This is how the back of my car looks these days...
NO, I am not running away from home!
But I am giving much of the overflow in my house away! My conscience has been bothering me lately. I have SO SO MUCH STUFF! I'm not talking about junk... I have plenty of that too...
I'm talking STUFF...STUFF others could probably use... good STUFF. It sits.... and sits.... and collects dust in my home!
I've been rummaging through my STUFF and finding organizations that could use it. And there are a lot of places that are so happy for good STUFF. We live in tough economic times and many people need good STUFF!
So my tip for today is a reminder...
" GIVE IT AWAY" !
It helps others and you!
It's a WIN WIN proposition...but you already knew that!
Please join me for TUTORIALS TIPS AND TIDBITS... share your DYT's, great tips and any little tidbit you wish to show us and show off! Link goes live Wednesdays at 8:00 pm!
Yvonne...such a great thing!!!...I love taking my "stuff" to our local Habitat for Humanity Store...and take my clothes to Goodwill since Habitat does not accept clothing..
ReplyDeleteI'm doing the same thing Yvonne, in fact today is the day I take another load up to our Goodwill store. Its amazing that after the "stuff" is gone I don't seem to miss it.
ReplyDeleteI do this frequently and I don't mss it after its gone. It's a good thing to do on many levels! Good to remind others.
ReplyDeleteNow, if we could stop buying more! Ha ha!
Good for you, Yvonne! I am always putting things on the side in our guest room that will be brought to Goodwill, once I have enough to put in a box.
ReplyDeleteGreat advise Yvonne.
ReplyDeleteYvonne -- I am on a crusade to reduce my STUFF. I've given, sold, traded and tossed. It is very freeing :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Gail
Yvonne, as I go through all my stuff in the art studio, I find your advice timely. I too, have too much stuff! Time to get rid of some of it! Once a year I have a major closet cleaning out to get rid of all that extra stuff that just collects dust. I could probably do it more often. Thanks for reminding me. You go, girl!
ReplyDeleteI really need to do the same....
ReplyDeleteGood reminder! Yesterday my 16-y-o daughter took a ton of her excess clothes (she buys at thrifts & consignments, but still, too much!) to an inner city ministry - the woman in charge was thrilled to get these things, just in time for school. Can I just (humbly) say that I was so proud of my girl?! Mary
ReplyDeleteI've been doing the same for the past few years. It's taken me 30 years to acquire all this stuff (and we started with nothing) and I know I can't purge everything in a weekend so I just keep chipping away. ~Roberta
ReplyDeleteThat's why I like moving...you can re-evaluate and clear out
ReplyDeleteSTOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want the blue and white pieces:):):)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, this IS a good thing. You know I took about 12 carloads away to GW when I was packing. You are a good person. I do wish I had those 2 blue and white pieces though:):):)
ReplyDeleteAnyone would be happy to have your STUFF, Yvonne. Awesome, even in the back of your car. Love how you think !!
ReplyDeleteJust took some clothing and miscellaneous to Goodwill last Friday, I wish I could grab those yellow and blue toile pillows out of your SUV. I just bought the entire stock of that print from Hancock's for next springs decorating projects. It had been marked down to $ 2.59 a yard. It's a "release" so to speak when I donate ..... makes me feel good.
ReplyDeleteWe faced some of the same a few years ago. After the first pang of "what if I get to need it again" came a liberating sense of helping, giving, sharing.
ReplyDeleteNow when I look the empty spaces left I smile and imagine the pleasure it gave the new owners to receive and have it. And I haven't missed a thing since...
" He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. " Proverbs 19:17
I gave away 3 rooms a couple of weeks ago, furniture included. GIVE, is my theme this year, so of course I 100% agree with your post.
ReplyDeleteSonny, how precious and thoughtful of you. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
DeleteGood for you! Wishing I was the recipient of your "stuff".
ReplyDeleteMy husband told me I couldn't bring home any more STUFF till I got rid of some STUFF! LOL~ There is such a need out there for things. It is amazing to me at how we can bless another person with just the smallest of things at times. Great post. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
ReplyDeleteYvonne,
ReplyDeleteI agree...totally! I do this every Season! I have several donation places that take a variety of items! A word about stuff!!! As we grow, our taste in decor changes or evloves...by getting rid of those items we no longer desire it allows us to realize whom we have become. So~o~o glad that you're on a crusade...know that those who recieve these items will be blessed!!!
Fondly,
Pat
We are blessed that in our city, an assortment of community agencies have trucks that come to different neighborhoods every couple of months. They call and let you know when they'll be in your neighborhood. We put our donations on the front porch in a box or sack labeled with the initials of the appropriate organization. It's a great way to constantly edit the things in our house...a sack or box or two at a time. It's always interesting to realize that once I give something away, I never even miss it. Cherry Kay
ReplyDeleteI have so much STUFF also. I could probably furnish several homes just with STUFF that I have in my attic. I have extra furniture that my husband wants to hold onto because our children will be off to college soon. I think I have extra everything. I do go through stages of giving away and getting rid of and it feels so good. It feels great to lighten up.
