Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you find some helpful hints for organizing your time and space. My passions are to help you make home a refuge instead of a crisis center, and to help you function in peace rather than chaos - at home or at work. I have switched my main blog to 1-2-3 ... Get Organized on WordPress, so please visit me there.



Monday, June 14, 2010

Cherry Blooms - The Perfect Organizing Bag!!

   
If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you know I've been searching for the perfect organizing bag! Well .... I've found it!

 Cherry Blooms!

With 14 compartments to organize everything in your handbag, Cherry Bloom's Cherry (Medium) Bag Organizer allows you to change and alternate handbags with ease, in just seconds.

Made from durable polycanvas material and lined with plastic to ensure spills don't ruin your handbag, it is a must-have for every woman!

And yes, Cherry Blooms has thought of everything - all their bag organizers have internal zippers and velcro on the pockets so your precious items don't fall out, and come with a key ring with a strap to make your keys easily
accessible.
When I got my bag, I couldn't wait to organize my purse! I dumped everything out.


And voila!




Not only will this bag organizer (which stands upright on its own) protect your valuable items including sunglasses, phones, cameras and iPods, but it has two sturdy handles making it easy to transfer it from one bag to another.

It is guaranteed to save you time by organizing your handbag's contents, and the wide range of colors and styles available will put a smile on your face too! I love my Cherry Bloom's Bag Organizer!


More on purse organizing:

Declutter Your Purse with Celebrity Hairstylist's Invention

Pouchee Purse Organizer

Get Organized Month 2009 - Declutter Your Wallet/Purse

 

Recycling Electronics and Appliances

   
My husband and I are celebrating 35 years of marriage today! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. :) So enough of the mush, on to our blog for today ...

Electronics and appliances are hard to get rid of at times. When you buy new ones, you can often arrange for your old ones to be collected when your new ones are delivered.

However, if that is not applicable to your situation, here are some places where you can dispose of them. Some of them charge a fee and some don't, so read the fine print. 

Best Buy

Recycling or 1-800-Recycling 

My Green Electronics

ECycling Central

Goodwill - many will take working and nonworking electronics and appliances. Some take old batteries, cell phones and cords, used ink cartridges.

Recycle Steel


More on recycling:

Recycling Compact Fluorescent Lamps (Lightbulbs)

Recycling Computer Components

More Eco-Friendly Recycling

 


Friday, June 11, 2010

Peace-of-Mind Vacation Check List

   
It's summertime and that means it's vacation time, too! Whether it's a weekend jaunt or a longer trip, you'll want to feel comfortable leaving your home alone. Here's a blog post I have done for the past couple of summers about what to do before you go away.


Peace-of-Mind Vacation Check List - What to Do Before You Leave

In order to insure that your time away on vacation is relaxing and refreshing, make sure to take care of a few things before you leave.
 

- Make arrangements for your mail and packages. One option is to stop your mail through the post office. If you do this, you may want to ask a neighbor to watch for packages, as well. We have a weekly paper that is delivered whether we want it or not - it's a sure sign that we're not home if it's sitting on our front porch for days.

Another option is to get a neighbor or friend to pick up your mail and watch for packages. Sometimes we hire a neighbor kid to pick up the mail and walk around the house to look for packages. UPS sometimes delivers to our front porch and sometimes to our back porch!

- Put your lights on timers. We have some that are programmable to go on at different times each night. It makes it look like you are home and there is activity in different parts of the house. We actually leave them on all the time, so if we're out for the evening, it doesn't look like it.

- Stop your newspapers. Most newspapers give you the option to donate your unused days to schools, etc. It's still helpful to have someone watch, though, as we've had newspapers delivered even when we've requested a stop.

- Make arrangements for your pets - a kennel, someone to come over and feed and play with your cat, feed your fish or birds, etc. There are all sorts of pet-sitting services these days, too.

- Don't forget your plants and/or garden- either have someone water them or use a long-term watering system.

- Make arrangements for your lawn. A shaggy yard with yellow newspapers sitting around is an invitation to thieves.

- Pay your bills that will be due while you are gone and soon after you arrive home. You don't want to have to face bills as soon as you come home!

- Remove perishable items from your fridge and pantry. You may want to make a list of items you'll need when you return while it's fresh on your mind, so you don't have to think about it when you come home. Both milk and bread are freezable - just remember to buy milk with the screw-on lids and empty a little so it doesn't explode all over your freezer!

