Tag: donation

Fall Fashion for the Fastidious Declutterer

Posted on by Jordank

September is when the haute couture #fashion houses release their new designs for the year. And while few people can afford to shop the actual runway looks of Paris, New York and Milan themselves, the annual tradition helps set the trends and drives demand for new #clothing at every price point.

This year, the hottest #fall #fashions for women include the relaxed suit, the track pant, the draped top and the corduroy vest, according to Vogue. Men will be wearing knit hoodies, cardigans, rollneck sweaters and long trenchcoats, GQ says.

If you follow the #styles, you may have a lot of #clothes from past seasons in your #closets and drawers. Some may fit perfectly and look great season after season, while other garments may be a bit snug, outdated or just plain unflattering.

With the weather starting to turn cooler and new fall styles hitting the stores, it’s a great time to take stock of your #wardrobe. Do so before you start any fall clothes #shopping, so everything will have a place in your #closet and your personal style.

Start by purging your #closets and #drawers. Take everything out and try things on. Sort your clothes into “love it,” “hate it” and “maybe” piles, says fashion blogger Jo-Lynne Shane. The love-its can eventually go back in the closet, and the hate-its — at least the lightly used ones — can go directly into a #donation pile.

Clothes that just don’t get worn can go in the donation pile, too; there’s no benefit to save #garments for someday. “Once you ruthlessly purge your closet and get rid of all the stuff you don’t wear and don’t love, you can start to rebuild your wardrobe into one you will love to wear,” Shane says.

Once you’re done, you might be surprised at all of the #space you once dedicated to unflattering, ill-fitting and otherwise useless clothing. Contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup and say goodbye to those garments for good.

Afterward, reward yourself with one or two new pieces if you feel like it. You’ll have a streamlined, stylish wardrobe in no time and help the nation’s #veterans, to boot!

Celebrating National Grandparents Day

Posted on by Jordank

Observed on the Sunday after Labor Day each year, National Grandparents Day is a relatively new holiday recognizing the contributions of family elders. Elder activist Marian McQuade — herself the grandmother to 43 children — first championed the concept in 1970, hoping to give families an occasion to connect with patients in nursing care.

West Virginia became the first state to issue a proclamation establishing a Grandparents Day in 1973, and 42 others followed. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a bill designating the Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day starting the following year.

The day should “honor grandparents, give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer,” according to the law. McQuade urged the nation’s youth to “adopt” a grandparent and focus on family time, rather than commercialization.

To celebrate, ask seniors to share their knowledge with grandchildren, Almanac.com suggests. Maybe they like to fish; ask them to demonstrate how. If they like to garden, volunteer a day of yardwork with the grandkids. If they have a favorite recipe, make and enjoy it together. If they have a favorite movie, watch it. The point is to spend quality time together.

Grandparents might appreciate reminiscing with family members; go through their old photo albums and listen to any stories they inspire. Members of the younger, digital-savvy generations can help grandparents #organize those memories by sorting photos into digital albums or printing out a few favorites to frame and hang on the wall.

One thing grandparents often need to do as they age is #downsize. They will appreciate any help you and their grandchildren can lend, and may even wish to offload a few family heirlooms or trinkets for safekeeping. If there’s any #stuff they no longer need or want, you can send it directly to ClothingDonations.org by requesting a #free #donation #pickup.

Grandparents are repositories of family memories, knowledge and wisdom. Remember to celebrate National Grandparents Day with the elders in your family this week!

Keep Your Car Clutter-Free

Posted on by Jordank

Anyone who operates a vehicle knows how quickly it can fill up with papers, empty beverage containers, automotive supplies, receipts and other junk. If you don’t #clean and #organize your vehicle frequently, it can fast become a #cluttered #mess.

The mess gets worse if you’re shuttling kids, who leave articles of clothing, sporting goods and food wrappers in the back seats, glove compartments and seatback pockets. “Kids add a whole new level to car clutter,” says Home Storage Solutions 101.

To keep your ride #clean and #organized, start by reducing the #stuff you keep in it. Remove everything from the car’s interior at the end of each day you drive. Make a habit of emptying cup holders and consoles, and disposing of any #trash.

