NGKUR: Random box of keepsakes

[Deleted]

Good afternoon Ladies,
I've spent a good chunk of today trying to organize a closet full of randomly packed boxed. Some of the boxes were packed by me between the ages of 16 and 22. They came from my dad's attic and are chock full of surprises.
Here is a random sampling of things found so far. In this picture are my mailbox combo from freshman year of college, my one-eyed puffalump, a scantron test from 1994 (6th gr. ?), girl scout badges, and a ticket stub from Ever After (1998).

My family has been dominated by organized packrats for generations. I'm working on breaking myself of this habit before I turn into a hoarder. It's hard though.
How does everyone else differentiate between keepsakes and crap? How do you know it's time to throw something out?

[Sammich_Cat]

I don't keep many keepsakes. I rely on memories and journals. If it's not useful or beautiful I throw it out (or just keep one thing from each time period/special event/special person).

ETA: The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life by Francine Jay helped me get through all the crap I had accumulated. The only thing I don't throw out any more are clothes since I'm so picky about them.

[icequeen]

I hate clutter, so it were up to me I would probably toss all the things, unless they were really valuable or my mom would want them. I like Sammich_Cat's idea of journaling and memory books. I should do more of that. I do take a lot of photos though.

[Sammich_Cat]

Feb 21, 2015 14:12:30 GMT -5 icequeen said:

I hate clutter, so it were up to me I would probably toss all the things, unless they were really valuable or my mom would want them. I like Sammich_Cat's idea of journaling and memory books. I should do more of that. I do take a lot of photos though.

Oh, duh-can't believe I forgot that. Thanks icequeen.
 We take tons of photos too (and short videos) with our phones.

[Deleted]

I've never been a huge picture taker. I've also never been very good with journaling either.
It's a slow process but im making progress. I can't for the life of me figure out why I would have saved that scantron. That's going in the trash for sure.

[renbee]

I have a whole hatbox full of stuff from high school. I haven't even looked at what's in there in ages, but I don't feel like I can get rid of it!

[BurritosAtEveryMeal]

I know something needs to be tossed when I have no practical use or emotional attachment to it. I saved a bunch of childhood toys/stuffed animals and finally weeded out the few I actually wanted to keep. I give myself a small space, like a box or bag, and keep only the few things that fit there. I also have sentimental family/wedding keepsakes on display in a china cabinet. I'm sure that in a few years, I'll probably tire of some of those items and get rid of them, but for now, they're important. Maybe you could take pictures of the sentimental things you love but don't actually need to keep. You could make a small book with these items in it.

[Deleted]

I've narrowed it down to one medium sized bin. I'll reapproach it tomorrow. Mostly because the dust is making me itchy.
For my next trick, I'm attempting to sort medical bills so I can submit them to my HRA.

[cateyes]

Things that I want to remember for the memories I take a picture of, and I have two scrapbooks that hold these pictures. Then I don't need to keep all the random keep sakes, stuffed animals, etc. Just the two scrapbooks that have pictures in them!

[13liza]

When my first kitty passed away last year I felt really torn about keeping vs tossing toys, etc (lame, I know), so I ended up doing a shadow box with just a few special things and photos.

[carolinagirl83]

@wallflwr926 I'm pretty sure I had that very same puffalump. I have several still at my parent's. They were my favorites! Do they still make those?

[squeakyduck]

My mom hired a professional organizer to move me out of their house. She had me take pictures of special things. It was really hard for me to declutter, and I'm thinking of asking for more organizer time for my house for Christmas.

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2015 16:18:46 GMT -5 carolinagirl83 said:

@wallflwr926 I'm pretty sure I had that very same puffalump. I have several still at my parent's. They were my favorites! Do they still make those?

I don't think so. Recently, I saw them being on eBay for a decent price.

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2015 16:23:11 GMT -5 squeakyduck said:

My mom hired a professional organizer to move me out of their house. She had me take pictures of special things. It was really hard for me to declutter, and I'm thinking of asking for more organizer time for my house for Christmas.

I have been trying to move the last of my stuff out of my parent's house for years. It's the boxes I haven't found yet that worry me. I just know it's going to bring up memories and I'm not going to want to throw out anything.

I also have a snow globe collection somewhere in their attic. It's been so long since I last saw the box that I'm pretty sure they are destroyed.

[kawaiikitsune]

I toe the line between hoarder and clutter-buster. I have moved a lot in my life and lost almost all of my belongings over time. What is in my apartment currently is literally all I own. Due to this, I hold on to everything and am very reluctant to let go of things. However, with my anxiety issues being handled much better than previous years, every few months, I go through and clear out useless junk. It is still hard but I do it for mine and MH's sanity.

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2015 16:44:59 GMT -5 kawaiikitsune said:

I toe the line between hoarder and clutter-buster. I have moved lot in my life and lost almost all of my belongings over time. What is in my apartment currently is literally all I own. Due to this, I hold on to everything and am very reluctant to let go of things. However, with my anxiety issues being handled much better than previous years, every few months, I go through and clear out useless junk. It is still hard but I do it for mine and MH's sanity.

I completely understand this. The house where my dad and stepmom live now is not where I grew up. They moved in there right before my senior year of high school. Between going to college and moving out at 23, I think I lived there for about 3 years total. I moved atleast 7 more times in the next 6 years. We've been living in our current place for 2 years now but have plans to move in October.
I get nervous to unpack boxes for fear I might lose something important.