- Adjust your thermostats to save energy while you're away. If you have a programmable thermostat, set it to reflect your absence.

- Give a neighbor your cell phone number or contact number - just in case they notice water pouring out of your house, or some other such emergency!

- Look back at your house as you leave. We almost left our front door open once. And you certainly don't want to be wondering if you left your garage door open!

- While you're away, you may want to pick up a souvenir or gift for anyone watching your house, pets, or plants. 

With all these details taken care of, you'll have peace of mind while you're away and can enjoy being refreshed and rejuvenated!

More on vacations:

Christmas in July

Organize an Emergency Kit for Your Car

Organize Your Family Vacation

 

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Organizing My Herb Garden 2010

  

Since we moved last September, I had to start over with my herb garden. I especially miss my perennial mint and chives. It was so nice to have them already growing in the spring without us doing anything!

Both of these come back with a vengeance, and spread, so you have to be careful where you plant them. My husband planted my mint (spearmint and peppermint) at the end of our deck so I can just walk out and pick it when I want to make some mint tea.

He planted (I have hip and knee issues - isn't he wonderful?) basil, parsley, dill, chives, and cilantro in another area, close to the house so I can go snipping at will.

We discovered some tomato plants that had started growing on their own this spring in that area, so we made room for them to grow among the herbs.  

In previous years, I planted way more herbs than I knew what to do with. But it was fun to experiment. Now I have settled down to the ones I use most, and it's easier to manage. 

I bought a very interest package of all different kinds and colors of little tomatoes at BJ's the other day, so maybe I'll add a little breschetta or tomato basil salad tonight for dinner tonight.


More on herbs:

Herb Recipes

Dinner in 10 - Herbed Tilapia

Organizing Your Herb Garden, Part 4 - Using Your Herbs for Healing 

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

An Attractive Way to Organize Your Garden Hose

  
We've all seen equipment that stores garden hoses. Here's something that does the job but in an attractive way: hose pots. They look like garden pots, but make your hose available to you without being unsightly.


Here are a couple of examples:


CopperHosePot.jpg


Most garden centers and hardware stores carry hose pots, starting at around $40.


More on gardening:

Organizing Your Garden - Creating Your Own Compost

Using Your Snow Shovel Year Round - Another Gardening Tip

Organizing Your Herb Garden

 

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Treasure Hunt Dinner

  
It's the last day of school for our girls! I always look forward to a less structured schedule. It's busy, but a different kind of busy. 

Summer is a wonderful time to invest in our foster daughters. We're hoping to use the summer to build some character as well as have fun. We can be intentional about the positive influencers in their lives and minimize the negative ones.

It's also a time when it's hard to have some personal "refill" time, as my mom calls it. When I plan each week, I will make it a priority to find some time to myself.

When you need a creative idea, here's another activity to do when everything sounds boring: a treasure hunt dinner.


Treasure Hunt Dinner

 Have four courses (veggie platter, fruit salad, entree, dessert) and hide them in or out of the house, depending on the weather. I use coolers if needed. 

Make up three clues for each course. You read the first clue. From then on, whoever finds the clue reads it. He/she must wait until everyone is there and can hear or until everyone has finished that course. 

When you find a course, you must eat it where you find it - in the garage, in the bathroom - make it fun!

When everyone is finished with a course, give out the next clue and continue. At each course, you can ask a question everyone has to answer: Where would you like to visit? What is your favorite color and why? Who is your favorite person in history? What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

This is a fun event to do for birthday parties, when your kids have friends visiting, or just as a family. It's a bit of work, but a fun memory.

See sample clues below.
Dinner #1


Clue #1 – my hand
It’s not in the mixer
It’s not in the toaster
It’s on the first floor
In a drawer with coasters.

Clue #2 – Coaster drawer
It’s not on a cow
It’s not on an ox
But it’s where we get our mail
A big white box.

Clue #3 – Mail box
Go down one floor
Between two chairs
It’s in the ice bucket
But who cares?

Veggies/dip in the basement

Clue #4 – Ice bucket between chairs
Go to the room
Where you take a bath
Open the cupboard
You’re on the right path.

