Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Tuesday Coffee Chat: Let It Go

I'm joining Leslie from Time Out for Mom for this week's Tuesday Coffee Chat. (I don't drink coffee, so hot chocolate will have to do...) Why not head over and read how others answer this week's prompt? or link up your own? (And if you want to get a jump start on next week's link up, the prompt is: Do you think you are brave?)

Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

Clutter. You know that stuff that keeps accumulating despite our best efforts to minimize? the stuff we can't get rid of because we might just need it someday? Well, we've got a lot of that stuff.

Over the last year I have made huge strives on eliminating our unused or unneeded or broken stuff. Piles and piles of stuff taken to the Transfer Station. Bags and bags of clothing donated to the Salvation Army. Other stuff repurposed for another job instead of buying new. But some clutter isn't going anywhere...

I have a hard tie letting go of stuff with fond memories.

How about you?

I have a cardboard box of baby stuff: going home outfits and booties, blankets my "baby" sisters crocheted for the older two (but were teenagers when Sam came along and not interested in crafts anymore), locks of hair, first lost teeth (and notes to the Tooth Fairy to explain teeth lost while swimming or SWALLOWED), those favorite, drooled on board books. I'm keeping this stuff!

My Babies...Who Are Not Babies Anymore

I have 11 years of homeschool portfolios. Portfolios are required by Maine laws, but they're also a scrapbook of our year, showing learning growth, family outings and those sweet first drawings and writings. How could I let those go?

Completed Portfolios

I probably shouldn't even mention all the photos, huh? Or the doubles of the photos because you never know, right?

So, I'll let go of the blankets collecting dust...the extra towels and sheets...the clothing never worn...the plastic storage containers with no matching lids...the board games and puzzles with missing pieces...smelly sneakers. But I'm keeping our stuff with memories.


9 comments:

  1. Don't blame you for not getting rid of the sentimental stuff. I wouldn't, either! Just stopping by via Coffee Chat.

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  2. I have been working on that clutter for 2 years now! You are preaching to the choir my friend! :)
    I let the clothes go; except one outfit, and one blanket all 3 of my children used.
    Then I gave each child a "memory box" --- in this they keep any school projects or art that they want to keep. and they have to go through each year and make the hard decisions as to what stays. I also have a memory box for anything I want to keep: like those pasta and (mostly) glue and good lord all the glitter home made Mother's day cards. That keeps the sentimental preserved AND contained.
    As for photos... um... well, I can't do it all well. ha

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    1. I love the idea of Memory Boxes! Perhaps I'll make up a box for each of the kids to pass on when they leave home for adulthood...

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  3. I have a clutter but I believe it is what really makes the home - the sentimental clutter especially.

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    1. Oh, I still have clutter, but I could use a little less of it! LOL

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    2. I'm not able to find your blog to visit....:(

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  4. It is very hard to let go of the memories. I passed down my son's baby outfit to his son and he wore it. Hopefully one day his son will also wear it home from the hospital.

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    1. I have a dress that I wore in photos around a year old...that my Mom gave to me...and my daughter wore...I will pass it down to her when she has her kids. A wonderful thing!

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