- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
I have a whole chestful of old diaries, old photos, a few "compromising photos"
do I junk them all? what do I do with all the momentoes, photos and ex' related things? I know for a fact my mom and dad had old pics of people they once dated lying around the house ( they had quite a few for conservative Asian people hahaha)
not sure what to do with mine
what are you doing?
Personally I got rid of all mine. Of course, none of the relationships ended well.. I only kept one picture, which was taken in Paris on the banks of the Seine with the Notre Dame Cathedral in the background. I would have chucked that one too except I look really hot in it :) If I was a Photoshop whiz he'd be so out of that picture!
when i clean through my stuff and find old mementos, without a second thought i just shread it and toss it in the trash
I would keep the diaries and some of the photos if they were say from the holidays with other family members, but I would get rid of the "compromising photos". I don't believe in the oft-practiced all my ex's were insane and I don't even want to remember so I'll get rid of anything associated with them game that many people play for no reason, but I would ask yourself why do you want to hang onto the photos?
I didn't have THAT much left over, but I think I got rid of a few photos. I kind of felt like they didn't mean that much to me so I figured it was no big deal if I got rid of them. I'm also not a real "stuff" kind of person, so I don't keep many mementos or photos. I think it would be fine to keep them if you wanted to--no harm in that.
Shred them. Trust me. Do it. If you don't have a shredder, burn them.
Do you get happiness from looking at them? When i stumble across reminders of the past, I just feel sad/weird. Just get rid of them.
It took me a long time to be ready to do this, but I did it. I even went through my old albums and took out all the pictures of me with exes, and shredded those. I deleted the digital ones too. All I have left is one DVD of unedited wedding pictures from 'the one that didn't last,' and I only still have that 'cause I'm lazy and haven't gotten rid of it. The less reminders you have of past relationships, the more you can focus on the future.
And you don't want your some-day kids looking through your albums and saying "who's that mommy?" or "why are you kissing that guy who isn't daddy?" So definitely get rid of those old pictures, ESPECIALLY the compromising ones.
I don'tk now what my mom did with her old pics of me and the ex... but I know what my grandma does (with anyone who becomes an ex): she cuts the HEAD of the person out of the photo so she can still keep the memory of the event. funny eh? haha.
no reason, I've always been sentimental, none ended right, which is why we're not together, but they were still a part of my life some were special at the time, so I dont know what to do with them; my parents had them laying around so to me I dont think it means anything bad if you keep a few
I already know for sure I have to chuck the compromising ones no doubt (kissing etc..)
I know for sure I'm going to sell some of the stuff given to me by ex's (hehehe) like a marble candle holder one bought me, and throw away some stuff given to me, but photos, hmmm
I haven't done it yet but I have albums full of photos and boxes of letters/momentos. I plan on getting rid of the momentos (I dont need old love letters) but will probably keep some of the pics. I plan on pairing down my albums anyway. I have about 7 from high school alone. Good grief, I need to plan a weekend to clean out my old room at my parents house.
securedownload-43.jpeg (113.8 KB, 21 downloads) 1 year old
I'm sentimental and keep lots of mementos, but after I got engaged I tossed them all one afternoon. They just didn't mean anything to me anymore. It was easy to toss them out and I haven't regretted it.
to maryjane, oh that's hilarious, headless pictures; yeah my bro did the same he cut out all the pics of his ex from his photos when he got married
SANY0466.JPG (36.9 KB, 58 downloads) 1 year old Blue_by_Enzoani_Cardiff.jpg (40 KB, 52 downloads) 1 year old 
I'm not sure how "compromising" some of them are; I would get rid of anything I didn't want my parents/future children to see. For all the rest of the photos and mementos, though, personally, I kept mine. My husband and I were just going through these last weekend, and he told me I should keep them and scrapbook them. So now they are with the rest of my bazillion photos in a big box I plan on someday putting into scrapbooks. :)
securedownload-47.jpeg (118.3 KB, 23 downloads) 1 year old 
Hmm good question. A lot of pics are from high school dances and such, and I really don't want to get rid of those. I think old pictures tell your story. If the scenarios that are documented in those photos hadn't happened, you wouldn't be the person you are today. I've never been a shredder or a burner, and I don't see myself ever being one. I love looking back on old photos, even one's with ex's, and seeing how far I've come. I actually would love to go through old pictures with my future children and tell them my story, ex-boyfriends and all.
The only ex with whom I had a significant, long-term relationship is someone with whom I'm still on great terms. Also, I'm no longer attracted to him, not even the tiniest bit. As we were prior to having a relationship, we are back to being friends. Our relationship ended in a rough way, but we are adults and we got over it. My FI is aware of all this, and is also aware that he means 100 times more to me than my ex ever did.
