STORM2K

Old birthday cards? Mother's Day cards. Father's Day cards? Just plain you-are-my-friend cards.

Do you save 'em or do you toss 'em?

Or some of both?

I save them but it's been brought to my attention that I really should toss some of them. When you have several Rubbermaid totes for greeting cards, maybe it's time to clean house. I just have a hard time actually placing them in the garbage.

I have saved them on occasion. But sadly they do all end up being tossed at 1 time or another

I do both I guess. Just feel bad throwing some out. lol

I save a lot...I have a collection of about 50 from my hospital stay in 2000...

Same here, Chad! It greatly depends on who sent it, what it was for, and how old it is.

I keep them. Especially the cards to my kids and myself from my Mother. I just can't part with them.

I do generally toss them.

I have every card my wife has ever gave to me. I even have e-mails from before we joined forces.

I feel bad throwing them away so I keep them for awhile then eventually toss them.

bfez1 wrote:I feel bad throwing them away so I keep them for awhile then eventually toss them.

I have finally learned it is more blessed to toss than to save. the thought is still there in my heart and that is what counts.

I agree, David -- although I haven't done it yet. I've been watching "Clean House" & "Clean Sweep" on TLC and Style Network. They're both very similar reality-shows where experts help people clean up their cluttered lives.

Although I keep things fairly tidy, I have so many boxes of stored pictures, cards, and so forth. The pros on those shows have taught me how I can keep just one or two especially expressive photos from a particular event and then toss the rest. After all, I have memories of more than just what happened in those photos, so there's really no need to keep them all. Just one or two as an introduction to someone looking at a photo album, and then I can tell them the rest.

Exactly Duck!!! We too have been watching and taking inspiration from those shows along with a HUGE shove from a broken waterbed!! We are scrapbooking certain events and tossing all the extraneous pictures that aren't really needed. What we have scrapbooked tells the story quite well and will, of course, be passed to the next generation, who is in fact helping us with the project. Those shows have definitely helped us make/begin the transition from clutter to organization or at least some semblance thereof. With all the damages from the water we are also taking inspiration from some of the other reality shows like "While you were out", "Trading Spaces", etc. to do some fix ups while we are in the repair mode.

I really wish they'd talk more about paper organization. The closest they've come is when Peter mentioned something called "File Solutions" on the "Paper-palooza" episode. I'm probably going to invest in that, but I hope the kit gives more tips and how-to inside, instead of just being a bunch of colored labels.

The biggest challenge is going to be my friend's place. I told her and her fiance that my wedding present to them was going to be to organize their guest closet because I'm tired of pulling half the stuff out just to get to one or two things. And at Christmas, it was a real mess! They have it crammed full of Mardi Gras, Halloween, Christmas, and future wedding stuff! It's nuts!

That's what got me into watching those shows -- I wanted to get ideas.

My wife saves everything, but if it's been laying around on the desk or dining room table a little too long, I'll toss it! I can usually spot those "crucial" cards that must be saved, but the ordinary ones are never missed after a couple of weeks.

I have all my cards.. even from my birth (thanks to my mom) Ive kept my kids as well. Each of us has them in a special folder. I use them for scrap-booking, that way they are put to good use.

I'm "ruthless with discards"...but I DO keep addresses, and I have a LONG memory...not to mention giving thanks daily to God for my "family", whether "real" or "extended".

I recycle them unless my children want them. For special occasions, they may keep them a year or so.

You see I have a mother that ~should~ have invested stock in Hallmark. She sends a card for every occasion practically. Monthly we have cards coming in. She's on a limited budget and we all just wish she'd save her money but it is nice she thinks of us this way. She'll send a card for an occasion we had no idea there were cards for! Reminds me of the time Laura was looking thru a free pocket calendar Hallmark was handing out. She came across Children's Day! She wanted to know what we had planned on 'that day'!!! My husband's reply? "Everyday is Children's Day!". At least it feels that way around here, yes our calendar and activities are usually about them. LOL Thanks Hallmark....thru the years Laura has reminded us there really is a Children's Day. Yeah, 363 days a year! Deducting Mothers/Fathers Day of course.

Mary

I have pretty much saved most of the cards I have gotten over the years. Some get lost in moving but I have most of them