Decluttering - HELP! for challenged...

amother

Aubergine

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 6:15 pm

Here's a thread where you can come sit down and take a break from cleaning, and get some advice on what to do with the things you found when you were cleaning closets etc.

I'll start. I have an afghan knitted by my grandmother o"h. It even has my name stitched on it! She even embroidered some flowers! So I can't possibly discard it.

It doesn't match the colors in my room or I would just drape it on the chair in my room. Also I think it's wool & itchy, so it's not like I would use it as a throw on my couch (also doesn't match).

Yet, it's so sentimental. I feel like I should decorate room around it. But, it's charcoal gray, light gray & hot pink. Should I decorate a guest room to match it? But it has my name! (Well, actually, it's my English name which I haven't used in a few decades except at the bank.) But the point is all the love that went into it. I was the first grandchild.

Should I take a picture of it and frame it? And then I can throw it out?
Please help because there's a big pile of stuff from this closet that I just can't decide about. It was probably all stuffed in there a few Pesachs ago!

amother

Natural

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 6:21 pm

Sounds like this piece is very special. Can u first get rid of ALL your other clutter, then come back to this? It could be once everything else is cleared and organized, u won’t mind this one extra thing. And if you do mind it, then you can choose to take a few nice pictures & then give it away. But first deal with all the non sentimental stuff...

Last edited by amother on Wed, Mar 13 2019, 1:34 pm; edited 1 time in total

mishpacha1

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 6:33 pm

I agree... if you have one extra afgan, it shouldnt be a big deal... try to find other unsentimental things to throw away.
I do think that framing it might be a good idea, as it doesnt sound like you otherwise would get use out of it and it does seem special to you.
I dont even know where to start... it seems like everywhere I turn around there is just so much stuff.
I guess another thing is that while it is important to declutter, that has nothing to do with chametz. So while its nice to clean together, at the end of the day, if decluttering is taking too much time, just focus on the chametz aspect first- thats the real cleaning that must be done before pesach.

amother

Brunette

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 6:39 pm

My new thing...

If it doesn’t really make me happy to have it then.... bye bye

(I used to say if I didn’t use it that year I should get rid of it.., but then I found myself thinking that Maaaybe I’ll use it next year...
so if it’s not making feel happy to have it around on a regular basis.. it’s gotta go!)

SuperWify

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 6:47 pm

amother wrote:

I’d frame the actual throw or at least the part where you name is embroidered on just like people frame sport jerseys from their favorite players.
A store like michaels can do that for you. Good luck!

FranticFrummie

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 6:50 pm

BKIND wrote:

I totally agree with this. I just learned Marie Kondo's "KonMari" method, and it is the only way that I have been able to get myself organized. I am very sentimental, and a pack rat as well. https://konmari.com/pages/about

By sorting the things I'm attached to last, I've been able to free up a lot of space by getting rid of things I don't like anymore. Once the rest of the room is done (or closets, or whatever) then I can start thinking about what I want to hang on to.

I just had a thought. Can you cut the afghan down to the size of a picture frame that would fit the name and embroidery? That way you could display the best part on the wall, and not have an itchy blanket hanging around.

amother

Aubergine

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 7:21 pm

I saw a video of Konmari. What I could use is that my scarves are folded and arranged vertically.

I'm not ready for major throwing out.

I doubt anyone else wants it, it is my name, after all.

Frame just my name? I like that. I can incorporate the colors of my room in the frame, maybe.

trixx

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 8:04 pm

amother wrote:

You need to read her book. It's not about folding scarves. She teaches you how to rethink your possessions. After learning her method you will be able to pinpoint if you actually like the item, and if so how to use or incorporate it in a way that will most bring joy, or if you are holding on because you think you should like it and it so, how to guiltlessly get rid of it. Sentimental items work best with her method.

imasinger

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 9:50 pm

Anyone read the Zits comics this week about getting the teenage boy to clean his room a la Marie Kondo? Funny stuff.

Yes, OP, read that book, or one of the many others on organizing your home.

They all start with, "if you haven't used it and don't plan on using it, then it's using you, re-home it "

1untamedgirl

Sun, Mar 10 2019, 10:11 pm

amother wrote:

You can repurpose the afghan into something else, I.e. pillows, purses, scarfs, etc. or these--

amother

Linen

Sun, Mar 17 2019, 1:19 am

I've got a lot of stuff in my house that are not being used but too sentimental to throw away.
Many handknitted stuff from family which I can't throw.
Ex Sukkah decoration but doesn't match ours.
Or Blankets that are not being used. Many hours of labor went into it.
Pillow hookrug that my dh started as child but doesn't match into bedroom. ( It was supposed to match his bedroom of youth)
Bunting my 20 yr old used as baby.
Vests & rompers that are outgrown.
All these were handiwork from family.

Just found tallis bag that I gifted my dh over 20 yrs ago that's torn & dirty. He is not using it but was holding onto it for sentimental value. I gave him permission to dump it.

dankbar

Sun, Mar 17 2019, 1:25 am

I still have all my letters I received as young girl or teen.
I still own all my report cards, honor certificates, yearbook, autographs from camp.
What do you do with all those?

Imagine for 10 yrs I was holding on to a napkin collection that my then young son got hold of from one of my girlie neighbors, once the fad was over.
Now after I dumped it, the fad came back.

trixx

Sun, Mar 17 2019, 1:28 am

dankbar wrote:

Go through it. Trash whatever doesn't actually mean anything to you. Take a photo of what does and then trash it.

dankbar

Sun, Mar 17 2019, 1:30 am

This year I came up with a new idea. Since I'm up & down with my weight, don't want to give away stuff that are small on me. What ends up happening is I have a stuffed up closet with nothing to wear. Whatever is too small on me, I put into a garment bag, comes next yr pesach, whatever wasn't removed from garment bag to be used, during year, will iyh go out of here next year bil neder.

amother

Linen

Sun, Mar 17 2019, 1:51 am

As a kindergarten teacher I used to take to my classroom all my old hi heeled shoes, scarves, pocket books, challah covers, telephones,tea kettles. The kids loved them.
We also received stuffed animals, white shirts, fabrics, trimmings, yarn, kaareh, bulletin boards, daddy hats, & made use of them.
If you have any kiddie books, tapes, games, puzzles, toys, trucks, trikes, dolls that you don't need anymore, find out if your local preschool/daycare/playgroup/babysitter is interested in them.