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I don't call myself sentimental at all. I'm not into taking pictures, writing a journal or making a scrapbook or any other activity to "preserve" the memory. I also don't believe in keeping anything stored in boxes, filing cabinets or rubbermaid storage tubs except for seasonal items and *important* papers. I just don't see a point of keeping things that is just going to be stored away in some type of container that I don't plan on using or look at in the near future. I don't like clutter either.
I've thrown away or donated a lot of stuff that people consider "sentimental" like my high school diploma, pictures, my baby book, stuff that I recieved on "special events" like my 1st Communion and most of my childhood stuff like toys, books & stuffed animals. The 2 things that I've kept from my younger days of being a child and a teenager is a stuffed animal cat and a doll cradle.
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I have downsized a lot of stuff I felt I should save, I still have about 3 bins full in the attic so I guess I am a somewhat sentimental person
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No...I'm not sentimental at all. Dh and I agreed a long time ago to stop exchanging cards, neither of us cared! We don't take a lot of pictures, I don't scrapbook either, I wish I had the time or inclination. A friend of mine has BEAUTIFUL scrapbooks for her children. They are really works of art, if I could scrapbok like THAT, I would! L.OL!
My MIL got a little annoyed at me once when she wanted me to keep one of the paper napkins we used at my son's first communion party...why? It's just not me.
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Sort of, but not junk. And I tend to use it. For example, on our honeymoon I collected napkins, stationery, coasters (paper ones ) and the like. For our anniversaries I will take some of these items and use them, like to set the kitchen table. Then I'll throw them away.
I bought ds some gorgeous silver items when he was a baby. I am a sterling silver freak. I bought him a porringer (bowl), baby spoons, junior flatware (he still uses this), silver rattle, etc. He used it ALL every day. It has nicks but who cares? It was lovingly used and some of it still is. I plan on giving it to him some day IF he wants it for his children as it was very expensive and most of it was sterling silver, not silver plate. If he doesn't want it, I don't care. That's his decision. I'm not one to thrust my stuff on anyone! Or his future wife!
Baby clothes I didn't keep so much and when we decorate our master bedroom I am going to do collages with picture boxes of the baby clothing I have saved for him, but really it's not a whole lot - maybe the first pair of shoes, (actually fisherman sandals ~ OH so darling!), first sleeper (he was a preemie and oh was it tiny), first sweater and pair of jeans (tommy hilfiger I got at thrift store! They were 6 mos, soooo tiny) and maybe a t-shirt. Definitely the blanket from the hospital and his little hat from the hospital. Maybe I am more sentimental than I thought?
My MIL gave to me for my shower an outfit that she had saved from dh. She made it in the 70's and it was a blue polyester doubleknit outfit. I was horrified that she actually expected me to put on ds! I don't wear polyester! I'm a cotton gal and don't think I own a speck of poly. But of course I was gratious. I acted nice (genuinely, because it was nice of her to give it to me) and I 'did' have ds dressed up in it *once* to take a picture of him in it. He HATED it!!! Hahahaha! He screamed until I took it off him. The acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree, maybe.
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I have a dress I wore as a baby. Sadly, I have no girls to pass it on to, so I must wait for a granddaughter. I have a small new testament bible given to my mom when I was born. I kept the handkerchief I held at my grandmother's funeral. I also have lots of pictures and all of my high school yearbooks. Other than that, I try not to hang on to much due to lack of space.
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I think it is easier to be less sentimental with our own things. With kids, I think it would be harsh and mean to throw all their things away! I mean, their baby curl from their first haircut? Their first cap from the hospital? That, to me is not being sentimental. It's history. It's their history and it's my job as their mommy to preserve it and share it with them as they grow.
ChrisCountryGirl ~ My question for you would be, do you have kids? If you do, I just wonder how you get away with throwing their things away? My kids have been so sad when they have found some of their things in the trash... (artwork, school papers...)
Even if I don't plan to keep their things forever, I keep them for awhile. If they mysteriously disappear over the years, that's fine too. But some things I will keep because they, to me, are priceless treasures. So, yes, I guess I am sentimental.
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I am not sentimental at all, but I would never get rid of my high school diploma!!!
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Oh I am sooooo sentimental and I save EVERYTHING! but the really bad part is that so does my husband! we have everything that you could think of for our kids but we only keep things that actually mean things to us so we are not pack rats but I will tell you if we dont cut back we are gonna need a bigger house soon!
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Originally Posted by Happymom
I would never get rid of my high school diploma!!!
I agree! When my dh got his last job, he had to bring both his high school and college diploma to personnel so they could make copies of it and verify the information.
I'm middle-of-the-road when it comes to sentimentality. I don't scrapbook or save every teeny tiny thing, but I have saved my baby pics, toys from my childhood (I've passed some of them along to my dd -- it's saved me some money in the toy department) and some other things. It's nice to look back once in a while and see who you once were. I've also saved quite a few things from my dd's young years, including her beloved Thomas trains and Fisher-Price Little People doll house.