Clue #5 – basement bathroom
A bunch of books
In the second floor hall
Look for “Virtue”
Not hard at all.

Clue #6 – Book of Virtues
Go out the back
Open a door
Look in a cooler
Near the floor

Breschetta/bread in the cooler in garage

Clue #7 – In garage
Go up the stairs
To the second floor
Look under the tissues
Not in a drawer

Clue #8 – Under Kleenex in 2nd fl. bath
Go outside
Spot a table
Look underneath
If you’re able

Clue #9 – under picnic table
The very next clue
Is not in your sock
Not on a rock
But in a crock.

Spaghetti sauce/spaghetti in crockpot

Clue #10 – under crockpot
The next clue you find
Look for a lion
Who’s in a movie
Oh! Stop you’re cryin’

Clue #11 - Lion King video
Where’s the next clue?
I’ll never tell
Look somewhere low
Where there’s a bell.

Clue #12 – In the bell cabinet
We still have dessert
For us to eat
Look where we keep
Things that go on our feet

Cookies in entry umbrella holder

 
Dinner #2

Clue #1 – my hand
It’s not in the mixer
It’s not in the toaster
It’s on the first floor
In a drawer with coasters.

Clue #2 – Coaster drawer
It’s not on a cow
It’s not on an ox
But it’s where we get our mail
A big white box.

Clue #3 – Mail box
Go down one floor
In front of two chairs
It’s on a foot stool
But who cares?

Veggies/dip in the basement

Clue #4 – On foot stool
Go to a place
Where we keep snacks
Run up the stairs
You’re right on track

Clue #5 – chips box
A bunch of books
In the second floor hall
Look for “Virtue”
Not hard at all.

Clue #6 – Book of Virtues
Go up one flight
Open a door
The second course
So you can eat more!

Fruit/white bowls/napkins in attic by craft table
 

Clue #7 – In attic
Go back downstairs
To the second floor
Look under the tissues
Not in a drawer

Clue #8 – Under Kleenex in 2nd fl. bath
Go downstairs
Spot a table
Look underneath
If you’re able

Clue #9 – under antique table
The very next clue
Is not in your sock
Not on a rock
But in a crock.

Spaghetti sauce/spaghetti in crockpot

Clue #10 – under crockpot
The next clue you find
Look for a lion
Who’s in a movie
Oh! Stop you’re cryin’

Clue #11 - Lion King video
Where’s the next clue?
I’ll never tell
Look somewhere low
Where there’s a bell.

Clue #12 – In the bell cabinet
We still have dessert
It won’t be long
Look in a drawer 
Where mats belong

Cookies in drawer with placemats

Dinner #3

Clue #1 – my hand
It’s not in the mixer
It’s not in the toaster
It’s on the first floor
In a drawer with coasters.

Clue #2 – Coaster drawer
It’s not on a cow
It’s not on an ox
It’s where we keep cars
On top of a box.

Clue #3 – Garage on a box
Go down one floor
Look for matching chairs
It’s on a foot stool
But who cares?

Veggies/dip in the office

Clue #4 – On foot stool
Go to a place
Where we keep snacks
Run up the stairs
You’re right on track

Clue #5 – chips box
A bunch of books
Is where you will find
A babysitter’s clue
Of the best kind

Clue #6 – Babysitter’s book
Go up one flight
And open a door
Where guests spend the night
We’ll eat on the floor

Fruit/white bowls/napkins in guest bedroom

Clue #7 – Guest Room
Go back downstairs
To the bottom floor
Look under the tissues
Not in a drawer

Clue #8 – Under Kleenex in basement powder room
Go around the corner
And spot a table
Look underneath
If you’re able

Clue #9 – under antique table
The very next clue
Is not on your head
It’s not on a sled
But an empty bed

ham/cheese/tuna/crackers in empty bedroom

Clue #10 – Empty room
Where’s the next clue?
I’ll never tell
It’s in a tree
Next to some bells.

Clue #11 - Christmas Tree
The next clue you find
Look for a lion
Who’s in a movie
Oh stop your cryin’

Clue #12 – Second Hand Lion
We still have dessert
It won’t be long
Look in a drawer 
Where crafts belong

Cookies in craft dresser



More on Summer Fun:

Organizing Some Fun

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Outdoor Decathlon

Organizing Your Fun Time



 

Monday, June 7, 2010

Simplifying Summer Dishes

  
Drinking glasses seem to multiply during the summertime, don't they? Last year I came up with an idea to try to reduce the number of drinking glasses we use each day. I found a package containing four different colors of disposable plastic glasses. Each person chose a color. But I felt very un-green!

