I have to think of future generations. It's my responsibility to preserve items for display in my future Presidential library.

Oh crap! There goes my housewarming present idea for GD, CP. Anyone else want a gold spray painted, macaroni decorated, orange juice can, suitable for holding pencils?

Couple options here:

1) the "select one for sentiment, and toss the rest" solution
2) gather them all together, put them in a single box of maternal tackiness, easily stored, and easy to go to when you wish to be reminded of her, um, tasteful craftiness
3) toss them all
4) 1,2, or 3 above for the past, and on your mom's next birthday (or holiday), give her a book on crocheting afghans, a crochet hook, and several skeins of your favorite color yarn (hint, hint!)

I'm very lucky. Living with a practical Stoat, he saw my shoe-boxes full of dusty faded receipts and entry tickets (I hate how thermal tickets slowly go black after time) and he said to me this wise thing:

"Instead of keeping the ticket / receipt / programme / tour brochure etc, why not take a digital photo of it in high res and keep it on CD/DVD"?

We now do this ALL the time, and I have been slowly scanning and turfing my collection. It saves space, and makes things much more accessable, and faster to retrieve.

I love my Practical Stoat !! :D

Ha. You think that's an exaggeration. You have not witnessed the horror. I just might unleash it on you guys.

Lash - great idea! I admit that part of my fixation has to do with having the actual object - but perhaps in a while I may be persuaded to follow your cool idea.
THIS is an excellent idea! I just might. :snap: Shopping for mom is always tough. Thanks!

I can think of a good time and place for that.... :evil:

I'm with GC. Keep it, store/hide it, take it out when the gift maker visits.

I find this POV interesting because my feeling is - why should I bend over backwards to show that I like a gift I actually hate? Lying when I receive it, lying when it's mentioned later - that's enough catering to crappiness in my book.

"Why should I change my name? He's the one that sucks."
~Michael Bolton, Office Space

Then why did you ask? You already have your answer.

I think she's reminding us not to make "Bless This Mess" housewarming gifts for her?