Additional Coverage:
- I’m helping my mom move to a small place. It has made me realize that at 46, I already have too much stuff. (businessinsider.com)
Decluttering for Dummies (and Everyone Else): How One Mom Tackles the “Stuff Avalanche”
Are you drowning in decades of forgotten treasures? Do your kids look at your overflowing attic with a mix of dread and resignation?
You’re not alone! The “boomer avalanche” of possessions is a real thing, and even those of us who aren’t quite boomers are feeling the weight of our accumulated stuff.
One local mom, at the ripe old age of 46, has decided to face the clutter monster head-on, all to spare her kids the daunting task of sifting through her life’s collections. Her journey to a lighter, less cluttered home offers some valuable insights (and maybe a few laughs) for anyone feeling overwhelmed by their belongings.
Mom’s Big Move: A Reality Check
It all started when our intrepid declutterer helped her own mother downsize. Moving from a sprawling 2,000-square-foot townhome to a much cozier rental, it became abundantly clear that all of Mom’s treasures simply wouldn’t fit. Two months of purging, donating, and selling ensued, but even after all that effort, a stack of boxes from her own mother’s house – held onto for over a decade – remained.
“She doesn’t want it, but doesn’t feel like she can get rid of it,” our local mom recounted, highlighting the emotional ties often wrapped up in our inherited items. Interestingly, her kids had a different take, insisting their grandma keep a beloved rocking chair, now a cherished fixture in their own living room. It seems some memories are worth keeping, even if they come in a physical form.
Holiday Haul: More Than Just Merry
The holiday season brought another stark realization: 19 boxes of decorations! Trees, lights, ceramic villages, wrapping paper – her house transforms into a festive explosion. This year, however, a new tradition was born: a giant “donation box” for ornaments, tablecloths, and other forgotten festive flair.
But even in the spirit of giving, a pause was necessary. Her husband spotted a few sentimental decorations from his own mother, reminding them that some “stuff” holds irreplaceable memories.
And the kids? They had their own must-keeps: stockings, the Advent calendar, and the beloved holiday village.
It turns out, even the smallest objects can hold significant holiday magic.
Tablecloths and Teddy Bears: Giving Back
Sometimes, our excess can be a lifesaver for others. During a home remodel, our mom and her youngest learned this firsthand when a donation of stuffed animals brought immense joy to children at a local soup kitchen.
This year, it was tablecloths – over 20 of them! “Even if I can’t get laundry done for weeks, that is many more than we need,” she quipped.
After challenging herself to halve her collection, a friend who volunteers at a shelter happily took the donation. Weeks later, those tablecloths found new life as blankets for a family living in their car.
A powerful reminder that one person’s clutter can be another’s comfort.
The Closet Conundrum: A Fashionista’s Farewell
The remodel itself was a massive wake-up call, revealing just how much “stuff” they truly possessed. Her closet alone filled an entire SUV, prompting a new system: for every new item, two get donated. A “holding zone” for unworn clothes ensures a seasonal purge, and, for a bit of fun, friends are invited to “shop” her closet!
Memories, Mine and Theirs: The Yearbook Revelation
Among her most cherished possessions are her grandma’s high school and college yearbooks, a source of countless childhood memories. Her grandma, even in her final days, made sure those books found their way to her.
“Seeing those yearbooks evokes memories of her, keeping her alive in my mind,” she shared. “But they are my memories of her, not my kids’.” This distinction is key, highlighting the often-overlooked truth that not all sentimental items hold the same value for the next generation.
So, the decluttering continues – the closet, the storage unit, the holiday decor. But our local mom acknowledges the bittersweet reality: those cherished yearbooks, a direct link to her own past, may one day become her children’s responsibility to let go of.
It seems the “stuff avalanche” isn’t just about physical objects, but the memories and guilt we often wrap around them. The journey to a lighter, less cluttered life is ongoing, and it’s a conversation worth having with our loved ones, one memory-filled item at a time.