Welcome to my new series: 'KonMari With Kids'.
If you have just joined me - WELCOME - I recently completed the KonMari method with my OWN belongings, read 'My KonMari Journey' to see how I did. Now, it's time to get stuck into my kid's stuff - I have two children: Miss B, 12 years old and Master M, 3 years old.
Previously on the blog, I shared how I KonMari'd my kids clothes (Baby, Toddler and Tween), their books., Paper - including Art Work and School Memorabilia, TOYS, DVDs, Crafts, Stationery & Bedroom decor, and now it's time for Sentimental.
Marie suggests children as young as three years old can decide what gives them joy and the key principle is that each person should be making the decisions for themselves. Before you tackle your kids items, she does recommend you KonMari your own belongings first.
For Sentimental, I am going to follow the principles she (Marie Kondo) suggested for tidying Komono:
- Gather all items in that category in one place.
- Choose only those that spark joy
- Store by category.
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Today I am sharing: Sentimental Keepsakes
I have shared in my previous KonMari posts that I am a sentimental hoarder. My partner tells me I always make connections to something - which is true. When I see or touch items from my past I am instantly taken back to that moment in time. So when it came to going through my kids sentimental keepsakes, I knew it was going to be a big job, mentally and emotionally. I had to think about the end result - How much stuff am I willing to keep and part with? Is it going to fit in the containers I have?
Recently, I decided that this was it. I was mentally and emotionally prepared to go through the kids sentimental keepsakes. So I pulled the containers into the lounge and started going through it all. Here is my journey...
BEFORE
These containers have been staring at me for weeks and it was finally time to pull them all out and go through it all, once and for all.
Over the years I have been purging items from Miss B's keepsake containers, however I haven't touched Master M's so I'm not entirely sure what I have actually put in there. Eep! (Note: I will be doing Photos in a separate post).
TIP: If you have a lot of sentimental keepsakes: make sub-categories e.g cards, decor, sentimental toys, pregnancy etc. Breaking it into smaller categories will make it less daunting. This way you get to see what you have in that sub-category, making the purging process a bit easier.
DURING
At this point you couldn't see the floor of my lounge. There were piles of stuff everywhere. I was slowly making head way with the kids sentimental keepsakes and some of the items I had stored away for safe keeping, didn't actually spark joy so I added them to my 'donate pile'.
Choosing items that truly spark joy has become easier over time, and I am grateful for the KonMari method - I don't think I would be able to pare down as much as I have, if I hadn't used the method.
Special items of clothing were also added to the kids keepsake boxes - these are the items that remind me of when they were newborn or frequently wore - these are the all time favourite pieces - they bring a lot of joy.
Blankets, sheets, wraps etc - there were a lot! So I kept a couple of our favourites and have donated the rest.
AFTER
A few years ago I set up a 27L keepsake box for each of the kids - it was filled with items from their First Year, including their baby books. However as they have grown older, I wanted to add special mementos to the box, but the boxes became too small. So I upgraded to a 60L container each (I just used what I had) and now EVERYTHING can be found in one place.
Before I put the 'First Year' keepsakes into the 60L container, I took a photo of what I actually decided to keep for each child.
Master M's includes special towel from Great Nana, booties, a few giraffe items (that was his theme), footprint art, teddy, pregnancy journal and cards from his birthdays etc.
Miss B's keepsake box includes: pregnancy journal, capsule of special items from the day she was born, art from a close friend, pillow she made, and a few soft teddies from her childhood. (see below for what's in the box).
In the Paris box, Miss B has her special treasures. These treasures are also special to me too, as they remind me of the first seven years that it was just us. (If you didn't know, I was a single mum before meeting my partner (and Master M's Dad).
GREETING CARDS
My son loves all of his cards, based on the covers, so I can't argue with that joy, so I have decided to keep all the kids cards and I am okay with that, so are they.
At the moment I have all the cards organised by year and wrapped in a rubber band. I have thought about turning the cards into a book, using binder rings, however I'm not 100% sure. When I decide, I will definitely let you know. For now, this system works for me (I have done the same with my own cards).
*** TIP ***
If you ARE purging any cards, cut the fronts off and donate them to your local PlayCentre, Childcare centre or hospital (Kids Ward) as they are can be repurposed for crafts.
DONATE PILE
I was amazed at how quickly my donate bin filled up. Some of the items I am going to try and sell, and the rest will be donated.
*******
It's a great feeling going from three 'overflowing' containers each child to ONE. I am very proud of my efforts, and there is still room in the containers to add more special keepsakes over the years, as my children grow. When I look at the contents in boxes, I see a snapshot of my children's lives (12 years and 3 years) and that SPARKS so much JOY for me. Now I can put them back in the wardrobe and not have to worry about containers falling on me when I open the door.
Each of my children have:
1 x A3 & 1 x A4 Art Folder
1 x 40L School Memorabilia
1 x 60L Sentimental Keepsakes
Each of my children have:
1 x A3 & 1 x A4 Art Folder
1 x 40L School Memorabilia
1 x 60L Sentimental Keepsakes
and that is what they will be given when they leave home (but that's not for ages!!).
Next step: to find containers matching their School Memorabilia colours (purple and green), I did find the perfect container online, however when I contacted the company, they no longer sell them and shouldn't be on the website. I was bummed. Fingers crossed I find something suitable, in the meantime, the containers I have will have to do.
I hope you found this post helpful. If you did, please feel free to PIN and/or SHARE with your friends and family.
Thanks for reading,
Thanks for reading,
Charlene
Coming Up Next: KonMari With Kids: Sentimental - Photos
Saving the best (and hardest) till last - {PHOTOS}. Join me as I tackle the (lack of) printed photos I have of my children, and make a new plan moving forward.
Saving the best (and hardest) till last - {PHOTOS}. Join me as I tackle the (lack of) printed photos I have of my children, and make a new plan moving forward.
I am super excited about this new series 'KonMari With Kids' and would love for you to follow along in this process, better yet, join me - Subscribe to my Blog, so you don't miss a post and together we CAN 'KonMari With Kids'. I will also be sharing my journey on my Facebook page, and Instagram, so be sure to follow me there too.
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