Did you order and accumulate lot of extra #stuff during the COVID-19 shutdowns last year? Now that the pandemic is on the wane, you can finally have a #garage sale safely and make some money from that extra #junk. Sort through some your clothing, books and household goods and set aside whatever you don’t need that’s still in decent shape. Don’t overwhelm potential patrons with huge quantities of used clothing and books, Wholefully says; display and price only the best items in those categories and donate the rest.
Author: Jordank
Editorial Coordinator
Set Aside Garage Sale Items All Year Long
To sort out the stuff you’d like to sell at your #garage, yard or tag sale, designate a shelf, box or area where you can set aside saleable items you no longer want throughout the year. In this way, you can #declutter the rooms in your home in small, manageable steps, while planning to eventually recapture some of the money you spent. “When you’ve collected enough, it’s sale time,” HGTV says. Sort your items into categories, price them clearly and advertise your sale with signs and online classifieds.
Celebrating the Fourth of July Outdoors
The #pandemic is subsiding in most parts of the country, mostly thanks to a vigorous push to get people vaccinated against COVID-19 as quickly as possible. But you may still wish celebrate Independence Day outdoors this weekend.
The pandemic pushed people to take more of their activities outdoors over the last 18 months since the virus is difficult to transmit in open, well-ventilated areas. And there’s no reason to stop enjoying the outdoors — and the summer sun — now!
You may opt to get together with friends and family over a cookout or at the pool to observe the nation’s 244th birthday over the long weekend. Any or all of these options will now be relatively safe if you continue to take common-sense precautions.
The World Health Organization advises that even fully vaccinated people wear masks and practice other preventive measures such as hand-washing and social distancing to discourage the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.
Most people will be eager to see a parade and fireworks display since so many were canceled in 2020. Leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals, however — with record temperatures throughout the western half of the country, the risk of fire is substantial.
What’s more, pets and veterans alike may be traumatized by fireworks, says American Humane. The boom and bombast of ceremonial fireworks isn’t much different from live ammunition when you suffer from #PTSD.
Veterans’ groups will participate in Independence Day events throughout the country, however, appearing at parades and festivals. Many will feature fundraising for veterans’ causes, and all offer locals the opportunity to #thankaveteran personally.
If you have time, visit one of the country’s many state and national parks. More people have embraced hiking and camping during the pandemic, and there is probably no better or healthier way to see “America the Beautiful” up close.
Whatever you choose to do over the long weekend, try to get outside and celebrate the nation’s birthday safely. The pandemic is not yet over, but the good weather will end before you know it.
VVA Helps Veterans Suffering From PTSD
Evidenced-based treatments can reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in about half of the veterans who suffer them. While peer support and some brief interventions are helpful, Vietnam Veterans of America advocates for or continuing-care models with trained clinicians to help more veterans cope long-term. Your generous #donations of used clothing and household items to ClothingDonations.org can help fund such advocacy efforts and improvements in care.
PTSD Is Common Among U.S. Military Veterans
PTSD is endemic among U.S. military veterans, since their missions often include exposure to horrific, desperate and life-threatening experiences. The VA estimates that 11%–20% of Operations Iraqi Freedom veterans have PTSD in a given year, and about 12% of Gulf War veterans. An estimated 30% of Vietnam veterans have experienced PTSD in their lifetimes. The Vietnam Veterans of America advocates for all veterans with PTSD, regardless of conflict, with help from #donations to ClothingDonations.org.