Don’t Let Hard-to-Dump Stuff Derail Your Organizing Goals
Tucson Morning Blend January 11 2018
Just over a week into the New Year, how’s it going? Did you make any resolutions, set any goals for yourself? Whether or not you embrace the resolution mystique or not, a new year is a natural time to reassess, reboot, and redirect. But it’s important to take healthy a approach that encourages you. Watch my Tucson Morning Blend video here and see below for a zillion links to resources you can use in your quest to make room for juicy goodness in the new year (or any time)!
When setting a goal, make it positive, instead of punitive. Make it specific, realistic and measurable. Rev up your chances of success by buddying up for accountability. (Or call me!)
So when you want to “finally get rid of all my junk!” Consider telling yourself “it’s time to let go of what’s hurting my heart and soul.” Create a Give It Basket and commit to dropping in an item a day for 30, 60, 90 days or more.
But when you’re ready to move that stuff out, there are a few things that truly are hard to get rid of – but not anymore. Here you go…
Wedding Gowns/Formalwear/Prom Dresses Particularly tough to let go of, but once you’ve overcome the emotional component, here are some excellent causes to support. I mean, who can’t get behind Prom-O-Rama for underprivileged girls?!
- Your Sister’s Closet : eliminating racism / empowering women
- Cinderella’s Closet Prom-O-Rama h
- The Feminist Bride
- Donate my Wedding Dress
Furs Really. Furs are hard to find homes for. But wild animal rescue organizations use them to cuddle widdle biddy baby animals. In Tucson, Buffalo Exchange is collecting furs just in February in partnership with Coats for Cubs. But here are several other programs to choose from.
- Buffalo Exchange just a few months now https://www.buffaloexchange.com/coats-for-cubs/
- Coats for Cubs https://coatsforcubs.org/
- https://www.peta.org/donate/ways-to-support-peta/donate-fur/
- https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cuddle-coats_us_56536424e4b0879a5b0be30d
- https://www.leaf.tv/articles/places-to-donate-fur-coats/
Craft Supplies, designer samples and other funky cool stuff Give to Upcycle creative reuse arts center, inspiring quirky people to create recycled arts and crafts
Building Supplies/Leftovers from your Remodel and more One of my favorite organizations Habitat for Humanity is happy to take your stuff and may even do curbside pick for you!
Household Hazardous Waste In Tucson we have 1st Saturday Drop Offs on the east side and west side for things like paint and other chemical stuff. Check Tucson Clean & Beautiful website for dates and locations, or Google resources in our comunity
CFL Bulbs Those curlicue bulbs last forever – and then they last forever again because you can’t just throw them in the trash. But Home Depot and Lowe’s have drop bins right inside the door.
Medications Unfortunately, this is a big problem. Excess meds are stolen by thieves and family members alike, and dumping the in the toilet is affecting fish in streams and oceans worldwide. So what can we do? Do not flush them or put them in the garbage! Some Walgreens and Walmart pharmacy locations have easy drop boxes, I found a Google search of medication disposal sites to be shockingly useless, so I suggest you call and your local pharmacist for suggestions. If you don’t have a drop box near you, you can place meds in something stinky, like used kitty litter, and then they can go in the trash. And always remember to tear off the prescription label before you toss the bottle.
Medical Supplies Walkers, toilet seat risers can often be given to homeless shelters or transitional housing organizations, like Primavera Foundation in Tucson.
Eye Glasses Easier to donate than some people think. Anywhere you donate clothes will usually accept them, especially homeless shelters.
Shredded Paper If you’ve already shredded it, just put it in your home recycle bin in CLEAR plastic bags. If you need a bunch shredded, use a shredding services like Beacon Foundation (my favorite because of the good they do in the community) for 35 lbs or more, or Office Depot for small amounts per pound.
Batteries Rechargeable and lithium batteries, like those used for hand tools, cell phones, laptops and stuff can be put in drop boxes at Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Computers, etc: World Care gives computer and such to teachers and supports people after natural disasters. Here are 10 Tips To Consider when donating computers and such.
Cell Phones No brainer. Donate to Cell Phones for Soldiers.
China & Silver Sorry. There’s not a lot of good news in this department. I say, if you like it at all, use it! But if you really want to see what you might get if you sold it, consignment shops/Craigslist takes a lot of effort and might not yield major profits – iffy at best. Don’t despair but be aware. Websites like Replacements Ltd. and International Association of Dinnerware Matchers can be helpful. Just know that you are responsible for packing, shipping and insuring, which is time-consuming and can be costly. Regarding silver, you may end up selling it for its weight at a reputable place, which can be a shame but necessary. Again I say, use it. Or you can always make a wind chime! How To Make a Wind Chime from Silverware.
Resources These are in Tucson, but Google is super helpful for finding help in your town, so USE IT!
- Free Cycle Group in Tucson and other parts of the US, lets you post your free stuff online for pick up or trade with like-minded folks. https://pima.bibliocommons.com/events/search/fq=branch_location_id:(WDS)/event/5a340320eb74102f00e18af2
- Tucson Clean and Beautiful https://tucsoncleanandbeautiful.org/
- My friend Gina Murphy-Darling Mrs. Green’s World is full of helpful tips on how to live a healthy, green life.
Don’t let a few tricky things keep you from purging to your heart’s content. If you have a question, give me a call!
Here’s to a clear new year, Jennifer
