Given that my "keep" rule involves getting rid of objects that I haven't used in a year or can't foresee using in the coming year, what of nostalgia? Most mementos, souvenirs and family heirlooms don't have a purpose outside of the memories that store.
Pictures, home movies, trinkets, jewelry... Unless you're planning to hang them, watch them often, display them around your home or wear them, their future is one filled with dust and dark basements.
Here are a few tips if you're looking to reduce, but aren't sure how.
Do you have an attachment to your childhood library? I spent a lot of time reading as a kid and I love to reminisce about the books that kept me company throughout my formative years. But I don't need to keep boxes of books that I don't plan to reread around the house. So I've chosen to rebuild my childhood library using GoodReads.
I could have created a simple list with an Excel worksheet, but GoodReads automatically provides the title, author, description, and best of all, the book covers. I can even include my memories as a review.
Other options include LibraryThing or Shelfari.
For clothes that hold special significance and have gone out of style or no longer fit, try making something new from the scraps. You can brainstorm ideas with craft books for scraps.
Have a handful of event tees that you've worn thin? Try making a t-shirt quilt.
Home Videos
I recently digitized all of our old home videos. I was happy to get rid of all of the old, bulky VHS tapes that I couldn't watch anymore due to the lack of a VCR. I was able to transfer our home videos to DVD (and subsequently, to digital files) thanks to Keepsake Solutions.
Afterwards, I checked to find out if there was a way to recycle VHS tapes. The best option I found was GreenDisk.com. However, you have to pay for shipping and it would have cost me almost $50, so I opted to do the much less eco-friendly option, trashing them. :/
Over time, I plan to take the digital files and create a highlights montage. It will make the collection much more accessible and fun to watch.
Knick-Knacks
Take pictures of your favorite objects before you find new homes for them.
It seems silly, but an image can bring back just as many memories as the item itself. My parents used to have these strange hexagonal end tables in our family room. They disappeared between moves and I had totally forgotten about them until I was flipping through an old photo album. Even the smell of them came rushing back when I spotted them in the corner of a picture. I'd hate to keep them around, because they were truly ugly, but I love that I can still keep the memory of them close.
Still not sure about sending something you once cherished out into the world? Why not swap the item with a friend? They might have the perfect use for it and if they know how much you loved it, they will be sure to keep it safe from harm. And if you decide later that you truly can't live without it, you can swap it back.
...And A Bit of Mind Trickery
Aren't sure what you hold most dear, what you'll miss when it's gone, what you can't live without? Try putting some unused items in a box and setting them in an unused room. Wait a year and go through the box. What do you want to pull out first?
Such great ideas here, Tam! That nostalgia thing has gotten me on so many occasions, and Nate and I fear that Abbie is totally going to be a hoarder. I'll share this post with her too. :)
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