Decluttering Memorabilia - How a Professional Organizer Guides a Client Through the Process

Please keep family pictures! My 82 year old brother with dementia gets the most pleasure from old family pictures from his young childhood and even those from when he was older. Aunts, uncle, grandparents, and parents all matter to him. Even those saved in a box spark joy. I'm so glad I didn't destroy my mom's pictures! I very much enjoyed your ideas. 💕

Personally as a child/grandchild it was really stressful when my family would just handed me down everything they no longer needed, especially when I didn't have any connection to it. So if you're thinking of giving something to your kid, do keep in mind they might not want it.

Finally you said the most important words, right near the end. “Throw them away!” Passing things on, taking pictures and scanning or filing or displaying just perpetuates the problem. I’ve just been going through the same journey with my grown children’s school items after spending years decluttering my parents “stuff” after they passed. I too, used to be very sentimental but learned, once you get rid of it, you don’t miss it. But you do, finally feel free!! Yes, it’s hard. But honestly, just throw the cards, pictures, letters and bits and pieces away! They served their purpose when they were given, that purpose is over now, live in the present. It’s ok to throw them away!🙏🏼🤗

This video is such a gift to me as I face mountains of memorabilia from my life and those of my parents, grandparents, and relatives passed before I was even born. I keep repeating what you said, 'those are their memories, not yours' and it helps me feel not terrible for not keeping these items I have no personal connection to but am only keeping out of some sense of duty to the departed. I appreciate this video so much, thank you!!!!

This was a very compassionate approach. It's taken me years since my mom passed to start to sort through the memorabilia, home goods, furniture, and of course photos. I inherited almost everything she owned, and it's a LOT. I'm ready to go through this process now. A sincere thank you!

I love that thought process of “If it got burnt in a fire, Would it break your heart?” I lost my Dad at the age of 13 and started keeping everything. And if anyone gave me something, I couldn’t let if it. Now, I’m 50!! And I still have boxes that I boxed up when I was 14 moving out of my first house with my Mom and brother. You can tell by my writing, even some have sparkly nail polish labeling what’s in the boxes. I really need to start looking at these things. I did start taking pictures of the art projects of my 4 children and slowly but surely tossing the dusty projects. There may be a few that I kept, but it made it easier. This was so helpful!

This is totally pumping me up. I'm about to go through a photo album and get rid of exboyfriend pics😊 I'll just keep the ones I look real good in😅

Ah! The memorabilia! Thankfully, I was able to go through several tubs I had saved from just one daughter. It took a few years of going through these boxes, and little by little, I let go of more and more. It really helped to give these items back to my daughter and let her decide what to do with them. For the most part, she wasn't interested in keeping much. In the end, I kept several christmas projects she made in grade school. I love and display these items every Christmas, and we all enjoy looking and laughing at these few keepsakes every Christmas.

I started my minimalism journey in 2016. Never touched the photos, because I had Little time and energy. My sisters, my mom and me took all the photos from 1980 to 2005 and sorted and devided them. I sorted them again - Finally I have a little album with Great and thankful memories. A few Weeks ago I started deleting and sorting my own memories. I have two sons… we had about 50.000 digital Photos. I am down to about 5.000 and 500 videoclips. It is crazy but so important to do! I need More energy for this than for the things in my Home. But I am looking forward for wonderful leatheralbums and a few digital photos and funny videoclips. Thanks and Greetings from Austria 🤗

THANK YOU. Have been wrestling with this for YEARS. You have made a huge difference to my approach, just as I was beginning to despair. You don’t reference the emotional toll this can take. It really is physically and mentally exhausting and the only way to get through for me is in chunks, with the occasional 4 or 5 hour bash. I am almost at the end of the beginning of the process ! With 5 children of my own and the custodian of a childless, very sentimental aunt’s memorabilia AND 3 generations of my mother and father’s families. It is taking a very long time. I am also an historian. In the end it is by putting on my academic hat that I manage to sort through the very old - keeping any important document (very few) and photographing, scanning most of the older photographs ONLY if I knew who the image was and approximate date. Luckily (in a way) my families have been rubbish at keeping albums, so I just got boxes and boxes of tiny black and white photographs …. (?!?*!) most of which I can let go of as I have them recorded and annotated now. The more recent photographs I have distributed to my children, cousins, nieces and nephews - so none were overwhelmed by volume. Giving my children their “own memories” is a game-changer, thank you. This is the very first of (100s) all the YouTube videos that I have searched for support and inspiration that has applied directly to me. Again - THANK YOU from 🇬🇧 the UK.

I think I’m pretty good about mementos, especially having started to pare down in middle school (in uni now). My big weakness is my art - but at least it stores flat, and I do look at it regularly and put some on my walls. I have been struggling with a few stuffed animals that were gifts, or have stories. Our house has clothes moths, so anything fabric is an extra problem, especially if we don’t use it regularly! After this video I think I might draw them, and then only keep the ones I actively use

Lots of great ideas, thanks. Cant wait to see more about decluttering.

This is b one of the best videos I've seen on this topic! Thanks

This was one of the best and most helpful memorablilia videos I have come across. It was practical and addressed exactly what I needed. Thank you!

This was so beneficial to me, as I recently started the process to organize photos. Since my parents & grandparents are gone, and now one of my brothers, it is time to organize and enjoy the memories. God Bless you for doing this thorough, and hands on organizing video!! Thank you 🙏

This describes me too! I am so glad to come across this video. Planning to start today

Great ideas here and approaches that I've not seen from other organizing experts!

I appreciate both of you for this inspirational video. It was helpful to witness your process, and I learned a lot. Thanks again! 😊

New and grateful subscriber! Thank you for this practical and realistic video. I needed help, before decluttering a closet full of 25+ years of memorabilia. Sentimental items are the hardest to filter through. Your tips were amazing and super helpful, especially about displaying vs. storing. That changed my perspective on what I truly find important (and what would I grab if there was a fire). By the way, my adult children will be getting a box of their personal memorabilia this Christmas :) A win win! Thanks again.

This was perfect 💖💖💖I have two boxes of my moms pictures and journals plus decluttering my own thank you