ReplyDeleteI just did that and gave some to friends and took a ton like you have to GW. My car was stuffed and even took the truck for one load. Great idea. Hugs, marty
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely right about this Yvonne. I dusted a bookshelf and thinned stuff yesterday.
ReplyDeleteGiving is always a good thing....because we can probably all say that we are blessed!
ReplyDeleteI am a volunteer Social worker for the local Salvation Army and have been for the last 21 years. I pop in and fill in the gap when the full timers are on holidays, or when they are super swamped. Haven't done much this year due to health issues :-(
ReplyDeleteSo I donate all my 'stuff' to the Center of Hope. The homeless shelter where families and singles live. We take them in, counsel them, help them get situated and into new housing and they need all the trappings of a home to make a life... so I have donated dishes, linen, furniture....
It does a heart good to help!! We get back so much in return.
:-)
Cheers, Gee
Gee, I love this!!! Good for you~ Bless your heart!
DeleteYvonne, Sweet Summer Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteJust about ready to take a load to a ministry as I type. Want to do this weekly until I am where I should be.
God bless and may you have a wonderful Labor Day Week-end!
d
AHHH you and I are on the same wavelength!! I am battling the urge to purge everything remotely un-needed from my house. I'm tired of shuffling it, cleaning it, and looking at it not being used. It's like a need for a fall clean. I've found some great spots in my area recently that GIVE things to people - not SELL them to them. Don't get me wrong - there's a great mission behind Goodwill and Salvation Army UNLESS you don't have any money to by things there! Anyway, this is totally the push I needed to purge the rest of the un-needed stuff and free myself of the battle!!!
ReplyDeleteYvonne,
ReplyDeleteI agree these are tough times and many of us have too much stuff, myself included which I try to donate often.
I see a few things in the back of your car I would like to find! Love those pillows
Have a great day, Elizabeth
Yvonne I have done this in the recent past, and trust me I need to do it more often and get rid of more STUFF!! You are so right we all waaaaay too much stuff. My garage is full of things I use some of the time and others I have not used for years. You are bringing up some good points, it is a win-win situation.
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday,
Kathysue
It is so very convicting when you truly stand back and evaluate all that has been given to you by the Lord. We are so very spoiled here in America and easily forget about the true needs that are out there. We just recently moved and Having to look at all the stuff ( good stuff ) that had just been sitting and us holding onto it was quite sad. Thankfully the Lord got a hold of our hearts. I just pray it stays that way!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing and for visiting my blog yesterday!
Blessings
Angelina
Been there, done that. Moved into a home 1/2 the size (if not more than half!) so am still clearing out!!! The most wonderful feeling, I think. xo
ReplyDeleteYvonne: You are so right. We (I) tend to hold onto 'stuff' that we have, even though we have no place for it, or we'think' we might have use for it again. Get rid of it already(Me)! I'm trying and this makes it so much easier, Thanks for the guilt trip!..Happy Wednesday..Judy
ReplyDeleteYvonne, You are doing the right thing! I take all my overflow to Goodwill for one big reason...Goodwill does good work. I could easily, and I'm sure you could too, send it to a consignment shop. The money for those decor items is already spent and I love the idea that someone else gets it for little cost and enjoys it long after it had a place in my home. It's one small way to give back. I keep a box in my pantry all the time and when it's full, it goes into my car and off to Goodwill.
ReplyDeleteGood advice indeed! I've been scaling back for a while now, it's nice to know someone else will use it:@)
ReplyDeleteYvonne,
ReplyDeleteI agree! I have no patience for clutter or unused items.
I'm trying to do the same thing, Yvonne. I will say, however, that if I lived close to you I would be stalking any thrifts I thought you were donating to.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it takes such strength to detangle yourself from the emotional attachments you have for something! It's like an I Love Lucy episode where she tries desperately to throw the sticky paper away only to find it still attached to her hand!! The last purging I did.. and boy! I really do love to purge, no kidding!... I had several carloads of stuff I took to Goodwill. It feels good to see it go and rarely do I regret doing so. Thanks for letting me be part of this Linky party... hope to see you next week!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Yvonne. It is a good feeling to give usable items to someone who will truly appreciate them. I thank you for stopping by my blog for a visit today--it always brightens my day!
ReplyDeleteYvonne, I look a car load to the thrift store yesterday. It is a win-win! Now my guests will have a usable closet in the guest
ReplyDeleteroom. LOL Now it is on to the upstairs guest room closet! ~ Sarah