This year we found a box of eight large plastic drinking glasses - two in each of the four colors. Since these are sturdy and dishwasher-safe, I feel much better about using them. 

We only have two foster daughters at the moment, so we can each choose one color. If we get more girls, we'll let the girls use the colorful glasses and my husband and I will use other ones. 

It's amazing how few glasses we are using now! The only problem is that the colors don't always go with my color scheme. But I guess I'll live with it!


More summertime hints:

Mouthwash and Mosquitoes

Peace-of-Mind Vacation Check List - What to Do Before You Leave

Cook It Once, Serve It Twice

Foil - A Griller's Friend

 

Friday, June 4, 2010

When Clutter is Unhealthy

  
I discovered this excellent article by David F. Tolin, director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living, Hartford, Conn., and author of "Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding" (Oxford University Press, 2007).
  

When Clutter is Unhealthy 

 

"What's the difference between messiness and hoarding?

Most messy people aren’t hoarders; they’re just messy. But if someone is no longer able to take care of work, family, or basic safety, they’ve crossed the line into mental illness. 

Their clutter might create a fire hazard or vermin infestation, or keep them from walking around in the house. They have an exaggerated attachment to items that prevents them from discarding things that most of us would consider to be junk, like stacks of old newspapers.  

What if I suspect that a friend or family member is a hoarder?
Sit down, calmly explain why you are worried, and offer to help without taking control of the person’s life. The next step is to get the person some quality mental health care. Medications don’t seem to do much for compulsive hoarding. 

We recommend cognitive-behavioral therapy, in which we help the person identify and change irrational ways of thinking and practice new patterns of behavior. Even after treatment, most people are still hoarding, but it’s much better controlled and doesn’t cause safety problems or impinge on their functioning. 

What if the person won’t accept help?
Don’t be tempted to take a shortcut, like clearing out the house when they’re away without telling them. It doesn’t work and often precipitates a mental-health crisis. 

If there are children in the house or the person is elderly and there’s an immediate hazard, you can call in your state’s protective services agency. They have the legal authority to mandate treatment. Otherwise, there’s usually not much you can do. 

It’s horrible to watch a family member self-destruct, but if it comes down to a fight, you’re likely going to lose because the law protects a person’s right to be mentally ill. In those cases, the best option may be for family members to seek counseling themselves."

David F. Tolin, Ph.D.

This article first appeared in the June 2010 issue of Consumer Reports on Health. For more on compulsions, such as hoarding, see our section on diagnosing and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder.


More on hoarding: 

Hoarding - There Are No Easy Answers! 

Self-Help Books for Hoarders and Their Families

Get Organized Month 2009 - Some Words from Peter Walsh, Organizing Guru

 

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Outdoor Decathlon

 
"I'm bored!" My response is usually, "Sorry, that's your choice!" Over the years, I've come up with some activities to do when there doesn't seem to be anything to do. Most of these I've made up or adapted from other ideas. Sometimes merely reframing ordinary activities creates fun!

So ... I'm going to do a series on some of these crazy activities. Hope you enjoy them! 


Outdoor decathlon: 10 games - a combination of silly games and games of skill. See possible games below.

I keep the list of games a secret. Then it's a series of surprises.

Gather all the supplies needed for each game. 

Create a box or bag of prizes. 

Create a score sheet chart with each person listed and each game listed. 

After each game, record the scores. If you have five people playing, the person who comes in first gets five points, 2nd place gets 4 points, etc. 

After all 10 events are played, the person with the most points is first, etc. #1 get to choose a prize first, #2 second, etc.

Possible games (you may need to adjust to kids' ages): 
dropping clothespins in a bottle
horse (basketball)
elimination bocce ball
bubble gum blowing contest
tossing a coin into a muffin tin
bowling with a toy bowling set
paper airplane making/flying
frisbee golf
croquet
bouncing a tennis ball on a tennis raquet
tossing a tennis ball into a waste basket
ladderball
relays
balancing a ball on your finger


What fun activities have you created? 

