Friday, January 24, 2014

The Giving Season Continues...

Some of you may know that I've been blogging for MoPa Living.  The last Tapper Richards post launched in mid-December and was all about GIVING. Sounds season-appropriate, no? The idea is that giving comes not only in purchasing and giving new gifts to our loved ones, but also giving in the form of donating to your favorite causes.

When we attempt organization in our homes and businesses, we frequently look at that dreaded first step - the purge - as LOOSING something, GETTING RID OF belongings and ELIMINATING stuff. Similar to a diet, if we focus on what we can't have, it's not going to be easy. 

In shifting our mindset to something more positive, the effort of "the purge" can be much more successful.  Instead of thinking of cleaning out our space(s) as losing or parting with something, 
think of it as a way to provide and give to those in need.

Here's what to do:
  
pick a favorite charity or donation center. MORE ON THIS BELOW...Research what they do for the community and how they contribute to a cause. Think about how many people you might help by donating your gently used (but no longer wanted) items! It's a win-win! You gain space, and the charity gains items it can sell to others and support their community programs.

It’s a simple task to grab a sturdy bag or box and pass through our belongings and amass a collection of items we just know we don’t need or want anymore. Only keep in our homes what we love or need.  So, the box is now full and it’s great the stuff is no longer cluttering up your closets or rooms, but that same box is going to be in the basement for the next 4 months, right? Oh, no. No. No, people. I suggest taking it immediately to the nearest drop off point on your next outing.  More suggestions on this in the MoPa post here.

When a client asks me if it is worth having a yard sale, my usual tried-and-true answer is, "absolutely not". It is usually best to get the stuff out of the house/business as soon as possible to prevent it from being re-incorporated into your space. Yard sales are a lot of work and aren't typically the money-maker they are expected to be.

But, I'M ABOUT TO BREAK MY OWN RULE...

An idea crossed my mind and I can't stop thinking about it.  With a combination of a "recent" relocation (does a year qualify as recent?), the closing out of our storage space, and having helped an aunt move, we have a TON of stuff to get rid of - including furniture. 

You see, on December 11th (the same day the MoPa post about GIVING went live) we lost a very special member of our family.  My younger sister's fiance was killed in Afghanistan.  He was only 19.  They were the cutest couple I have literally ever seen in my life, and I will NEVER FORGET the look on his face when they came to tell us the big news.  He made her so happy, and we are eternally grateful for the short time we did have with him.

With a combination of the growing "Yard Sale Section" in our basement and the establishment of the 
I've decided we're going to go for it.  
We're having an actual YARD SALE.
100% of the proceeds go to benefit this worthy cause.  

Even if we only make $5.00, I'll know we put our best foot forward to bring awareness to this foundation, whose purpose is near and dear to our hearts.  

There will likely be some additional surprises to this event to make it a bit more special than a typical yard sale, so stay tuned.

If anyone would like to donate a box or bag of quality used items to add to the Yard Sale's inventory, message me at https://www.facebook.com/tapperrichards or email me at tapperrichards@gmail.com, and I'll come pick it up.  


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