I have a lot of happy memories in pics from that relationship (but again, zero feelings for him anymore), and I see no reason why I should throw those memories away. Just because I'm engaged doesn't mean that the happy memories I have from other relationships don't exist.
ok so here's what I'll do; keep a some pics, throw away or sell gifts given to me, I may have to chuck diaries, because they have a lot of bad memories coz they're about breakups; throw away the more intimate pictures, we're talking intimate.
I don't see anything wrong with keeping a few pics of old boyfriends; my high school album has a few of them , but they were a part of my past and I don't care about them anymore; I've accumulated quite a few since then
what do I do with the diamond earrings given by an ex?
i have tons of pictures that my exes are included in - old vacations, parties, family holidays, school dances, etc. they were part of my life, i can't imagine tossing years and years of photos because they were associated with a time in my life that i was with a different significant other. i WOULD toss any compromising photos that i would be embarrassed if someone else saw.
All my old pics have long since been tossed (even before I met my FI)
I recently sold all the jewellery from ex's. Most of it was from Tiffany's and I had all the original boxes, leather pouches and ribbons. I bought a nice Xmas present for my FI with the $$.
You could try to sell the earrings if you are wanting to get rid of stuff. If it doesn't have papers, I would consign it with a jeweller or something.
I have a pair of diamond earrings given to me by an ex too. Not sure what to do with them either. I feel weird wearing them, especially since my fiance gave me a pair also, but I don't really want to sell them either.
I've debated either changing them into a necklace (or something) or giving them to my mother since she doesn't have a pair. My fiance doesn't really care about them (or the other jewelry my ex gave me), which is a good thing.
I think with stuff like this, it's the meaning attached that causes the problem, not the item itself. Ms. MJ, I can see how you'd get rid of old wedding photos because there's a lot more meaning there, but my college ex- eh, I don't really mind. We had some good times together and it ultimately didn't work out, and I'm OK with that.
i'm in the minority here. I keep mine. They're in a box stored away. FI has his too. Our past is part of who we are, the bad and the good. I don't feel threatened by him having old photos and neither does he. It's not like either one of us is going through them and pinning after what we had. but once in a while, every few years, it's nice to stumble upon some college picture with an ex and think, "aw that was a really good time". And then you just go on your meryy way. But also, I'm more sentimental than most people.
I kept most of mine. Most of them were big occasions in my life, like prom and stuff. The ones I got rid of I did it when I was mad so now I don't have to worry about them. I have no ill feelings towards the guys in my pictures and I do not have any of just them (threw those out, didn't need them) and my FI doesn't mind.
i left them all at my parent's place. They just moved a couple weeks ago, and my mom called to ask me what I should do with them. I told her to put them aside and I'll look thru them the next time I visit. It's just hard to throw pictures away!
I'm keeping mine. I try to stay friends with my exes and like someone else mentioned, I refuse to trash memories of my life before fiance just because it was someone else in the picture of Yosemite or Tahoe.
I don't pull them out and look at them often, but if I happen across a picture with an old flame in it, I'm not going to freak out.
I think a lot of my attitude has to do with the way my relationships ended (for the most part). If I still had pictures of really bad memories, I'd throw them out too!
I trashed them...and the journals I kept during those relationships! FI stumbled across the journals and...well, it wasn't pretty. I kept some of high school dances and such - just trashed everything since high school. It was pretty cleansing actually!
It's hard to throw EVERYTHING away but I agree that you shouldn't keep what you don't want people to see. I like to keep a lot of things because it reminds me of experiences and memories that led up to the "me" today. A lot of my relationships ended pretty badly but after years, I tend to forget about them and just respect them as people that I just crossed paths with.
Keepings things are okay just not so much as to make the FI a little uncomfortable. :)
Wow, yeah definitely trash anything "compromising." Better yet, shred them! I threw away most of mine, but kept ones that had other people that I am still friends with, or marked a point in my life (birthdays, etc.). But they are tucked away in a box somewhere.
I'm keeping what i want, i amazingly enough don't have any crazy pics from back then, so thats ok. I have pics of like 2 of my ex's and at that one is at a bday party of mine, and the other is when we were hanging out. and he was the nicest guy i ever dated, and its not like im in love with him or want him back. that ship sailed over 5 years ago, he had his chance and f*cked it up, lol. But it was fun while it lasted. I have awesome memories, probably in a diary somewhere. Sure when I'm dead someone will find them, but it was my life, they might get a kick out of it, lol.
junk the photos and memorabilias, but keep the journals since it has more than just you and your ex's written in there.
I don't really throw them away..have them in storage boxes though. Prob is that my x is my xh and my son's dad. My son had a good portion of his life with both of us together and I just have to understand his feelings. T understands this too and I understand why he has to also keep pics for his children as well.
