Have you noticed how good you feel when you let go of stuff that you don’t use anymore? Don’t you feel even better knowing that when you donate those things, you’re actually doing something nice for someone else?

Here are three ways you can lighten your own load and get that “feel good” feeling.  Btw, remember to check the rules of donation before you start giving stuff away.

1.  Balls, Bats, and Other Sports Stuff . If your garage or attic is filled with old soccer balls, basketballs, baseball bats, or even barely used golf clubs, check out iLoveSchools.com, a website that will connect you with teachers in need of need of supplies, including sports equipment. Take a look at SportsGift.org as well. They’re an organization that helps impoverished and disadvantaged children worldwide by creating sports related community sports programs. Oh, and don’t forget you can send your athletic (and all types of gently worn) shoes to Soles4Souls.org.

2. Magazines. Got mags? Lots of ‘em? If you don’t like the idea of recycling the last fifty issues of Real Simple, why not donate them? Hand them off to locations where they’ll be appreciated and read.  Try giving them to your local car repair shop (e.g., Jiffy Lube), community center, doctor’s office, women’s shelter, senior center, or retirement home. Some child care centers and schools may take those old mags so children to use them in craft projects.

3. Furniture and Housewares. If your children’s old bunk beds are still hanging around or taking up space in the garage, here are two ways to donate a variety of furniture.

»The National Furniture Bank will take gently used furniture (e.g., beds, dressers, nightstands, tables, chairs, sofas, and lamps) and give them to needy families, including victims of natural disasters, those fleeing domestic violence, formerly homeless people, and working families living below the poverty line. If you’re in the DC area, check out A Wider Circle.

»Homstretch, located in Fairfax, Virginia, helps homeless families get back on their feet. They will accept furniture, linens, smoke detectors, vacuums, school supplies, and many other items. Click here to see their wishlist.

This might be the time of year when many people start thinking about giving, but, really, you can give at any time during the year. And, you don’t have to go shopping to do it.

There are many people in your neighborhood and around the world who are in great need. So, go through your closets, bookshelves, garages, attics, supply closets, and any other place where you stash stuff you (1) never use, (2) don’t fit or flatter you or (3) that you forgot you had!

Don’t worry, collecting donations doesn’t have to clutter your home or office, and it can be very easy. Simply keep a basket or re-usable bag in your closet (or next to your bookcase or at the top of the stairs or on a shelf in the garage…you get the picture).  Every time you put something on that doesn’t fit, you don’t like anymore, or just isn’t flattering – even if you still like it – throw it in your basket or bag.

Take a few minutes and go look for things that no longer bring joy to your life or serve the purpose you thought they would. You’ll feel good about clearing out your space and actually be doing something good for someone else…maybe even an entire family.

Got shoes? My friend and colleague, Scott Roewer, is making a trip to Haiti in January 2011 to donate lots of them with Soles for Souls. He’s also collecting shoes throughout the year for a huge DC event. To find a drop off location, click here.

Welcome to our regular “Transformers” feature (click link and scroll down to see them all). A transformer is a thing that started out as one thing, has been rehabbed, and now functions as another thing.  A transformer can also be a thing that is really another thing all at the same time. Check out our latest find…

I am fascinated by useful objects that look like one thing – and really are that thing – but then turn into something else equally as useful. So far, I’ve found a desk that turned into a bed and a floor that turned into a table.

This time, I’ve got something that used to be one thing that has been transformed into something else almost completely different: a refrigerator that was redesigned as cool seating (pardon the pun).

Know what’s even cooler? It’s got leather seats from an old BMW. Cool and fast…nice. ;)

Cherry red 1986 BMW 325e back seat in olive green 1980 Gibson Frost Clear Deluxe Refrigerator trimmed with red mahoghany shelves and fold-down freezer door side table.

