{"id":22929,"date":"2025-02-27T14:40:36","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T15:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=22929"},"modified":"2025-02-27T16:23:34","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T16:23:34","slug":"too-sentimental-to-declutter-start-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=22929","title":{"rendered":"Too Sentimental to Declutter? Start Here."},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<p id=\"article-summary\" class=\"css-79rysd e1wiw3jv0\">Decluttering experts share their best tips.<\/p>\n<section class=\"meteredContent css-1r7ky0e\">\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Kim Allen doesn\u2019t like clutter. But when it comes to some of her most sentimental items, she finds it hard to let go.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Near the top of the list is a ceramic creature that her daughter made years ago. It has one eye, a lolling tongue and a crop of blue hair. She displays it in a prominent place near her bathroom sink because it always makes her smile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But there are other keepsakes that don\u2019t bring the same kind of joy \u2014 such as memorabilia and artwork handed down from her relatives \u2014 that are only taking up space, physically and emotionally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cHopefully I will be retiring at age 67,\u201d said Ms. Allen, who is 52 and lives in Sherrill, N.Y. \u201cDo I really want to deal with all of this excess stuff then? No, I want to be having fun with my friends and family, enjoying the life I worked so hard to build.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"Dropzone-1\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\" data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">And yet for a long time, Ms. Allen felt uneasy about discarding the family heirlooms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"DiptychBlock-3\">\n<div class=\"css-q3z82y e73j0it0\">\n<div data-testid=\"imageblock-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"img-sz- css-13wylk3 e1g7ppur0\" aria-label=\"media\" role=\"group\">\n<div class=\"css-1xdhyk6 erfvjey0\" data-testid=\"photoviewer-children-figure\">\n<div class=\"css-nwd8t8\" data-testid=\"lazy-image\">\n<div data-testid=\"lazyimage-container\" style=\"height:580px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"photoviewer-children-caption\" class=\"css-fpbvhh ewdxa0s0\"><span class=\"css-jevhma e13ogyst0\">Mr. Shuer\u2019s treasures include items that his grandfather owned. The decorative mask and the taxidermied piranha are among Mr. Shuer\u2019s favorites. \u201cI grew up looking at them and they sparked my imagination,\u201d he said.<\/span><span class=\"css-14fe1uy e1z0qqy90\"><span><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Tony Luong for The New York Times<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"imageblock-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"img-sz- css-13wylk3 e1g7ppur0\" aria-label=\"media\" role=\"group\">\n<div class=\"css-1xdhyk6 erfvjey0\" data-testid=\"photoviewer-children-figure\">\n<div class=\"css-nwd8t8\" data-testid=\"lazy-image\">\n<div data-testid=\"lazyimage-container\" style=\"height:580px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"photoviewer-children-caption\" class=\"css-fpbvhh ewdxa0s0\"><span class=\"css-jevhma e13ogyst0\">Kim Allen is a descendant of the Oneida Community, a religious commune created during the mid-1800s that flourished for 30 years before eventually dissolving. Pressure to keep historical items within the family \u2014 like these silver-plated souvenir spoons \u2014 was strong, she said.<\/span><span class=\"css-14fe1uy e1z0qqy90\"><span><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Amrita Stuetzle for The New York Times<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"ImageBlock-4\">\n<div data-testid=\"imageblock-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"img-sz-large css-hxpw2c e1g7ppur0\" aria-label=\"media\" role=\"group\">\n<div class=\"css-1xdhyk6 erfvjey0\" data-testid=\"photoviewer-children-figure\">\n<div class=\"css-nwd8t8\" data-testid=\"lazy-image\">\n<div data-testid=\"lazyimage-container\" style=\"height:257.77777777777777px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"photoviewer-children-caption\" class=\"css-1g9ic6e ewdxa0s0\"><span class=\"css-jevhma e13ogyst0\">Ms. Allen donated her family\u2019s historical treasures, which included these forceps, to the Oneida Community Mansion House museum.<\/span><span class=\"css-14fe1uy e1z0qqy90\"><span><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Amrita Stuetzle for The New York Times<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"Optimistic-5\">\n<div class=\"css-1336jj\">\n<div class=\"css-121kum4\">\n<div class=\"css-171quhb\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-asuuk5\">\n<div class=\"css-7axq9l\" data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-noscript-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1dv1kvn\" id=\"optimistic-truncator-a11y\">\n<hr \/>\n<p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F27%2Fwell%2Ffamily%2Fdeclutter-hoarding-sentimental.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">log into<\/a>\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F27%2Fwell%2Ffamily%2Fdeclutter-hoarding-sentimental.html\">subscribe<\/a>\u00a0for all of The Times.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1g71tqy\">\n<div data-testid=\"optimistic-truncator-message\" class=\"css-6yo1no\">\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Thank you for your patience while we verify access.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Already a subscriber?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"log-in-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.nytimes.com\/auth\/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F27%2Fwell%2Ffamily%2Fdeclutter-hoarding-sentimental.html&amp;asset=opttrunc\">Log in<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-3kpklk\">Want all of The Times?\u00a0<a data-testid=\"subscribe-link\" class=\"css-z5ryv4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F02%2F27%2Fwell%2Ffamily%2Fdeclutter-hoarding-sentimental.html\">Subscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Decluttering experts share their best tips.Kim Allen doesn\u2019t like clutter. But when it comes to some of her most sentimental items, she finds it hard to let go.Near the top of the list is a ceramic creature that her daughter made years ago. It has one eye, a lolling tongue and a crop of blue hair. She displays it in a prominent place near her bathroom sink because it always makes her smile.But there are other keepsakes that don\u2019t bring the same kind of joy \u2014 such as memorabilia and artwork handed down from her relatives \u2014 that are only taking up space, physically and emotionally.\u201cHopefully I will be retiring at age 67,\u201d said Ms. Allen, who is 52 and lives in Sherrill, N.Y. \u201cDo I really want to deal with all of this excess stuff then? No, I want to be having fun with my friends and family, enjoying the life I worked so hard to build.\u201dAnd yet for a long time, Ms. Allen felt uneasy about discarding the family heirlooms.Mr. Shuer\u2019s treasures include items that his grandfather owned. The decorative mask and the taxidermied piranha are among Mr. Shuer\u2019s favorites. \u201cI grew up looking at them and they sparked my imagination,\u201d he said.Tony Luong for The New York TimesKim Allen is a descendant of the Oneida Community, a religious commune created during the mid-1800s that flourished for 30 years before eventually dissolving. Pressure to keep historical items within the family \u2014 like these silver-plated souvenir spoons \u2014 was strong, she said.Amrita Stuetzle for The New York TimesMs. Allen donated her family\u2019s historical treasures, which included these forceps, to the Oneida Community Mansion House museum.Amrita Stuetzle for The New York TimesWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and\u00a0log into\u00a0your Times account, or\u00a0subscribe\u00a0for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?\u00a0Log in.Want all of The Times?\u00a0Subscribe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22931,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22929"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22932,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22929\/revisions\/22932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}