dealing with memorabilia

We gifted two cars to friends in need, shared photos of furniture and my dads intarsia with family and friends and found new homes for them. I've had to add to them a lot this past year. Mom had big hopes and dreams for him and held on fiercely to a lot of his memories in particular because of that. My husband and I have adopted a way to declutter keepsakes and memorabilia. Phone: (406) 752-9624 Then revisit the item to see if youre at a point where you can let it go. You can photograph these items inside a. . Its not unusual for a homes memorabilia pile to span multiple generations, including everything from antiques to handmade blankets, childrens artwork and an assortment of grammar school yearbooks. Need help? Most of us have little piles (or giant collections) of memorabilia tucked away in our closets. If it's small enough to hang, it's now an ornament. 3. How? Group the memorabilia. Would they want your home to be cluttered and unlivable? Sort the memorabilia into items that are for-sure keep, for-sure get rid of, and undecided. (Once we finished the initial sort, my brother left for a year in Japan. Need help? I have converted some of my memories and trinkets into ornaments. Prefer to buy your keepsake box? During this stage, go through every item in your collection. Join over 140,000 others and get tips, articles and organizing challenges sent directly to your inbox to help you get your house in order. So I did. (If my mom and her parents were famous I would keep everything and/or donate it all to a museum or archive. Best of luck to you in your organizing and decluttering! But now on my tree, there are new treasures. If something is special to you and you want the people you leave behind to know that, you need to tell them. Have three-dimensional items in your collection (like the homemade bowl your child crafted for you in second grade)? Believe it or not, dealing with it piecemeal is even more time consuming, because we have no idea where it will pop up next, Dooley explains. These are great questions, Hazel. Decorate a shoebox, or if youre ambitious and handy, Prefer to buy your keepsake box? Whew! Or, get rid of it surreptitiously. ), He would have been my son's only full uncle on the maternal side, but he died tragically in 1997 when he was a teenager. #thememorycurator #leavealegacy #familyhistorian #keepsakes #memorablia #modernmemorykeeping, Organizing sentimental items! If you have been following my Moms Boxes blog series you know that dealing with 33 boxes of scrapbooks, photo albums, letters, and miscellany is taking me a while. There have been touching moments, and funny ones, and weve experienced a range of emotions ranging from nostalgia over our own childhood photos, discomfort from reading Moms private journals, and the joy of hearing her voice and her piano music on cassette tapes. Only consider selling items that have clear monetary value, like jewelry or antiques. Thank you. It broke my heart. By going through this process slowly and carefully, youll be able to tell a story that lasts for generations. THE FAMILY HISTORIAN genealogy #thememorycurator #memorykeeper #lifestories #photoorganizing #photomess #leavealegacy #keepsakes #memorabilia, How to organize keepsakes | I love this display! Have three-dimensional items in your collection (like the homemade bowl your child crafted for you in second grade)? I now have a space for these things and over the years can add items and once becomes full will then decide to remove items to replace with new ones or decide to add another frame but it's manageable and on show. Take a look at this moms ingenious idea of using a selection of empty frames on the wall to display her kids artwork (you can use this for other types of memorabilia, too!). also has a large selection of Keepsake boxes, including some boxes that similar to Savors. Schedule a time for sorting your memorabilia when youll have plenty of time to reflect, feel your feelings and recover from any sad, mad or other uncomfortable feelings. Put them in the LETTERS pile. I find myself getting distracted from the organizing task at hand the same way my clients do. I generally lump keepsakes and memorabilia into the same category, and this definition (and this article) pertains to all of it: Things we dont need for daily living, but which remind us of something or someone from our past. Youll find that if you get rid of the items that you easily identified to toss, youll shift the energies in your space for the better. People are going to be grieving for you someday, do you want to heap a pile of clutter on top of that? But dont count on receiving a windfall. 