Keepsake Pieces

 A common question mothers of young children ask themselves is "what outfits should I keep and which should I donate or sell?" 

Obviously that's only a question you can decide for yourself. I have a lot of my boys clothes saved even though I've tried hard to narrow it down. I plan on getting it narrowed down enough to where each of my boys has one box. Ideally I'd love to get it narrowed down enough to keep in a Petit Keep trunk but that may be difficult. 

For me, keeping their coming home outfits are a no brainer. Each boy had their own special outfit that they wore home from the hospital. I also have a Kickee Pant or two from each boy that has some sort of special meaning. 

Wells coming home outfit

Campbell in one of my favorite Kickee's. 

First holiday outfits tend to be keepers for me too. First Christmas, first Easter, first birthday, etc. 

Bennett's First Birthday

Wells' First Easter

Campbell's First Christmas

I also have a few outfits I'll keep that we took photos in and I'm particularly fond of that photo. Or just an outfit that I really, really loved. Like this one of Bennett. 

Wells wore this outfit too but since I purchased it for Bennett, I'm going to let this be his. This actually may be my favorite outfit of all time that I've ever had. I don't know, I have a lot that I love but this piece is so, so sweet to me and if I could only keep one thing for Bennett, this would be it. 

I really love this photo of Campbell and I remember this Saturday with him so, so well. He had just started walking with a walker on this day and the weather was finally warming up. This photo just brings back good memories so I want to keep this outfit because of that.

One random item I'm keeping is this sleep sack that all of my babies used. I loved putting my babies in sleep sacks and this was one of my very favorites. It's another item that brings back good memories because this is what we started using once we dropped the swaddle and it will always remind me of my tiny little babies sleeping soundly with their sleep sack over them.

I also want to keep pieces that I feel like will age well and my grandbabies could potentially wear them one day. Those tend to be my more simple, classic and timeless outfits. However, I got this sweater for Wells last year and adore it. It's a hand made sweater and I actually do think this is a piece that will age well. How fun for my grandbabies to be able to wear this one day?! 

I have a lot of pieces I love but this is the process I work through in my head when trying to decide what to keep, sell or donate. Not everything I'm keeping is some of my "nicer" outfits. When Campbell was first born he was SO TINY and we had nothing that fit him. Nothing. And we struggled to find preemie clothes for him. He literally had 5 or 6 outfits that he wore on repeat for a month. My MIL went to Walmart and found 2 pair of preemie pajamas and he wore them constantly for the first 3 weeks. Those pajamas are so special to me because they are sooooo tiny and Campbell wore them so much when he first arrived and they fit him so great!

When it comes down to it, I'm not a hoarder so I'm sure I'll be able to narrow down my favorite outfits from my boys eventually!! I have a lot that I love and it can be hard to get rid of things but unfortunately it's just not practical to keep it all. Whenever I'm getting ready to sell or donate something, if I second guess an item I put it back in the tub to keep. I can always go back through later on and decide if I still want to keep it or get rid of it. 

Hopefully that's helpful when deciding what to keep. My mom kept several of my sweet little dresses and just yesterday I put Wells in a Jon Jon that belonged to my brother when he was Wells age. Clothes can bring back the sweetest memories and I'm looking forward to keeping some of my boys precious little items forever.