On New Year’s Eve in countries such as Italy and South Africa, people throw used furniture and appliances out the window at the stroke of midnight to bring good luck in the new year, Good Housekeeping says. While you may be fed up with some of your old #stuff and eager to replace it, The Organizing Blog doesn’t advocate such dangerous displays of #decluttering. Instead, pack any lightly used goods you don’t want to take into the new year in boxes, bags or compact piles and visit ClothingDonations.org to schedule a free, contactless #donation #pickup at your earliest convenience. #NewYear #NewYou #2023
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New Year, New You? Make a Plan and Be Patient
The phrase “New year, new you” runs counter to the mindfulness concept “Wherever you go, there you are.” But if you wish to make tweaks to your surroundings or habits, the new year is as good a time as any. To encourage success, make your goals specific, realistic and attainable, says VeryWellMind. Start with small, manageable steps and remember that change is a process. Revisit your motivation if progress slows, reevaluate the plan and keep pushing. “Be patient with yourself. Even if you make a misstep or two, you can restart and continue on your journey toward your goal.” #NewYear #NewYou #2023
Take the January ‘Cure’ for Clutter
#Decluttering can start with a single drawer, says Apartment Therapy’s January Cure, an annual #organization challenge that begins with the new year. Start by picking a drawer — any drawer — and dedicate 15 minutes to #cleaning it out. Remove everything from that drawer, clean the interior and replace only what you want to keep in that location back in a tidy, sensible and #organized fashion. Place anything that needs to be relocated or stored in a box and immediately throw what’s broken or unusable into the trash. Mission accomplished! At least one part of your home is clean and organized. #NewYear #NewYou #2023
5 Ways to Shop Sustainably This Holiday Season
You’ve got a dilemma: You want to give gifts that your friends and family will love during the holiday season, but you want to do so without creating undue environmental impact — not such an easy task in today’s global economy.
Mass-market merchandise requires raw materials — petroleum products, rare-earth minerals and so on — that are often toxic to extract. Manufacturing byproducts and product packaging go into landfills and oceans, where they can last thousands of years.
What’s more, even things that break down or recycle easily often travel long distances to get to your front door, using fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources. So even if you buy imported foods for the holiday feast, you add more carbon to the atmosphere.
But there are ways to at least minimize your impact during the #holidays:
1. Support small, local businesses. The closer you are to the product’s source, the less fuel it takes to get to you. Locally grown foodstuffs and handmade items — that one-of-a-kind scarf from the craft fair, for example — have minimal environmental impact and are usually better than anything you can find at a big-box store.
2. Shop sustainable businesses. Businesses that pledge to recycle, use #sustainable materials, plant trees and offset carbon emissions are easier on the environment; just be wary of claims that seem too good to be true. “Fast fashion” brands are some of the worst for creating trash.
3. Give an experience. Tickets to the movies, a local play or concert; a restaurant meal; or gift certificate to a yoga session, spa or salon make great gifts that don’t require a lot of sweatshop labor or create extra greenhouse gases.
4. Shop the thrift. Giving used goods a second chance is a great way to keep lots of clothing and household items out of landfills while saving money. Bonus? Buy from a #thrift shop supplied by #donations to ClothingDonations.org, and you’ll help fund veterans programs.
5. Donate. #Charitable organizations need help on Giving Tuesday and throughout the year. Choose a cause that aligns with your giftee’s goals and #give in their name. It won’t be the same as unwrapping the latest air fryer or smart speaker, but still makes a thoughtful #gift.
#Giving can be its own reward — especially if you shop #sustainably.
Giving Can Be Its Own Reward
Evolutionary theory dictates that gratitude and generosity are linked, Greater Good says, and those who give generously receive in kind and are more likely to survive. So as you begin to shop the #BlackFriday deals online and in person, remember to share some of your good fortune in the spirit of #Thanksgiving. Take some shelf-stable goods or wrapped toys to a holiday drop-off location, #donate a few dollars to your favorite #charity, or schedule a free #donation #pickup of lightly used clothing and household goods to ClothingDonations.org. “Emphasize the giving, and the thanks will follow.”