How do I declutter my house when I’m so sentimental over so many gifts, letters, cards?
Are you up to taking pictures or scanning items? Can you get someone who loves you help you have “memory snapshots” which you can then do slide shows on a picture screen or your computer?
My husband scanned all the pictures that his parents owned when we had to go through their things. He placed all the pictures on CDs or DVDs, and made a copy for each son, grandchild, greatgrandchild. We then had a picture party and passed out all the pictures, including any frames, to any we could get to take them. Of course, we sorted family photos and offered the sons the pictures first. We only kept 2 hardcopy pictures of his mother and father. The rest we let go. We have all the photos in a slide show. We have cd copies all over the US and could easily copy another copy if necessary.
Have you ever heard of Swedish Death Cleaning? Take pictures, gift the things away now and watch someone enjoy the items as much as you have done in the past.
Queen hide-a-bed sofa to a niece who needed a bed for children.
Reclining love seat to a nephew for his TV room.
Love seat to a sister who needed one in her family room.
Curio cabinet to my daughter who needed one and I couldn’t help buy one.
Baking pans to a niece.
Cooking utensils to church.
Large Dining room table to a large family.
Clothing too little or too big to a homeless shelter, nursing home, church storehouse.
I find getting rid of things is easier if you know you are helping someone with what you are giving away.
One Christmas, I gathered a lot of Christmas decorations (no ornaments) and placed them on a table. I asked all of my family to go through them and take any and all that they wanted. [We have our party on the first Sunday of December.]
Another Christmas, I gathered Cookbooks and did the same thing.
We had numbers for each person, drew them, made a selection, rinse, and repeat. Swaps were encouraged.
We no longer do name drawing or dirty Santa presents. We do the Wright family game with a one-dollar item each—preferably non-breakable.
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