Why, exactly, am I keeping this??

Do you have a box, bin, or closet full of memorabilia that you just don’t know what to do with?  Congratulations.  You are like most people with “stuff” they just don’t know what to do with.  So what is memorabilia exactly?  Webster’s Dictionary defines memorabilia as “things that are remarkable and worthy of remembrance”.  Pull out that box and open that closet – is everything in there “remarkable and worthy of remembrance?” Ask the question today “why, exactly, am I keeping this?”  Does the item still pass the litmus test?  Good, keep it.  If not, let it go.  It helps to define a certain amount of space, i.e. a bin, box, or even a closet, for that memorabilia.  If the space is full, you need to review the items and purge what no longer passes muster.  So if you’ve decided that this item is important enough to keep and use valuable storage space to keep it, why is it hiding?

The right way to display memorabilia

Memorabilia can take many forms – photos, documents, books, clothes, personal items – the list is endless.  Photos and documents are actually the easiest to store – see my blog post on that important topic.  Once you are ready to display and share your photos, check out some of the many options available.  But other memorabilia is definitely harder to manage because of its size and shape.  For clothes, think about repurposing that wedding dress into a christening dress or pillows.  The reality is that your daughter is unlikely to wear your wedding dress but if you feel that you just can’t get rid of it, at the very least have it professionally cleaned and preserved and then find an out-of-the-way place to store it.  Did you save dozens of your child’s Little League T-shirts?  Guilty on that one!  A t-shirt blanket is a wonderful reuse of those items and is a perfect complement to any dorm room.

Memorabilia is an item “worthy of remembrance”.  Does it still have the same significance today?  If so, determine the best way to display it.