185 Crestline Ave Let the process we described in. Also, keep in mind that while collections or college textbooks might have personal meaning to you, others might not be interested. My Grandmother's first shoe, circa 1910 complete with a handwritten note from her inside, hangs on the tree. All this stuff was just in a bag and was never looked at so now they hang in the hall and every time I go down/up stairs I see something different and when dusting I give the frame a little shake to move items around. Weve had to make some decisions for our other brothers who, also fortunately, trust us to make them. One thing we did that worked for us as we readied the house for sale was to work hard at finding a next life for anything we felt was useful. For one thing I didnt realize that my moms boxes would contain so much of her parents memorabilia. (Stay tuned for next blog post! ). (I promise you wont. So is deciding aboutheirlooms such as family chinaor jewelry.. Simply click here to return to get rid of clutter. I often find memorabilia and keepsakes while helping my clients maintain order in their homes. We tell each other what the item meant to us and then we can toss it. Others focus on the mental health and emotional journey of parting with things and serve as a bit of a life coach. I will be sharing the link with our A Team. A library card or a playbill from a play you love can mean nothing to your children, Poznansky says. We just had no place for it nor did it fit with the decor or use as an everyday table. 4. Items that should be kept are those about which you still have strong feelings and high energy. Decorate a shoebox, or if youre ambitious and handy, make a wooden box. ), Because youre afraid youll forget the person, event, or era? A zoo key from childhood, a crystal from a chandelier, yep they're hanging there on the tree. Now, start thinking about your own stuff. serve as a guide to help to evaluate your items and decide what to keep, so you can whittle down your collection to the things that are the most special to you. Keepsakes: Small items kept in memory of the person who gave it or originally owned it. Throw it out now and move on to what you can work with.. Fortunately I was able to save the buffet, but the table and chairs had to go. But what should be done with a stack of boxes containing memorabilia stashed in a closet? . What are you leaving behind for others to deal with? Amazon also has a large selection of Keepsake boxes, including some boxes that similar to Savors. Try one of these Savor storage boxes with built-in options for filing your items. 5. Sentimental clutter is the hardest clutter to part with.. If you get stuck on items that you are undecided about, put those items to the side and set a deadline for when you will revisit them. When you choose items to keep, consider how they will fit into your home. Learn how to preserve old letters and organize them in this interview with Denise Levenick, the Family Curator. As always, make sure your photos are backed up by using, Picture This Organizeds best photo backup practices. Then, aim to declutter as much as you need to fit the new place, such as 40 % or half of the boxes. You may decide youd like to display some of the items in your memorabilia, like your childs artwork. Sorting through a son or daughters school mementos is another. #thememorycurator #leavealegacy #familyhistorian #keepsakes #memorablia #modernmemorykeeping, It's can be a challenge to keep children's schoolwork under control! What to Do with That Box of Memorabilia Sitting in Your Closet. I welcome social media links directly to this page! You are looking for diamond energy in a sea of stones! Unless they are historic documents (like original birth certificates, etc.) The problem I see all too often, though, is that someone absorbs a loved ones entire household of furniture and belongings into their own home simply because they feel guilty getting rid of it, or they dont know what else to do with it. Let me help you put the pieces of your home puzzle together. I kept some, and have some ready to give to sisters, although some are the same as pictures they are storing that my Mom had. Your child can describe the piece in their own words in a recording you attach to the image, and loved ones can become Fans and leave recorded comments as well. 50 Ways to Increase Productivity and Achieve More in Less Time, 7 Ways To Stay Grounded by Staying Organized, Children Gone: What to Do With Belongings Left Behind, How to Organize Your Paperwork to Boost Productivity, Paper Piling, Horizontal Filing, and Other Filing Options, 11 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Complete any Task in New Year, Bringing More Efficiency When You Work from Home, How to Increase Mental Focus and Stay Sharp, How To Get Fit If You Have a Busy Schedule, 7 Most Common Distractions at Work (And How to Tackle Them), Why To-Do Lists Dont Work (And How to Change That), 9 Best Productivity Planners To Get More Done in 2022, 3 Techniques for Setting Priorities Effectively, Productivity Can Be Improved By These 10 Actionable Steps, Best Focus Music for Concentration And Productive Work, 7 Ways to Leverage Your Time to Increase Your Productivity, Why Working 9 to 5 Is Not