Comments on: Holding on to Sentimental Things http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/ Simplify your home. Wed, 16 May 2012 23:17:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Julie http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-30321 Julie Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:39:31 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-30321 When you're deleting pictures, be sure to look at who else in the picture--if it's a good shot of someone else, then crop the "unbecominglies" out and save the good stuff. When you’re deleting pictures, be sure to look at who else in the picture–if it’s a good shot of someone else, then crop the “unbecominglies” out and save the good stuff.

]]> By: Julie http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-30320 Julie Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:36:33 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-30320 My son was had t-shirts from years of attending camp, being in musical theater, juggling, missions trips, etc. I cut the fronts of the shirts and made a quilt for him to take to college. Nice transitional item for him, too. Thanks all for your great ideas! My son was had t-shirts from years of attending camp, being in musical theater, juggling, missions trips, etc. I cut the fronts of the shirts and made a quilt for him to take to college. Nice transitional item for him, too.

Thanks all for your great ideas!

]]> By: Miriam http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-29586 Miriam Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:50:31 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-29586 Hi there! I just came along this thread and also have seen this particular post is a few years old... But perhaps you've kept your animals since then anyway! I just saw a great idea for old stuffed animals which I think is so sweet and also practical =! What you could do is buy a cheap wooden chair or a cheap ottoman of some sort and get a glue gun. You can then glue all your old stuffed animals onto the piece of furniture and it ends up looking adorable as well as being something that can still be useful! Best of all, you do not have to part with your beloved old friends :) Here is a photo of one I found! Hope this helps! http://kidcrave.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Banquete-Stuffed-Animal-Chair.jpg Hi there! I just came along this thread and also have seen this particular post is a few years old… But perhaps you’ve kept your animals since then anyway! I just saw a great idea for old stuffed animals which I think is so sweet and also practical =! What you could do is buy a cheap wooden chair or a cheap ottoman of some sort and get a glue gun. You can then glue all your old stuffed animals onto the piece of furniture and it ends up looking adorable as well as being something that can still be useful! Best of all, you do not have to part with your beloved old friends :) Here is a photo of one I found! Hope this helps!

http://kidcrave.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Banquete-Stuffed-Animal-Chair.jpg

]]> By: kristen http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-28488 kristen Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:13:35 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-28488 Love this post, it is in my favorites list and I come back to it regularly. I have also sent the link to my sister and to friends needing help in this area. The picture makes me laugh and is worth a thousand words, it has helped me let go of alot of my sentimental clutter...less is so much more! thanks! Love this post, it is in my favorites list and I come back to it regularly. I have also sent the link to my sister and to friends needing help in this area. The picture makes me laugh and is worth a thousand words, it has helped me let go of alot of my sentimental clutter…less is so much more! thanks!

]]> By: Mary @ Mary's Nest http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-25323 Mary @ Mary's Nest Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:43:01 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-25323 I have just discovered your site and Oh how I am enjoying it. I am such a clutter bug...but sites like yours have really helped me "slim" down. I was the type to keep all of granny's cards. LOL! They are now gone!!! That image of the storage area really hit me hard. In the future...My son would be horrified...and I can only imagine what his future wife would think. My husband gave me a beautiful dark wood mahagony box about 2 feet big. It has a plaque on the top that says a blessing for our family plus a lock and key. It is gorgeous and now holds only those very special treasures that I would want to pass on to our son someday. Plus in my dresser draw, which I cleared out of old clothes that no longer fit, I have our family bible in which I record all the important things in our family life. We do have lots of books and antiques, but I finally bit the bullet and bought bookcases to house our collections. I also FIND A PLACE for everything which makes a huge difference. And everything is in it's place. No more things out on counters, floors, tables couche, etc. It's all put away or it's gone. And I keep only the nice stuff that I like. If I don't like it, it goes to friends, our Church, or Goodwill, etc. Oh...and all those projects i *thought* I would get to someday...gone! And all that exercise equipment I might use one day...gone! And now, rather than feeling overwhelmed...and like a huge failure for not using/doing those things...I feel free. Now we actually get outside, walk the dog, play, etc. It's wonderful! I also wanted to mention something about your ideas about paring down our schedules. I couldn't agree more. People are way over scheduled. I love it now that our family has tons of time just to be...just to be together. I will share something with you that really gave me a wake up call. I wouldn't wish this on anyone but it made me wake-up! But best to wake-up before something like this. Two years ago, I found out that I have a very rare blood disease. I was shocked. But it made me realize what is important in life and I really scaled back. I have a great doc, and take very good care of myself, and am confident I will live a long time...but to be sure that I do not over tax myself or my family...and to make sure that we always put family first...I follow these priorities and one rule... My priorities... 1. Pray daily to strengthen my relationship with God. 2. Focus on caring for my family by slowing down and enjoy living in the moment with them. 3. Give myself all the time needed to properly cook for my family so that I can provide nourishing meals for them and me. 4. Visit my aging parents regularly. And my 1 rule... Carefully evaluate any future endeavors based on the four priorities listed above. Learn to say "No". This is the best advice I ever gave myself. :-) Thanks for the great job you are doing! Love and God Bless, Mary I have just discovered your site and Oh how I am enjoying it. I am such a clutter bug…but sites like yours have really helped me “slim” down. I was the type to keep all of granny’s cards. LOL! They are now gone!!! That image of the storage area really hit me hard. In the future…My son would be horrified…and I can only imagine what his future wife would think.

