Among Friends

[lovesrecess]

I buy my coffee mugs one at a time because we prefer a specific shape and size...never heard of not having mismatched mugs...!

[lovesrecess]

I have been "purging" kitchen cabinets..one at a time...I do much better not tossing everything on a whim...have lived to regret that too many times..,now I take a large box and keep it in the breakfast room until it's filled...then donate. Amazing how much more spacious my cabinets are now!

[Mominohio]

We still use wire hangers. They are free as my husband brings home his uniforms every week on them. We actually have to recycle them we get so many, but I've never gotten into the fancy hanger craze. Wire ones do good enough for us!

And I do have to say I have at least 8 spatulas, and I do use every one of them. They are all different sizes and styles and sometimes when I'm baking, I'll have 5 of them dirty and in the sink before I'm done! 

Those half burned candles, just use them up, unless you don't like the fragrance. I always feel like I've really accomplished something when I finish off a couple of half burned candles and discard or recycle the jars! LOL

[AuntG]

DONE! Except for item 2. The mosquitoes that buzz around my garden don't seem to mind my misshapen and stained clothing. I sure do not look like Martha Stewart when I'm weeding the flower beds.

[threecees]

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@jannabelle1 wrote:

@Bridgegal, for the plastic hangers, I'm wondering if Goodwill (or similar place) would take them. They get tons of clothes - they need hangers for the majority of the clothes. I'd probably put them in a box and take them there.

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@jannabelle1 I have donated all types and sizes of hangers including kids. My

Goodwill does take them.

I have to call about old skis and ski boots from my husband from many years ago,

just sitting and collecting dust in the garage, not sure if they would take them.

[ItsME]

@Bridgegal  

I recently filled a recycle bin at my mother's house with plastic hangers... the night before the pick-up.  I walked by a few hours later, and they were all gone.  And, I live in a gated community with under 300 homes!  Would love to know who took them.

[Bridgegal]

@jannabelle1

No, Goodwill doesn't want clothes on hangers and won't take them.   We are moving in 3 weeks and our washer isn't working.   We went to the laundromat yesterday to wash stuff and there was a big plastic bin there with plastic hangers in it.   I'm guessing/assuming/hoping that it's for people who forget to bring hangers so I'm taking a bunch of them there and adding to the bin.   

[Bridgegal]

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@threecees wrote:

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@jannabelle1 wrote:

@Bridgegal, for the plastic hangers, I'm wondering if Goodwill (or similar place) would take them. They get tons of clothes - they need hangers for the majority of the clothes. I'd probably put them in a box and take them there.

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@jannabelle1 I have donated all types and sizes of hangers including kids. My

Goodwill does take them.

I'll check with them again.   Last person there I asked said no.   Thanks.

[qualitygal]

I've loaded up 3 boxes of books from the basement bookcase.  Each week he's getting up the stairs (we have a dolly)  one of the boxes.  Too heavy to have to try and get to the library for a book sales.  These were books he got that his dad had.  Never cracked one open and we need to keep downsizing.  Trying to find places to store stuff never used is silly.  He didn't even object, he just didn't want to have to do the work.  Why do we keep this stuff?  I got rid of stuff (books) on old hobbies that never took off.  

As something gets moved in, something goes out.  

[nmurray]

We have moved quite a bit, so I have always gotten rid of stuff over the years. I have been in my current home for almost 5 years and it is amazing how stuff accumulates despite my best efforts.

For the past few months I have been purging closets and cupboards and bookshelves, oh my, to get ready for selling the house and downsizing. I have a son still at home, in college and I am ready for a smaller place and a new location closer to my daughter in Los Angeles. I collect cookbooks and have amassed hundreds over the years (well 1700 actually!) I am down to 1400+ and it is getting harder for me to let more go but I am perservering. I have gotten rid of a lot of cooking magazines as well but still have quite a few.  My goal is to get them all in one place - meaning my wall to wall floor to ceiling bookshelf in the family room. Maybe I will get there, maybe not but I am making good progress.

Not surprising considering the cookbook situation, i have a lot of kitchen tools and equipment which I am also letting go but I love to thrift and find vintage glassware, bakeware and the like so I have to be selective and let stuff go or it will continue to be out of hand.

Clothes and shoes are another story - as someone posted, not wearing something for years does not necessarily make me get rid of it. I have several sizes in there (!) and decided that I either need to lose the weight or donate them. I am on a low carb/keto diet as we speak because downsizing applies to my body as well. As I was going through the closet, I was sad to see clothes I love that do not fit, so with another birthday fast approaching next month I decided to give myself the gift of taking care of me in this process. I am not retired and have several working years ahead of me, but at this point less is more and I am looking forward to downsizing.

My son is helping me with the garage and tools most of which I will not need beyond a basic tool box and he has been driving stuff to donation and recycling.  I am looking to donate tools and furniture to habitat for humanity, hoping they, or another charity will pick up the larger items.

Lots of papers, pens and plastic have gone out the door in this process. I mean, how many pens do I really need anyway...I do not write that much these days.

BTW why do I continue to hang on to those orphan socks and where do their mates go? Infuriating.