I'm generally good at saying "good-bye" to "stuff and clutter." When I am through with something I am definitely ready to "move on." The single exception has been with my children's precious artwork. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it is not that I am attached to the item ~ we really don't have a Van Gogh in the house. I am actually very sentimental and attached to the memory associated with the item.
I remember the day Emma made the sign welcoming me home from the hospital with baby Molly with such joy! The neon pink poster board with the handwriting of a 1st grader's inscription of love was impossible to toss. The snake made of modeling clay that Charlie used to walk around the house on a string and called "Snakey" makes me giggle inside that putting it in the garbage was out of the question! All of this until a recent intervention with my good friend, Laurie Martin.
Laurie is Charlotte's premier home organizer and she runs the business "Simplicity." I mentioned my dilemma to Laurie (see the photo of my attempt to purge the mess above) and told her the "stuff" was weighing on me and I was having a terrible time sorting trash from treasure. The "memories" were just getting in the way.
Laurie gave me the following tips that helped me tremendously:
1. Keep only what you LOVE! Holiday items tend to be favorites and are fun to display over the years.
2. If you REALLY love it ~ consider framing it.
3. If it looks like the teacher painted it / assembled it ~ definitely toss it.
4. If you have a memory associated with it ~ take a photograph of the item and put it in an album dedicated to "Emma's Artwork."
5. Try to not let artwork pile up. Putting it in a cabinet or drawer to "deal with later" just creates a bigger project for another day. For example, Charlie just came home with a precious easter bunny basket made out of a milk jug - I displayed it through Easter and then took his picture holding it. I felt good about subsequently tossing the piece of art into the trash.
My solution? My piles of artwork (above) are now neatly preserved as photographs in "memory notebooks" for each child. I have saved 10 pieces of "holiday artwork" that I have laminated and stored in a slim art portfolio.
The end result? My children LOVE flipping through their "art albums" and remembering when they made a specific piece and brought it home to show mom & dad. Turns out the memories (and not the construction paper, glue & sequins) were what mattered most to them as well.
Today is trash day ~ the artwork has made its way into the bin. The tug at my heartstrings no longer exists because I have preserved the memory ~ which ultimately is what matters most.
Warmly,
Lori Martin