My husband gave me a beautiful dark wood mahagony box about 2 feet big. It has a plaque on the top that says a blessing for our family plus a lock and key. It is gorgeous and now holds only those very special treasures that I would want to pass on to our son someday. Plus in my dresser draw, which I cleared out of old clothes that no longer fit, I have our family bible in which I record all the important things in our family life.

We do have lots of books and antiques, but I finally bit the bullet and bought bookcases to house our collections. I also FIND A PLACE for everything which makes a huge difference. And everything is in it’s place. No more things out on counters, floors, tables couche, etc. It’s all put away or it’s gone. And I keep only the nice stuff that I like. If I don’t like it, it goes to friends, our Church, or Goodwill, etc. Oh…and all those projects i *thought* I would get to someday…gone! And all that exercise equipment I might use one day…gone! And now, rather than feeling overwhelmed…and like a huge failure for not using/doing those things…I feel free. Now we actually get outside, walk the dog, play, etc. It’s wonderful!

I also wanted to mention something about your ideas about paring down our schedules. I couldn’t agree more. People are way over scheduled. I love it now that our family has tons of time just to be…just to be together.

I will share something with you that really gave me a wake up call. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone but it made me wake-up! But best to wake-up before something like this. Two years ago, I found out that I have a very rare blood disease. I was shocked. But it made me realize what is important in life and I really scaled back. I have a great doc, and take very good care of myself, and am confident I will live a long time…but to be sure that I do not over tax myself or my family…and to make sure that we always put family first…I follow these priorities and one rule…

My priorities…

1. Pray daily to strengthen my relationship with God.

2. Focus on caring for my family by slowing down and enjoy living in the moment with them.

3. Give myself all the time needed to properly cook for my family so that I can provide nourishing meals for them and me.

4. Visit my aging parents regularly.

And my 1 rule…

Carefully evaluate any future endeavors based on the four priorities listed above. Learn to say “No”. This is the best advice I ever gave myself. :-)

Thanks for the great job you are doing!

Love and God Bless,

Mary
Mary @ Mary’s Nest´s last post ..Culinary Her-story History

]]> By: What Motivates Us: Inspiration to Declutter http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-25171 What Motivates Us: Inspiration to Declutter Mon, 25 Apr 2011 23:51:12 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-25171 [...] Lately here the theme has been decluttering, with a look at tossing paper, and thoughts on keeping too many sentimental things. [...] [...] Lately here the theme has been decluttering, with a look at tossing paper, and thoughts on keeping too many sentimental things. [...]

]]> By: Organize Greeting Cards: the Stack Method http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-23946 Organize Greeting Cards: the Stack Method Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:22:30 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-23946 [...] The fewer things you keep, the more special they are. [...] [...] The fewer things you keep, the more special they are. [...]

]]> By: Declutter Your Files: What Papers Can You Toss? http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-23878 Declutter Your Files: What Papers Can You Toss? Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:02:03 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-23878 [...] Papers with sentimental value are challenging just by themselves. I also want to share more ideas for going digital with paper storage. [...] [...] Papers with sentimental value are challenging just by themselves. I also want to share more ideas for going digital with paper storage. [...]

]]> By: Sue http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-23858 Sue Sat, 19 Mar 2011 02:39:03 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-23858 I have no problem letting go of most "stuff", but I've been on the fence about my old yearbooks (every year from K-12) and my old journals. I had a chance 8 years ago to re-read the journals. Boy, how I wish I would have marked the noteworthy pages! I'm not feeling motivated to re-read them and although there are some meaningful entries, most are not. The yearbooks (I graduated in 1983) have been looked at a handful of times since then. One additional area that's come up is the momentos my Dad is giving me that my Mom had kept. The most recent includes Mother's Day cards and other cards I had given her. She's been gone now for 4 years, and although it was fun looking at these cards again, I'm questioning the long term logic of keeping them. I have no problem letting go of most “stuff”, but I’ve been on the fence about my old yearbooks (every year from K-12) and my old journals. I had a chance 8 years ago to re-read the journals. Boy, how I wish I would have marked the noteworthy pages! I’m not feeling motivated to re-read them and although there are some meaningful entries, most are not. The yearbooks (I graduated in 1983) have been looked at a handful of times since then.

One additional area that’s come up is the momentos my Dad is giving me that my Mom had kept. The most recent includes Mother’s Day cards and other cards I had given her. She’s been gone now for 4 years, and although it was fun looking at these cards again, I’m questioning the long term logic of keeping them.

]]> By: Rachel http://smallnotebook.org/2008/09/22/holding-on-to-sentimental-things/#comment-23059 Rachel Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:12:09 +0000 http://smallnotebook.org/?p=689#comment-23059 I don't think those special things count as clutter, especially if it's just one box. I don’t think those special things count as clutter, especially if it’s just one box.

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