How to figure out where to give things away

One of the things about minimizing is finding a home for the things that you don't need. I really don't believe in throwing things out. It's wasteful and it's a lot harder for me to part with things. So right from the start I had to look into different ways to get rid of things so that I would be willing to part with them.

First thing I do is sort through the things that I am willing to get rid of. I make a pile for things that are trash, recyclable, normal thrift store, and "nice enough to keep."

Trash and recyclable I think is pretty obvious where they go.

But thrift is a bit hard, because I actually really hate giving things to the thrift store here.
So here is my system.

Left over craft supplies - schools, 4H, or freecycle
Large furniture - freecycle
Random odds and ends - freecycle or free table
Clothes - free table here a Butler or cloth donation box at Wegman's
Small appliances - Free table or free cycle
Books and magazines - Princeton library or free table

Random odds and ends are that truely random. I once got rid of extra unused hair ties. Yesterday, I gave away a bag of ribbons. People are creative and different organizations need different things, like I gave old frames and cards to a nursing home worker. Daycares and preschools are always looking for good toys. I have found for the most part that people are willing to take most things if they are free.

Freecycle is by far my favorite thing to use. People are usually really nice and the stuff disappears quickly. I have even made some friends this way.

Yesterday for example, I got this email from a lady that picked up my quilting scraps.

"Hello.

I am the grateful and very excited recipient of your fabric. I'm over the moon with it!! I've just begun quilting 6 months ago and jumped into it with both feet. I've made 10 so far! I'm currently making lap quilts for my friends and I also joined a group which makes quilts for leukemia patients. 

Your fabrics are so appreciated and will be put to good use. I'm even going to use some of them to make a quilt for my wonderful friend who picked the fabric up for me.

The assortment is spectacular - a little of this and a little of that. I'm having so much fun looking at it all and sorting it. I try to keep my quilting costs low so I shop at yard sales and thrift stores. I do a lot with sheets. The addition of all your wonderful fabrics will really give my stash a huge boost. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this with me."

If you are friends with me on facebook, you probably saw the post about the sweet lady who gave me a blanket after I gave her a blender.

Here's what I put on facebook,

"The other week I gave a lady on freecycle our blender. It was a really bad mom day. The house was a mess and both Baby X and Madeleine were screaming as I was frantically trying to put them down for naps, when she showed up at the door. I basically threw the blender at her and shut the door in her face. Today, she showed up at the door with a blanket she made and a note of encouragement about being a mom. She gave me "a bit of sunshine" blanket for those days that are just hard. I don't think I have ever felt so touched and loved by a stranger before."

I have really met some great people through freecycle. One lady that picked up my heater, sends me emails whenever she thinks she's getting rid of something I might need.

So there is my plug for freecycle. :)

For the things that are "nice enough to keep."

We either sell or give to friends.
We sell things on ebay, craigslist, and facebook. Friends are wonderful to give things too. In my neighborhood, clothes are seriously passed down from kid to kid to kid. Bikes and outdoor toys too. It's been a lifesaver for our budget.

I hope this helps if you are considering getting rid of stuff or don't know where to start. There are so many resources, but they are a bit hard to find.

Pregnancy :)

38 weeks people. Baby Offspring is still happily kicking away, which most days is fine with me. (I’m kind of hoping to go into labor tonight though so her birthday would be 12/12/12.)

Today was one of the more pathetic moments of being pregnant. I had just one final to take to graduate. I studied today, wrote out my note card, ate dinner, and was completely set to take my final. Matt had a final that would take just about the same amount of time, so we decided to take our finals at the same time. I got my test and found a spot right by Matt, and sat down.

I didn’t fit in the dumb testing center desk!! So I got back up and took off my coat, and then I could barely squeeze in. During the whole test, I had some issues breathing normally, but I managed to finish just fine. 

So since this whole pregnancy thing is almost done, here are my notes/advice for next time we decide we want a baby.

0. Don’t. (--courtesy of Matt)

1. Every pregnancy is different. Don’t judge the pregnant girl in your class who never stops eating or glare at the lady who loves being pregnant.

2. Babies come at 40 weeks (Not 24, 32, or 36.5 weeks) I’m really not good at this whole waiting thing.

3. Babies make your body hurt in really weird ways. Baby toes in the ribs hurt and feel really weird. Hips popping out of location hurts too.

4. You have to be a lot more comfortable with your body. Weird sounds coming from you? Totally normal. I didn’t even know pelvic bones could make sounds like that.

5. Baby kicks are cute. I think this is the best part about being pregnant. (unless it gets you in the ribs, see #3 – also Matt)

6. Drink lots of water.  Apparently camels can drink 80% of their body weight. I’m just aiming for 3%, like 4-5 lbs.  

7. Nurses can be stupid or really helpful. “Sorry sweetheart, I wish I could do something about your pain, but the only other option other than Tylenol is narcotics.”

8. Say “no” if you don’t want to do anything. I seem to forget this a lot, and then I would feel overwhelmed and Matt would find me in a puddle of overwhelmed-ness. It was sad.

9. If you can eat something, eat it. Don’t worry about how healthy it is. I remember going shopping with a friend in my first trimester. I grabbed for the oreos and she pointed out all the healthier options that I could be eating. I gave her a look and told her that while eating healthy was a good theory, I was just looking for stuff I wouldn’t throw up. I feel the same way now when people pin workout routines on pinterest. Nice in theory, totally a different story when there is a baby in your ribs.

10. It’s okay to cry on the bed and eat lots of mint Milano’s while reading mommy blogs. I love mommy blogs. They are the best.

11. Leave the house once a day.

12. Baths are divine. Though your husband might get mad that there is never hot water and threaten to get his own water heater. (Which is a good idea: “His” and “Hers” -- Matt.)

13. Prenatal vitamins are worth taking even if you throw them up. I’m really bad at remembering the health benefits of these.

14. The last few months I should probably not talk to anyone outside of my family (or in – Matt) in case people think I’m crazier than normal. Matt should have kept track of all the crazy things I’ve said. They are pretty awesome.

15. People feel entitled to give their opinion about your baby, your body, your parenting styles, etc. Figure out what you want beforehand and then tell them to go to a fiery afterlife.

16. Google can answer almost any question and is easier to use at 1:00 A.M. than a 300+ page baby advice book.  (Imagine making money off convincing pregnant ladies they need to do even more. – Matt)

17. 8:00 P.M. is a totally acceptable time to go to bed. And several naps are nice too.

I’m excited for Baby Offspring to come. We are ready as we know how to be with her, and the roads are clear.