If you’re anything like the staff of The Organizing Blog, you grow and/or buy a lot of fresh seasonal produce during the summer and fall. But keeping things fresh can be a challenge! To avoid food waste and eat everything at peak, keep heavy items at the bottom of your shopping bag to avoid bruising delicate produce such as peaches and tomatoes, SF Marin Food Bank suggests. Know where to store items for longevity, whether it’s in the refrigerator, on the counter or in the pantry. And if you can’t use fresh produce before it goes bad, process it for later use and freeze or can it. Plan ahead, and you can eat healthy year-round. #FreshProduce
Author: Jordank
Editorial Coordinator
Get Summer Produce While You Can
It’s the end of the growing season for many #summer ruits and vegetables, but you still have a few weeks to take advantage of nature’s bounty. Summer vegetables such as tomatoes, corn and peppers are still widely available, and many root vegetables such as carrots, beets and onions are still coming in. Harvest them, pick up some at the local farmers market or buy some from a CSA before it’s too late. Store-bought produce just doesn’t have the same flavor — and when something lacks flavor, Growing Spaces says, it usually comes up short in nutritional content, too. #FreshProduce
How to Help Your Aging Relatives Declutter and Downsize
As people get older, they often enter a paradox: They have collected a lifetime of memorabilia and possessions, and they may only use a tiny fraction as their needs, interests and health circumstances change.
The problem isn’t limited to the elderly; people of all ages keep substantial amounts of things they don’t necessarily need. But the older one is, the more one is likely to have amassed a lot of #stuff — and the more likely that life changes will demand a #downsizing.
If one of your parents, relatives or friends is “getting up there” in age, they may need some help #decluttering. It can be physically, mentally and emotionally challenging, says The Homes I Have Made, but the effort will be worthwhile.
#Clutter affects physical safety and mental well-being. Once thoroughly #decluttered, a home is easier to navigate and keep #clean if a relative plans on aging in place. And if they are planning on moving to a smaller space or a sunnier location, it will be easier to pack up and go.
The whole family can get involved if an aging parent has a lot of stuff — sharing memories and making new ones. Take your time, but have everyone involved target specific areas for decluttering. Have boxes and bags ready and take frequent breaks to enjoy one another’s company.
When you help a family member shed cherished furnishings and accessories, you can ensure that those things go to a good home. Someone in the family may need that antique armoire that’s been in the family for decades, for example, or want to give that dining-room set a new home.
Any unwanted goods can be #donated to a worthy charity. ClothingDonations.org accepts used clothing, furniture, appliances, housewares, kitchen items, media, toys and many other items, for example, and will pick them up to make #decluttering convenient. Those #donations will be resold to help fund valuable #veterans programs throughout the country.
It’s never easy to #declutter or #downsize, but your aging relatives don’t have to go it alone — or worse, suddenly have to make a life change that’s hindered by a lifetime of stuff. Start today to make their golden years happy, healthy and #clutter-free.
Get Rid of Everything at Your Garage Sale
To make top dollar at your #garage, #yard or #tag sale, price everything, says How Stuff Works; you don’t want to have to make up prices on the spot. Garage-sale #bargain-shoppers will always try to #haggle, but a tagged or priced item — even if it’s in a $1 bin — will at least offer a starting point for negotiation and get closer to your desired price. Remember, you don’t want to reintegrate this #decluttered #stuff; price merchandise to move. Bulk prices and half-price Sundays are fair game. Schedule a #donation #pickup with ClothingDonations.org for the day after your sale, and you’ll never see that stuff again! #GarageSale
Ask Family Members to Help With Your Garage Sale
To stage a successful #garage, #yard or #tag sale, get your family involved, says Lady and the Blog. Ask them to “clean out every nook and cranny in the home,” leaving nothing unturned. Have kids go through their toys and sort out which they no longer play with and try on #clothes to find out which don’t fit. Since some of what’s to be sold is their stuff, you want to get them involved in the #decluttering, preparation and setup. It can create what’s known in large organizations as “buy-in” — an investment in the sale’s success. If they do a good job, consider sharing the profits! #GarageSale