Edit: high school not college.

[peaseblossom55]

I have so much stuff at my parent's house. It's pretty crazy luckily they haven't made me get any of it yet. I'm pretty good and keeping was is important and tossing the rest though. I keep theater scrapbooks from all of my theater endeavors.

[JulietRose]

All I can focus on is you have a puffalump? ME TOOOOO!!! You def should keep that! (I have mine in a tub in my garage)

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2015 18:42:03 GMT -5 JulietRose said:

All I can focus on is you have a puffalump? ME TOOOOO!!! You def should keep that! (I have mine in a tub in my garage)

That's not going anywhere. It lost an eye because i loved it so much.

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2015 18:19:18 GMT -5 peaseblossom55 said:

I have so much stuff at my parent's house. It's pretty crazy luckily they haven't made me get any of it yet. I'm pretty good and keeping was is important and tossing the rest though. I keep theater scrapbooks from all of my theater endeavors.

I should put all my theater stuff in an album. I was mostly backstage but my name is still in the playbill.

[rooskie]

I had that puffalump too! Or maybe mine had overalls on? Same color.
My mom moved out of my childhood home last year and I have a few boxes still to go through. I cannot believe how much money I spent on prom pictures, senior pictures, etc.

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2015 19:22:35 GMT -5 rooskie said:

I had that puffalump too! Or maybe mine had overalls on? Same color.
My mom moved out of my childhood home last year and I have a few boxes still to go through. I cannot believe how much money I spent on prom pictures, senior pictures, etc.

I found those today too. I went to four proms because high school BF was a year older.

Everytime that fun fact  is brought up H shakes his head in disbelief.  He dropped out and got his GED early instead. He also lost alot of his keepsakes when his ex-GF kicked him out. (10 years ago, very different person now)

[peaseblossom55]

Feb 21, 2015 19:16:04 GMT -5 @wallflwr926 said:

Feb 21, 2015 18:19:18 GMT -5 peaseblossom55 said:

I have so much stuff at my parent's house. It's pretty crazy luckily they haven't made me get any of it yet. I'm pretty good and keeping was is important and tossing the rest though. I keep theater scrapbooks from all of my theater endeavors.

I should put all my theater stuff in an album. I was mostly backstage but my name is still in the playbill.

I have scrapbooks of playbills, cards from cast members, pictures, when little mementos, it's a great way to keep it all in the same place( I added the jewish star from when I played Anne Frank and things like that).  

[Deleted]

If I can't remember why I saved it, it gets thrown out. If I'm embarrassed to still have it (hello, love letters from 8th grade boyfriend), it gets thrown out.


I too have lots of things at my parent's house but it's boxes of toys from childhood. Every Barbie doll I've ever owned and all their outfits are saved, as well as a few fave stuffed animals. I chose to save those because they are in good shape and could be difficult to find replacements in the future.

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2015 20:03:44 GMT -5 @marymargaret said:

If I can't remember why I saved it, it gets thrown out. If I'm embarrassed to still have it (hello, love letters from 8th grade boyfriend), it gets thrown out.


I too have lots of things at my parent's house but it's boxes of toys from childhood. Every Barbie doll I've ever owned and all their outfits are saved, as well as a few fave stuffed animals. I chose to save those because they are in good shape and could be difficult to find replacements in the future.

I have two younger brothers. Most of my Barbies were destroyed by their Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers.

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2015 20:14:06 GMT -5 @wallflwr926 said:

Feb 21, 2015 20:03:44 GMT -5 @marymargaret said:

If I can't remember why I saved it, it gets thrown out. If I'm embarrassed to still have it (hello, love letters from 8th grade boyfriend), it gets thrown out.


I too have lots of things at my parent's house but it's boxes of toys from childhood. Every Barbie doll I've ever owned and all their outfits are saved, as well as a few fave stuffed animals. I chose to save those because they are in good shape and could be difficult to find replacements in the future.

I have two younger brothers. Most of my Barbies were destroyed by their Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers.

My brothers are younger than me too, and I made them play Barbies with me!!  

[Deleted]

They played Barbies too. It was just that they played Destroy Barbies when I wasn't home more often .

[wirt2cute]

I normally throw things away, but I have do have a box that I keep from high school with old pictures, my old cheerleading uniforms and high school year books.

[heatherj9603]

My rule of thumb. If it's important enough to want to display On a shelf, in a shadow box, etc, than its Important enough to keep. I used to have boxes upon boxes of "keepsakes" and they didn't do me much good collecting dust. I have a few things on display. The stuffed duck my dad gave me the day I was born, an old kalidescope that I played with at my great grandmas (my dad gave it to me when she passed away, it was still In Her toy chest in the closet, even though grand kids and great grand kids were long since grown up) a few momentos from my wedding, a bell that belonged to my grandma. In the box I keep things that were special gifts with a few class projects. I still have the porcelain dolls my grandma gave me (she made their dresses) which I've said if I ever have a girl I will display them in her room. 

I do have a few random small items, but they are all kept in a small wooden box. Old ticket stubs, concerts, wrist bands from events and a few letters from old friends. 

I think keepsakes are an awesome thing. It's like a little inside joke that only you understand. But I feel like a box or two is enough.