What a great thread. DH and I keep talking about decluttering. Well, to be honest I do the talking. He is a hoarder, but won't admit it. I am tired of all this "stuff" owning me. I'd like to sell some of my antiques, but finding a market to buy is getting harder and harder. I, too, don't want my children to have to deal with all my collections.

I have been cleaning out and made a box for all my 3 children. I gave it to them and they can do what they want with it.

when we bumped down we asked the kids what they wanted. they wanted all their old toys and books, all the old halloween costumes, the fish tank, the old set of silverware, the old dishes, the real crystal stemware, the antique furniture, and everything else that wasn't nailed down. BUT they wanted it in OUR house. we told them, "take it now or kiss it off!" it's not cluttering my little house anymore. there's still stuff they want, but they have to wait until i die to get them.
as for treasures that MAY be worth big bucks, who cares? i'll be dead! my children can work for their money same as i did.

Well, I love to Quilt, Knit and Crochet, but I have
3 sons, yes all married, but not one of the girls is craft minded.
So I know that no matter how much yarn, or fabric I leave behind, it will all end up at the charity shops.
So sad really.

Well, I like the suggestions to burn pictures to a cd or flash drive, but that will have to wait intil I get a new computer...can not do that, I don't think, on this iPad that our ds and dil gave to us. Maybe some day...

As soon as this quarter is over, I have decided that I need a massive destach!!! One room at a time and lots of trash bags and boxes for donations!!! Have too much 'stuff'. My sewing room just needs me to come spend some time in there...lol Don't think I will be doing much in that room!!!

I am not getting rid of anything!!! My kids will just have to deal with it!!

My husband's parents are in their mid 70s and don't throw away anything. He's been talking to his dad about them getting rid of some of their things because it's time. His dad laughs and says he going to leave it all to his two kids to take care of. Lately he's been giving us things of his that we don't want but I think he can't throw it away so he gives it to us. Well, I've been throwing it away for him, I guess. It's hard to approach someone and tell them it's time to downsize without them thinking that your worried about how long they'll be around. And I'm not talking about a few items...I'm talking about a storage shed completely full that has things from when their parents died. Even paperwork. Things you don't need. They have a nice family room with a pool table and the joke is how no one can play pool because of all the junk that is piled high on it. I'm worried that when one of them goes, the other will have to sell the house and we'll have to wade through everything and rent a couple of dumpsters. His dad says that everything in the house is our inheritance. Not funny! We've been going room to room, cleaning out everything and donating usable items to a salvation type store. I don't want my kids to have to deal with a lot of my things that I didn't get rid of.

We move every few years so we get rid of a lot and often. I have two bags of the monsters clothes to drop in the donation bin tomorrow. The DH just went through the garage yesterday we have one storage room that's next! I hope that when we do settle in a house we keep it up and go through stuff. As soon as I think there's nothing left to go through more appears!! Never ending battle!

I'm leaving the clean out to the junk collectors when I'm gone. I figure why should I waste my time!
peace