It’s easy to decorate for the Fourth of July #celebration without spending a lot of #money, says Fun, Cheap or Free. Paper chains, balloons and bunting; bouquets of dyed carnations; and other inexpensive red, white and blue decorations from the discount or #thrift store can contribute to the festive atmosphere. Fly the flag, wear #patriotic colors and feature red, white and blue foods at your cookout such as cupcakes with whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries — or just stock up on #American #flag toothpicks for your sandwiches and burgers. As night falls, settle in and enjoy the #fireworks. #FourthOfJuly #IndependenceDay
Tag: donate
Congrats to the Dads & Grads
June is the month of #dads and #grads. Different accomplishments, yes — but the two events can get you #celebrating all month long.
Father’s Day is straightforward enough: You #thank dear old dad for helping raise the family. That may involve cooking a favorite meal, taking him to a game or concert, or any number of other gestures to show how much you appreciate him.
Grads are a little more complicated. You want to mark the milestone and give them a good sendoff if they’re heading to college. This often involves the ceremony, a big potluck, friends and family from various eras of their young lives, and more.
Good #gifts include anything they will need as they move toward independence with nominal life skills: air fryers, a decent set of sheets, maybe a new laptop. And just as practical, Oprah Daily says, are gift cards and cash they can spend on meals and other supplies.
If you really want to go overboard for a college-bound teen, the latest celebration idea is a college reveal party, TLC says. While are a bit controversial, the new trend often includes parties decorated in college colors, “reveal” photoshoots and mailed announcements.
New graduates should take a few days during the summer to #declutter the #stuff that has amassed over the first 18 years of their lives, Making My Way says: “You obviously can’t bring everything to college, and storing everything is just too much of a hassle.”
Want to cut the #clutter and pad your teen’s pockets before sending them off to an expensive trade school, college or university? Ask them to #organize, #declutter, and sell their excess #junk at a #garage or #yard #sale. They can keep the cash to fund the first year.
Dads can benefit from a good #decluttering, too. They usually have even more years’ worth of accumulated #stuff they can afford to part with, and some of them may be getting older and need to #downsize.
You can always #donate that extra #stuff to ClothingDonations.org — and that donation will help fund valuable #veterans programs. Best wishes to the dads and grads this month!
In Search of a Clutter-Free Summer
Memorial Day — the unofficial start of summer— has come and gone. If you’re anything like us at The Organizing Blog, you probably used the long weekend to plant some flowers, take a bike ride, visit with friends and/or have a cookout. Fine pursuits!
But do you know what can make one’s enjoyment of those pursuits (and most others) even better? #Organization! A #clutter-free environment knows no season — and it can provide you with the #clarity you need to truly live in the moment.
Think about it: A cluttered space demands attention. Maybe you waste a lot of time looking for things among the stacks of papers, piles of laundry and dusty gewgaws. Or maybe wrangling all that #stuff leaves you with little down time.
Summer is a great time to get those things under control. With good weather and a few hours each week, you can conquer that #clutter — and enjoy all of the seasons to come.
Start with the #garage. Has that #space attracted a lot of stuff that doesn’t have a home elsewhere ? Go through it and ask yourself why you hide #junk there and if you’ll ever really need those things again. Weed out what you don’t have a use for and set it aside.
Along the way, fine-tune your storage of the things that do have a purpose — even if that purpose is occasional, such as holiday decorations. Sort “like” items into labeled bins and boxes that you can find and access easily without a lot of hunting. Shelve or stack them thoughtfully, and you’ll be creating new space!
Next, do the same for the basement. Organizing your below-ground space likely will have the added benefit of helping you keep cool while you work. Set aside the things for which you don’t have a purpose or can’t find a place, and put them in boxes and bags.
See that growing pile of #junk? Slap some price tags on those things and have a quick #garage or #yard #sale. Or click though to ClothingDonations.org to arrange a #free #donation #pickup. You’ll be #helping the nation’s #veterans and be ready to enjoy the rest of the summer #clutter-free!
Helping Mom Sell and Donate Her Best Stuff
Even if she’s sorry to see #things go, there may be some money in it that encourages Mom to #downsize. Help her sell antiques and collectibles to specialized dealers, post bigger-ticket items on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, or stage a #garage sale to earn some extra cash. #Donate any items of historical significance to the area historical society, and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation pickup of any wearable used clothing, furniture, or other household odds and ends. Whatever you do, take it slow with the “maybe” pile, says HomeLight. Make a box for those items revisit them with your parent every couple of weeks so they can process what they really need. #HelpMomDownsize #MothersDay
When Mom Is Reluctant to Let Go
The problem with helping a parent #downsize is that you likely don’t have the same attachment to their #stuff. If Mom is reluctant to let go of the #things she doesn’t need, consider hiring a professional #declutterer, The Guardian says. They can offer a detached viewpoint and keep the #downsizing process on track. You may also ask parents to #donate their items to a favorite charity so that they know their stuff is going to a good cause rather than into a landfill. That’s where ClothingDonations.org can help; the free service will pick up lightly used clothing and other household items and resell them to fund veterans programs nationwide. #MothersDay #HelpMomDownsize