Corralling Your Memories

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The thing that makes stuff more than… stuff is the sentimental value that’s attached to it. Material possessions are a reminder of a different time that has come to pass; it’s physical evidence of your beautiful memories. But, you can still have those memories without the burden of all those things.

Collect all the things that are memorable: cards, pictures, movie tickets, concert tickets, jewelry... anything else. Pick a box or bin with a lid to store everything in to give yourself a physical limit. Whatever you can fit inside that box is what you’ll keep. Otherwise, you can toss or donate anything else. If there is still something you want to remember, take a picture of it so you can still have that memory without the clutter.

Finding Places for Donation

So you’ve finally gathered together things you don’t want anymore. They’re too good to throw away and now you have to figure out where to donate them. There are more places than you might think that would love to have your hand-me-downs.
        Donation centers: Whether it’s resale shops or non-profit organizations, there are places around looking for your donations. Try donationtown.org. All you have to do is put in your zip code, and they’ll list places around you that will take your donations.

        Ask neighbors: They may know of places around you or people that are in need and could really use some of the things you no longer want. Neighbors are always a good source of information (along with that cup of sugar).

        Schools: Craft supplies are cherished in schools so if you have a smorgasbord of different things, they would love to have them. With less and less funding available at many schools, Anything extra you may have, even if it’s not in the greatest condition, is greatly appreciated.

        Library: This is where you can bring books and magazines. Don’t waste your own shelf space if you aren’t going to read those books anymore. Let someone else enjoy them.

Testing Your Memory

No matter how organized you may be, if you forget where something is, it negates your whole system. Be active and attentive to what you are doing and where you are putting something. If you’ve just created a new system, it will take some time to get used to new habits. But, if you keep at it, eventually you won’t need to think about it at all.
Adding labels on containers or folders will prevent lost time by going through everything. There are also ways to keep track of your home inventories. There is a free app called SCANPET for home inventories that can even scan barcodes. Of course, other systems exist, too. You can keep track of what you own and prevent overspending.

A key to staying organized and ahead of the game is to let other people know what your system is. They should know where documents are in case of emergencies.  

Trading Summer for Fall

It’s getting to be that time of year when your wardrobe should start reflecting the change in weather. Switch out your shorts for your sweaters. This is normally only done if you don’t have enough room and space to store your seasonal clothes with your year round clothes. There are different ways to pack away your clothes:

  • Extra drawers If you have space in drawers that don’t have to be used for storing other things, pack away your seasonal clothes in them. They will still be easily accessible, and won’t be a hassle to trade out.


  • Back section of closet space Hanging up your clothes and moving them to the back of your closet is another option. When there comes another seasonal change, all your have to do is slide them to the front again.
  • Garbage bags Perhaps you don’t have enough storage room in your closet or drawers. Neatly fold your summer clothes and put them in a garbage bag. Then you can stash it in the back of the closet or even in the attic to get them out of the way. Once you bring them back out though, be prepared to do some steaming to get rid of any wrinkles.

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