Latest news with #sentimentalitems
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
8 Things To Toss Before You Turn 50
Most of us have houses overflowing with sentimental items: tchotchkes from a trip to the Grand Canyon, Mom's favorite mixing bowls, a box of the kids' school papers, greeting cards from childhood. And then there's what we're afraid to let go of, like the bills we kept for tax reasons and the clothes we dreamed of wearing again. If you have a 50th birthday coming up, this is a great time to take stock of all that you've accumulated and clean house. The symbolism seems appropriate when you have a fresh, new chapter coming in life. Plus, you'll be really glad to see the clutter gone once you decide to retire to Florida or move somewhere closer to the kids. Toss these eight things before you turn 50 and embrace a new decade. We're not against keeping a few sentimental items, but you don't need to keep every toy you treasured in childhood. Even collectible toys don't have much value unless you display them or intend to sell them. Save a small box of toys for future grandkids, arrange those you're really fond of on a shelf, and donate or sell the rest. Do you still have all of the textbooks from your college days? We promise they're very out of date. There's no reason to hold onto school books and college papers, even if you wrote some really good ones. The same goes for all the paperbacks you bought at the airport during vacations. Go ahead and clear out any books you don't plan on reading again and donate the rest to the library. That dress was so cute 20 years ago, but it's not going to work for you today. Your fashion sense has probably changed since then. Unless you have a really amazing vintage piece, this is the time to clean out your closet and make space for the new you. If you've lost parents, you know it's hard to let go of their stuff. But squeezing two households into one isn't serving anyone. Keep what's truly useful and meaningful and toss the rest. This might mean saving important family history, one piece of furniture, and a couple of really special cards and letters. The same goes for grandma's crystal and quilts. You may feel a twinge of guilt if Mom expected you to keep Grandma's silver forever, but there's no guarantee the next generation will agree to inherit it. Decide which family heirlooms really matter to you and give yourself permission to give away the rest. But first, contact cousins, aunts, or uncles to see if they'd like to take possession of anything. It can be hard to let go of your kids' stuff when you have an empty nest, but memories and photos are much more valuable than books, toys, and stuffed animals. Have an honest conversation about how important these things are, and have your kids pick up anything they want to keep. If you still have kids at home and think they might want that Lego collection someday, you can give it a few years if you want. Set a deadline for when they need to take ownership of their toys. Someone may have advised you to keep years' worth of old bills and tax records, but the digital age has set in. You can scan your old tax returns and then shred them—just make sure to have backups. Scan relevant bills, records, and receipts as well. You shouldn't get rid of all paper, though. Keep the original copies of important documents like birth certificates, deeds, car titles, and your will. We're all for embracing new hobbies throughout life. But if you've been holding onto a broken toaster you planned to fix five years ago, it's time to toss that. Be honest in your appraisal of projects you have on your to-do list, even if it's a fun craft project. Then set a goal for when you'll tackle the projects that remain. Read the original article on Southern Living
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Woman Left Her Husband and Says His Mother Now Wants to Clear Out the Home They Shared 'ASAP' — She's Not Happy About It
A woman said that her soon-to-be ex-mother-in-law wants to clear out the home she shared with her estranged husband She is worried that her mother-in-law will throw out 'sentimental' items in a rush Seeking advice, she turned to a popular community forumA woman says that her soon-to-be ex-mother-in-law wants to get involved in clearing out the home she previously shared with her estranged husband, and she's unsure if she should allow it. The woman detailed her experience in the 'Am I Being Unreasonable?' forum on the U.K.-based community site a place where women seek advice from other women. In her post, the woman said that she recently decided to leave her husband, and that she'll soon be moving to a 'new place nearby.' 'Our marital home is a mess,' she explained, adding that she has been the caretaker to a 'severely disabled child' and so could never quite get 'on top of everything.' The woman added that in her initial conversations with her soon-to-be ex-husband, it was agreed that they would split the cost of renting a dumpster to go through all the clutter together after she moved out. 'I promised that I wouldn't leave the house in a mess, and also offered to store stuff in my place,' she added. However, the woman said that her husband's mother 'is desperate to pay for the dumpster and go through everything with my ex ASAP.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'I haven't moved out yet, and a lot of the stuff is our children's [stuff], my stuff, and stuff that I would really like to go through with my ex,' she continued, saying, 'I'm worried about my stuff being tossed, sentimental items thrown [out], and just general unease about [my mother-in-law] going through everything.' 'So, should I just resign myself to soon-to-be ex-mother-in-law and ex going through everything the moment I move out and be grateful that I don't have to deal with it, or should I fight my corner for [my] ex to give me more time and [have] us do it together?' the woman asked. The vast majority of the woman's fellow community members said they thought she should simply take the most essential items she needs and forget the rest. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! 'I'd just resign myself to [my mother-in-law] and ex doing it to be honest. I'd get the stuff I really wanted out first though,' one person replied. Someone else added, 'I think you have to be realistic. Your circumstances are difficult and complex, so just think about your new home and not setting yourself up [with] clutter there from the start.' Someone else said that they understand where the woman's ex and his mother were coming from in the situation, and that the woman should perhaps have more understanding for their perspective. 'If you won't do it immediately, you're being unreasonable to ask him to wait. Sorting through stuff is hard. But so is looking at it every day, which you don't have to do because you were the one that moved out,' one person said. Read the original article on People
