Before the week of uncluttering...

So, I've begun the journey of "Uncluttering" my life in 2010.  To kick it off, I even purchased the book Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Rooney Doland.  I appreciated the emotional and psychological approach to asking "Why am I holding on to this item?  What am I saving it for?"

I've created a list of things that come to mind when I close my eyes and focus on the good things in life and all the things that make me happy as recommended in the book. They all neatly fall into 4 categories of Family, Holistic/Health, Hobbies & Friends. This list serves as my motivation for the process and I can refer to it when I feel like giving up.

Do you suffer from "Sentimental Crap Syndrome?" If my very use of this term stings or makes you cringe a bit, then you probably do.

Before the week of uncluttering, I am charged with the task of removing sentimental clutter from my life. I've gone through these items before, so I don't have much and my kids aren't that old. BUT, I know now there are things I can do differently instead of continuing to haul them around. (i.e. 8 rolls of developed photos from a summer in Germany)

Here are some very abbreviated tips, but I thought worth sharing!

• Take digital pictures of objects and save with a note in the description of the file. (Take a cool picture of it to display in your home!)
• Scan papers & pictures and turn into digital files
• Inherit a set of fine china you will never use? Keep a place setting for display and share the rest. This applies to "sets" of anything.
• Repurpose old clothing or fabrics into a blanket or functional item
• Buddy up - research shows the more you touch & look at an item, the more it conjures up attachment. Have a friend hold up items for you if this is something that is hard for you.
• Pass it on, re-gift or donate to charity of you are not using it - this includes gifts from friends/family that just don't fit with your home, color scheme or tastes. If someone is bold (and rude) enough to ask you about a gift they've given you, just tell them you don't have it on display right now. They'll get it. (or not)
• Once you throw something out, get rid of it as soon as possible, don't keep walking by it.
• As a general rule, if you are keeping sentimental items, they should be on display or used on a regular basis in your home.

What items are you hanging onto that you cannot seem to rid of?  Do you know why?  I'd love to hear from you.