Ideal For Efficient Work Today, How to Live a Full Life (Without Compromising on What Truly Matters), Achieving Goals: The Ultimate Guide to Goal Achieving & Goal Setting in 2022, What Is Motivation And How To Get Motivated (Your Ultimate Guide). I think your post will be helpful in getting on the move again, one box at a time, one tool for someone else, one photo going to the right family member. Join in and write your own page! Sometimes if you tell another person the story of an items significance, you can let it go. 6. , an app available for Apple iOS and Android that lets you archive your childs artwork with phone or tablet. I also had tons of baby stuff I kept and have now got a frame for each child on the wall as well with hospital bracelet, scan photo, lock of hair from first hair cut first outfit. How much space does it occupy? Your email address will not be published. I have and use kitchen equipment and dishes from both my grandmothers and great grandmother. Clients call me to help them go through boxes that they fear will be too painful to open alone. or keepsakes, you may want to toss the originals and just keep the digitized versions. I do put trinkets in the donate box--places like goodwill do put them out to sell. Once youve digitized your collection, you need to figure out how to store your memorabilia. I have a lot of sentimental items and heirlooms. Your child can describe the piece in their own words in a recording you attach to the image, and loved ones can become Fans and leave recorded comments as well. As you look through each piece, toss any duplicate items or pieces you cant remember, and keep the things that mean the most to you based on your own criteria. If you hold onto those items you will be anchoring those old feelings in place. Your memorabilia may be connected to your to photos and family stories, so its a good idea to keep it organized and only keep the pieces that important to you. The need that we met in using this strategy was that we felt it honored who my mom and dad are, were is so past tense and yucky when it comes to loved ones. Our best advice is to break up the work into smaller increments of one to two hours, rather than tackle the whole project over the course of a weekend. So many options these days for modern memory keeping. You can photograph these items inside a SHOTBOX. They would want you to feel happy and to cherish their memory, not feel burdened and guilty. The Save Your Photos blog has this important message about memorabilia: Documents, report cards, certificates, awards, trophies, newspaper articles, invitations, letters and other similar items contain dates and information that may contribute to your family timeline and unlock some of your photo mysteries. Plus, you'll get a free 12 month Declutter 365 calendar for 2022! It's easy to do. Multitasking: Is It Good And Can You Actually Master It? Moms Boxes Part 9: Moms Good Silverware, Celebrating Introverts (and organizing them), Whats a Photo Without the Story? I mailed all mine to them and I still get to see them. Copyright 2018 by Hazel Thornton,Organized For Life. (My mom died in 2001, before I joined NAPOand became aprofessional organizer. Some go into the discard box--my kids aren't interested. Baseball cards post-1960s have little to no value at all.. But dont wait 16 years, like I did! I think I have just enough of my brother's stuff now as a memory mostly for me, and if my son wants to learn about or keep any of it when he gets older, and as I near my own passing, it's all up to him as to what he decides to do with it. I've made peace with all that. While not painless, approaching a stash or houseful of sentimental things with the following strategies may make the process manageable: 1. Just wanted to say I really enjoyed the warmth and sensitivity emanating from your writing, very gently; felt almost like getting great advice from a friend. Several large losses in my family in the last 2 years and I've acquired even more sentimental stuff. If they really have no value to anyone but you, and youve decided to part with them, either donate them or throw them in the trash. Would your deceased loved one want to see you suffer? Books that the previous owner may not ever have read, or enjoyed, but were sitting on their shelves when they died. These are great questions to consider. Going through old photographsis one decluttering category, McGregor says. Just keep the best! Dishtowels in a package that were never used and are not special. Clothing that is not memorable or even wearable. 