“I like to look through this section of an auto scrap yard that’s all European cars — BMWs, Audis, Mercedes — all in really good shape, because people just don’t want to put the money into fixing them. I have a selection of car seats that I save up at my studio.” ~Adrian Johnson

Black Leather 1988 BMW 535i back seat w/ fold-down arm rest in Harvest Gold 1980 GE No Frost refrigerator w/ dark walnut oak shelving, swinging freezer door side-table, storage cabinet and Ipod compatible Phillips sound system.

“I want people to see the creative value in reusing, rather than always wanting new from the store, which contributes to our massive waste problem.” ~Adrian Johnson

Navy blue 1984 BMW 735i back seat w/ central arm rest in Electric Orange 1983 Admiral Dual-Temp refrigerator trimmed w/ pecan oak shelving, integral padded arm-rests adjustable side racks, lower door shelf with fridge handle legs.

Sources:

TreeHugger

SouthCoastToday

FridgeCouch.com

Check Out These Other Transformers

Donating  items that you no longer need or want can be very rewarding.   You get a less cluttered space and someone else gets something they need.  Before you go on give-away campaign, be sure that you follow these simple rules of thumb.

1.  Give the good stuff. On the surface, it may sound counterintuitive, afterall, you want to keep the good stuff, right? Remember, it’s only good if it’s useful to you. So, be sure to only donate something that functions as intended (read: not broken). This also means giving clothing that is clean and CDs that are not scratched. A couple questions to ask yourself before donating would be:  ”Would I buy this exactly as it is?” or “Would I be offended if I received this as a gift?”

2.  Give the good stuff with all the parts. Wouldn’t it be great to get that gently used, really fabulous thing that you’ve always wanted?  Not so much if the power cord for the really fabulous thing is missing.  If you can’t find all the parts, you may want to consider recycling.

3.  Give the good stuff with all the parts without your marks. This means that if your name is on it, you’ll have to remove it.  When in doubt, refer to the questions in #1.

Back in February 2010, I discovered the art of Michael Johansson.  He was quite clever with how he organized every day things.

My most recent find (thanks to Alltop) is the work of Jacqueline Rush Lee who makes sculptures from used books. Some of you may cringe at that thought, but it sounds like a better option than having books packed away in a box, never to be seen again.

“As an artist I am inspired by the materials, colors and forms that I find in my everyday environment. I am particularly drawn to objects that record physical processes or bear the imperfections and scars of life.” ~Jacqueline Rush Lee

“I am interested in how these recycled books come with their own histories of use and meaning and how they serve as potent vehicles of expression. With the idea of working with them as my canvas or building block, I transform the books into sculptures that explore and redefine the book as familiar object, medium, and archetypal form.” ~Jacqueline Rush Lee

Got shoes?  Lots of them? If they hurt, you don’t like them anymore, you haven’t worn them in years, you’ve worn them too much, you’ve been tripping over them, or you just have too many, this is a good time to give them the boot!  Here are six ways you can do that:

• Nike Reuse-a-Shoe Send Nike your sneakers and they will recycle them and turn them into running tracks or even a basketball court. This is a great option if you have children who quickly outgrow their kicks, especially if they’ve been a bit beat up.  Nike really wants your old, worn out athletic shoes.

• Soles4Souls This organization will take new and gently worn shoes and send them to people in need in places like Thailand, Nepal, and even areas here in the U.S.

• One World Running This group sends new and almost new shoes, T-shirts, and shorts to several international locations.

• Sole Responsibility This Ottawa based organization was first started by a group of runners.  They donate gently used running and walking shoes to the needy in Ethiopia.  In the past, they have donated to Chad, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Cameroon.

• The Shoe Bank All types of foot coverings are welcome:  women’s, men’s, children’s, dress, and athletic shoes of any size.  After collecting them, they are sent to several social service agencies (local and overseas) to be distributed.

• RecycledRunners.com This a directory of national and international recycling programs. For serious athletes who tend to beat up their shoes often, this is a good way to choose what will happen to your old shoes and where they will go.

