Coffee Mugs
I like going
back to old posts and reading ancient comments.
Today I was rereading a post on clutter and the comments had a theme that surprised me until I thought about it a bit.
Today I was rereading a post on clutter and the comments had a theme that surprised me until I thought about it a bit.
About ten
different people mentioned that regardless of their position on clutter they
could not give up their coffee mugs.
There is no
need for anyone to own more than two coffee mugs if you wash them
every day. Most guys I know only use one
mug; drink your coffee, rinse it out, it is good to go all day and next
day. Most people only have one mug at
work, at home it is a different story.
At home,
each mug has a story.
The Lafayette
College mug “That was the first mug I ever had after college.”
The Mr.
Handy Man mug “My wife gave that to me as a gag.”
The Mickey
Ear mug is from Disney World.
How do you
not save the “World’s Best Dad” mug?
Or the “I
Love My Husband” mug.
I’ll bet
every one has at least one age related mug.
I have an “Over 30 and Over the Hill” mug, a “Fifty is Nifty” mug, and a
“60 is the new 40” mug.
I have some
mugs that I don’t know where they came from, but I just can’t get rid of them.
We have a
shelf full of nothing but coffee mugs.
Mugs of all colors and sizes and everyone has some special meaning, or
elicits some memory.
I tend to
use the same mug every day for about a year, and then I get a new mug and
retire the old one…retire, not toss.
I am not a
hoarder except for coffee mugs…and maybe tee shirts.
Gift mugs, though. You can't throw away gift mugs. Even if you don't use them.
ReplyDeleteYou have a reason to keep your favorites and the gifts. The others... well, maybe you're a hoarder.
I think you're okay. Unless you plan to build a shed just for displaying your mugs...
ReplyDeleteI used to have about three dozen mugs and gave away most of them when I moved here, but I've bought a few since then and now have 16, but there's only three I use on a regular basis. The rest are for visitors to choose from.
ReplyDeleteI think we still have some mugs. I had DH take a lot of stuff we didn't use to the garage and eventually whatever was out there went to the dump. You have a nice little selection, should I send DH over to help you clean some of it out? He's real good at throwing things away ...
ReplyDeleteWe used to collect coffee mugs when we went to tourist attractions with our names on it. When I realized they were "collecting dust" and not being use, out that habit went and out the mugs went too. When we had to downsize hubby's parents' home, we kept coffee mugs we thought his dad might want to use if he ever lived on his own again, assuming he would pass after hubby's mom did (they passed within a month of each other). We still have those mugs 5 years later. After our recent move this past March, I dumped a lot of mugs that we had moved with but hadn't used. I think sometimes of updating the mugs and getting rid of the ones I don't really like, but they work and our functional, so why "stir the pot?"
ReplyDeletebetty
oh my gosh, us too!! We have a zillion coffee mugs! and I always try to "declutter" my cabinet and rid ourselves of all the coffee mugs, but I just can't! You are so right: each mug has a story. Sooooo very hard to get rid of coffee mugs. We have many that have photos on it, from the photo stores, you know the kind. So how are we ever supposed to throw those away? We just can't. We are going to have 763 coffee mugs accumulated before we die, I just know it.
ReplyDeleteWe have many because, sooner or later, every one will be dropped and the handle broken off of it. We then just use it for water or milk or juice until it is dropped and broken the rest of the way. Around here, that's just a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteI'm a mug for mugs, all three shelves full! My favourites though are on the bottom shelf for easy access. People laugh when they point out that I only seem to use one or two.
ReplyDeleteI still use my 30 is a Hot Number mug from a few decades ago.
ReplyDeleteBreaking a special one can be traumatic. The one I've used for years was actually a beer stein, given to me in Germany. On the bottom it was inscribed "Made in West Germany". I broke it last year by dropping it.
ReplyDeleteWe do the same here. Hubby has lots of very precious cups he's had for years. Some we never use anymore to make sure we don't accidentally break them. I so get this.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day Joseph, Joe or Cranky. ☺
We have far too many coffee mugs. I don't know where they came from but I think most are product promotions.
ReplyDeleteI don't drink Coffee or Tea, but I am guilty of buying cute and ugly mugs when the writing on them is inspiring. I truly understand this.
ReplyDeleteI hate that my husband hoards coffee mugs and baseball caps...almost all gifts from conferences and meetings.
ReplyDeleteProphetic! After 25 years of trying I finally wrestled Queenie's coffee mug collection out of the dark corners of the attic and she was convinced to donate them. Not sure that's all that good but they ain't here no more.
ReplyDeleteAnd the in-laws were inspired to do the same. In all I counted just shy of 200 mugs that were dumped on some poor unsuspecting charity. Better them than me!!
I have no heart. I chucked all my oddball mugs.
ReplyDeleteI no longer drink coffee or tea so I only keep enough mugs for about 4 guests. If I have more that that then I resort to lined paper ones. Hey, that is good enough for Starbucks.
ReplyDeleteWe have a number of mugs but my wife uses them. I have one favorite that, like your work friends, I use every day and just rinse it out.
ReplyDeleteyeah, i cleaned out a lot of them last year, but still have quite a few.
ReplyDeleteOmgosh, us too! Okay maybe not us, maybe just me but not only can't I throw them out, I can't stop buying new ones. I bought a new one today because it reminded me of fall in Michigan! Holy crap. I actually may be a hoarder..
ReplyDeleteWe have a small house, so we have to be pretty careful about not letting too many things accumulate. We have more mugs than we technically need, but I think definitely less than the average person probably has. Neither of us are big coffee drinkers, so I think that helps. We're not usually given mugs as gifts.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that mugs actually reproduce when left in cupboards?
ReplyDeletethis is why I have mine hanging on hooks.
DeleteHaving been a teacher, I have at least a dozen "World's Best Teacher" ones decorated with apples. I'd inwardly cringe every time I saw a student approach with another one. I think the (fake) gushing I did over each one inspired others to bring more. And then there's the Christmas ornaments with the same sentiment. I should have a mug/ornament sale outside a school on the last day for the shopping convenience of forgetful parents who want little Johnny's teacher to never forget his cherubic little face!
ReplyDeleteI have a few shelves of mugs that I can't part with. They all mean something; the mug from our first vacation together to Cape Cod (in 1988, I think), the one I bought in Vegas when we got married there in 1989. I rotate using them. There are only a few that I would get rid of if I had to.
ReplyDeleteMy former boss brought me a pretty tea cup when he was in China a few years ago. It does not say "Made in China" on it. Ha!