More on creating fun: 
Organizing Some Fun

Organizing Your Fun Time

Five Health Benefits of Laughter

 

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Get Organized With These Sneaky Tips

 
Here are some great tips from Anna Miller, my guest blogger for today. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Get Organized With These Sneaky Tips

There are some people who are anal about cleanliness and order and others who are totally unconcerned about the clutter they live in. The former are sometimes obsessive compulsive about keeping their personal space neat and tidy while the latter have no qualms about co-existing with filth and disorder. 

Thankfully, most of us fall somewhere in the middle of these two opposite ends of the spectrum – we wish we were more organized, but we’re too busy at times, too lazy at others, and just not in the mood many a day. 

It’s good to be organized, especially if you want to save time and effort every day. When you know where everything is, your day goes by more smoothly and you minimize your stress while maximizing your energy and efficiency. So if you feel your life slipping more and more into the disorderly side of the spectrum, here are a few sneaky tips to get organized:

Do more when the mood strikes: I like to think that I’m a fairly neat person and that my things and schedules are as organized as they can be. But while I do believe that there must be a place for everything and everything in its place, I find that there are times when I’m just too pressed for time or that I’m not in the mood to organize and clear up the clutter. 

But then, when the mess accumulates beyond a certain level, the mood to clean takes priority over all else. I try to get more done during this time, because I know I tend to slip back into laziness soon enough. So if you’re in the mood to clear up, milk it for all its worth and get more done around the house or your workspace.

Procrastinate once, not any more
: It’s ok to put off things if you don’t feel like doing them, but not more than once, especially when it comes to cleaning up your clutter and organizing your space and belongings. Remember, the longer you leave clutter around, the more time you need to get organized. 


So if you don’t feel like washing or clearing up after dinner because you prefer to laze on the couch and watch TV, go ahead by all means. But make sure you wake up a few minutes early the next day so you can clean up before you leave for work or get started with your day. It’s when you keep putting off organizing your space that you find yourself losing control and getting stressed out.

Entertain
: I’ve found that the best incentive for me to clean up is to throw a party or invite people over for dinner. When guests are expected, I know my home has to be perfectly neat and clean. It doesn’t have to be big, just a small gathering with friends is enough to do the trick.


I find myself tidying up and getting rid of the clutter every Friday because I know I will have company on Saturday. This weekly routine ensures that I stay organized and on top of things.

The point I’m trying to make is that you don’t really have to be neat and organized all the time; it’s enough if you realize your strengths and weaknesses, and play to the former while avoiding the latter as much as possible.



This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degree . She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com.


More on organizing tips: 
Don't Make the #1 Organizing Mistake

Color-Coding Your Storage

5-Minute Stress Relievers - Organizing and Cleaning

 

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Right-Brained People - Enjoy Your Creative Organizing!

   
If you are a creative, right-brained person, don't despair when it comes to organizing! Use that creativity to come up with organizing solutions that work for you.

Just because you may not be organizationally minded doesn't mean you can't organize. As my right-brained daughter has said to me many times, "I can organize, just not the same way you do."

Right-brained people are good at brainstorming and thinking outside the box. Use those skills to come up with creative solutions to solve your organizing issues. Create systems that work for you. 

Don't feel that there is a "right way" to organize. Organizing is very personal and needs to work for you. Even if a system works for others, it may not work for you.

Try out your creative solutions and see which ones work. If they don't, tweak them or throw them out all together! 

The key is to drag yourself away from more enticing projects and take some time to use your creativity to organize. It's hard to do. But the result is worth it: your mind will be freed up for more creativity because it's not cluttered with visual chaos.

Right brained people, tell us your organizing solutions!

More on organizing differences:

Is Decluttering/Organizing with Your Spouse Making You Angry?

How to Stay Organized When No One around You Is

Organizing the ADD Household

 

Monday, May 31, 2010

Organizing Some Fun


Happy Memorial Day!

I was trying to think of some fun for today. We have some limitations: one of our foster daughters has a sprained ankle and another needs to do a bunch of reading before tomorrow (what? procrastination? one word: her.choice! LOL) So we can't do anything that involves walking, which eliminates almost everything.

The reader was planning to come downstairs and read for about four hours straight. Sprained ankle offered to read at the same time. So we are all going to read - to me that's luxurious!

