6 Things My Mom Got Rid Of at 65

Over the past 31 years, my parents have accumulated a lot of stuff in my childhood home. But ever since my mom turned 65, she has been on a decluttering kick all over the house. Like me, my mom is pretty eco-conscious. So instead of tossing unwanted items in the trash, she has found ways to give them new life, including donating them, recycling them, or — my personal favorite — passing them onto her kids. Here’s a look at six things my mom has gotten rid of since turning 65.

As much as she hates admitting it, my mom’s foot and back problems mean that her days of wearing high-heeled shoes are behind her. Except for a few sentimental pairs (like her wedding shoes), my mom recently donated most of her high heels to a secondhand store.

For years, old sporting equipment (like bikes, scooters, sleds, baseball gloves, and tennis rackets) and other random items (including snow shovels, garden hoses, and spare hubcaps) occupied all the corners of my parents’ garage. Clearing this stuff out has made the garage much more spacious — plus, it’s easier to park the cars now!

Recently I helped my mom sort through old books in nearly every room of the house, and we set aside the ones that my parents aren’t planning to read again. She gave some books away via her local Buy Nothing group, she dropped others off at a nearby Little Free Library, and we passed a bunch of children’s books down to friends’ kids.

With fewer computer tasks to complete in retirement, my mom was finally able to recycle her old desktop computer, and upgrade to an iPad with a keyboard and trackpad. This gives her more space on her desk, and allows her to work comfortably in any room of the house. 

Ever since I was a kid, any time someone in my family found an “orphan sock” that lost its mate in the wash, we’d toss it into a shopping bag in my parents’ closet. Recently, my mom finally dropped the overflowing bag off for fabric recycling. Alternatively, there are many ways you can upcycle single socks for cleaning around the home!

My mom refreshes the beds and couches around the house with new throw blankets every few years. But for decades, she never got rid of the old ones; she just let them pile up on the backs of couches, in baskets, and in the linen closet. Since turning 65, my mom has finally donated a bunch of these old throw blankets — but I still think she could get rid of a few more. Maybe when she turns 70.