2. There are questions about items like overly revealing love letters or divorce papers that raise significant issues fraught with overwhelming emotions.. Downsize & declutter now so your family doesnt have to do it when youre gone. like tickets, wristbands hotel door cards. But, technically, they are two different things: Memorabilia: Objects kept for their historical interest, especially those associated with memorable people or events. The SHOTBOX is a collapsable, hard-shelled light box that acts as a wonderful, well-lit stage for your item. Christmas was/is hard. ), No matter what the project is, the first thing I ask a client, and suggest you ask yourself, is: Why am I doing this?, (My goal is to decrease the volume by AT LEAST 80% so, paring 33 boxes down to 7. If youre moving to a smaller place, make a comparison to your current situation, McGregor says. Create categories. But - (tears) they are small trinkets and have earned a place in my heart and on my tree. To simplify decluttering, gather all keepsakes and mementos and put them in one spot. Remember that you are looking for items that have the BEST energies of the past, items that make your heart smile. Sentimental clutter is the hardest clutter to part with, Cohen explains. Take a photo of the item; write a story about it; let people know what it meant to you, otherwise it will get lumped in with the dishtowels and they wont know if it was important to you or not. How to Create Your Family Legacy. Or a basement filled with items that represent the past 30 years? How? A Photo Organizers Best Tips for Dealing with Difficult Photos, How to Take Better Photos and Videos with Your iPhone, How to Tell Your Family History in a Keepsake Photo Album. Anything that has special significance to you. Scan paper and prints, then file the images in categorized memorabilia folders on your computer. After putting it in a pile, dont tackle everything in one day. If after a waiting period you are still struggling with what to do with certain items, invite a trusted friend or family member to help you make decisions about them. And, do it in a way that is easy and safe to do, like consignment or through an email broker who works with Craigs List or Ebay. As someone at the beginning of decluttering our large home in preparation for retirement, or at leastmoving into an apartment, we, like many friends, are dealing with the added, painful issues of what to keep from the home of close relatives who have passed away, says Joel Poznansky, 61, who lives in Bethesda, Md. Theres no rushunless, of course, youre downsizing to move or youre terminally ill. Do you feel overwhelmed by piles of your own photos, letters,kids artwork, and other tangible memories? Are you ready to take a hard look at them? When that happens your perspective will also shift. Many of the collectibles gathered over a lifetime may not have much resale value anymore, says Luis Perez, CEO ofRemoov, a San Francisco-based company that helps people declutter. If your collection of memorabilia is out of control, and you are wondering how to manage it, here are the questions I want you to ask yourself before you even get started. If technology is your thing, try Keepy, an app available for Apple iOS and Android that lets you archive your childs artwork with phone or tablet. Or, at the very least youll be able to hear your own energy in your voice as you talk about it. Its a little tricky being both the organizer and the client for my project. Copyright 2011-2022 - Flanery Companies, LLC - All rights reserved. Small, granted, is in the eye of the beholder. 2. The project is important, but theres no rush to complete it. Sometimes you just need to remember, to share a story one more time, to be able to part with something, explains Cohen. Enjoy the process. So be a detective.. I travel to wonderful places, and I've always loved bringing back a piece of art paintings, sculptures) or folk art (carvings, clothing, knick knacks. That way, when you revisit those items, you can examine them with the benefit of better energy in your space and more clarity in your thinking. Please consider your local historical society as the recipient for family items you choose to discard. If you come across items you dont want to keep in the family,selling is an option. You can also consider these ideas: of using a selection of empty frames on the wall to display her kids artwork (you can use this for other types of memorabilia, too!). Dont look at it like decluttering and getting rid of your past, but as a journey through a long life, Cohen says. If items identified for release could be important to another family member or a museum, offer them to the person or institution. The larger stuff was almost easier to part with. Your intention for the first pass should be to eliminate items with obvious negative energies, those that bring up sad, hurt or angry feelings. If youre facing the prospect of sifting through and digitizing a lifetime of memorabilia, it can seem daunting. Old letters are a family treasure. Weve all inherited and collectedkeepsakesand memorabilia. | Tips for: #photoorganizing, #scanning, #legacy, #archiving, #archivalstorage, #heritage, #genealogy, #scrapbooking, & #memorykeeping, How to archive family keepsakes book. Your email address will not be published. Using a keepsake box is a safe and a clutter-free