The hardest part of decluttering is the decision making; you’ve let it go in your mind and heart and now you need it out of your home!  In a perfect world, we’d like our things to be loved and enjoyed, to find new homes and maybe even give us a little ‘return on our investment’.  

Beauty Products
Make-up expiration guidelines:  Do you have a drawer full of make-up that you don’t use or aren’t sure if you should use?  The old saying, if in doubt, toss it out applies here.  Your face is the primary entry point of just about every illness or infection you contract.  More critical, are dangerous infections that could affect your sight, one of your most precious gifts.  For guidance on when to discard make-up:  Make-up Expiration Guidelines

Best beauty advice ever; Beauty Tips

Flag Retirement
You have a stash of flags from parades and events, weathered or tattered, awaiting proper retirement and taking up space.  Check with your local Boy Scout Troop, DAR organization, American Legion or veterans group.  They will often have flag retirement events throughout the year and will make sure your flags are respectfully retired.

Garage Sale
Garage Sale Tips, by Linda Ely

Give away

• Find collectors in your area, use the internet.  

• Go to your local flea market and find someone selling what you are getting rid of and strike up a deal.  
• Go to your local antique store and simply give them antique items you can’t enjoy anymore.  It will get them into the hands of someone who might be able to enjoy them.
• Offer things to household help, gardener, or child care provider.  If you don’t use any home services, check with your friends.
• Find a friend having a garage sale, and give your friend the whole lot, no strings attached.

Some of these ideas may sound radical but, your goal is to get them out the door and hopefully, in use with someone else.  If you absolutely must make some money from your clutter, be prepared to be stuck with your clutter if nobody wants to buy it.

Target your donations to organizations that have specific needs such as;
www.ProjectLinus.org  Clean, fabrics & acrylic yarns
Local Children’s Hospitals, emergency room or hospital pediatric unit. Gently used children’s books
Local animal shelter;  old towels
www.Care-Net.org  or emergency pregnancy centers in your area;  gently used maternity items, baby clothes and baby equipment
www.DressForSuccess.org interview appropriate suits, shoes, purses and new hosiery.  (*larger sizes in great demand)  
www.PetSmart.com Store Locator.  Each PetSmart® store adopts a local pet adoption organization.  The adoption organizations are often in need of basic supplies that you may think of discarding such as; old towels, small washable throw rugs, pet bowls and toys, unopened pet food, small litter pans (or similarly sized Gladware® containers) that can fit in the cages.

All items should be cleaned and washed before donating.  If you hope to itemized your taxes and take the donation deduction be sure to keep good record of your donations.  Consider using using ItsDeductible

Toy Clutter
Giving Day, by Linda Ely