cute box (and cute plastic storage container!). My family always kids me about it; it's nice to know I'm not alone!! Lol.
Yup... Pretty boxes definitely do that for me. I've been using three of the pretty aqua Starbucks mug boxes on my kitchen counter. Perfect size to hold sweetener packets and sleeves of water flavoring in my "beverage area". Thanks again, Dana! 💞🙏🏻
I LOVE a cute box! Especially a well-made one. Recently while decluttering, I found a cute box I wanted to keep. Motivated to find it a home with purpose, I peeked in a few drawers around my house until I found the perfect spot. I'm glad I did because I had forgotten that I wanted something better to hold my phone charger. It is now stored in a pretty box instead of an ugly old plastic container, which I did not like and was more than happy to finally declutter. The box fits perfectly in the space and the charger fits perfectly in the box. BONUS: I smile every time I open the drawer to pull out my charger. And yes, I did keep the lid. It takes no extra space and will come in handy if I ever need to take my charger somewhere with me.
Thanks, Dana! Great as always! Reid too!
I had a bunch of those for years, along with baby shower gift bags (that baby shower for me was literally 17 years ago y'all) and finally I put them all in a box for charity so someone else can freak out with the gorgeous boxes and bags. I'm down to one plastic container for ALL THINGS Gifts. It feels amazing.
I love that you can 'keep' the box - it's not ruthless throwing away - it's 'reasonable' and comforting!
Reid, I love the photos. You should do that every time!
I’d love to be able to give double thumbs up for Reid’s thumbnail options at the end… too cute!!! Thank you for this one, Dana. I love how it honors “us” who love to keep beautiful things. I just need to have a place for them! Blessings 🤗
That IS a REALLY COOL BOX! I have that problem with my tea tins. They are so cute and useful and I worry that if I put them in the recycling then I will come up with a need for it. I now have a photo box that I no longer needed for photos where I put all of my cool containers that I might need someday and if I need to put something in the recycling because there isn't enough room, I remind myself that no one has ever had a near-death experience because I recycled some packaging. (yet anyway ;) )