Once you have a baseline of #cleanliness, buy a seat back or floor organizer to keep any essentials — wipes, a flashlight, first-aid kit, charging cords, etc. — in a single place. Place important documents such as your vehicle registration and insurance card in the glove box.

Keep a trash bag in the car for the wrappers and container that otherwise would get stuffed into a crevice or stashed under a seat. Train yourself and your children to collect all of their stuff at the end of every ride. Repetition will make it second-nature, says blogger Kerilynn Snyder.

Next, establish a regular cleaning routine, Danielle Moss says. Vacuum the floors and wipe down all surfaces and glass. For the easiest #cleanup in all kinds of weather, invest in all-weather floormats to make spills, mud and dirt easy to deal with.

You can often find lightly used baskets, organizers and automotive accessories at the #thrift stores supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org. And if you find any #junk in your car you don’t need as you #declutter, bag it and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup.

Those #donations help fund valuable programs that #help the nation’s #veterans. So you’ll get the good feeling that goes along with #donating to a good cause along with a clean and comfortable vehicle. Happy motoring!

Get the Jump on Back-to-School Season

Posted on by Jordank

For kids and the college-bound, the lazy days of summer will soon come to an end. School starts as early as mid-August in many parts of the United States, so it’s goodbye to campouts and cookouts and swimming pools and pickup games, and back to the books.

Parents will want to take advantage of the many sales. Retailers are promoting back-to-school #deals earlier to tap the average $875 parents will spend this year to get each child outfitted in new clothes, computers and backpacks.

College students need even more to set them up for success: $1,365, according to the National Retail Federation, because they also need basic housewares such as sheets and minifridges. Whatever the student’s age, Good Housekeeping offers a guide to the things they might need.

You’ll want to get your students looking the part, from outfitting them in the latest styles (baggy jeans and leopard prints are back) to getting them a fresh haircut. (Great Clips is offering 24,000 free haircuts and a glossary of Gen Z slang to get parents up to speed.)

“It’s tough to keep up with the latest slang kids are using, but it is important because you can’t help your child succeed if you don’t really know what they want,” says former NSYNC singer Joey Fatone, who stars in a promo with his teenage daughter.

Parents who want to cut the #clutter will also want to prepare for the inevitable onslaught of student projects. Now’s a great time of year to work with your kids to #clean out #closets and make room for new #clothes, #organize a desk and #file last year’s school work.

Set aside any #clothing that still has some useful life in it and contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a #free #donation #pickup. Other parents appreciate the deals they can find at the #thrift stores supplied by those generous #donations, and #veterans benefit from the resale proceeds.

So (attempting Z slang here) don’t do back-to-school mid — gas up your kids for the new year. If your beige flag is organization, it’s a good time for you to cook. But start right away — letting kids start school unprepared is delulu!

Make an Impact on National Give Something Away Day

Posted on by Jordank

National Give Something Away Day — celebrated each year on July 15 — was created as a reminder for people to give back. How you choose to give can take multiple forms, but selfless acts are their own reward.

Many people have much more than what’s necessary to survive, but know that there are people in need nearby. National Give Something Away Day encourages us to take stock of the #things and comforts around us and share them with others.

What you give and to whom is entirely up to you. You might give a friend an old #tchotchke they’ve long admired or a bouquet of flowers. You might buy the person behind you in line a coffee or a sandwich. No gift is too small.

You can also choose #donate the gift of time to a local charity or organization by #volunteering. Perhaps there’s a food pantry or outreach organization that could use your help and specialized knowledge.

One fantastic way to celebrate National Give Something Away Day is to #clean out your #closets and other #storage areas to weed out the #stuff you no longer need. If whatever you find is in wearable or working condition, chances are that somebody else can use it.

Start with a single #closet or room. Sort through all of the #clothing, #books, #decorations and other #household items to see what has a place, setting aside anything that doesn’t fit or only creates #clutter. You’ll probably see the piles build up fast!

Put that #junk into #bags and #boxes and contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a #free #donation #pickup. Not only will you be giving something away and reclaiming #space, you’ll be #helping to fund programs that benefit the nation’s #veterans.

You can observe National Give Something Away Day on any day of the year, of course. But its reminder to give is one that yields benefits for everyone involved. #NationalGiveSomethingAwayDay