For some parents, decluttering the closet is simple, but tackling sentimental items – memorabilia such as old letters, drawings, or photos – is all but impossible. Marie recommends waiting to deal with these items until the very end of the tidying process, "when your sensitivity to joy has become sufficiently heightened."
When setting aside time to deal with these items, I have found it best to push away any tinges of guilt and not constantly worry if my child would have wanted me to keep this finger-painted poster or some plastic cup craft project from school. Instead, as Marie advises, I ask myself, "does it make sense for me to keep it, treasure it, or say thanks and get rid of it?" Often, easily storable items are saved in a bin, extra-special pieces are set aside to be displayed in a frame or on a shelf, and bulky impersonal items are purged.