• Beauty
  • Home
  • Lifestyle
    • Christian Living
  • Southern Living
  • Theo’s Corner
  • About Me!
    • Contact Me!
    • Let’s connect!
    • Shop My Favorites!
    • Disclosure
    • Terms + Privacy

Hello South Blog

Beauty | Home | Southern Living

Tips On How To Declutter Sentimental Items

January 19, 2023 · Lifestyle

Tips On How To Declutter Sentimental Items

Going through sentimental items can be difficult. And depending on why the item is sentimental to you it can be even more difficult. Sometimes we need to think about why we are hanging onto an item and if it is doing us more harm than good. Today I am going to give you a few tips on how to declutter sentimental items.

I am guilty of this and am working on it. I have several items from when my mom and sister passed away that I need to part with. They don’t serve any purpose besides pain. We can start out with good intentions on why we keep things. But we need to take time to sort through why we are hanging onto items. They can be sentimental for a lot of reasons. Family heirlooms, gifts from friends or family members, really any reason.

This site uses affiliate links, which means a commission is earned if you make a purchase via the link. All content and images on this site are protected and may not be reused without written permission from the author.

What makes an item sentimental?

So, what makes an item sentimental? The memory we associate with it. It can be a good or bad memory. Do you hide a box of items in a closet or the garage? Sometimes we hang onto an item because it belonged to someone we loved and not because it brings a special memory to mind. Do you have anything like this?

How to sort through sentimental items.

I like to use the 3-box method when sorting through things. I have this method described in detail in my blog post, My Top 5 Home Organizing Tips. You can read that here. But, basically you will need 3 boxes when you start sorting through your items. One for keeping, one for trash, and one for giving away.

  1. Why am I holding on to it?
    • Ask yourself what the significance of the item is. Does it bring back good or bad memories? If you can’t remember where you got the item or its significance of it that is your sign to get rid of it.
  2. Can you use, display, or repurpose the item?
    • I am going to cover a few ideas later on how to repurpose. But look at each item and decide if you can display or repurpose the item somewhere in your house. Or if it is in such bad condition that it serves no other purpose, it might be time to get rid of it.
  3. Are you keeping it out of duty?
    • This happens a lot. People feel like they cannot get rid of a family heirloom. They don’t like it and don’t want to display it in their house, but they would feel guilty getting rid of it.

How to repurpose sentimental items.

This is your chance to think outside of the box with your sentimental items so you can keep them. Why hang onto an item if you are never going to see it?

  • If you have clothing from a loved one that brings back memories try making a quilt. I did this with some of my mom’s favorite pieces of clothing. The ones that we always saw her wearing. I made a quilt for both of my sisters as gifts after she passed away.
  • Take photos of the items and make a photo album. You can go onto any of the websites like Shutterfly, Nations Photo Lab, Snapfish, or CVS and have a photo album printed. That would also be a great gift idea for another loved one!
  • Donate the items to charity. If the items are in good condition and would be useful to someone else, you can donate them.
  • If you are hanging onto jewelry and do not like the style you can take the diamonds or other gems out and have it made into something else that you will wear. Or you can have the earrings made into a necklace. You get the picture!

It’s okay to keep things. Take your time letting go of things that are important to you. Grab a small waterproof box that you place small items into and put it into your closet. Wait until you are ready to try again at letting go of a few more things.

I hope this helped. Please share in the comments any ideas that you might have or if you try any of these!


Share this…
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
  • Copy

Posted In: Lifestyle · Tagged: Helpful tips, Home Organization

Comments

  1. Danielle Miller says

    January 19, 2023 at 10:25 am

    Great tips for someone sentimental like me who wants to let go of stuff but it can be so hard! Thanks for this

    Reply
    • Julie says

      January 19, 2023 at 10:46 am

      You’re welcome! It can be really difficult especially when it’s an item of a lost loved one. Hopefully, those ideas helped!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Meet Julie

About
Welcome to Hello South! If you love hair, skin, and home tips then you have come to the right place! It is also a safe place to talk about aging gratefully! Because isn’t life better with someone to lean on?

Theo’s Corner

theos-corner
Welcome to Theo’s Corner! My mom finally decided to let me have a voice here. I plan on talking about the world according to me. And all the things that I love and maybe things that I don’t like so much!

Categories

  • Beauty
  • Christian Living
  • Home
  • Lifestyle
  • Southern Living
  • Theo's Corner

Reader Favorites

3 Must Do's on Your Next Charleston Trip

3 Must Do’s on Your Next Charleston Trip

Daily Walks and Mean Neighbors

Daily Walks and Mean Neighbors

You Don't Have to be Southern to Have Manners

You Don’t Have To Be Southern To Have Manners

Disclosure

This site uses affiliate links, which means a commission is earned if you make a purchase via the link. All content and images on this site are protected and may not be reused without written permission from the author.