But I'm going to change it a little. After about 2 hours, we are going to go on a progressive fast food lunch. Sounds nutritious doesn't it? We'll give each girl $6 and go to various fast food establishments where they can spend their money. The only catch is that they can only buy one item at each place and they don't know where we are going until we get to each place!

This is my plan: MacDonalds, Taco Bell, Sheetz (gas station), Burger King, and the dollar store. Sounds horrifying, doesn't it? A teenager's dream meal!! I guess I could add a grocery store on the list and make them buy a piece of fruit. One word: not.going.to.happen. 

Then we'll come back and continue our reading time.

Yesterday we did a flip a coin adventure. Flip the coin once: heads = go straight; tails = turn. If tails, flip again to see which direction to turn. Heads = right; tails = left. We go about three blocks between flips so we're not just going in circles. Sometimes we start a little distance from our house, so we're in new territory. 

Yesterday we ended up in some beautiful areas where we had never been - fun! 


What creative fun have you invented?


More on fun:

Organizing Your Fun Time

Organizing An Intentional Summer for Your Children

In a Winter Rut? Here's How to Climb Out!

5-Minute Stress Relievers - Being Generous

 

Friday, May 28, 2010

Wrapping Up the School Year

     
 As the school year closes, it's a good time to wrap up end-of-year activities. Even if you don't have kids in school, many activities take a break for the summer - a perfect time to put closure on those activities.

If you volunteer, declutter and organize any paperwork for your position. If you are passing that position on to someone else, hand off that paperwork by the middle to end of June so the transition goes smoothly. 

If you've taken a class, organize your class notes and related material. Look over your notes for action points you want to take away from the class.

If you have school-age children, sit down together and look over school papers, projects and artwork you have saved. Determine an acceptable amount to save and work with your child to determine which masterpieces to keep. 

If there are too many for your comfort, take pictures of the rest and put them in a photo album. Or send them to relatives or soldiers. Or create placemats, lamp shades, collages, etc. with them.

Print photos you want to keep from this year and divide into categories. Or copy to CDs or DVDs or another medium. Organize according to activities. Remove these pictures from your camera to make room for your summer fun.

If you haven't done so already, evaluate summer clothes for the family. Get rid of those that don't work and fill in the blanks with new ones. While you're at it, if other clothes are outgrown, get rid of those also. Donate, hand them down - whatever, but get them out of the house!

Celebrate the end of school! Make something special, decorate, do something silly, make certificates to celebrate milestones. Whatever you do, celebrate all the work each of you has accomplished during the school year.


More on wrapping up:

Getting Organized for School - Organizing Your Child's Artwork and School Papers

Overwhelmed by Unfinished Projects?

Organizing Your Keepsakes into Bins

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Is Clutter Distracting You From Work?

       
Are you easily distracted by some of your clutter? Is it distracting enough that you stop working? Examples: the newspaper, magazines, catalogs, golf clubs, etc.

If you find that your work is suffering because of these distractions, remove them from your office! Make it a weekly habit to remove such distractions.

Work hard. Take breaks which refresh and rejuvenate you. Refuel yourself during your breaks with food and liquids. Get enough sleep. And you'll be operating at peak efficiency and energy.

More on clutter:

Your Priorities, Passions, and Gifts Create Context for Your Clutter

Can Clutter Cause You to Lose Your Job?

Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind  

 

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Finding Charities that Will Pick Up Your Clutter

      
On a recent organizing job, my clients were getting ready to move and wanted to get rid of some items to reduce moving expenses. As I was driving home, I noticed a nearby Salvation Army.

I called, and sure enough, they pick up unwanted items. While on the phone, they gave me an extensive list of what they will and will not take. As it turned out, Salvation Army took everything except some wood. 

While arranging for the disposal of these items, I was thinking it would be nice to go to a website that listed charitable organizations who pick up discarded household goods. Since I was working in an unfamiliar location, I wasn't sure what organizations were available in that 
area.

Since that time, I discovered Donation Town - a website that lists such organizations by zip code. Just go to Donation Town, enter your zip code, and you have a list of charities that will pick up your unwanted items.

I took the following section from their website, listing such charities:

More on donating:

Donating Business Clothing for Job Interviews

Get Organized Month 2009 - Decluttering Your Electronics

Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Suits/Coordinated Outfits and Jackets