way to store your collection, and the Internet is full of do-it-yourself instructions to help you make your own. Fax: (406) 407-9502, Its not unusual for a homes memorabilia pile to span multiple generations. I used it for 30 years, then we moved and had to combine two houses. And dont store them in a dusty or non-climate-controlled shed, garage, or attic! If family members arent interested, you can try to donate the wares to a secondhand store. #photorestoration #photopreservation #archivalstorage #photoorganizers #thephotoorganizers #thememorycurator #heritagemakers #leavealegacy #memorykeeping #familyhistorian #keepsakes #memorabilia. You can read them later! Im not paying myself for my time, though, so sometimes I go ahead and read the letters. If you worry about offending a family member by getting rid of something, offer it to them! Fresh ideas from The Memory Curator #thememorycurator #modernmemorykeeping #scrapbooking #familyhistorian #legacy #keepsakes, Tips and ideas for organizing family keepsakes and memorabilia. All Rights Reserved. Take your time. If you want to frame pieces of homemade artwork, but youve discovered the pieces are too large for your frames. Julie, I love this post. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As it is, when theres too much to look at, no one looks at any of it.). It is always best if memorabilia can be displayed or at least is easily accessible to you so you can enjoy the positive memories it calls forth. Sorting through last weeks coupons can be much easier than tackling a bin filled with memories from the past. Start with whats easy. I think knowing your goal helps keep the finish line in sight. Your blog has some great tips on this topic as well! But they werent. I use and display many of them. Fortunately, I had my brothers help with the initial sort. I dont work on it full time, by any means, and based on what Ive gathered atthe recent APPO annual conference, in Raleigh NC, this quantity of memorabilia and time involved is not that unusual. A cork pop-gun from my father, Lucky Louie lures with corks in the hooks, the silver spoon from the doctor who delivered my daughter, pictures, postcards, letters rolled up and ribbons, they're all there on my tree now. As always, make sure your photos are backed up by using Picture This Organizeds best photo backup practices. Whether you love old fashioned paper crafts or using the latest in technology, there's a memory keeping solution that fits YOU perfectly! Thankfully my husband hasn't collected too many family keepsakes of his own, so that makes it easier. In addition to the easy-to-find items, empty drawers, closets and other storage areas. Then Ill store the best stuff in an organized and archival manner, so that the memories wont deteriorate, and so I can share the photos and stories with my family.). No matter what your collection includes, it can be difficult to decide what to do with these items. blog has this important message about memorabilia: Whats the best way to figure out what to keep in your. Wanting to sell things can be a barrier to getting rid of them. Then, focus your attention on one group at a time. The goal here is to give yourself some breathing room when it comes to your memorabilia. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. Keep toys you rememberyour children particularly enjoying or that you would enjoy playing with with your grandchildren, Poznansky says. But, for now, just think about the overall quantity and quality of your memorabilia. Next year will be hard too. ), hasnt gotten much smaller of late. I do have her kitchen table and use that to wrap Christmas presents every year. Hold your wedding dress in your hands or flip through a photo album and take the time to remember what life was like then. Local craft stores also sell storage boxes. #keepsakes #memorabilia #organizing #leavealegacy #legacy #familyhistory #familyhistorian #modernmemorykeeping #memorykeeping #thememorycurator, When it comes to Memory Keeping, there's no right or wrong way to do it! for ideas of displaying your budding Picassos work. It's easy to do. Just click here to schedule a free 20-minute call. Make it easier for your loved ones to deal with your stuff when you, Share the memories with your family? If youve been following this blog for awhile, you wont be surprised to hear that I recommend digitizing and archiving the items in your memorabilia collection. Kalispell, MT 59901 I just read the comment about giving a family Bible to a historical society. And I give myself the same advice: Dont read the letters now! There are some treasures in there, such as my grandparents love letters, but theres SO MUCH OF IT. It gives me the chance to look at them and remember them every year. If you dont have anyone to ask, or you suspect theyll be more of a distraction than a help, call a NAPO or APPO professional organizer to help you.

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