The best way to manage magazine clutter is to cut back on subscriptions, particularly for those that you don’t read often.   When you have finished reading the ones you like, move them onto the next stage of their life by:

• Being Green. Throw them in the recycling bin.  That’s it.  You’re done.  Well, not exactly.  You still have to take the bin to the curb to be picked up.
  
• Donating to an Office. Give them to your local hospital, doctor’s/dentist’s office, retirement home, or women’s shelter (basically, anywhere people have to wait).
  
• Donating to an Individual. Give them to your neighbors (or friends/family) who like that particular mag.  If your  neighbors are new to the area, be sure the magazine is current and perhaps add it to a welcome basket.

I do have one final thing to share that may sound a bit odd.  You could keep one rolled up magazine in your car, tote bag, or murse.  Why?  Strangely enough, it can be used as a self-defense tool (seriously).  I watched an episode of Fight Science on National Geographic where this was demonstrated.  Of course, I’d much rather you not have to make that type of decision (nor am I advocating that you do this), but it’s an interesting tidbit, no?

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• How to recycle old New Yorkers (timesunion.com)

I usually tell my clients to donate or responsibly discard their unwanted electronics.  Now, there’s another option, one that might get them a bit of cash: Gazelle. Simply answer a few questions about the condition of your used tech, Gazelle makes you an offer, and even sends you a postage paid container to ship it.  If it turns out that your item “has no market value,” Gazelle will recycle it for you.

Check out this video for more details…

Related Articles

• A Site That Pays You to Recycle (gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Niche Sites Going After eBay (online.wsj.com)

“Why should I pay the same as someone else who throws away twice as much?” ~Ellis Burruss, Frederick County Solid Waste Advisory Council

How do you feel about the concept of paying for what you throw away?  That means that the more you buy, consume, and discard, the more you pay for the garbage you throw away.  Ellis Burruss of Frederick County, MD doesn’t believe he should have to pay for trash service because he recycles just about everything.

The idea is waste less and pay less, or in Mr. Burruss’ case, pay nothing.  If you have more “re-usables,” then you’ll also have less to throw away.  If you shop less, then you also have less to throw out (and theoretically, you’re likely to be living a more simple life).  Less garbage = smaller landfills = good for the environment = everybody’s happy…right?

Hit people where it hurts the most – their pocket – and they’ll do almost anything, yes?  What do you think?  Is this the right course of action?  Leave a comment with your thoughts and take the poll below.

Would you recycle more if you what you paid for trash pick up was based on the volume of your trash?

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Overloaded with paper clutter? I normally advise anyone struggling with piles of paper clutter to spend some time every day separating/recycling the junk followed by sorting, categorizing, and containerizing documents they must keep. It’s a logical process, though not one that most people enjoy.

Well, if you have a green thumb, there’s a solution you might just love: gardening.  Recently, The Huffington Post profiled Garden Girl and her daughter, Garden Kid, about how they successfully combined “newspapers, kitchen scraps, and junk mail” to create nutrient-rich soil (with the help of earthworms) for their house plants. This is perhaps not how we usually think about decluttering or managing paper clutter, but here’s why this may be a good option for you:

1. You can quickly decrease your paper piles

2. You can remove your “shred” pile from your home/office almost immediately

3. You make less trips to the curb for recycling pick ups

4. You declutter in a way you love and are likely to keep up with

5. If you involve your children (or other loved ones), you’ll get help with decluttering and spend time together

Still not sure if this right for you?  Need a little inspiration?  Check out the video below to hear what Garden Girl and Garden Kid had to say.  If you’ve been using your garden to get rid of your paper clutter, tell us about it.

“I’m taking the waste that we make every single day and composting it in my home and not putting out on the curb.  I’m utilizing here, right here on my land.  I take it, I consume it, and I reuse it.  Then we’re gonna consume it again and then we’re gonna reuse it.”