June 2025 Newsletter
- Judy Granlee Gates
- Jun 4
- 4 min read
Nice weather is coming when we want to be outside, but it can also be a good time to tackle some bigger projects without the rain.
This month I am diving into a deep topic that can be a little sad, but we all want to consider at some point. What happens to all our stuff, and the stuff we have been “safekeeping” when we die?
Newsletter Topic of the Month
"Things" and Their Stories
Did you know that I love TikTok? I do, I’m sort of obsessed. TikTok is not like the other platforms to me, I learn so much there, and there is a very different vibe and energy. You will have to check it out for yourself. What started out as a silly platform to do dances and stunts has become a universe of learning and information for me. Yes, there are still dances, but most have left me feed as the algorithm has gotten to “know” me.
There is a lot of stuff about clutter there too. Recently I saw a trend I thought was pretty cold. Kids posting pictures of their parents “boomer homes” and all the stuff they had that no one wanted. It was actually more of a shaming, and was really sad so I am glad it didn’t last that long. It got me to thinking about the treasures that are mixed in with the random stuff.
I had told a story about a dish my husband’s Granny gave to me one holiday and very sternly told me I had to keep it as it was very special and was Grandma Coburns. Truth, I don’t appreciate it, but I do still have it in a box somewhere. That sparked a woman at the AAUW meeting to ask how you preserve the special items of generations before, so people know what it was and who it belonged to.
We all have those special things, handed down from past generations. There is always a family historian (it’s me, could you guess that?) who get things like the family bibles, vintage clothes, jewelry that is often not terribly valuable, pictures, art, dishes, you name it. I have my share too, so how do we identify these as special and why it is important.
When my friend Jim’s dad died, his mom passed before, he was going through the house and told me every time he touched something he thought “is this special, was it a family heirloom?” and wished his mom or dad had made a list of some sort, or he had sat down and asked them.
After hearing this, I came up with an idea I have loosely put into place but need to fully develop. I took photos of the special things I had and made notes about them to put in a small scrapbook. Just a photo and a handwritten note was my plan, so it would be available to anyone after I leave this earth to have a kind of treasure map of family stuff. It never made it to the scrapbook phase, but has been kept digitally, which is better for clutter anyway.
The concept is, take a photo, and write a note. Simple. We have an old aluminum tea pot that looks like nothing fancy, but, it was Grandma Gates’ from New Mexico and she drank her daily tea out of it. We all have lots of these things, and making a quick list and detail is so easy in the digital world and with smart phones. You could even just keep an album on your phone!
Pick a day or two to look through your house, closets, cabinets, etc and snap those photos. Then as you have time (on a car ride, sitting in the sun, whatever) detail out whose it was and what you know about the piece. If you can, include a story or something special about it. We have a necklace in our family that every bride has worn in the last 150 years. Kind of a cool tradition that could be lost without the note.
It's a pretty simple task, that when we are gone, folks can choose what they want to do with these items, but at least knowing helps them to choose, and the stories are rich and heartwarming for future generations.
Have a topic idea? Area of struggle? A fun tip? Send it in and I may make it the topic of the month. Email me at hello@judygranleegates.com
Join in the conversation at Facebook group – Declutter and Resize – Bigger Living Smaller Space
Product(s) of the Month:
While you could get a scrapbook or notebook for your photos and stories, I am going to encourage you to keep a digital record of these treasures!
News & Upcoming Events
Other Stuff
Do you have a group or event that would like to hear about decluttering, living smaller, or parting with sentimental items? Let me know, I love to speak to people about all things decluttering and resizing!
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