Keep em but don't put them on display or anything. I have mine in boxes mixed in with all my other pictures. And I'm glad that my bf got some training by other gf's before he got to me. Why would you throw away pictures of memories? But throw away the nudies ;)
I got rid of a lot, and I have always regretted it. :( My second boyfriend convinced me to throw out all the pictures of my first boyfriend, who I was with for four years! In doing so, I got rid of all of the pictures I had of everything I'd done in college (it was before digital cameras were so popular). It was a pretty lame move.
I don't have many momentos of the intervening relationships, but I've kept a few cards and letters and small gifts that didn't remind me too much of the ex (I kept some original artwork that the first one made for me--I never told the second one who the artist was and that's why they were spared!!!). I figure as long as it all fits into a small box it's not too weird to keep.
On the other hand, I am not sure I like having them at all. I imagine my grandchildren going through my attic someday after I'm gone and being scandalized at my dating history pre-FH. :)
I was just thinking about this the other day... I need to go through them and get rid of them. I love Mr Frenchie (obvs) but those are memories so it is going to be hard to throw them away... but then again, what do I need them for?
I would definitely destroy any compromising photos...as for the rest, I find it hard to throw away pictures. I don't have any bad memories from past relationships & I am friends with one ex that I dated for years...so I don't really see the point in throwing them away!
Actually, this is a project for me this summer to go through all of them & get them labeled and organized!
I have a couple of old shoe boxes with mementos from the past in them. I'm not going to get rid of those pictures just because my ex is in them but I'm also not going to be displaying them either.
adele.jpg (58.3 KB, 29 downloads) 1 year old 
I've always stayed friends with my exes because we were always good friends to begin with. I'd feel very strange deleting/shredding photos of these guys because things never ended horribly, and they are just good guys. Of course they are not the ONE, but I am in a bit of a quandery because I see these photos as Friend photos and not Lover photos...meh! I hate stuff like this! So confusing! I think I'll put them in a box and stash them away, but I will not burn them. I like most of those photos! They're goofy (I don't have any serious/we-are-lovers-forever photos so they don't automatically scream PAST RELATIONSHIP)! and FANTASTICALLY so. Personally, I ALWAYS regret throwing stuff away. I say its different for every person. Go with your gut feelings about it.
Honestly, I'm not sure that this is the BEST advice, but I got rid of some things, and kept a some photos and notes, put them in a shoe box and left it in my old room at my parent's house. I'll take them back if my parents clean out junk and want it out, but my motivation for saving is different from lingering feelings, or being a packrat.
I remember seeing one picture of an old boyfriend of my mom's and it suddenly made her so much more approachable when I was in my dating teenage days that she had dated other guys and knew what a breakup was like.
I want to remember that for my own daughters, but that's all!
I've kept most of mine. Some of them are in scrapbooks, some of them are in a box. My fiance and I are both in our 30's. We both acknowledge that we had a past before each other. He has a few pictures of his ex-girlfriends and it doesn't bother me. Our past relationships are what have made us the people we are today. I will keep them because the represent a time in my life. I love looking at pictures of both my past and my fiances past to see how we've both grown up and what our life experiences were.
reception1.jpg (110.7 KB, 86 downloads) 1 year old 012.JPG (854.7 KB, 56 downloads) 1 year old 011.JPG (851 KB, 42 downloads) 1 year old 009.JPG (891.6 KB, 50 downloads) 1 year old 
Anything from HS I kept, in a box with other HS mementos. I have some pics of ex#1, b/c we share a child; I saved the wedding pics b/c I was pregnant. I have pics of ex#2 as well. It was still my life. I don't have them out, or look at them, but someday I may be glad that I have them. It was years of my life, and they are very valuable to me. Someday they will tell a complete story of who I was, and the life I traveled. Again, I have them up in boxes, where they will sit until I am old and need some help with my memory.
I've kept some, but most I just trashed. If they included other close family members or friends, I wanted to keep them.
I thought about how I'd feel if I found pictures of FH and his ex's and I decided out of sight out of mind - even though I'm insanely sentimental. I'd get rid of the compromising ones FOR SURE. If you want to keep the other ones, I'd say it wasn't a big deal - the ex's are part of your past (just make sure you don't have so many it will upset your FH!)
Actually I still think I have a box with old love letters and pictures... but I forgot about it. Maybe when Ill be packing to move, ill toss it...
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| MissBoPeep | 94 |
| ndreighton | 78 |
| hisgoosiegirl | 56 |
| beargoose | 55 |
| Mrs.KMM | 46 |
| akp0702 | 42 |
| BetterSherm | 42 |
| MrsBlueSeptember | 41 |
| MrsPom | 37 |
| Beckster329 | 37 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| risingsun | 4 |
| RayKay | 4 |
| JulesSchnooks | 3 |
| vlbee | 3 |
| ElbieKay | 3 |
| MsMonkey | 3 |
| NVACat | 3 |
| Mrs.Enne | 3 |
| Future Mrs K | 3 |
| This Time Round | 3 |