On the Blog

  • Beauty
  • Home
  • Lifestyle
    • Christian Living
  • Southern Living
  • Theo’s Corner

Connect

juliemanquen_hello_south

Hello South Blog
Beauty | Home | Southern Living
𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒔 12:6
Let’s age 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆fully together 👇🏻

Julie  Manquen
•
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚜 𝟷𝟻:𝟹
It's difficult sometimes when someone hurts us. We sometimes wonder why God "isn't doing anything" about the bad things in the world, or the bad people in our lives. 
But it isn't up to us. We only need to worry about ourselves. He sees it all, the good and the bad. And sometimes we only see a small part of what is really going on in someone's life. It is easy to make a judgment. It is difficult to 👇
Give it to God 🤍
~𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕! 
 #christianblogger #hellosouthblog #Floridablogger #prayonit #Godsgotthis #prayerchangesthings #talktojesus #inspirationalwords #Godisgood #praywithoutceasing #proverbs
📌 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬? 
There are a lot of benefits to having a dog, besides unconditional love. 🤍 Studies have shown that just petting a dog can:
• Lower your blood pressure
• Lower heart rate
• Slows breathing
• Relaxes muscle tension
I think Theo has been doing a good job of all of the above! I won't even get into what he does when I have a migraine. 🤯 Dogs are amazing. 🤍
Do you have a dog? Do you agree with what these studies have shown? 
~𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕! 
 #dogblog #lifestyleblog #hellosouthblog #Floridablogger #shinefromtheinsideout #doglife #doglover #dogloversofinstagram #therapydog @theos_corner_
• 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 •
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮; 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥. 𝙴𝚡𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚜 𝟷𝟺:𝟷𝟺
Have you been looking for someone that is always by your side, someone that you can always talk to, and someone that you can count on? God has your back, you just need to invite him into your life. 🤍
~𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕!
 #christianblogger #hellosouthblog #shinefromtheinsideout #talktojesus #Godsgotthis #Godisgood #praywithoutceasing #inspirationalwords #prayerchangesthings #prayonit #bestill
• 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒊 •
𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔. 🐚 
It took me a while to find some barstools that I liked. I didn’t want your classic ones. I wanted a coastal feel to them. I also didn’t want to spend an arm & a leg for them! Can you believe how expensive bar stools have gotten?! 🫣
I am a bargain shopper and I finally found these at @target of all places! I have them linked over on my 𝐋𝐓𝐊 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 if you want to check them out. 👇
https://liketk.it/46BcW
~𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕!
 #targetstyle #coastaldecor #coastalliving #coastalkitchens #barstools #homeblog #ltk #LTKFind #LTKhome #targetfind
• 𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 ℛ𝒾𝓈ℯ𝓃! Happy •
𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 ℛ𝒾𝓈ℯ𝓃! 
Happy Easter friends! Jesus' story didn't end on the cross. It only just began. 
Sometimes on our hardest days or toughest times in life we look back and realize it was the beginning of something good. 🤍
~𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕!
 #christianblogger #prayonit #Godisgood #Godsgotthis #inspirationalwords #prayerchangesthings #praywithoutceasing #talktojesus #HeIsRisen #happyeaster2023
• 𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓸 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 💧 •
𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓸 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 💧
If you have read any of my blog posts over on 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠 then you know that drinking your water is important for both healthy skin and hair. 
Our body is made up of about 50-70% water. So, staying hydrated is important! Experts recommend that you drink half your body weight in ounces. 
I was gifted this great water bottle to help me remember to drink my water from @venturepal_usa. It has such cute reminders on it to help keep you motivated throughout the day! They also come in different sizes and colors. 
How much water do you drink every day? I need to drink more so hopefully this will help! 🤍
~𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕!
#venturepal #venturemoment 
 #beautyblog #favoritefinds #hellosouthblog #reminderoftheday #shinefromtheinsideout #helpfultips #drinkyourwater
𝐈'𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲! 
The world around us can get stressful. We have become a society of being "honest" to the extent that it doesn't matter if it's true but it's that person's opinion. Opinions have become facts. I don't know about you, but a lot of this causes me anxiety. 
Do you struggle with anxiety? If not, you are lucky. But if you do all is not lost. The Bible talks about anxiety and worry. God doesn’t want us to be anxious, He wants us to come to Him for help. Remember, you are never alone! 
Head over to 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠 to read our post, I'm Only Talking To Jesus Today! When I am worried and anxious, I often find myself going into this mode. 
We are sharing a few tools to help get you through those times. The link is in our profile! 🔗
~𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕! 
 #christianblogger #hellosouthblog #Floridablogger #shinefromtheinsideout #prayerchangesthings #prayonit #inspirationalwords #Godsgotthis #Godisgood #anxietytips #praywithoutceasing
•
𝐃𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝.  𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝟷𝟸:𝟸𝟷
This has been a rough week for a lot of us on many levels. What makes evil happy? Tearing each other apart, dividing, and breaking down. How do we overcome evil? With good. 
Be good. Be kind. Don't participate in the unkindness and negativity. And above all else, pray. 🤍
~𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕! 
 #hellosouthblog #Floridablogger #shinefromtheinsideout #christianblogger #inspirationalwords #prayonit #Godsgotthis #talktojesus #Godisgood #prayerchangesthings #bibleverse
Load More... Follow on Instagram




Copyright © 2023 Hello South Blog · Theme by 17th Avenue