Too many mugs. AIBU? DH thinks it would be rude

[MythicalBiologicalFennel]

We have a small kitchen and too much stuff. The work surfaces are covered with spare mugs that don't fit in the cupboards which are full of food (we both love cooking and TBH eating).

I've had enough and chosen 6 mugs for the mug tree. The other 15 mugs (yes, 15) are going into storage to be used as the chosen 6 get broken. I felt a great sense of relief and gained a bit of working surface!

I thought of taking a picture of the 15 mugs and sharing it with friends and family. DH thinks that would be rude as all of those mugs have been presents. I love all the mugs, some of them make great cups of tea but we just don't have the bloody room. DH hinted that another mug might be coming my way for Christmas from his side of the family so they might take offence. TBH every year they ask what I want for my birthday/ Christmas and I ask for nice chocolates or flowers because we have too much stuff and it impacts on our quality of life (messy, cluttered house). Every year I get at least a new mug and a new bloody tea towel. They are lovely and it never ceases to amaze me that people care enough to give me presents. But I don't need them. My family are occasional mug givers but would not take offence at being told to stop.

Would I be unreasonable to share the picture with family and friends explaining we are putting excess mugs into storage? The photo is from above so you cannot see the patterns of the mugs and take offence that yours wasn't Chosen.

I think it would be a playful visual reminder to people that 4 people don't need 20 mugs. I am ready to be told it would be rude.

Odd

I would send the photo. We had this with teddies. Kept asking our families not to buy more teddies and every year we got more teddies for the DCs for Christmas and birthdays. I did a massive clear out put all the teddies in a huge pile and took a photo and said these are the teddies we have please don't buy any more. It worked and nobody took offense, they would definitely have told me if it offended them!

I think that if you post a photo of mugs it will reinforce the connection between you and mugs in your relatives’ minds, but they won’t recall that you don’t want mugs . They’ll just connect you and mugs and you’ll end up getting more.

Six doesn’t sound like enough. Could you not fix a rail with cup hooks under a cupboard?

Just put the mugs in storage! No need for photos, that's just odd.

We have about 19 mugs for 2 of us. But then I use mugs to beat eggs, measure rice etc rather than use a jug.

I feel really weird because I have about 10 mugs and for years only had 6 on a mug tree. How on earth have we survived this long. I’m now looking at the kitchen to work out where else I can store mugs!

Wouldn't you be forever washing up with only 6 mugs between 4 people?

Surely you just use one mug each, give them a quick rinse between uses and dishwasher overnight? How would that be forever washing up?

I think you should tell them no more mugs op. They won't get the hint. The perfect time is when they ask what you want - "chocolates would be lovely thanks, oh but no more mugs please as we have had to give several away as not enough space".

Or alternatively opt out of adult present buying, which is what we have done.

And it never ceases to amaze me that people care enough to give me presents. Really? Giving a tea towel or mug to a relative is quite a standard thing to do, why does it amaze you so much?

Why would anyone be remotely interested in a photo of a box of mugs? That WhatsApp group would be on mute if I was in it. Do what you want with them, chuck them out the window if it makes you happy but don't think anyone else will be interested in such minutiae of your day.

YANBU to have a mug clearout.

Don’t do the picture thing though.

Have you considered opening a pop-up traditional Greek-themed coffee shop for a day or two?

You could send flyers to all of the prolific mug givers in your circle.